Everyone, even the cleanest, kindest person you know, struggles with an addiction. This includes you. Have you ever sat and indulged in a guilty pleasure while thinking “At least it’s not drugs”? Whether your vice is public or private, you can easily think of something distasteful that has a hold on you.
People frequently excuse their own addictions by brushing them off and saying that it could be worse. After all, it’s only a nicotine pouch and not a street drug, right? It’s only following accounts with shirtless men and women in bikinis, not pure pornography, right? These things are seen as socially acceptable, making those on which they have a hold feel as though they do not need to break these bad habits.
However, regardless of what your actual addiction may be, there is no way to be dependent on a substance, habit or other outward materials and still maintain your health. For instance, your addiction to caffeinated drinks can have negative physical health outcomes later on in life, and you may suffer from headaches and fatigue if you do not continue to ingest the same amount of caffeine you have normalized for your body each day. Likewise, your addiction to content uploaded by outrageously stereotypically attractive people may make it nearly impossible to find a significant other desirable enough for your standards in the long run.
While substances like nicotine and caffeine can heavily damage your well-being, it is common to meet someone who openly admits to these addictions. When a person becomes addicted to a non-substance, it is considered a behavioral addiction. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these behaviors can include gambling, eating, engaging in sexual acts or even shoplifting. While most people still do not want to admit to these addictions per se, they are still seen as more acceptable and are often met with indifference.
Cleveland Clinic also explains that a person suffering from an addiction has “every aspect” of their life impacted by the habit. They cannot walk away from the pattern without experiencing symptoms of withdrawal, including anxiety or even illness. Various withdrawals can be caused by both substance and non-substance addictions. What would you experience if you stopped vaping or put your phone away for a week? Likely, you’d feel an extreme sense of insecurity and anxiety, if not worse things.
The key to remedying the illness that is addiction is to first admit that you are struggling. If you feel a constant compulsion to return to these things, it is important to reach out for support to develop a plan to resist habits that will eventually lead to complications in the future.
