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Why do people become addicted? What is the fundamental mechanism? Of course, this question has been answered to varying degrees and in varying ways. Whether you consider the physical aspects of addiction where changes occur in the brain, or the psychological mechanism that triggers an addiction many theories already exist.

This article is strictly my opinion. It is my personal attempt to understand addiction and I don’t claim to have any scientific backing for my model of addiction. Nor do I seek any. I’m merely trying to understand addiction in terms that make sense to me personally. If this is useful to you in some way, then so much the better.

Addiction can be a powerful force in our lives. I hold that addiction occurs with each of us to varying degrees. Drug and alcohol addictions are the most obvious to us because their destructive effects are very evident. But what about those addictions that are not so obvious. Do you have a favorite food? A favorite song? Why do we choose one thing over another? Why do people choose differently?

On a purely physical realm it appears that our brains become stimulated in a certain way that we enjoy and therefore we are left with a memory that is pleasurably associated with a certain stimulus such as a sound or a taste or a sensation. Could this be the basis for addiction?

Since we are beings with an organic component, this makes complete sense. Once an impression is made on us it is either postivive or negative and we have a ‘feeling’ that goes with that. Being creatures that enjoy pleasure over pain we naturally seek to relive positive experiences and avoid negative ones.

Therefore, if we had an experience that triggered a negative feeling, such as the taste of garlic, then we may forever hate the taste of garlic. Yet, someone else’s early experience or experiences with garlic may have been quite pleasurable. Therefore, they actually enjoy the taste and smell of garlic even to the point that they always use it or cook with it.

Being similar in our organic components, how can such divergent reactions occur?
The only differential seems to be the original experience itself and how we reacted to it. That experience and reaction creates a record in our brains. This must be how two different brains can have such different reactions to the same substance or experience.

Then are we at the mercy of our first experience in regards to any particular stimuli?
Yes, if we don’t do anything about it. However, if we really exert our will, we should be able to change our reaction to virtually anything.

Therefore, through exertion of willpower an addiction, any addiction, should be defeatable. Of course, things are not necessarily that simple in the real world. But in principle and in my opinion, it seems to be this way.

Otherwise, we would simply be robots at the mercy of these addictions that exist to varying degrees. I think most people would agree that is not the case. Also, it would contradict the gift of freewill that I believe we all have been granted. There are some things that we don’t get to choose in this life yet there are many things that we may exert our personal choice over. I believe that addiction is one of those things we can choose not to have. Maybe it takes hard work to beat an addiction but I think we do have an option in this regard.

If I’m correct, then the most important component to beating an addiction is the willingness to do so, coupled by the intensity of the desire to beat the addiction. It seems certain that the person must be willing at some level to be rid of an addiction in order for that freedom to occur.

Author:  David S.

*If you have or think you might have a drug, alcohol or other dangerous addiction, you should seek the help of a qualified physician and get proper treatment as soon as possible.
 

In speaking of addiction most people think of alcoholism and drug addiction, but the reality is that addiction is far broader than that.

Process addictions can occur in addition to chemical dependency. Addictions such as shopping, gambling, and disordered eating are related to compulsive behavior. Being active in addiction hurts not only yourself but everyone who comes in contact with you. Questions occur. What is addiction? How does it start in when? A pattern of behavior can become an addiction when you cross the line?

It is hard to understand, but none the less it is a fact that while the majority of people can engage in behavior or use drugs and alcohol with no difficulties, addicts simply cannot. Victims of addiction have lost the ability to control or stop their user behaviors. Addiction is possible for everyone despite ethnic, social or economic status.

There is no standard definition of an addict. There is no poster child. Although there a lot of research has been done on addiction scientists and researchers cannot agree on you the cure or cause. The part of addiction and that is the most confusing and confounding is the emotional part of it. Often addiction is fed by the seeming relief it can bring from uncomfortable emotions. It is strange that the more one indulges in addiction the worse the negative consequences and the greater the need to soothe the negative effects.

While addiction manifests itself in different people in different ways, here are the most common signs and symptoms of addiction:

Symptom 1 - Unable to meet responsibilities of relationships or at home, school or work.

Symptom 2 - Compulsive preoccupation, meaning one spends a great deal of time thinking about the substance or behavior

Symptom 3 - Has tried but failed to stop using the substance or end the behavior. Loss of control has set in.

Symptom 4 - Engages in the behavior or substance use knowing it is dangerous or in dangerous situations such as driving.

Symptom 5 - Because of the addiction, one stops activities or hobbies that were fun or enjoyable.

Symptom 6 - There is a need to increase the amount and frequency of the behavior or substance to achieve the desired felling or affect.

Symptom 7 - Ones life has become centered around the addiction, isolation from others occurs.

If one or more of the above symptoms are occurring, it is time to talk to someone. Everyone agrees that addiction is a progressive disease. Left untreated, it will get worse.

There is more information available here on addiction treatment.

There is a some what black hat over folk that visit casinos or play online poker, they are seen as some what addicts to the planet and folk look at them like they have no families or friends, because they have pushed them all away by gambling their money.

But is this really the entire truth? People that gamble are just like anyone else with a hobby, you wouldnt look down at someone that took up running of swimming as a hobby so why do it to gamblers?

What I am meant to say is that every one gambles whether they know about or not. So let's take a brief look at common gambling habits that most people make in their everyday lives.

1) Every time you step outside and drive the car or cross the road you are gambling with your life, no one knows what is around the corner so you are taking an elevated risk
2) Whenever you are feeling hungry you gamble with your money, especially if you are going somewhere to eat where you havent eaten before. I mean how many times have you been to a restaurant handed over some money and then had to eat an unpleasant meal?
3) As a matter of fact whenever you want to buy something such as a car you are gambling with your hard earned cash. There is nothing to say that when you hand over 5 or 6k for a car it wont break down the next day.

So next time you throw accusations and people visiting casinos to relax and unwind then think about all of the gambling that you do everyday of your life.

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