Addiction

A compulsive or obsessive relationship with one or more substances or processes such as: alchohol or other drugs, food, sex, gambling, internet, exercise, relationships, work, or money.

Although this word is becoming ever more common in our culture today, it is still a scary concept. Just hearing the word conjures up visuals of junkies in abandoned warehouses shooting up heroin, drop-out meth-heads breaking into your car for whatever can be sold for ready cash, or wild-eyed coke fiends destroying the lives of anyone who dares to care about them.

Actually addicts come from all walks of life and have a potentially terminal disease. They have the same level of moral development, the same level of intelligence, the same amount of will power, and the same love of family as any other segment of the population.

So what is different about someone with an addiction? This person has a potentially fatal disease which can be described as a dysfunction of the mid-brain. The addict can not be smart enough, moral enough, loving enough or have enough will power to not have the disease. The propensity for addiction is inherited but environment also plays a role.

The addict may look just like anyone else at work, at church or in your neighborhood. She or he may be your lawyer, your physician, your clergy, an elected official, an officer of the law, a grandparent or babysitter. Although there are signs to look out for, often these signs are well hidden.

Some of the more common signs include:

Diminished quality of work at school or on the job
Lack of energy or motivation
Change in self-care habits
Strange or unexplained behavior changes
Money problems
Neglect of friendships
Irritability or other mood changes
Implausible explanations concerning where they are/who they are with
Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

The internet magazine RX.com published a useful article "Every Waking Moment: Sex Addiction in Men" by Ivan Oransky, M.D. describing and explaining sexual addiction at this link.

Chemical vs. Process Addictions

People can become emotionally, psychologically and physically addicted to both substances and behaviors. Even thought processes such as fantasy can take on an addictive quality when it becomes so obsessive that it interferes with responsibilities and relationships.

Chemical addictions include:

Cannabis compounds (marijuana and hash)
Depressants (barbiturates and benzodiazepines)
Stimulants (amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine, Ritalin)
Hallucinogens (LSD, PCP, Ketimine, psilocybin, and synthetic compounds such as Ecstasy that is both hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like)
Inhalants (glue, paint solvents, nitrous oxide)
Opiods (narcotics such as heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, oxicodone)
Nicotine and Alcohol(both stimulant and depressant)

Process addictions include:

Sexual addiction (cybersex, affairs, prostitutes and escorts, compulsive masturbation, strip clubs, pornography, etc)
Sexual anorexia ( compulsive avoidance of sexual experiences)
Relationship compulsivity (avoidant or dependent)
Codependence (addiction to another person)
Eating disorders (binge/purge, anorexia, overeating)
Gambling (casinos, financial risk taking, race tracks)
Work (long hours at the office, busyness)
Money (spending, debting, hording)
Exercise (to the exclusion of relationships or to the point of injury)
Internet use (gaming, chat rooms, etc)

Compulsive chemical use and behaviors as well as obsessive thought processes cause chemical changes in the brain that eventually lead to physical changes in the brain that can now be detected. Behaviors and thought processes, when they become addictive, are just as hard to interrupt as chemical addictions and withdrawal symptoms are similar.