When Habits Become Addictions
Addictions are tricky business. Many people like referring to addictions as “diseases”, but that doesn’t resonate with me. I believe addictions can cause or contribute to diseases, but I don’t like to call them diseases. Simply put, addictions happen when the ways we self-medicate to cover up a problem get out of hand…when habits become chronic. When things get too hard to handle, we tend to use something to soothe the pain. Normally, this isn’t an issue. It gives us a mental break and can usually help us calm down enough to find some clarity. Most things are fine in moderation. Self-medicating only turns into an addiction when it becomes a chronic “solution”.
Self-medicating comes in a lot of different forms. I’ve known people that have been addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, abuse, stress, and drama. It’s pretty obvious that being addicted to these things is bad, right? But what about the people that are addicted to things that we mostly see as good, or at the very least, not harmful? Things like exercise, sports, diet, religion, video games, and food are perfect examples of things that start out as a positive force in your life but can quickly become obsessive behaviors and addictions if you aren’t careful.
At what point does self-medicating become an addition? The simple answer is when they become your go-to “balm” for comfort. If we go a little bit deeper, we can see that these things are covering up the stress caused by an underlying issue. Rather than dealing with the root issue, we are silencing the noise caused by these issues. Here’s an example….
Say you are dealing with a stressful situation at home. Perhaps you are fighting more often with your spouse (and not getting any resolution), or you’re dealing with a rebellious teenager who is exhibiting all kinds of behavior not fitting for a teen. You have 2 choices on how you can deal with these situations:
1. You can walk away, not deal with it, and pour a drink/take a drug/go to the casino every time it happens, or
2. You can sit down with the person you are having a conflict with and try to figure out where the conflict is coming from
Option 1 is self-medicating and addictive. You are avoiding a situation by numbing out your emotions attached to it. Option 2 is looking at the cause of the conflict. It is trying to resolve it by finding and eradicating its source. It’s like gardening. Would you rather throw dirt and garbage on top of the weeds, or pull them out by the root? Pulling it out by the root will get rid of it for good, rather than giving it a challenge to make it more resilient.
It can be difficult to break these habits and addictions. If you feel like you (or someone you know) has a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, or abuse, please reach out to a licensed professional and get some help. These are serious and need special attention. But if you find yourself starting to exhibit addictive behavior and you want to stop, begin by looking at what is causing these behaviors. Using tools like meditation, journaling, and speaking with a therapist can help you resolve these issues in a very healthy way. Find the root of the problem and weed it out for good!
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