There are many types of addictions that makes almost everyone an addict to something. Addictions can include work, sex, sleep, procrastination, food, pain, caffeine, alcohol, irresponsibility, violence, and codependency.
Anyone can become addicted to anything, especially when it brings a sense of pleasure or a positive result.
Of course, sometimes that positive result is subtle. For instance, at first glance it might seem odd that someone might be addicted to violence, but both watching and engaging in violence can bring a feeling of euphoria, control, and power.
Those feelings can create and continue to feed an addiction. Part of finally getting drug abuse help is uncovering what you’re getting from the substance or behavior your addicted to.
Although using drugs and alcohol might at first give us a feeling of empowerment, those feelings can swirl downward and harm us in the end if we have to steal to get drugs, for instance.
There are many forms of addiction. The following lists the most common in the United States.
Sugar:
Sugar is the most widespread and unrecognized addiction. It is a substance that is in a wide variety of foods, even those that one might not think would include sugar. Although sugar seems relatively innocent, it is also a substance that can affect one’s energy level and mood. Those who are addicted to alcohol and caffeine are usually addicted to sugar as well.
Caffeine:
This psychoactive substance stimulates the central nervous system and can increase alertness and levels of energy. There are millions of Americans, for example, who take this stimulant each morning before work by having their regular dose of coffee.
Nicotine:
A study found that nicotine receptors in the brain actually improved mood in certain types of depression. At the same time, this study also found that those who smoke are more likely to have symptoms of depression than those who do not.
Depression is associated with an increased risk for smoking, and research has found that smoking is often a behavior that depressed adults engage in as a way to self-medicate. Learning this can perhaps encourage adults to find another, healthier way to feel better.
However, at this time, nicotine remains to be a highly addictive substance. It is approximately 1000 people die from nicotine-related illnesses every day, including lung cancer.
Alcohol:
According to a survey done in 1990, alcohol was the fourth most common addiction in the United States.
Although this might have changed since 1990, there’s no question that alcohol remains to be a source of addiction for millions of Americans. Alcohol, when consumed, distorts perception and judgment and can affect an individual’s mood.
It can also slow down one’s reaction time, making it dangerous to drink before getting behind the wheel or operating other forms of machinery.
Opiates:
Opioids are the main activating drug found in painkillers, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, diphenoxylate, morphine, codeine, and methadone. Opioids are synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant.
It can be injected or inhaled by snorting or sniffing or smoking it. Close to half of the nation’s 38,329 drug overdose deaths in 2010 involved painkillers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These narcotics now kill more adults than heroin and cocaine combined.
Perhaps most or all of the substances listed here are obvious in their tendency to bring on an addiction. However, as mentioned earlier, almost anything can become an addiction. For instance, other categories of drugs not yet mentioned include:
- Designer Drugs
- Marijuana
- Other Stimulants (Cocaine, Methamphetamine)
- Steroids
- Psychedelics
- Depressants
- Other Food Addictions
Part of getting drug abuse help is learning about the cycle of addiction and how pleasure plays a role in creating a dependence. The activation of the brain’s reward system is the key to the development of an addiction.
When the brain identifies the pleasure, a strong dependence can continue to grow until a substance and/or a behavior becomes the sole focus of one’s life to the exclusion and detriment of other life-activities. It’s important to get drug abuse help, including learning about addiction and how it might be a danger in your life.
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