An overview of different addictions

Alcohol Addiction

Many medical and addiction experts agree that alcoholism (alcohol addiction) is a disease; but it is still a matter of debate amongst others. The good folks at Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) say that alcoholism is “powerful, cunning and baffling” and that is a sentiment almost everyone can agree on. Those labels often apply because alcoholism does not follow a clearly-defined course for most people. Some people are addicted the first time they drink alcohol; others drink socially for years before losing control.

Caffeine Addiction

If you think that caffeine addiction is a myth, read on; caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that can lead to addiction and other health issues. This drug is the most widely used stimulant in North America, in part because caffeine use is legal and socially accepted.

Tobacco Addiction

Addiction to tobacco is the second-leading cause of death worldwide. It’s a massively deadly addiction; responsible for more than 5 million deaths every year. It is estimated that about 1.5 Billion smokers live in the world today and, despite the health warnings, smoking is on the increase in many areas of the world. While there has been a significant drop in cigarette smoking in North America in the past two decades, smoking is on the rise in certain sectors of the population. The largest rate of growth is seen among the young – ages 15 to 25.

Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine use remains widespread in the United States and around the world. Taking a quick look at what cocaine appears to offer, it is not difficult to understand its initial appeal.

Can a Person Really Be Addicted to Food?

Once applied primarily to abusers of alcohol and other drugs, the term “addiction” has become a much more prevalent term in modern American society. Sex, gambling, video games, and even the Internet itself are among the myriad objects, substances, and activities that have been the subjects of addiction diagnoses in recent years.

Gambling Addiction

Compulsive gambling, also known as gambling addiction, has many of the same indicators, behaviors and consequences associated with other addictions – drug, alcohol, etc. Gambling addicts have been found in casinos, at racetracks, in neighborhood poker games (and anywhere one can place a bet) for many centuries. Compulsive gambling has been on the rise (at a fast clip) for the past decade or so, mostly due to the introduction of online gambling.

Heroin Addiction

Once confined mostly to large cities, heroin is just as likely to be found today in rural areas and in towns of all sizes.

Addiction to Inhalants and Solvents

Inhaling chemicals to get high is not new; Americans have sniffed glue as far back as the late 1890’s. What IS new is the amount and variety of inhalants and solvents that are now abused. Especially frightening is the fact that this behavior is most common among adolescents – often those in junior high – ranging anywhere from age 11-15.

Internet Addiction

If you live with someone (or you are that someone) that cannot leave your computer for any reason, you might not be surprised that “internet addiction” is real. Addiction to the internet is classified as an impulsive-control problem.

Marijuana – Can You Get Addicted?

It depends on whom you ask; some doctors and addiction specialists believe that marijuana is physically addictive – other experts do not. What most do agree on, though, is that the drug is psychologically addictive.

Methamphetamine Addiction

Methamphetamine is manufactured in make-shift labs, which themselves are extremely dangerous. Due to the chemicals and heating elements used in making the drug, many labs explode and kill or injure many people. Often, innocent children die as a result of being exposed to these toxic environments.

Oxycontin Addiction

First introduced in 1995, the powerful opioid Oxycontin is now one of the most addictive and abused prescription medications. The drug’s therapeutic use is as a powerful painkiller and it is widely used in clinical medicine. This potent (and potentially lethal) drug is a “controlled substance” and requires a prescription to obtain.

Painkiller Addiction

In many American communities the abuse of prescription painkillers has surpassed that of marijuana and cocaine. Studies show that more than 2 Million Americans use painkillers every year. Many patients are prescribed painkillers (also commonly called opiates or narcotics) for legitimate medical concerns, i.e. to control pain from serious injuries or to make post-operative pain bearable.

Prescription Drug Abuse & Addiction

Abuse of and addiction to prescription drugs are on the rise in alarming rates. The leading factor responsible for the rapid growth in prescription drug abuse is accessibility to the medications. Many patients who are prescribed pain-killers for legitimate medical concerns may go on to use the drugs in excess and to become addicted. Also, these drugs are available for kids to experiment with; and can be found right in their own home’s medicine cabinet, on the internet or may be prescribed by a doctor. Due to accessibility to the medications, data compiled through exhaustive research has revealed that the abuse of prescription drugs is especially prevalent among adolescents.

Relationship Addiction (Co-Dependency)

It’s a fact that everyone and everything exits in relationship to everyone and everything else. It is sometimes difficult to identify a relationship addict because humans absolutely require relationships in order to live healthy lives. Relationship addicts (also called co-dependents) engage in relationships for reasons which are not healthy.

In the Basement or Online, Teen Gambling Can Have Devastating Consequences

The police told Jennifer McCausland that the death of her 29-year-old son, Ben, was the result of an automobile accident. But she knew that the truth was much more complicated – yet maddeningly more predictable.

Shopping Addiction

Some people giggle at the label “shopping addict”; they think it’s crazy; the person should ‘just stop shopping’. If it were that easy, it would not be a real addiction and it is. Shopping for most of us means running to the mall for a few things and then we leave. Shopping addicts (sometimes called shopaholics) don’t behave that way.

Sexual Addiction

“Sexual Addiction” is not an illness everyone “buys” into. They can explain away behaviors by saying things like “Oh, he just loves women” or “She has a really strong libido”, etc. Mental health experts, along with addiction specialists, will tell you this addiction is as real and damaging as any other addiction.

Video Game Addiction

If you have young children, you are probably familiar with the “uber”-popular Kung Fu Panda and Super Mario Galaxy video games among many others. If you have young adults in the family or if you are a gamer yourself, Call of Duty IV, Grand Theft Auto IV or Gears of War might be found in your X-Box or PlayStation. Americans spent over $12 Billion on video games in 2007! That certainly tells us the past-time is extremely popular, but does it prove Americans are addicted to video games?