Addictions

Exercise is good for all of us when taken everyday in some form or other for short periods of time, it helps to keep us to keep fit and healthy, however some people can go to the extreme with their exercise routine and it rapidly turns into an addiction which they can no longer control.

Just as with any addiction people come to rely on the feelings of well being and euphoria which their addiction brings, exercise can give a person these same feelings of euphoria or “rush”. Studies have shown that addiction to exercise is on the increase in gyms and fitness centres with both men and women now exercising for many hours at a time instead of the average hour spent at the gym exercising.

Signs that you are addicted to exercising

• You begin spending more and more time at the gym.
• You move from one form of exercise to another quickly, for example you use the treadmill then move onto the rowing machine and continue like this using most of the equipment available.
• You sign up for more classes for example, yoga, tai-chi, aerobics, weight lifting.
• Lifting weights or taking part in any strenuous form of exercise for more than two hours per day.
• Returning to the gym more than once per day.
• You feel uncomfortable not exercising.
• Your always on the move when not in the gym finding it hard to sit and relax.

Addicted to drugs

People usually start off using drugs as a way to escape the problems of daily life, drugs make them feel better, happier, remove worries for a short time and generally make the person feel on top of the world. Using drugs however has serious consequences on a person’s health and more and more of them have to be taken to achieve the same results the longer they are used.

A person using cannabis or heroin can very quickly become addicted until giving up the drug is almost impossible to do and they no longer take them to give them a buzz but simply just to be able to survive day to day life.

What are the symptoms of drug abuse?

Describing drug use and problems associated with addiction is hard as each drug is different and can cause different problems, there is however some basics which relate to overall drug use and abuse. Each drug will produce different patterns of:

• Use
• Intoxication.
• Hangover.
• Overdose.

Substance abuse or addiction covers many different levels including:

• Using large amounts of the drug without seeming to be intoxicated.
• Using large amounts of the drug for experimentation.
• Using large amounts of the drug to get intoxicated.

The addict may use drugs for more than just one of the above reasons and many will turn to different drugs to get different effects. Trying to understand why people take and become addicted to drugs isn’t easy, but almost all of the people who take drugs did so in the beginning for the enjoyment and good feelings it brought them.

Addicted to gambling

Some form of gambling is available in almost every town today, from the simple slot machines to the up market casinos and of course the online casinos offering poker rooms where high stakes are used and massive bills can be run up on credit cards. For most people gambling is nothing more than fun and is considered harmless entertainment, however, for 4% to 6% of gamblers it becomes an addiction, which not only can have a devastating effect on their own lives but that of their loved ones too.

What is the difference between casual gambling and compulsive gambling?

Casual gambling can be defined as playing a game of chance and people will bet on many different forms, for example dog or horse races, lotteries, casinos, cards rooms and playing bingo.

Compulsive gambling is defined as an illness which begins to take over a person’s life and in the end they will have no control over the amount they lose and most place huge bets and will get seriously into debt.

Addictions

All women like to shop it’s a well known fact and some men too, but how do you know if your spending and shopping habits have gone past something you just enjoy to becoming an addiction. If you are addicted to spending shopping malls and internet shopping sites will draw you to them like a magnet, no longer will you just shop because you need a new dress, shoes, etc. but now you begin to make purchases just for the sake of it.

Other signs that you may be addicted are buying all the latest brands, designer labels, lavish gifts and picking up the bill when you go out to eat regardless of if you can afford it or not. The person addicted to spending will undoubtedly lie about how much they spend both to themselves and their closest relatives, often hiding price tags and indeed purchases they have made, in spite of feelings such as shame, guilt and of course the inevitable debt that they quickly get themselves into.

More often than not a spending addiction is an attempt to buy happiness but just like addiction to drugs the more a person does it, the more shame and guilt they feel and the more they turn to the addiction and gets wrapped up in a vicious circle.

Addicted to alcohol

Alcohol is one substance that can be bought anywhere in the world at almost anytime, night or day yet alcohol is responsible for more deaths than all the other drugs put together. Alcohol is a hypnotic drug that depresses the body’s central nervous system, most adults will admit to drinking on a social basis and enjoying doing so but statistics have shown that about 1 in 5 men and 1 in seven women drink more than is safe and recommended to maintain good health.

What are the effects of alcohol?

The effects alcohol has on a person will depend greatly on the person constitution, how much they drink and how fast they drink but the overall effects that alcohol produces are:

• Slurred speech
• Loss of coordination and balance
• Unsteady on the feet when trying to walk or even when standing
• Impaired judgment and lack of attention
• Drowsiness or sleep

Drinking alcohol is relatively small doses every now and again is generally fine and can relax a person and help them have an enjoyable evening with friends, while drinking in large amounts leads to un-coordination bad decision making and drowsiness.

Addictions

People can become addicted to just about anything which gives them pleasure. Addiction is described as a chronic disorder which is characterised by the repeated use of substances or behaviour which becomes detrimental to ourselves and those around us. Here are some of the most common types of addiction:

Heroin – This is a narcotic drug which is highly addictive and symptoms of addiction are, having no control over the amount taken or needed, a strong compulsion to use the drug through any means necessary and a deterioration of lifestyle.

Alcohol – This is a hypnotic sedative which is available anywhere legally to those over 18, symptoms of addiction to alcohol are, drinking anytime day or night, drinking uncontrollably in large amounts and organising your lifestyle around drinking.

Addicted to food

Addictions to food are more common among women than men and the term used for addiction to food or over eating is bulimia, which is known for its cycles of binge eating then purging by vomiting. Very often someone suffering from this addiction will revert to strict dieting in an attempt to curb their addiction but often fail and turn back to bingeing again going round in a constant circle.

A person with bulimia will have on average 14 episodes of binge eating every week and this has serious consequences on a person’s health both physically and mentally. Anorexia is another form of eating disorder in which a person believes they are over weight and sees themselves this way, starving themselves even though they may be hungry.

The person suffering from anorexia will also binge and purge trying to rid themselves of the weight they think they put on, this will continue however much weight they lose until they are painfully thin and ill.

Addiction help

It doesn’t matter what type of addiction you have the most important step to making a recovery and being free from addiction is admitting the problem in the first place. The next step is to get some help in recovering; the first person you can turn to for help is your Doctor.

Admitting your problem

Admitting that you have an addiction can be a frightening thing and takes a lot of courage but your Doctor is there to help you and give you advice on further steps which can be taken for your addiction. The more open you are and the more you can tell your Doctor about your addiction the more help they can give you, you must also be prepared to answer your Doctor honestly when he/she asks you questions relating to your problem.

Addicted to heroin

Heroin is a powerful short acting analgesic which is used on a regular basis in hospitals to relieve pain; however it is also used in powder format to be inhaled through the nose or by injection for the feelings of euphoria it brings, it is an extremely addictive drug and is one of the most widely used drugs that people abuse.

What are the effects of heroin?

Heroin gives the abuser several effects or feelings depending on the amount used, which method is used to take the drug and the bodies tolerance to the drug, these feelings may include:

• An initial sense of euphoria when first taken
• A feeling of increased well being and loss of anxiety
• Drowsiness and relaxation
• Constriction of the pupils
• Slurred speech and lack of concentration

Addictions

With the internet being more and more readily available to people of all ages problems are beginning to occur from over use of it, it seems people can become addicted to using the internet. While addiction to the net poses no real serious damage to the health it can cause problems such as:

• Becoming increasingly withdrawn
• Cause break up or problems in relationships
• Lead to problems with depression
• Lead to problems with anxiety
• Cause problems at work/school if you are online at work or school
• Lead to problems of losing sense of reality
• Can lead to problems at work/school through late nights online
• Increased agitation
• Problems with eye sight or the back

What makes the internet so addictive?

The internet is a great way to escape for an hour or so the problems of daily life, probably one of the biggest addictions to the internet are chat rooms or the instant messengers which are widely available.

Chat rooms are available throughout the world and people can choose a nickname and join in conversations anywhere in the world free of charge, when joining a chat room talking is usually done via the keyboard but some also have the ability to talk one on one using the computers microphone.