Skip to main content

ADDICTION - HOW TO KNOW YOU'RE ADDICTED AND BREAKING FREE


The word addict was adapted from the Latin word "addico" meaning assigned or surrendered, to devote; so an addict is someone who is ridiculously devoted to something.

Addiction can mean many things to different people. It is the repeated involvement with something or someone or the long term inability to abstain from something or someone.

According to medical news today, Addiction is a psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical, drug, activity, or substance, even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.
Some addictions also involve an inability to stop partaking in activities, such as gambling, eating, or working. In these circumstances, a person has a behavioural addiction.

If it is not dealt with, can affect the functioning of the brain and body. It may also cause serious damage to families, workplaces and relationships.

Example of some addictions
Love Addiction
Gambling
Sex/Masturbation
Internet Addiction
Shopping
Video Game
Food Addiction
Exercise
Work Addiction
Porn
Football
Movie
Gadget
Club/Partying Addiction
Lying and many others.

We see most of these every day and sometimes it feels normal. Staying out late or sleeping out every day because of football or gambling, for example, is not normal.  Some addiction like lying unnecessarily cannot be overemphasized upon as it is disregarded more often than not, but understanding the addictive process; the danger signs it possesses can help you to tell the difference between addiction and healthy behaviour.

 DIFFERENT WAYS TO DISCOVER YOU'RE ADDICTED TO SOMETHING

  • When you spend most of your time engaging in the behaviour- thinking or planning to engage in the behaviour.
  • When you become dependent on the behaviour to cope with emotions and feel fulfilled.
  • When you continue in the behaviour despite the physical or mental harm.
  • When you have trouble cutting back despite wanting to stop.
  • Neglecting work, school or family to engage in the behaviour more often.
  • Experiencing symptoms of withdrawal like depression when trying to stop.
  • Minimizing or hiding the extent of the problem.
If you are experiencing all these or any of this, then you might be addicted to something. It can be a problem to admit it to yourself, let alone anyone else.

There are ways you could attempt to disseminate the addiction in order to get help, that's if you are ready to deal with it. 

Firstly, you have to admit you have the problem before considering these treatments;
  • Counselling
  • Self-help groups
  • Medications
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - In a nutshell, this helps you manage problems by changing the way you think or behave.
  • Long-term follow up to prevent relapse. 
Quite a number of people will and has encountered some kind of addiction and the good thing is that it can be stopped. Take my self for example; "I was once addicted to clubbing and pornography which then leads to masturbation. I had friends who encourage me to engage in clubbing/partying. We literally went clubbing every day including Sundays and Mondays. It didn't feel wrong at the time. We were even known for that in the neighbourhood because we get back at odd hours when people are probably heading to work, or still sleeping. Talk of pornography; I would spend hours on my phone, surfing the net for X-rated films. When I get hold of a laptop, the next thing I do is search for porn to engage my self in. Again, it didn't feel wrong at the time. Subsequently, I had to seek help first from God. Then, I admitted the problem to the church group I attended. You need to want help before it can be given. Today, I am free from both addictions. I haven't gone clubbing for a day since 2015, which makes it 4 years now. I haven't masturbated since 2014 after I gave my life to Christ and I didn't need medication or counselling for that, just got help from the Holy Spirit. Your case might be different, but know this, you can be free too.''



HOW TO NOT RELAPSE
Going back is bound to happen if you don't decide today;

- To avoid friends and activities that remind you of your addiction. ''I had to cut off some friends and even relocated, just to get my head clear. You know what you have to do, so do it."
- Discuss the addiction with someone.
- Take your medication.
- Avoid locations where it may be tempting for you.
- Develop a positive support network.

Every day of your new life is a step in the right direction. If you are able to get clean, you can do it again. Begin working your recovery program again; if you are relapsing. Reach out to the support system and start processing the emotions that led you to relapse. Learn from your mistakes and strive to move forward the best way possible. Remember, you are not alone. There are thousands of people struggling like you, so seek help now.


Thanks for reading!



X O X O


YOU LIKE THIS POST?


Subscribe to get updates in your email inbox


Share this!



Comments

  1. atrillaire5 May 2019 at 13:03

    God bless u Thonia.
    Keep this up, u give so much hope u don’t wanna know. 😘

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thonia King10 May 2019 at 11:55

    Thanks. I am glad you enjoyed reading this article.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A TALENT, A SKILL AND A GIFT

Talents are natural and can be attributed to the natural genetic factors existing within us passed down from generation to generation. It is propagated naturally at birth. Talents and skills are often misconceived in conversations. Although both pertains to the ability of an individual to perform a particular task. A talent is permanent or naturally occurring in a person. It is said to be a special ability with experience or a specific tutoring. It is the ability to carry out a task without extra effort but yet perfect in enactment. Some people have it while some don't. A talent can be improved overtime with direction and training. A skill is an ability that is learned and practiced over a period of time. It is acquired or obtained as an outcome of perpetual improvement and performance on a given task. Skills are taught and regarded as a displayed talent unlike a talent which is a natural procurement of an ability. In other words, a skill is a result of a person'...
8 comments
Read more

HOW TO REMOVE LUMPS IN OGBONO SOUP

If you are not African, you might not know ogbono soup. Permit me to explain this to my non-African readers what ogbono is then we can proceed to the essence of this article. Ogbono soup is a Nigerian dish made with dry ground ogbono seeds.  It originated from the eastern part of Nigeria where the Igbos come from. The seed is sometimes known as wild mango, African mango or bush mango. Ogbono soup is easy to prepare and it is slimy in texture, similar to a soup called okra. The soup is called draw soup in English.  How to remove lumps in Ogbono soup; This soup is easy to make but if you don't start right, you will end up getting it wrong. If you ever find lumps while making this soup then something went wrong. I experienced this recently for the very first time and decided to share how I was able to get rid of the lumps. Usually, there are two methods in making this soup, you can either fry or boil the ground seeds. Well, the frying method is my style. When frying, you put the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

BENEFITS OF DATES (DABINO)

Do we all know what a date is? Date, locally known as Dabino in Hausa is from the date palm tree, a flowering plant specie in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for it's edible sweet fruit. Date trees reach about 69-75ft in height growing individually with several stem from a single root system. Date fruits are oval, ranging from bright red to bright yellow in color . They are sweet containing about 7.5 percent of sugar when dried. Dates are healthy but only in moderation. They're high in sugar and calories; so eating too many can result in weight gain. If you're trying to lose weight, avoid dates and stick to other fruits and vegetables. Dates are chewy with a sweet flavor. They are also high in some important nutrients and have a variety of advantages and uses. BENEFITS Their calorie content is higher than most fresh fruit since its dried. Despite their calories, dates contain some important vitamins, minerals and a significant amount of fiber. Most of the ...
1 comment
Read more