Addictions and compulsions are part of the norm

All of us are addicted to something and may not know or acknowledge it. Be honest, when I say the word “addiction”, what immediately leaps into your mind? Drugs and alcohol, correct? These are addictions of course but there are others in your life that are harder to detect and classify as “addictions”. There are also detractors in life which are “compulsions’”, similar in form to addiction but of a different nature. 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an addiction is, “The strong and harmful need to regularly indulge in something; a compulsion is an irresistible impulse to perform an act.” Addiction focuses upon consuming something physical while compulsion deals with partaking within an activity.

Let me immediately name a few examples of addiction: coffee, sugar, fast food and sweetness in liquid or solid form. Less flattering and more recognizable examples include drugs, alcohol and smoking. Examples of compulsion can include media-related aspects like video games, movies, the internet, music and other formats of enjoyable output.

Chances are good that any one of the examples of addiction or compulsion already plays a part in your life. Is this such a bad thing? Not always, but you should consider having limitations nonetheless.

Pretty soon that something became your getaway, your safe-haven. It may be harmless enough, but it can eventually become burdensome.

The fact remains that the delicate muscle in your skull, the brain evolves and reshapes based upon the chemical reactions of dopamine, a neurotransmitter of epinephrine, causes a rush that can be addicting. Your body teaches itself that it “needs” something to be satisfied. Your brain then transforms into a shape

I’ll stop beating around the bush and answer the question that’s on all your minds, “When do we become addicted, and when do we become compulsory?” With everything since lockdown and quarantine, because apparently it hasn’t been mentioned enough, chances are you turned to something which provided a brief distraction from the frustrating and frightening world outside.

Pretty soon that something became your getaway, your safe-haven. It may be harmless enough, but it can eventually become burdensome.

An example for me would be internet surfing. This became apparent when I would look at the clock and notice I had 15 hours awake in a day and accomplished little. I spent eight hours spent at work, and four to five hours went to video-induced escapism. This prevented me from getting out and engaging in practical projects including cooking, cleaning, painting and other healthy activities. 

At the end of the day I would feel drained and less invigorated with my life and without the feeling of accomplishment. I spent a day indulging in some of my compulsions and felt as if there were less hours therein. When I spent a week without satisfying my compulsions, the week felt like a month.

My advice for you would be to acknowledge what your unhealthy habits are and filter out which one you find to be the least beneficial. Take baby steps to avoid whichever one of your choice for at least a day, and then make a note of how you feel without it.

Some addictions need no purging, and perhaps should be kept within our schedule, coffee comes to mind. There is at least one unhealthy aspect in every life which needs removal. In the end it’s your choice, but I know for a fact on my end that I can be living a healthier and happier life without at least half of these habits gone.