What Are Our Addictions Hiding?
Addictions are behaviors that generate a dependency to certain substances, actions or even people. People with addictions are so hooked that their whole lives revolve around getting the thing they’re dependent on.
Addictions create dependency. Therefore, people can depend on certain substances to generate certain feelings or physical responses. These dependencies can be for medication, drugs, alcohol, food, etc. There can also be dependency towards specific behaviors, whether they are related to sex, games, sports or even work. Hence, any behavior that can generate addiction. These behaviors are what an addict’s life revolves around.
We can also be addicted to people. This can meet the same criteria as a substance addiction, since the addict lives for the relationship they’re dependent on.
How are addictions formed?
Addictions are a way of avoiding the dissatisfaction of the addict’s reality. It’s an avoidance mechanism, and the majority of the people who avoid their reality aren’t conscious of their dissatisfaction. This is masked by the greater clarity towards what they crave. They focus all of their attention on getting it and no attention on figuring out what has lead them to this addiction.
Also, when an addiction starts, it’s usually in small doses, a timely manner and familiar context. As they generate consequences like attraction, wellbeing, a good mood and even makes them forget their other problems. However, they almost inevitably escalate, to the point that the person’s whole life focuses on their addiction.
How to overcome an addiction
In any case, the first step is always to be conscious of the addiction, since addicts aren’t always conscious of the existence of their addiction. They think they can quit it whenever they please, though that’s really not the case. If the addiction is founded on dissatisfaction, it’s good to work out the motives of this dissatisfaction through therapy. The next step is finding a lifestyle that they can sustain without falling back into their addiction.
How can I avoid the risk of developing addictions?
If your life is balanced and full of satisfaction, the risk of developing any addiction is reduced. Therefore, it’s helpful to be conscious of your personal satisfaction level.
Fear poses the biggest risk of addiction. The fear of changing your own life due to the consequences of making decisions. That’s why we perceive the only way out to be the evasion of reality, because we don’t have the courage to change what’s generating our dissatisfaction.
