My Students’ Blog

Addiction and How to Get Rid of It

By Gavin W.

When you become addicted to something, it becomes your new normal, even if it negatively affects your mental and physical health, as well as your job and relationships. It takes many forms, like smoking or drinking, or even behaviors like gaming, social media scrolling, and eating. 

Addiction is a disease that changes a person’s brain, making someone have very compulsive physical behaviors, or uncontrollable craving of a certain substance. These actions rewire the rewards system in your brain, making you more compelled to do, or use, over and over again, just to feel normal. When using substances for a frequent amount of time, the neurons, or communicators in your brain get altered and take a long time to heal even after you stop. You will have a hard time saying no, even when there are serious mental, physical, and emotional health risks. 

There are a lot of factors that come into play with how addiction starts. Genetics, family history, and psychology can play a role in someone developing an addiction. Some people use substances to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. Another leading cause for people to start is when there is great change going on in their lives. Some examples include switching jobs, losing a loved one, family drama, moving to a new area, losing an important relationship, or moving on to a new chapter in life. For teenagers and young adults, the risks are higher. Young minds are more curious and are driven to try new things, and the judgement part of the brain hasn’t fully developed, making them more susceptible to peer pressure and curiosity. Children are also more easily influenced than adults, meaning if they are around someone for long enough who is addicted to something, they will think it’s perfectly normal and are more likely to start.

Addiction can destroy your whole life, if you let it run rampant, so you definitely do not want one to develop. When you start to do something addictive, your  dopamine levels rise dramatically for a period of time, making you want to do it again and again. When the addiction develops, it becomes your main source of drive and happiness. Soon you will prioritize your addiction over important things, like your family, friends, work, and even financial situation. After so many uses your body builds up a tolerance, meaning that you need to take more and more for the same feeling. This only fuels your addiction and also poses potential risk of overdosing. 

One of the most common traits for people with a possible addiction is denial. For many it is very hard to tell if they have an addiction, but there are some clear signs. One sign is having a lack of control and a hard time being able to stop. You may even notice that you will start avoiding your family and friends. Another symptom is having frequent cravings that preoccupy your mind. The most noticeable symptom is withdrawal. When having withdrawal, you may notice heightened feelings or anxiety and depression, and you may notice physical traits, such as shaking and sweating.  

If you notice an addiction forming, it’s crucial to stop right away to minimize the effects. However if you are addicted to something, there are some strategies you can use to quit. The first step is always reflection, or recognizing that you have a problem. It is recommended to pick a day with a lot of meaning to have as a “quit date”. You should also remove any reminders of your addiction in your home and workplace and avoid any environments where other people might be using. Hobbies are a great way to distract yourself from any urges or cravings you may have when trying to quit. Seeking support from loved ones or people you trust is very important to encourage you to keep going. 

Reaching out and talking with someone is a vital step towards recovery and putting your addiction behind you. 

If it ever feels too hard to quit, there is always help and support out there. Reaching out and talking with someone is a vital step towards recovery and putting your addiction behind you.  If you cannot stop, contact a doctor or licensed professional for help on quitting. If you don’t feel like going to a doctor, there are other options for you to contact. There are many support groups you can join such as alcoholics anonymous and narcotics anonymous. These are groups of people who have gone through or are going through similar situations who share their experiences and what helped them most. Therapy also helps many people who are struggling with programs proven to help combat addiction. Rehab centers are places made for people who have addictions. They have designed programs to help get you ready to get back to an independent life without an addiction.