Addiction

Each year, millions of Americans succumb to the dark forces of substance addiction such as alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, and chemical dependency or behavioral addiction such as gambling or sex addiction. The staggering consequences on society include 1) grave accidents, 2) drugged driving, 3) overdose, 4) child abuse, 5) homelessness, 6) violence, 7) absenteeism, 8) wrecked families, 9) crime, 10) lost productivity, 11) mental health illness, and 12) elevated health costs, among others. On average, alcohol and drug abuse is responsible for the admission of almost 1,500,000 addicted individuals to emergency rooms nationwide. According to government figures, drug addiction results in half a trillion dollars' worth of losses annually or $1,650 per American. Other addiction statistics include the following:

• One out of eight Americans (27 million) is a heavy drinker or abuses illegal drugs (Source: SAMHSA)
• Nearly 12% of all youth consume illegal drugs by age eighteen (Source: U.S. Substance and Mental Health Services Administration)
• 18 million Americans have an alcohol addiction problem
• More than 19 million individuals over the age 12 abuse illicit drugs in the U.S. (Mayo Clinic)
• Three percent of adults in the U.S. are classified as compulsive gamblers.

Addictions are defined as the habitual compulsion to engage in a certain activity or utilize a substance, notwithstanding the devastating consequences on the individual's physical, social, spiritual, mental, and financial well-being. Instead of addressing life's obstacles, tackling daily stress and/or confronting past or present trauma, the addict responds maladaptively by resorting to a pseudo coping mechanism. Addiction offers an illusory refuge and leads individuals down a self-destructive path that takes a heavy toll on the addict as well as on his or her family, community, and employer. Addiction alters the emotions of the user, who turns to the substance in search of a psychological high or a fast chemical fix. The addict uses the substance or engages in the activity to achieve stress relief, attain a sense of control, change his or her mood, and/or banish real-life issues.

Typically, addiction manifests both psychological and physical characteristics. Physical dependence occurs when an individual's body develops a dependence on a certain substance and experiences withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuing the consumption. Opiate addiction as well as abuse of nicotine, alcohol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines trigger physical dependence. While initially an addictive substance induces pleasure to the user, his or her continued consumption is driven more by a need to eliminate the anxiety brought about by its absence, thus leading the individual to compulsive behavior. For instance, in nicotine addiction, the addict's physical dependence on the substance becomes a determinative factor in his ongoing use of the drug. Psychological dependency becomes evident when the addict experiences withdrawal symptoms such as depression, cravings, insomnia, and irritability. Both behavioral addiction and substance addiction usually give rise to psychological dependence.

The speed with which an addict becomes dependent varies with his or her psychological susceptibility and genetic makeup, social factors, the substance itself, the degree of euphoria or pleasure, the form of ingestion, and the frequency of consumption. An addiction is progressive, with the user needing a larger quantity of the substance to achieve tolerance, or the dopamine intoxication effect. To experience the initial 'high', the addict progresses to harder drugs or substances. Addiction produces a state of chaos and wreaks havoc on every facet of an individual's life- from family and personal relationships, spiritual existence, and social life, to health, business relationships, and finances. It leads to legal problems, low self-esteem, self-loathing, broken values and promises, difficulties in the workplace, and failed marriages and/or disintegration of close relationships. In short, substance abuse and behavioral addiction cause an addict's life to become unmanageable and his or her lifestyle to spiral out of control.

Some of the common forms of substance abuse addictions are as follows:

• Alcoholism
• Nicotine addiction
• Cocaine addiction
• Opiate addiction (i.e. heroin addiction)
• Meth addiction
• Marijuana addiction
• Caffeine addiction
• Steroid addiction
• Prescription addiction (i.e. Vicodin addiction)

The leading drug problem in the U.S. is alcohol, which affects all ages and ethnic groups, professions, religions, and I.Q. levels. Another major problem is prescription addiction, which typically involves stimulants (i.e. Ritalin) and opiods (i.e. Vicodin, OxyContin), the latter category usually prescribed to relieve pain.
Behavioral addiction involves activities, and this type of dependency displays the same central components found in substance abuse, namely withdrawal and relapse, tolerance, and mood changes.

Behavioral addictions include the following:

• Gambling addiction
• Food addiction
• Pornography addiction
• Work addiction
• Love addiction
• Exercise addiction
• Video game addiction
• Shopping addiction

One form of behavioral addiction is sexual addiction, which is often identified by the following forms of compulsion:

• Voyeurism
• Exhibitionism
• Indulgence in pornography
• Multiple affairs
• Unwanted pregnancies
• Exposure to sexually-transmitted disease such as AIDS
• Acting out of self-destructive behavior
• Prostitution
• Degradation of personal relationships
• Anonymous sexual relations
• Reckless sexual practices
• Loss of employment opportunities

The most common psychological addiction symptoms are as follows:

• Mood swings
• Depression
• Anger
• Withdrawal
• Anxiety
• Secretiveness
• Lying
• Defensiveness
• Bizarre behavioral patterns
• Failure to assume responsibilities
• Attitude change
• Truancy
• Stealing
• Selling personal items
• Changes in acquaintances and friendships
• Declining scholastic performance
• Change in personal appearance
• Absenteeism
• Change of or loss of interest in leisure activities.

Addiction symptoms are also evident on the physical level, and these include:

• Withdrawal symptoms
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Weight gain or loss