Addiction

My friends recently told me they think I have an addiction to computer games. I know I spend a lot of time playing them. Sometimes I won’t leave my room for days if I am hooked on a game. My friends feel I would prefer to be with the computer than with them. What is an addiction and how do you overcome one?

To keep it simple, think of addiction as something that consumes or “takes up” your whole life, your thoughts, emotions and activities. Addiction is not simply being dependant on a particular thing. Addictions are physical, psychological, emotional, biological, social and spiritual. It is diminished control over a specific substance or particular activity, which both inflict risk and harm.

An addiction can have an enormous impact on a person’s life in terms of relationships and friendships, day-to-day functioning, health, employment and finances. When an addiction begins to become more important to a person than these other aspects of life, it’s time to seek help and support.

Addictions come in many forms. We generally think of those addictions that are not acceptable to society, such as drugs, alcohol, sex, crime or gambling. But food, shopping, internet, relationships, caffeine or sleeping pills can be and are just as destructive to a person when operating in an addictive manner.

Symptoms vary according to the addiction. However, there are general symptoms associated with the stress and secrecy of maintaining an addiction, including:

• Fatigue, cravings
• All thoughts and actions focused on the addiction
• Physical changes to the body, depending on type of addiction, unkempt appearance; behavioural changes may also occur
• Denial of use or need
• Memory loss, distorted time
• Truancy/absenteeism from work, school, home
• Sudden changes in school work/ grades, job performance, regular behaviour
• Withdrawal from normal activities, friends, family, places
• Withdrawal symptoms including nausea, sweating, chills, convulsions, anxiety, nervousness, depression, headaches, hallucinations, diarrhoea, restlessness/sleep disturbances, shaking, sensitivity

Before treatment can take place, a person has to acknowledge they have a problem. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

There are many people who can be involved in the process of recovery—therapists, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, doctors, family and/or friends. A form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) needs to take place. This can happen through individual or group work sessions with a trained therapist. CBT looks at the core beliefs a person has formed about themselves and their environment. These beliefs motivate a person’s actions and decisions. When these are explored, challenged and changed, a person can overcome an addiction. Internal motivators, such as love, a sense of achievement, competition, responsibility, better health and a sharper mental state also assist.
Other motivators are external, like money, work and studies.

In all things as Christians, there is a spiritual side to the battles we have in life. To put it simply, God knew us before we were born and cherished us. When we harm ourselves in any way, our heavenly Father hurts with us. Sometimes it feels like He is not always with us but we know He is because He carries us through our problems. The more you cry out to God, the closer you become to Him. He always listens.