You don’t have to be hitting the bottle every night after work to be an addict.
Surprisingly, there are quite a few people among us with addictive tendencies. Addiction is simply engaging in a behavior very frequently, despite it occasionally (or frequently) having negative effects.
According to Psychology Today, addictions is a coping mechanism and a symptom of a bigger problem. Those who are addicts are usually engaging in the behavior as a way to either connect or suppress.
Currently, we live in a society of connection where little emotional intimacy actually exists. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that people often turn to odd behaviors to either connect with those around them, or suppress feelings of isolation. Here’s what you could be addicted to without even realizing it.
1. Love
Addicted to love?! What could be so wrong with love? after all, weren’t we repeatedly told, “all you need is love.”
Actually that might be the problem, a Reuters article says. Love is a “culturally sanctioned addiction,” where one is led to believe that if they just search far and wide enough, they must eventually find “the one.”
The problem results from the fact that falling in love has nothing to do with real love and it often leaves love addicts turning down actual connections because they seek fulfillment from the unattainable “one” who will complete them.
2. Checking your email
Checking your email twenty times per day in the name of productivity is an extreme way of allowing yourself to fall into the delusion of self-importance. The world will not stop if you only check your email at convenient intervals throughout the day.
True, some jobs require more attention to email than others, however, compulsively checking it on and off work hours is a sign of seeking fulfillment from the importance of work.
3. Video Games
Gaming is supposed to be fun, relaxing, and beneficial for hand-eye coordination. Some studies even suggest it can improve the value of your life.
However, gaming is an artificial and fancy setup of rewards that triggers your brain to feast on a puzzle. By allowing your brain to work out the complexities of a fictitious world, it may also allow your brain to escape the complexities of your own world.
4. Food
Believe it or not, not everybody with a food addiction is overweight. There are plenty of skinny people in this world who eat their feelings. Experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food, especially highly palatable foods.
So, if you have a bad day and turn to ice cream to reward your brain, you’re showing the signs of food addiction simply because you use a substance to feel better. This is okay in moderation, but it can certainly get out of hand if left unchecked.
5. Shopping
Shopping is a very common and even acceptable compulsion that exists in modern society. After all, you’re contributing to the stimulation of the economy. Isn’t that a good thing?
The issue arises from why people shop. Again, if a bad day at work leads one to go on a quick shopping spree, they’re using the good feelings of a new purchase to ease the negativity of the day. If it gets out of control, it could leave the shopper in quite a bit of debt.
6. Teeth whitening
Everybody needs whiter teeth, right? How else are you going to get that raise at work, star in your own commercials, and attract your ideal soul mate?
Your teeth are actually a symbol of both attraction and capability. Without them, you’d be significantly less attractive according to social standards, and it would be difficult to rip apart a juicy steak without help.
Therefore, those who compulsively whiten their teeth, are actually suppressing their fear of being unattractive or incapable. They are also trying to achieve a level of attraction that may not be attainable because it slowly exists in their minds.
7. Tanning
Two words: skin cancer.
And beyond that, there is physical evidence to support the fact that tanning actually does produce a feeling of well-being through the release of endorphins. A day at the beach makes the body feel good because of the amount of Vitamin D it receives, and you might be inclined to carry these good feelings with you to the tanning bed. Without even realizing it, someone can become dependent on tanning as a method of regulating their mood.
8. Reading
Impossible! There is no way reading can be your strange addiction. It’s good for you after all!! You’re supposed to be reading to educate your mind and get lost in stories, right?
Actually, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. If you use reading (see also television) as a way of immersing yourself in an alternate reality, you may be subscribing to an unhealthy behavior. Reading is an escape that could easily be considered a coping mechanism.
[Featured Image Credit: Pop Sugar]