Did you know you can be addicted to the internet?
Internet addiction is the uncontrollable desire to keep gaming online, even if it’s causing major problems. Anywhere from 1.5 to 8.2% of Americans feel as if the internet is taking over their lives, and it’s most prevalent among those between the ages of 13 to 18 years old especially with mental health challenges.
When someone’s battling addiction, learning the truth about their problem can make the difference between life and death. That’s why we wrote this guide exploring the different types of addiction. The more you understand how addiction operates, the easier it’ll be for you to lead a happy and healthy life.
Read on to learn about some of the most common addictions.
Food Addiction
First, on our list of common addictions is food addiction. Food addiction is described as the urge or compulsion to eat food, even if you’re not hungry. Oftentimes, overeating is a response to uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, anger, or anxiety. It’s important to note that different types of addiction that involve food.
For instance, an individual who struggles with food addiction may be prone to eating 1 type of food. If they don’t get their food of choice, their mind and body begin to wage war on the struggling addict.
However, another individual may simply struggle with the desire to eat an excess of any type of food. Typically the best treatment for any type of food addiction is group therapy combined with nutritional guidance.
Sex Addiction
Next on our list of the different kinds of addiction, let’s delve into what sex addiction looks like. Desiring sex is completely normal and healthy. Sex only becomes an issue when someone feels compelled to seek out sexual stimulation, even if it’s causing them harm.
Here are a few of the different types of sex addictions:
• Pornography
• Masturbation
• Exhibition
• Voyeurism
There isn’t anything wrong with the activities on the list above. However, when the need to masturbate or the need to watch porn outweighs your other life needs, it’s likely an addiction is running the show. Signs of a sex addict include obsessive sexual thoughts, isolating from loved ones, or engaging in dangerous behaviors. Thankfully, with the right rehabilitation program or group therapy outlet, sex addicts can recover.
Gambling Addiction
What does a gambling addiction look like? Here are some of the top gambling addiction symptoms:
• Obsessing over gambling
• Feeling an urge to gamble
• Not being able to stop
• Trying to win back money over and over
• Stealing for gambling money
• Severe financial problems
When someone’s a compulsive gambler, their life centers around the act of gambling. It’s common for individuals with gambling disorders to spend everything they have on their addiction. Since addiction hijacks the gambler’s brain, they don’t have any qualms about spending money that’s meant for other purposes.
For instance, a compulsive gambler wouldn’t think twice about betting their children’s college fund. Even after losing a major bet, someone with a gambling addiction won’t stop. Their brain keeps telling them to chase the thrill of winning, no matter what the cost. As with any addiction, recovery is possible if you’re willing to seek out treatment.
Drug Addiction
So far we’ve been discussing different types of behavioral addictions. Behavioral addictions refer to the uncontrollable urge to commit a specific action, such as sex. Now we’re going to dive into the different types of substance abuse addiction. Substance-related addictions can also have behavioral tendencies.
However, when a substance is involved, there’s the added component of a physical addiction taking place. For instance, someone struggling with opioid addiction can’t simply stop taking their drug of choice. Instead, they have to detox the right way to avoid potentially fatal health complications.
Here’s a list of some of the most common types of drugs people get addicted to:
• Opioids
• Cocaine
• Crystal meth
• Crack
• Adderall
• Depressants
• Cough suppressants
• Heroin
• Inhalants
Living life with a drug addiction can be one of the scariest experiences an individual can go through. For starters, it’s not always possible to get your drug of choice. As a result, a lot of drug addicts wind up using any type of substance, just to chase a high. For instance, if someone runs out of prescription opioids to abuse, they’re likely to turn to heroin as a substitute.
Drug addiction problems can also lead to financial ruin, along with severe social isolation. Finally, another dangerous aspect of drug addiction is the likelihood of overdosing. Sadly, in 2020, there were over 81,000 overdose fatalities in the United States alone.
Alcohol Addiction
Last, on our list of addiction types, let’s see what alcohol abuse is all about. When you think of alcohol addiction, you probably picture someone who has to drink all the time. However, alcohol abuse can look different from one person to the next.
For instance, you can go all week without drinking, and then binge drink on the weekend, and still have a problem with alcohol. Oftentimes, alcohol addictions go hand in hand with other problems, like anger management issues.
A vicious cycle can begin, where the stress from being angry compels the individual to drink. Over time, alcohol abuse can lead to all sorts of health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, or even cancer. The good news is that anyone with an alcohol addiction can start on the path to recovery. Over time, leading a sober life can help the body begin to mend the damage alcohol did.
Recovery for All Types of Addiction
Now you know about some of the most common types of addiction. From food to sex, drugs, and more, there are all sorts of things that can take hold of your life. While living life with an active addiction can seem like a death sentence, it doesn’t have to be that way.
If you or a loved one is having difficulty with a substance or behavioral addiction, reach out for help today. The sooner you start on the path to recovery, the brighter your future will be. For more tips like these, check out the rest of this site.
