When I read The Reflector’s recent Addiction Series, I just had to say something. As this series outlines, addiction is a real problem for many people. It may not necessarily be a question of caffeine addiction (where is my Coke?!), alcohol abuse (gotta have a cold one) or nicotine inclination (yearning for cancer-causing agents wrapped up tightly in a Camel Light).
Addiction is called a “strong emotional and physical dependence on a habit-forming substance.” Or, in simpler terms, addiction is something we tend to do which is very hard to give up. If we think of it that way, life itself becomes a set of addictions. Every time you go shopping, turn on your computer to surf the Web, eat your sixth piece of lemon pie or even look forward to seeing somebody, you are addicted.
Why do we consider our addictions to be something negative that we need to get rid of? Why does it sound more like a sin or a crime than doing something to enjoy?
The fictional Sherlock Holmes smoked a pipe when seeking for a solution for his complicated criminal cases. (He used cocaine when he wasn’t on a case, but that’s another story.) It helped him to concentrate and made his thoughts clear and to the point.
Some people smoke to look more adult, lose weight or release stress. Even if you don’t smoke, it is impossible to avoid the influence of nicotine on your lungs. Of course, unless you never go out to bars and run like Forrest Gump whenever you see a smoker.
My business law teacher once jokingly asked the smokers in the room if they were trying to save Uncle Sam some Social Security expenses (meaning that if they smoke, they would die early, and the government would not have to pay for their retirement). Unfortunately, they didn’t find any humor in his words. Alas, some folks see the world in gray.
But there are more addictions in the world. When somebody starts to talk about shopping addiction, I always remember my friend, who would buy a pair of jeans whenever he was in a mall. We all buy items we don’t necessarily need, but that was absolutely not his case. Of course, he could use his 14 pairs of jeans in a variety of styles. He could wear a dark-blue pair yesterday, light-blue one today, light-light blue tomorrow, light-light-light blue the day after tomorrow and so on. His girlfriend didn’t seem to appreciate his daily changing style, though, and left him for a guy who’s good with his money. Though I’m a girl, I am fine with my two pairs of jeans as far as they are clean and don’t have any visible holes. Yet there are still lots of necessary and unnecessary tops in my closet. I am a girl, after all.
Internet addiction becomes a big issue, too. People even want to claim it under the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Does checking your e-mail count?). Video games, sugar and work can be addictions, too.
But the most fascinating type of addiction appeared to be love and sex. I used to consider that to be an essential part of human nature. What is it now? A “spiritual weakness?” A “failure to abstain from affinity?” To me, that sounds ridiculous.
Some people believe that one can do something without being addicted to it. Also, what is addiction for one is not necessarily addiction to another. This may be connected with your genes. However, we all are engaged in addictive behaviors to some extent. Just be sure that this is not a failure of morality or a pathological chronic mental disorder. All the rest is fine. Even Kojak has his red lollipop addiction.
Milana Karayanidi is a freshman in international business. She can be reached at [email protected].