Introduction to Addiction
Richard Alex Jenkins
The purpose of this section is to better understand addiction and associated depression and what can be done about it if it's having a negative impact on your life?
Addiction usually means alcoholism or drug abuse, right? Stuck in a corner unable to get up or do anything, hooked on tranq or fentanyl or something even worse?
Not really. Addiction is mysterious and comes on many shapes and forms.
Depression occurs because no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to pick yourself up and do what you want.
A mixture of addiction and depression is like being tied and gagged to a table and unable to move.
This section covers just about anything, from mild negative gambling habits, watching too much binge TV or YouTube, to faffing your life away through constant procrastination.
In all instances addiction sucks away your valuable time and gives little back in return. Those thousands of hours doing things that seemed productive at the time when it wasn't, like writing this introduction (maybe) that no-one may ever read!
The positive side to most forms of addiction is the social element, gathering with friends and doing what you love, and it it's kept in moderation and makes you happy there's no need to worry.
Just remember that addiction is usually a form of short-term happiness that makes you feel good right now but not so good in the long run, losing time, money, putting on weight, etc.
This area of the site addresses various types of addiction:
Video gaming
Porn
Gambling
Drug or alcohol abuse
Overeating
Social Media
Excessive procrastination
... and other possibilities.
If you're having problems addressing any of these issues, this section could be good for you. If you want to support me in any way at all, thank you - I hope that I can help you if you're reading this, as well as continuing to help myself and get closer to personal long-term and more rewarding goals.
If you feel bad about yourself because of something you can't control, this could have a negative impact on the quality of your life and your overall happiness. Learning to get that control back by even 10% is worth it. That's 10% feeling better about yourself, which is massive!
Truthfully, no-one really cares what you do because society and social media quickly move on, but if you want to be more productive and happier, accept the non-perfect person you are and move 10% closer already.
Do you suffer from ADDICTION and related DEPRESSION like me? Perhaps you're a workaholic under extreme pressure and deadlines who can no longer see the light or point of it all?
Instead of shaking it these negative feelings off, I get hooked on activities because of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that turns these activities into minor addictions, which in turn, leads to further depression.
It's an endless cycle. Feeling depressed and not knowing how to shake it off, then indulging in unproductive activities to feel immediately better, but ultimately feeling even worse.
Life passes you by and you get nothing new or worthwhile done. Even if you've got a great job and stacks of money you can get addicted and depressed.
There is so much accessible, immediate and pointless junk around: gaming - from AAA games to basic mobile apps - porn and glamour for all your sexual needs, regardless of gender or orientation - gambling sites, casinos and lotteries to bet away your time and cash - junk food and yet more food - TV, streaming, YouTube and billions of ways to procrastinate instead of producing anything.
If you have a job, college or commitments - you can overextend and your spare time could be a mix of time-wasting that brings you further down without even realizing it.
None of these habits are wrong, none of them! Do whatever makes you happy, but when they stop making you feel good long-term and keep you tied down, you may have a problem with addiction and become depressed, or feel depressed and become a minor or major addict. That's what we're discussing here: getting some of your life back in a world where there is so much overwhelming junk.
If any of this makes sense to you, open one of the other articles in this Addiction section and see what you think.
Richard Alex
