Addiction (or my ADHD hyperfixation at work)
I was going to write about cell phone addiction however I decided to change it up a little and give an overview of addiction and some clarifying information. Consider this the introduction to my next blog... cell phone addiction.
All too often when people think of addiction they think of drugs and alcohol when in reality people become addicted to all sorts of things. Some examples would include sex,gambling, gaming, exercise, and food. People can become addicted to almost anything if the brain’s reward system is triggered and if you are "prone to addiction"
That statement "prone to addiction" sends me down a rabbit hole, seriously the hole gets deep, continue reading if you’re up for it! I am going to try to keep my "information blast" under control. Who am I kidding, I am currently reviewing this for the 4th time and either taking things out or adding something. I may be ready to post this by the time I retire. I seriously love to share information because you know, knowledge is power!
Lets talk about addiction in regards to personality as people always say "He/she/I have an addictive personality". I am guilty of it as well. (Just so you know, I don’t say that anymore). Sorry to tell you but there is actually no clinical diagnosis of "addictive personality". The truth is people have personality traits which increase chances of addiction like impulsivity, sensation-seeking / risk-taking, difficulty with emotional regulation, high stress sensitivity and low distress tolerance. Are you looking at these and saying "wait, I am impulsive and not addicted to anything, this cant be true". Having these traits may increase chances, but they don't mean that you will develop an addiction. These traits can increase vulnerability, but they don’t guarantee someone will develop an addiction. Environment, trauma, access, and coping skills matter just as much—often more.
This brings me to genetics. Have you heard? Addiction is hereditary. There have been so many studies and so much research on this very topic. It has been determined that genetics can play a major role in whether or not someone has potential to develop an addiction. Please note the word potential as the risk increases as much as 60%. It is important to remember that if someone has relatives with addiction the risk level increases, not the probability. Genes are like influencers you see on the web. They are always trying to sell you something. Your genes influence how rewarding substances feel (dopamine pathways), how quickly tolerance builds, impulsivity, risk taking behaviors, stress & response systems. Imagine the reels you would see for that.
So, here is the easy way to think of addiction and risk.
Addiction risk = interaction of genetics + environment + psychology.
Sounds so simple, right? The chances of an individual developing an addiction is influenced by many different factors, It is not something one can say “ok, they meet all of the criteria, they will be addicted to something soon”. Nothing in life is that simple. Believe me when I say this is just the tip of the iceberg for information on addictions and what the contributing factors are. I just wanted to share a little as a precursor for my next blog.
As previously stated, I was going to talk about cell phone (electronics) addiction as the information coming in is alarming( at least to me). I mean you are definitely on an electronic device now, the question is how much time have you spent on it today? Can you leave home without your cellphone and smart watch? Does your anxiety rise if you cannot look at your phone while at work, while driving, at the gym?
Just be mindful for a few days and the results will be interesting.
Thanks for reading and if there is ever anything you would like to lean more about, send me a message.
