What is addiction?
The term addiction refers to being
abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or
physically habit forming (especially [but not limited to] alcohol or narcotic
drugs).
With addiction comes the usual abnormally
strong craving. So addiction also refers to abnormally strong cravings.
Who is an addict?
An addict is a person who is
physiologically dependent on a substance. The abrupt deprivation or removal of
which, produces withdrawal symptoms. An addict can further be described as
someone who is so devoted to something that it resembles an addiction for
example TV drama(s) like “LOST”, “24” of just TV programs in general.
I am an addict and so are you! Yes, you are!
When we hear the word addict or when we learn that someone is an addict, we all
get up on our high horse(s) and become judgmental of such persons because all
we can imagine is an “IRRESPONSIBLE” individual, forgetting that we all are “ADDICTS”.
Imagine someone who doesn’t feel the he/she
can function to full capacity or adequately if he/she doesn’t have a puff at
some sticks of cigarettes before doing his job, or takes intermittent short
breaks just to refresh him/herself believing that the cigarettes actually help
clear the mind of worries thus giving one the ability to concentrate on ones
work or chores.
Another individual can’t seem to keep awake
or do anything meaningful before the regular intake of coffee. The caffeine
from the coffee helps to keep this individual awake and optimally active. So,
for this individual, coffee is a not just a welcome delight but a life saver
because he is completely “USELESS” without it.
There are others who are addicted to other
substances like sweets, chocolates, beer, food, cola, tea, meat, sex, curse-words
or swearing and like stated earlier television.
Look here! Addiction is addiction. It doesn’t
matter what the substance craved for is. As long as you have an addiction to
something [or anything], you have no moral justification to stand in judgment of
a fellow addict regardless of whether or not his substance of abuse is stronger
or weaker, inferior or superior, prescribed by a doctor or bought over the
counter, bought in a pharmacy or purchased on the streets. Addiction is
addiction.
Your substance may be cigarettes and
another’s may be marijuana, what difference does it make? You both puff on
something to give you a sense of worth and your life a meaning. I bet you who
puffs regularly on cigarettes don’t consider yourself irresponsible and that is
simply because you think that cigarette are not harmful, do not affect your
attitude or judgment. It may not do any of these things but it does affect the
way you “SMELL”.
You can keep deceiving yourself that you
are more responsible than your neighbour because she is always high on crack
cocaine but you forget that you are also hi half the time on prescription
drugs. Please, addiction is addiction is addiction and the substance of abuse
doesn’t matter.
You spend on cigarettes and she on Indian-hemp.
You are addicted to nicotine and she to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). You both
are enjoying some form of euphoria and you both are doing harm to your bodies.
Neither is more responsible than the other. You both roll up your hard earned
cash (if it is actually earned and not stolen) and set it alight just a few
minutes of pleasure. You bask in the smoke and odour of your chosen substance
of abuse.
What is the difference if you are high on
pain killers or prescription drugs and the next man is high on cocaine, crack
or methamphetamines? You are both as high as the empire state building, equally
dangerous to society and neither has the moral standing to judge the other.
Addiction to food and [or] beverages. Well,
whether you like it or not, whether you accept it as a fact or not, the
abnormally strong craving for food or beverages also counts as addiction. So,
we have two people on the same highway, one is addicted to hamburgers and the
other to cola [soda / carbonated drinks]. Their common destination is obesity
and its attendant conditions.
I hope by now you see my point, which is
that the kettle cannot afford to call the pot black. You cannot and do not have
the moral standing to judge anyone as being an addict if you have an addiction
to anything yourself.
That your substance is weaker or less
harmful does not automatically confer on you the title of “Responsible” because
regardless of the weakness of your chosen substance of abuse, you are just as
irresponsible as the one with a strong substance of abuse.
You are both addicts
and you must get off your high horse, accept the fact, wean yourself off your
habit, lend a helping hand and stop judging. We must understand how this happens and learn how to stop it from happening because there are other corporations getting fat back accounts as a result of our addiction(s).
Children and adults alike watch and see various commercials on TV and we all want to try whatever it is that we see on TV. like eat a Big Mac, smoke Marlboro, drink Kirin beer, etc because the media makes it look cool. It is this packaging of vices as cool that is gradually taking its toll on our society. The movies glorify crooks so children want to be crooks, the dramas glorify indecent exposure so, the youth want to go about half naked and the adults are took busy to cook so everything instant is welcomed never minding the negative effect(s) that instant everything have on our health situation because of all the additives needed to keep the instant "everythings" from going bad.
When Japanese ate healthy Japanese delicacies, Japanese lived healthy lives but now look around you.......every ailment conceivable is on the rise. Cancer, diabetes, gout, hypertension, obesity etc.
I'll leave you to think up a proper end to this write up while I think up a plausible solution to this potentially disastrous issue.