ADDICTION

Addiction is a very serious problem and if not checked, may result in death. FHB is here to deal shed more light on this problem.

According to MediLexicon’s Medical Dictionary, addiction is a “habitual psychological or physiologic dependence on a substance or practice that is beyond voluntary control”. It should be noted that addictions go beyond physical things like drugs and alcohol to virtually anything.

Addiction does not just start out immediately but has a cause that grows in phases. For the purpose of this write-up, we shall breakdown this growth and development into 5 stages.

Ø STAGE 1 – this is the stage/phase where an individual is first introduced to a particular thing or action. It’s a relatively harmless stage as compared to addiction and gives 2 possible outcomes; either the individual is alright with this new act or thing or the person isn’t. It must be noted that this new act or thing can also either be GENERALLY accepted as a virtue or as a vice.

Ø STAGE 2 – this is the stage where the individual, having been exposed to a virtue/vice gives into the thoughts of always repeating that said action such that SATISFACTION is the main goal. If the said action is a GENERALLY accepted virtue, the outcome is often harmless but if it is a GENERALLY accepted vice then it often leads to a harmful outcome.

Ø STAGE 3 – this is the stage where the individual shows EXCESSIVE AFFINITY/LIKENESS for this action thereby deriving EXCESSIVE SATISFACTION from it. This is the stage where it becomes a HABIT. Like the immediate past stage, the outcome of this stage can either be harmless or harmful to the individual.

Ø STAGE 4 – this is the stage after the habit stage such that the individual’s dependency on the performance of this action goes beyond the control of the individual because he/she sees it as a necessity that MUST ALWAYS be fulfilled not minding who may or may not get hurt or discomforted in the process, even if the person getting discomforted is the individual that is addicted. No matter the kind of action it is, either virtue/vice, the outcome of this stage is often very harmful to the individual.

Ø STAGE 5 – this is the stage often referred to as CHRONIC ADDICTION. Individuals that get to this stage are those who are already addicted and are not able to get over the addiction instead they feed the addiction to such a point that they turn violent and sometimes threaten harm to themselves, to other individuals or to the environment when attempt is made to stop or deny them this action.  It does not matter if it is a virtue or a vice, it gives a very harmful outcome.

Please the difference between “an addiction” and “a habit” should be well noted. While a person suffering from an addiction is not able to control the aspects of the addiction without external help and gives a negative outcome, a person with a habit still has the action within his/her control and can be stopped if the individual wants to, also the outcome can either be a positive or a negative one.

Every human on earth faces the risk of addiction while journeying through life. A greater number are lucky enough to just reach stage 3 and find a solution while the not-so-lucky few reached stage 4 and even developed into stage 5. Often times, the person suffering from an addiction is oblivious of the fact that he/she is addicted to is addicted to an action/a thing and the onus therefore lies on a close family member or a close friend to bring the problem to the consciousness of the individual while still looking for a way out.

                                                     Treating an Addiction

In treating an addiction, LOVE is the key. 

This is because the treatment process takes a long time before it is achieved, without love from close friends and family members they may not be patient enough to withstand the challenges that may come along the line.

It is best to be observant of any ward placed under our care or any close friend we may have because early detection of a habit makes curbing it easier before it reaches the addiction stage. For those who have reached stage 4, all hope is not lost. The following steps should be followed:

1.     With the help of close friends and family, the person must acknowledge the fact that there truly is an addiction problem and must be willing to overcome it.

2.     Still the family must be ready to endure and go all the way to the end, even if it means enlisting the person in a facility to aid the process.

3.     While the person is going through the rehab process, attempt must also be made to not remind the individual of the life he is trying to leave behind either by way of insults or by way of movies and acts that remind the person what that life felt like.

4.     Do consult your medical doctor for further assistance.

The main aim of this write-up is to make people understand that addiction is a vice that can be fought successfully and it requires a collective effort and above all show love where there is hate and pardon where there is injury. Thank you.  Please feel free to leave your comments and observations.

Follow us on twitter @Frozenhuman1

Subscribe to our BBM channel at C00295B9E

Like our facebook page at www.facebook.com/FrozenHumanBlog