By: Jessica Korbel
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Most people think of alcohol and drugs when they think about addiction. However, some of the most highly addictive substances might actually surprise you. According to WebPsychologist.net, “Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling, shopping, sex, food, video games, internet and work are the 10 most common forms of addiction.” It’s very possible that you have at least one of these addictions or another one, since 1 out of 8 Americans are addicted to something.
Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are the obvious addictives. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, “Alcohol is the most abused addictive substance in America.” Approximately 15.1 million American adults abused alcohol in 2015.
While alcohol may be the most abused substance, tobacco causes the most health
problems in the U.S. According to Web Psychologist, “1.3 billion deaths occur because of tobacco addiction annually.” These deaths are largely due to the linkage found between smoking tobacco and health problems, such as lung cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disease.
Drugs are well-known as strong addictives. The most commonly used drugs include cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. Cannabis, as many can probably guess, is the most highly trafficked and consumed illegal drug in America. According to an article titled The Effects of Weed on Your Health, cannabis has both positive and negative effects. Positive effects include pain relief and increased appetite. These effects mean that marijuana is able to be used as a medical pain relief, as well as a way to treat eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. However, there are multiple negative effects to marijuana, such as tar buildup in the lungs and increased risks on adolescent minds. Since young minds are still developing, marijuana usage can cause higher impulsivity and lower attention rates.
However, these types of addictions are well-known. Lesser known are the addictions to things like gambling, food, etc. Gambling is highly addictive in the U.S. and is currently on the rise. The most addictive forms of gambling include bingo, horse racing, lottery cards, and football pools.
The term food addiction may also be misleading to most people. While obesity is considered a food addiction, so are disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. These addictions are believed to most likely be spawned from the U.S.’s culture of fast-food and unrealistic body images promoted by the media.
Some additives are closely entwined as well. With technology on the rise, addiction to things such as video games and the internet are rising as well. Gaming is now highly addictive in not only children but also adults. A similarity between video game addicts and internet addicts are that their addictions often cause them to cut ties with their family members and friends in order to indulge in their addictive. This addictive quality should sound very similar to other addictions, such as drugs and alcohol.
These addictions are just some of many. Other addictions such as sex, shopping, and work all consume many aspects of American lives. With so many different types of addiction, many specialists recommend sensitivity when it comes to any sort of addictive substance or action.
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THE RAMBLER 