The Connection Between ADHD and Addiction
Adult attention deficit disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition that starts early in childhood and effects some 3 million Americans. When left untreated or undiagnosed, it can be carried into one’s adult life, leading to poor work performance, unstable relationships, difficulty concentrating, and impulsive behavior. Symptoms of ADHD Everyone will display ADHD differently. Some common symptoms of this often-frustrating mental condition include: Anxiety Becoming easily bored Difficulty concentrating Problems controlling anger/Violent outbursts Mood swings Problems at work Procrastination Low self-esteem Depression Relationship problems People experience ADHD differently and the symptoms people display won’t always be the same. Some people can manage their ADHD fine and not become affected, while others have increased difficulty in handling the way the disorder makes them feel. Some people that suffer from ADHD will have trouble concentrating on a task unless it’s something that interests them, while others will find it hard to focus on anything for a given length of time, no matter how interesting they think it is. One person might be antisocial and withdrawn, while the next loves being around people. Why are ADHD and Addiction So Closely Related? Adults with ADHD are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, and other substances. While the reason people with ADHD are more prone to addiction isn’t completely clear, there are certain characteristics of those that suffer from ADHD that are likely to lead to the progress of addiction. Research suggests that approximately 25 percent of adults who are treated for drug and alcohol addiction also have ADHD. Many believe that the impulsive behavior associated with ADHD is directly linked...
Antisocial Behavior and Addiction
There is a strong connection between antisocial tendencies and addiction. Not only are people who are antisocial more prone to addiction, but addiction can also lead to antisocial behavior. Social withdrawal is more common than many people realize. There are a lot of people who are “antisocial”, preferring to spend time alone than in the company of others. Those who spend increasing amounts of time alone, and prefer to be socially isolated, have often experienced traumatic events in their life that lead them to withdrawal from social situations and interaction with others. What is Social Isolation and Antisocial Behavior? While spending time alone is healthy, spending undue amounts of time alone isn’t. There’s a big difference between an introverted person (who enjoy their time alone and feel drained when spending too much time with others) and a person who isolates themselves socially. Social withdrawal in the form of isolation can lead to extreme cases of antisocial behavior. When a person socially isolates themselves, they might spend days alone at a time and avoid contact with others. Any interaction with others is most often fleeting and meaningless, with close relationships with friends and family tending to become nonexistent. Social isolation and antisocial behavior is quite often something that develops over time. A person doesn’t just decide to become antisocial one day. Once they do, however, this behavior tends to endure in a person for a long time. Antisocial behavior and social isolation are often a result of shame, depression, insecurity, social anxiety, and fear of abandonment. The very causes of antisocial behavior are extremely similar to the reasons people become...
The Myth of the Addictive Personality
From drinking a pot of coffee and smoking three packs of cigarettes a day to excessive alcohol consumption and drug use, there’s always been the notion that some people are more prone to addiction than others. Many people claim they have an addictive personality, whether they’re drinking too much or gambling all their money away. The thing is, there’s actually no such thing as an “addictive personality” as addiction doesn’t stem from the perQsonality traits they exhibit. The Components of Addiction To understand that there is indeed no such thing as an addictive personality, it’s important to understand the mechanisms of addiction itself. It’s not one’s personality that deems them an addict, but certain components that include: Obsession over a substance or activity that causes a demise of other relationships, responsibilities, and activities Mental and/or physical withdrawal symptoms when the substance or activity isn’t attainable Increased tolerance to a substance that makes it impossible to feel the same effects without the need to use more It’s these that would render something to be an addiction, which all have nothing to do with one’s personality. While many people exhibit personality traits that predispose them to addiction (including anxiety, negativity, and those who are unhappy), there isn’t a personality, per say, that fits into the model of addiction. Take, for example, the millions of people that have anxiety. While some people that have anxiety do in fact become addicted to drugs or alcohol, having anxiety doesn’t predispose someone to become an addict. The same is true for those who tend to have negative or neurotic personalities. Just because they’re negative or neurotic...
Internet and Video Game Addiction Can Be a Serious Problem
We hear a lot about drug and alcohol addiction, but people can become addicted to a variety of different things. Internet and video game addiction rates are rising…and can be a serious problem among those who fall victim to these particular types of dependency. Addiction is addiction, no matter what kind of “substance” someone falls victim to. For those addicted to the internet or video games, life can mean little when they’re disconnected from the screen. Internet Addiction It’s estimated that 1 in 8 Americans has some kind of problem with excessive internet use. In China, Korea, and Taiwan it’s thought that some 30 percent of the entire population experiences internet addiction. As the internet continues to dominate almost every part of our lives, these numbers are only suspected to rise. What is Internet Addiction? For those that suffer from internet addiction, the internet is something that completely takes over their life. Just like other addictions, people addicted to the internet develop a “relationship” with the internet, one that completely takes over everything else in their lives. Internet addiction can ruin relationships with friends and family and interfere with work or school. In internet addiction, it’s the internet itself that offers the “high” someone’s looking for. When people addicted to the internet get online, the pleasure center of their brain lights up (the same as in drug and alcohol addiction) and they feel good. When they can’t use the internet as they please, and are possibly restricted from it in some way, they may feel anxious, depressed, irritable, and angry. While the most popular types of internet addiction are...
