Addiction Vs Addiction

magine this: your friend is an addict, not because she is abusing any substances, but because she is addicted to the gym and it is causing her to become anorexic. She’s not abusing any substances so is not in need of punishment, she just simply cannot get herself away from the gym. If you were seeking help from a medical professional for your friend you would explain that their health is suffering due to their addiction to exercising and is in need of medical attention, right? Well this battle, as well as others, is one that many individuals are faced with in their day to day lives and without seeking medical attention their addiction will continue to thrive. Addiction is a disease that should be medically treated not a habit that is chastised due to personal choices.
Although habits can quickly turn into addictions there is a distinct difference between the two. When someone has a habit they encounter it on a regular basis and typically receive a good feeling from the habit. For example someone may have a habit of taking a shower as soon as they wake up in the morning and although it may give them a feeling cleanliness and temporary fulfilment they’re not addicted to morning showers. An Addiction is something that provides a sense of pleasure and without it a person will crave it. For example someone who has been smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for the past thirty years would be addicted to cigarettes. If the person tried to give up the cigarettes on any given day they would quickly start to crave them. They don’t crave them because they want one, but because their bodies trick them into thinking that it’s essential to have. This person wouldn’t be able to relieve themselves from the urge of having the cigarette until they fulfil what they believe to be their need to have