The Mental Health Effects of Addiction
Sofia Adamson, Staff Writer
Waking Times
Addiction is something that is scary for people, and whether addicted to drugs, food, or some sort other vice, it actually creates mental effects as well as physical ones. Sure, when you indulge in that vice there is the release of serotonin in the brain, which is a trigger that makes you think you’re happy, but what other mental effects are there? What else happens to us when we’re addicted to something?
You can get help for addiction, and organizations like Regain provide both counseling and support options for this problem. Addiction can affect many of us, and if you’re addicted to drugs you’ll see the effects in your body, such as aging, issues with the internal organs of the body, and the like, but addiction in general causes more problems than just this.
Depression
Depression is a major side effect of addiction, and when you’re hooked on something, you have to have it or else you’ll feel sad and low. While there is no single answer for the cure for depression, when you’re addicted to something, it can make you feel depressed unless you get what you’re craving. If you’re addicted to gambling, you’ll feel depressed until you feel that little boost of serotonin, albeit at the expense of potentially putting you in financial danger. This isn’t just a mental health effect because you don’t have what you desire, this can also occur because you gave in to your vice.
An Obsession with the Vice
Addiction creates an obsession with the vice. In a sense, we are a society of addicts of varying degrees. Whether we are addicted to food, caffeine, or the like, it creates an obsession with it, one that isn’t healthy, and one that can potentially create many other negative bad effects. These vices can hurt you, and you start to grow anxious because of it.
Ruins your self-Confidence
With addiction comes lack of self control, which can ruin your self-confidence, as being stable and in control is a sign of high confidence, and giving into your voice shows otherwise. If you have confidence issues, it could be because you’re not in control of this, and you’ll realize that when you target this addiction and are able to control it, your self-confidence and image of yourself will increase.
Can Create Anxiety
Addiction can create anxiety, in that you wonder when you’ll get your fix next. It isn’t healthy, and it can cause the physical symptoms of anxiety, which are epidemic in our society, leading to a host of associated life problems.
Ruins Relationships
Addiction can ruin relationships. For example, if you have kids, addiction puts itself before them, and can be toxic to relationships. If you have trouble with your family, and you’re getting help for your addiction, you can go here, and here too for information on the family, and how to be a better parent. Remember that addiction doesn’t just hurt you, it hurts others as well, and it’s why it’s so important to get help.
Addiction of any kind isn’t positive, and if you are suffering from addiction, you should seek out help. It doesn’t just hurt you physically, but mentally and socially as well, and here, we highlighted some of the mental effects of addiction, and why getting ahold of it is important.