Addiction is the compulsive pursuit and overwhelming
involvement with a specific activity. The addiction may be
gambling, or the use of almost any substance. A person might
become addicted to shopping, or to computers. In simple
terms, addiction is an entrenched habit, which is very
difficult to break. An addict might manipulate, lie or steal
in order to procure a drug to which he is addicted. Addiction
means that he is dependent on a certain substance.
There is psychological dependence, which is based on the
desire to induce pleasure, or to relieve tension or
discomfort. Psychological dependence acts on the brain, and
has one or more of the following effects: elation, euphoria
and other pleasurable mood changes; produces feelings of
increased mental and physical ability; reduces anxiety and
tension; alters sense perceptions. Psychological dependence
can be very powerful, and difficult to overcome.
There is also physical dependence, but physical dependence
does not always accompany psychological dependence. With
drugs that cause physical dependence, the body adapts to the
drug when it is used continuously, leading to tolerance, and
to withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped. Tolerance is
the need to progressively increase the dose of a drug to
produce the effect originally achieved with a smaller
dose.
The common addictions, which are the cause of so much
heartbreak, are smoking, drinking, drugs and gambling.
However, there are many more, such as caffeine, food, the
Internet or ordinary computer games, telephone conversations,
to mention a few.
Much attention has been given to the so-called addictive
personality, the ones who are at risk. People who are
addicted often have low self esteem, are immature, easily
frustrated and have difficulty in solving personal problems.
Addicts may try to escape reality and have been described as
being fearful, withdrawn and depressed. There are other
predisposing conditions, such as heredity and social
pressures. Scientists have not yet discovered why two men can
experiment with the same drug, and one becomes addicted while
the other remains free.
Narcotics are powerful pain relievers, and include morphine,
heroin and hydromorphon, among others. People who are given
these drugs to treat serious pain, have little risk of
becoming addicted, if they use the medication as prescribed.
Doctors are only too aware of the dangers of addiction.
Cancer patients, who need to take these drugs for months or
even years, hardly ever develop psychological addiction,
although they do become physically dependent on them to
relieve their pain. Following a serious operation, the pain
will continue for a while, yet after the first few days,
doctors will prescribe milder pain killers, in order to avoid
addiction. The Family section in this paper is not the place
to write about the widespread drug addiction and abuse
throughout the Western world, and how various governments
contend with the phenomenon in their societies.
Prescription drugs used to treat anxiety and induce sleep,
can cause both psychological and physical dependence. Most
people addicted to these drugs began by taking them for
medical reasons. Sometimes a doctor may prescribe high doses
for long periods, in order to treat a severe problem, which
promotes dependency. At other times, people may use more
medication than is prescribed. In either case, addiction can
result in as little as two weeks of continual use.
Peer pressure plays a large part in youngsters becoming
addicted to smoking. If either parent is, or was, a smoker,
their children are more likely to take up the habit than
children of non-smokers. Most of us do not eat only because
we are hungry; food fulfills some other needs in us as well.
Even a baby cries for food because the close presence of his
mother satisfies some urge in him, besides soothing his
hunger.
It is normal to eat a good meal two or even three times a
day. It becomes an addiction when, after we have eaten a
large meal, we eat the food left on everyone else's plate,
with the legitimate excuse that one may not waste food; and
then begin looking for more to eat. Addicts might even look
for food in the middle of the night, or eat cold food from
the fridge at all hours of the day, to fill their craving.
Children of overweight parents are more at risk, although
anyone can become a food addict.
Alcoholics are not such a rare phenomenon among our people
any more. Like smokers, many drinkers think they can stop any
time they want. If they really want to stop, they will first
have to admit to themselves that they have a problem.
Anyone who drinks more than five cups of tea or coffee a day,
on a regular basis, is addicted to caffeine. A student or
yeshiva bochur who is desperate to stay awake for one
particular night might down a few cups of strong coffee. This
is not an addiction, if it occurs once or even twice. But
habits are easy to form and difficult to break.
There are other addictions, which might not cause any
physical harm, but are dangerous habits all the same and
difficult to overcome. Computer addiction has played havoc
with harmony in the home. Obsessive shopping is also an
addiction, which is not in any medical dictionary. It is a
common malady in the 'civilized' world, that one can pay for
an item with a credit card, without thinking of the cost.
People run up debts which they have no way of repaying.
Although not as addictive as gambling, running up major
debts, knowing that there is no way to repay them, has ruined
many families.
One final addiction which might be worth mentioning is work.
A workaholic is one who may be admired by his boss or by
colleagues or by neighbors if the addict is a housewife, but
who seems to use work as a form of escapism. Like other
addicts, a workaholic cannot be cured, unless he himself
feels that his way of life is not really something
praiseworthy, and decides that he wishes to change his
lifestyle.
Treatment for these various addictions depends on the addict,
as mentioned before. If he declares that there is no problem,
it is almost impossible to break the habit. A heavy smoker
might decide to stop 'cold turkey,' i.e. he declares that
from now on he is not going to touch another cigarette.
Although he has stopped smoking every Shabbos since he became
addicted, he knew that he could smoke again the minute
Shabbos was out. This time he has stopped for good, he says.
He is going to have severe withdrawal symptoms after two or
three days. He may become depressed, irritable, unable to
sleep at night and develop a large appetite, because his
mouth is used to being occupied. Some ex-smokers chew gum,
others wear a nicotine patch and some even put a plastic
cigarette between their lips. In time, the craving will leave
them, but the danger is always there that they might
revert.
Alcoholics and drug dependents frequently have to be
hospitalized, because their withdrawal symptoms are so
severe. Group therapy, like Weight Watchers or Alcoholics
Anonymous, is fairly effective, but the possibility is always
there that the addict will succumb to temptation. Once again,
he has to be determined that he wants to stop. A woman took
her ten-year-old son to a non-Jewish hypnotist who declared
that he could cure the boy of nail biting. The hypnotist
insisted that he should be alone with the boy to effect the
cure. The woman cancelled the appointment. She was afraid of
what would be said to the child while he was under hypnosis.
Nevertheless, hypnosis is an option for compulsive spenders
and shoppers, if they really wish to straighten out their
lives.
Different approaches to conquer the habit work for different
people. However, they all have one thing in common: The
addict must admit to himself that he has a problem. An
Internet addict who wants to save his marriage will be
obliged to abandon his computer in the same way as a smoker
has to dispose of his cigarettes. Asking the One Above for
help really does work, especially as all addicts know in
their hearts that addiction is an illness and leads to more
illnesses. Telling friends that from now on you are going to
stop this particular habit is quite a deterrent when you are
tempted.
Concentrate on the future, on the time when you will be
'clean' and free from this drive which fills your mind
constantly (I'm out of sleeping pills; the cigarette shop is
closing soon, I must get this new chandelier today, although
we owe the grocer $1000 dollars and he refuses us more
credit). Believe firmly that an addict cannot give his
complete attention to his work or to his studies. He is
destroying his life and that of his family. Believe in
yourself that you are strong enough to defeat your addiction:
use professional counseling if you need it and pray for
success in this tough battle.
