Addiction and my perception about it.

Addiction:  A different side of the coin

“Addiction”, the first few words that trigger most of our minds in association with the word is alcohol, cigarette, cocaine and other drugs. Looking at the other side of the coin led me to associate words like chocolates, coffee, Facebook, mobile phones, play station, friendship and reading books with addiction . The former association is a stereotype that many individuals have.

Addiction basically means being obsessed with a particular substance, thing or even activity. Usually people link addiction to alcoholism and smoking but it can also be related to the very ordinary things in life. Addiction takes birth without us realizing this fact many times. An example to support my statement is; a child in his initial stages is introduced to chocolates. Later his parents take the help of chocolates to convince him to do a task. The chocolate acts as a source of reinforcement to the child. Gradually the child becomes used to eating excessive chocolates or I would rather prefer using the word “addicted”. Influence therefore plays a crucial role in the development of addiction. When the child turns into a teenager he learns to use a play station, read books, surf the internet or keeping himself occupied with a cell phone. I was myself addicted to soft drinks as a teenager. Perhaps that is one reason which instigated me to look at addiction differently.

There is positivism in everything. Yes even addiction is good provided one is addicted to the right kind of activity or substance. Reading books or solving puzzles everyday is something which enriches our mental abilities and enlightens us. Some people drink coffee or tea in order to keep themselves active while working. They might say it’s a “habit” but it is an addiction which helps them stay energized. These days many people are involved in activities like yoga or gym to maintain a healthy body. This is an addiction too because they make sure they do it every day. Contradicting this fact to how smokers smoke every day shows how addiction is our decision to a major extent. To reduce our stress levels we can always choose to go for brisk-walking rather than drinking alcohol.

I write and listen to music in order to vent out emotions. I am addicted to these activities as I experience a sense of relief due to them. Therefore I feel addiction is the child of perception because it is totally dependent on our thinking whether we prefer positive or negative addiction.

©songbriti