Everybody comes into contact with addiction, one way or another. It might be through personal experience or through the addictive behavior of a family member or friend. In fact you could well have been directly involved in obtaining addiction treatment for a loved one.
There are many, many addictions, more than most people realize. There are basically two main types of addiction:
Substance Abuse Addictions and Process Addictions.
We are all aware of substance addictions, this includes:
Alcohol
Drugs - Recreational and Prescription
Caffeine
Nicotine
Food
Refined Sugar
Carbohydrates
But there are many more addictions which come under the umbrella of Process addictions. These include some of the following:
Sex
Love
Relationships
Anger
Activity Addictions. These can include, but are not limited to:
The Internet
Exercise
Work
Gambling
Shopping
Spending Money
Obsession
Self Loathing
Television
Computer and Video Gaming
Pornography
Masturbation
Dangerous pursuits
Meditation
For whatever reason the mind is feeling pain. An addiction is a way of avoiding that pain. It is as well, a way to not to take responsibility for this pain. To not explore the reasons behind the pain and to really deal with it, once and for all.
Do you for instance exercise because you need to get fit or lose weight, or has exercise become an addiction. Do you fret and worry, get irritable or anxious, when for some reason you cannot get to the gym? This is addictive behavior.
Practically any thing can become an addiction, if we are doing it for the wrong reasons.
Everyone has their own ego problems. That might not seem possible, if you look around at some of the very confident, powerfull people in the media, on television, in sports or in the movies.But inside of all these people, even if they hide it very well, is some pain, some issues that they cannot face and take responsibility for.
These emotional issues or beliefs have been nurtured all through childhood and into adulthood. A great number of these beliefs are not true, yet we grow up believing the exact opposite to this.
There are considered to be four main or common false beliefs that are the cornerstone of nearly all addictions.
# I am not capable of dealing with my emotional pain
# I am not a good person and no-one can love me
# Only Other people are my means to love
# It is possible to control how other people see me and behave towards me
