Addiction is compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance. It is accepted as a mental illness in the diagnostic nomenclature and results in substantial health, social and economic problems. In the diagnostic nomenclature, addiction was originally included in the personality disorders along with other behaviours considered deviant. But it is now considered a clinical syndrome. Addiction is multifactorially determined, with substantial genetic influence. The development of addictions is also influenced by environmental factors, and an interplay between the two.

Simply addiction can also be defined as anything which controls you and which will be very to hard to stop doing. For example, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, drugs. These would make you lead a worst life and could kill you. 

 There are four C’s for Addiction. They are:

  • Compulsions
  • Craving
  • Consequences
  • Control

If anyone was found with experiencing this 4 C’s that individual has to consult the health care professional who specializes in that particular field to get treatment.

There is a story which helps us to know more about addiction like what are the signs of addiction and how a person reacts when he becomes an addict

Vijay playing intensively on his mobile reacted to his mother in an unusual manner when his mother called him to talk. The way Vijay responded disturbed her and she couldn’t sleep that night. The next day, she shared this with his father. The moment Vijay’s mother shared with his father, he started thinking about that game and his son playing that game for so long. Both parents got worried about why their son got so much obsessed with those mobile games. They started worrying that his son had gotten addicted to those games. Observing his parents for some days, Vijay tried explaining to them that he is not addicted to any gaming but just having fun for sometime.

What can you conclude by this story? Do you agree with parents that Vijay is addicted or agree with Vijay that he is not addicted? Now, let’s see what signs can tell us that a person is addicted to something. Here are 10 signs to know someone is addicted:

  1. Negative consequences can’t stop
  2. Risk doesn’t matter
  3. Cannot stop urge
  4. Suffers withdrawal
  5. Sacrifices anything
  6. Makes excuses
  7. Never admits
  8. Keeps it private
  9. Shows less interest
  10. Can’t experience world

Let us take Vijay as an example for each sign and let’s figure this out: 

  1. If Vijay was badly scolded by his mother and his father stopped talking to him for a specific time, he would not stop playing even if they did so. He would definitely continue to do it. He had a negative impact when he played games on his mobile but still he continues to do it and never stops even though he went through some bad experience. 
  2. If Vijay’s internet connection was very slow and could not access internet with high speed, he would not even rethink hacking others Wi-Fi networks just to play games. This kind of mentality will slowly might also lead to stealing others money to invest in his game when he is broke.
  3. If Vijay wants to play a game, he plays it at any cost. Even if he tries best to control and put down limits, he can’t limit his own behaviour. He can’t stop himself no matter how hard he tries.
  4. If Vijay is asked to stop playing strictly by his mother, he may try just for her mom’s sake but he will face a lot of inconvenience when he does so. The suffering starts and seems unbearable when the habit is withdrawn by you or when you try stopping it.
  5. If Vijay wants to play his favourite game and the schedule or the tournament of the game starts at midnight, he would stay awake all night and sacrifice his sleep & health. He would never give a thought that he is losing it. You don’t ever care to stay awake till 5 a.m when you have an exam to attend the next day.
  6. If Vijay was given caring advice by his sibling or anyone who is very concerned about him, he would just give some excuses to satisfy them or to convince them. Making excuses is the most common sign an addict can have.
  7. If Vijay was told he is addicted to gaming by one of his friends, he would definitely refuse to admit it. Admitting that there’s an issue might lead them to end their addiction. Usually, the addicted brain cannot accept this and will not let it happen. So, they never admit.
  8. If Vijay feels like playing games only when he is alone or only in his private space, he is addicted. Because he would fear judgement or also to keep it away from interference. An addict generally tends to keep it secret as he/she feels it is extremely shameful especially when someone has already warned them that it has become excessive.
  9. If Vijay shows disinterest in meeting his relatives or his cousin brothers that he loved once the most, he is addicted. People who are addicted don’t prefer having more social interactions and they seem irritated when we compel them. 
  10. If Vijay finds the world only in his gaming, he is an addict. Addicts prefer only to spend their whole time with their things that they are addicted to and continue to do it for a very long time. In this process, they may forget everything in their surroundings. 

Dear every Child of every parent, whenever you want to use your mobiles or laptops or do any other activity for a long time which is really unnecessary and useless, please stop it and spend that valuable time with your parents or just make use of it for a purpose. 

Dear every parent of every child, when you think that your child is addicted to something or obsessed with anything, just observe them whether they are having these signs. But never ever come to conclusions. 

References: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3190444/

https://www.painscale.com/article/the-4-c-s-of-addiction

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