Whenever the word ADDICTION comes up, we all get an image of someone ready to commit suicide, has lost his self-respect, and is living out of control. But the reality is somehow different. There are types of addiction and each type has a different variation and effect on the addict.

Addiction is a need that someone can’t control, addict becomes dependent on the thing can at some point and their survival also starts depending on their addiction. People get into addiction due to various reasons. One of the most frequent reasons is to cope with their mental health. It acts as a painkiller for them. However, the source of the pain doesn’t go away and the person loses his happy life in between the addiction.

Drug/substance addiction comes on the first number. Now, drugs are of two types – prescribed and banned. Addicts consume banned drugs, which causes damage to their minds, body, and health. The person can come clean if he wants to in a few weeks but the mind will still be drawn towards drugs and that won’t go away that easy.

Some people are addicted to prescribed drugs too and that includes sleeping pills, anti-depressants, and tranquilizers. Once the person gets addicted to its use, it gets hard to come off of it. It takes a year to come out of such an addiction. Just like banned drugs, prescribed ones don’t solve anything. Prescribed drugs are hard to let go of because people think it is prescribed so It is safe for them to consume. But that is not true!

Alcohol addiction comes on the second number. Alcohol is widely available and has also become a social requirement. Everyone drinks but for some, it becomes an addiction. There are two types of people, regular drinkers, and binge drinkers. Regular drinkers are physically dependent on alcohol and need it every day. They substitute drink for a meal, as alcohol contains lots of calories and not vitamins and minerals so the body keeps on deteriorating from inside.

Binge drinkers, on the other hand, can live without a drink for weeks but their need for drink increases in the background so whenever they drink, drink in a large quantity. Physical alcohol addiction can be treated in 10-12 days if the person is willing to work through it.

Addiction to work comes on next, one of the most socially acceptable addictions. It easily takes over an individual and becomes an obsession to him/her. The person loses normal balance in life and just keeps on thinking about work/money while sleeping, eating, working, etc. person enters an activity where he is needed and gets a stable income too. Work becomes a hobby along with necessity so work addiction is accompanied by efforts.

Smoking comes on the fourth number. Many people think that it is hard to break smoke addiction but in reality, it is one of the easiest addictions to break. It takes 1-2 weeks to get rid of physical attraction to smoking unless the addict smokes 40 cigarettes per day. People smoke to throw their stress away but smoking does not help in relaxing so to cure the addiction, the person needs to know why he/she started smoking in the first place. Smoking seems interesting because it is counted as a subject of fashion and many girls smoke because they think smoking will reduce their weight. No girls, don’t fall for it, you’re going on the wrong path.

The fifth addiction relates to gambling. Gambling is an unusual addiction as it does not require any physical need. Unlike other addictions, it doesn’t appeal to any senses.

Psychological obsession is powerful, the person keeps on spending without thinking about paying back. He keeps on believing that he will win but instead he loses everything. And if the person wins, the obsession becomes even stronger to gamble.

Last but not the least, food addiction. A very common addiction that anyone can catch, either to chocolate or to a pizza. There are two types, first is a food allergy addiction where the person has an allergic reaction to any specific food. The body tries to cope with the reaction but requires that food no matter if you are allergic to it. The second is when a person stops eating for nutrition and rather eats for comfort and to relieve stress. Food provides a method to people and people keep on eating without thinking about anything else.

Many people become addicted to food. They dig in every cookbook and video to learn about food. Food takes over their mind.

Some of the common denominators regarding addictions are:

1. Psychological addiction is always superior to physical addiction.

1. The only way to remove addiction is to detect its cause first.

1. The majority of people are unaware of the cause of their addiction.

1. Addiction is a coping mechanism, the problem is what addiction is affecting.

1. Most addictions destroy the whole family.

1. Addiction becomes an obsession and excludes everything else in life.

Dealing with addiction means finding out what the addiction is masking. It may be an abusive childhood, family issues, or parents that were too protective. If the real reason is not found out, the mind won’t give up its method of coping with recovery.

Once the cause is found out and dealt with, another problem is that once your mind realizes that alcohol helps in reducing pain, you will be prone to use alcohol again in near future, making control over the urge rests in the person’s hands.

You don’t have to be afraid of people who are addicts, they are ordinary people like others, they are just going through a hard time and are trying hard to solve it all out. Give them space, love, and time, they will deal with their addiction and will come clean.

If you think you are dealing with any of the above-mentioned addictions, get yourself tested and treated at our rehabilitation centre in Gurgaon. One of the best rehabs in Gurgaon is Awakening Wellness Retreat. We have professionals at our centre who treat their patients with utter care and patience.