Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

ADDICTION NOT FICTION (journal entry)

Woke up this morning thinking (uh oh) about something that affects all human beings. We have a word for it, “Addiction” and most people relate that to an obsession with a drug(s) (not just street drugs but also including the worst IMO, prescriptions pushed by the medical community…think kickbacks), nicotine, or alcohol but the truth is (according to those in the know) we big apes can become addicted to ANYTHING! If it make one feel good, then there ya go…off into the wild blue yonder.

Those things that give us pleasure or that stimulates the emotions or areas of the brain (certain molecules and chemicals) or just our family dynamic and the way we were raised all contribute to our personal addiction(s). (Abuse begets abuse.)

Besides the aforementioned top three, there are some that us folks may not recognize as being addictions. In no particular order, the main 10 others that most can relate to are:

1. Work - Do you know someone who lives for work? Thinks about it constantly? Is not happy unless they are in the midst? Finds it difficult to relax and just hang? If so, they just may be addicted to work and I have been and some in my family still are.

2. Internet - Hah! A whole bunch of us humans spend waaaay too much time online. Perhaps because many have to because of work and then find it difficult to disengage. They say that if it interferes with your normal life and family interactions, and you go through withdrawals when you can’t get online…well, you are addicted. If you are on 38 hours or more a week…other than for work, It is your drug of choice.

3. Coffee (or any caffeinated drinks) - If one gets a headache or is irritable when coffee (or colas) aren’t used to get up and go in the mornings…that is a sign of caffeine addiction. That headache, according to several studies, is a sign of withdrawals.

4. TV - This is one I definitely have trouble with. And I have a family dynamic (on my side) that used this addiction as an aid for sleep, for relaxation, for fun. Studies show that when you watch television your brain waves go on hiatus (so to speak) and “zoning out” is the words that come to my mind. It is one of the ways I relax in the evenings, after a sometimes stressful day. This is one of my personal addictions. Is it yours?

5. Love - Oh boy o boy…!!! Trying to recreate that first bloom of love is something many strive for all their lives, going from one relationship to another “looking for love in all the wrong places…!” Scientists say that all those chemicals released when one first falls in love (dopamine and oxytocin) are very addictive. Makes it difficult for some 10% of the population to establish long term relationships.

6.Negativity - Really? Some are just inclined to be the “half empty glass” types and it becomes a habit (addiction). Science refers to this as "negaholism." Funny word, not so funny addiction. They tend to see the problems and not the solutions. Studies show that “brains actually react more strongly to negative stimuli than to positive stimuli, so negative thoughts and feelings are more stimulating than positive ones” so they actually get a high from this. Are you one or do you know these folk? I sure do.

7.Exercise - Been there, done that… I was one of those that thought if I didn’t get it in (despite being ill or injured), I would possibly die! Hah! All sorts of chemicals are released pleasurably when we exercise hence the propensity to the addiction.

8. Skin Picking - Yuk…but believe me, lots of people are addicted to this one and since it is “socially unacceptable” they tend to hide it from all but family or close friends and do it when alone or unconsciously. I used to bite my fingernails to the quick, pick my cuticles until they bled, pick at stuff on my body, etc. and why? It is a stress indicator and reliever… Only attention and mindfulness got me over those habits but they are real easy for me to fall back into when stressed.

9. Shopping - This one is very difficult for many of us because it releases endorphin's in our brains and makes the act so pleasurable, hence addictive. “Shopaholics” may end up on that Tv show Hoarders because they just can’t stop the addiction! My mother-in-law (RIP) and any of us that are collectors tend to have this addiction. Now, I try just to buy consumables or just replace what needs replacing. It is really hard for me, admittedly.

10. Food You’re Allergic To - Huh? Well, it is those endorphin's again… When one eats something they are actually allergic to, those little things stimulate those pleasure centers in the brain (according to studies) and that euphoria “ends up becoming an addiction as you begin to subconsciously associate the foods you're allergic to with good feelings.” Yikes…! Since I don’t have any allergies to foods (that I know of…all my allergies are environmental) this is not an issue for me personally but I can see how one could be addicted.

Any durn thing can be addictive. Being mindful (unless one is physically hooked) helps me to deal with those things. Meditation, being attentive, being here in the now and not somewhere in my past or worrying about the future helps me immensely and also, most importantly… forgiving myself (all the time!) for whatever addictions I had/have or then again when I “fall off the wagon.” I am a critical, prone to sarcasm, wise cracking perfectionist with a light heart. It is my very nature, how I was raised, but being aware of that helps me be more kind to my self and more compassionate towards others…

Today is “making smudge sticks’ day” because all that artemesia I gathered this last weekend needs to be dealt with otherwise it will mold or dry out before I can work with it… Hope you all have a productive day and do something that makes you happy… Just make sure it is not a habit that will hurt you and I will try and do the same.

S.E.A.L.
Wed, Sept 30, 2015

Seems you've covered our addictions thoroughly....I know i have been or still are addicted to a few....TV I use to numb....it's a conscious decision...what I'm looking for at the time...but I have managed to ditch the coffee, use my nutri-bullet with handfuls of greens and protein powder and the rush is much nicer....sustains me far longer than coffee ever did....but coffee was more immediate...and maybe that is part of it....we want it now....look at the internet, it's all there at the touch of a key....now, now, now, I need it now

I often see two people sitting at a table for dinner in a restaurant, and they are fiddling with their devices as if they are dining alone....and that really disturbs me....I was at an all star baseball game a few years....tickets were very hard to get.....and the entire row of young people in front of me was staring at a tiny screen in their hands....they had all come together, yet weren't !

Had a boss that picked holes in his face at night dreaming about HIS boss,....he was a son of a bitch mind you, but wow....and I've thought about people at work that every morning talked about their next acquisition....never happy....always looking forward to the next big screen tv, or the next automobile....never present....it freaked me out...and they never caught on....just more talk about buying something new

meditation has helped me a great deal....and well as writing....without them I think I would just drift away like an un-tethered balloon......only to pop when I hit an electric line

Boy, that last line was shocking... Hah!

I'll stick to my coffee. I don't think I could stand the sound of the nutra bullet thing whirring loudly at 4 am in the morning when I rise to meditate and write. My house is very quiet at that time as is my neighborhood and since I am very sensitive to sounds, that mixer thing sounds awful... I am sure yours is healthier but not as comforting as my warm mug, the smell, and the sweet almond milk I add to my organic hazelnut coffee. I just use Bach's energy spray if I need a boost. Salud!