The world consists of fans and fanatics, stoners and addicts, robbers and kleptomaniacs, drinkers and alcoholics, killers and serial killers. You come into the latter categories as soon as you overindulge in a habit. You repeat it obsessively with an urge to never stop. There comes a point in your life when your loved ones say, “You need to stop that.” And you will reply, “I can stop it whenever I want”. Believe me, friend, if you are an addict, you need to stop it immediately. The addictive habit will engulf you and you will feel helpless. It will be exhausting and consuming. The addiction will eat you alive until the person that remains is no longer one you identify with. It will start dictating your life. If you come under any of these categories, this is a wake-up call. Here are top 10 addictive things in the world-
10. Love
Love is addictive. Every single person in this place, at even the remotest corner is suffering from this addiction. Don’t scoff, single people, as you got addictive love for your family, dog or some other person. Innumerable quotes, books and movie scripts have been written on the word love. You can always fall into love but you can never get out of it. That’s pretty addictive, right? Imagine your family who loves you, friends, and boyfriend and then comes the creepy stalker guy. If you measure the intensity, the stalker would top the list but instead of being awarded with a “Best Person” award he will end up with a restraining order. So, when is enough?
9. TV series
F.R.I.E.N.D.S, HIMYM, OITNB, TBBT, Sherlock- once you become a series buff you can never un-become one! This is one trend which current generation is fast catching up to. The number of downloads and online viewings of TV shows are at an all-time high. Many people become so engrossed in a TV series that it becomes the centrifuge of their life. They know more about the relationship of Ross- Rachel than their own, find chemistry in Breaking Bad more interesting than college lectures, start calling themselves Cumberbitches (this is the rock bottom of series addiction). If you binge-watch a series every day, you are suffering from a serious addiction. The only cure is to meet real 3D people ASAP.
8. Social networking
The proof of its addiction is the number of users of Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Tumblr etc. People are busy tapping on the phone while using these apps. Even in villages where people don’t have a TV, they are sure to have WhatsApp. The increasing addiction of social networking sites is a growing concern. It is limiting the world of people. Liking, commenting and sharing while does have some effect but what about actually doing something? Social networking helps in bringing vast knowledge inside a small screen but you should sometimes look beyond it. Try eating food without uploading a photo of it on Instagram or enjoying something for pure fun than putting a Snapchat story.
7. Shopping
Early symptoms of shopping addiction are- maxed out credit cards, too much familiarity with the sales people, wardrobe full of clothes you never wear and lastly, shopping outlets feels like a second home to you. There exists a medical disorder too for such people! Unbelievable, right? Oniomania is a disorder related to obsessive buying. People have an uncontrollable urge to keep shopping. It may result in debts, mood swings, anxiety and in worse cases, shop-till-you-drop-dead might just come true.
6. Masturbation
You should love yourself, just, a tad less! Jokes aside, masturbation is a healthy exercise which releases hormones in your body. As much as people deride it, it should not be shunned completely. The problem occurs when people do it excessively. It can then harm your body both physically and mentally. It would make you lose focus on all the other important things, you might get addicted to porn and if you’re in a sexual relationship, your partner may move apart. Do it as long as it makes you happy but remember when it becomes enough.
5. Gambling
Quick money is a hard thing to resist. This is why gamblers are addicted to the game. Quick money and zero efforts- sounds quite tempting, right? NO. Once you get in the game, you rarely get out of it. Gamblers sometimes lose all their money in a game. They get into trouble with loan sharks. They lose the respect of their family. Hard earned money is always better than this. Your life will spiral down if you gamble all your life savings.
4. Alcohol
“That’s the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen.” – Charles Bukowski
Just one drink more and you end up having 6. Alcohol gives you high and it is not even illegal! So, if you can’t do crack you can take vodka shots. That’s the philosophy most of the youngsters follow. Underage drinking is rising (Partly because Indian government has fixed the legal age at 21 in some cities!). Young students think it is cool to drink till the moment comes when they can’t stop. Whatever reason you drink for, whichever reality you are escaping from, remember, people out there still love you. Seek out their help. Anything that makes you out of control is never good for you.
3. Internet
You are reading this list due to the internet. Caught you! Internet users have increased rapidly over the past years. Teenagers justify their internet addiction as “It is a vast box of knowledge”. Let’s face the truth. People have become addicted to the internet. They Google all kinds of things- How to talk to giraffe, how to know if a dog is really your friend? They are always hopping from one website to another. There seems to be no end.
2. Smoking
Smokers know even before they take a puff that they can get addicted to it. Yet, they smoke. What addiction can be worse than this? The fact that it is easily accessible to people makes it one of the top addictive things. Smokers get addicted to nicotine. It is a habit that should be left at the earliest. It is injurious to health as well as people surrounding you. It weakens the lungs plus your pockets! If you find troubles at going cold turkey, try losing the habit slowly. Switch to E-cigarettes. Eat a lot of apples, drink lemon juice and stay away from buying a whole pack at once.
1. Drugs
“Happiness is not to be found at the bottom of a bottle or from the tip of a needle; it is not to be found amidst a cloud of smoke or within a sugar-coated pill. If you look for it in these places, you will find naught but despair.” ― Wayne Gerard Trotman
Drugs make you fly away to a different world. You feel light, happy and away from all the worries and tensions of the world. You think it’s a quick escape until it becomes your only one. Studies have shown that drug addiction is really difficult to leave. Addicts become so used to the high feeling that they can’t get by a day without doing drugs. Relapses occur frequently. However, rehabs have succeeded in keeping many people off the streets. If you don’t want drugs to overtake your life, undertake a rehab programme.