10 Most Common Types of Addiction

An addiction is the repeated, compulsive engagement in behavior that results in negative life consequences.

Addiction development can appear spontaneously, or it can slowly creep up on a person. Factors that determine whether a person will become addicted to something include individual brain chemistry, life experiences, and the current environment. With treatment, many will find that becoming addicted is reversible.

The following are some of the most common types of addiction that may require assistance to overcome.

Substance-Related Addictions

The first thing that comes to mind about addiction is drugs and alcohol. Around 10 percent of all adults in the United States admit to having had some substance use disorder at some point in their lives. However, only 20 percent of these folks report receiving treatment help with their chemical addiction.

Tobacco

Tobacco has been a predominant substance in the United States for over a century. During the early 1900s, smoking was considered an enjoyable pastime and was even recommended by doctors for relieving stress. After the invention of industrial production – and after a large amount of money was spent by tobacco companies on aggressive marketing – nearly half of all Americans identified as smokers. The number of people addicted to tobacco has significantly decreased in recent years, but upwards of 20% of Americans still admit to being addicted.

Alcohol

Similarly to tobacco, alcohol has been a staple of our country since its founding.

The dangers of alcohol abuse were highlighted during the years of prohibition, but even the prospect of dying from drinking tainted alcohol wasn’t enough to stop people. It doesn’t make it any easier to avoid alcohol that there are aggressive advertisement campaigns that promote drinking as a glamorous social activity.

Every year, over 2000 people die from alcohol poisoning. Many more lives are destroyed through lost jobs, abuse, and accidents related to being intoxicated.

Learn more about symptoms of alcoholism.

Opiates

The opiate addiction crisis hit its peak in the past decade. Though the use of opiates has been around for thousands of years, rapid increases in doctors’ prescribing practices contributed to a large number of people becoming dependent on this highly addictive substance.

There tends to be the idea that something prescribed by the doctor for pain must be safe, leading many people to become unwittingly addicted.

Others learned to turn a profit from selling their prescription medications, and still, others decided to turn to heroin once their prescription opioids were cut off.

Learn more about drug addiction.

Methamphetamine

Anyone who has viewed the Faces of Meth campaign knows that methamphetamines are a highly addictive and highly destructive substance. Those who are addicted can end up becoming a shell of their former selves.

Methamphetamines are cheaper to buy than other stimulants but come with many toxins. These toxins wreak havoc on the brain and body of a user.

Marijuana

With marijuana now regaining its status as a legal substance in many parts of the nation, there may be temptations to write it off as a problem. It is good to note that tobacco and alcohol are similarly legalized substances and are not without their consequences. Proponents of marijuana assert that the substance, itself, is not addictive. As with many things, however, the dependence upon the effects produced by engaging in the substance can be harmful.

Behavior-Related Addictions

While the previously mentioned addictions rely on foreign substances being introduced into the body, some addictions develop from the outside.

Behavioral addictions arise from the rush of pleasurable feelings the addicted person experiences from engaging in a certain action.  Addiction to pleasurable feelings can be just as dangerous as addiction to a substance.

Learn more about Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Gambling

Gambling is an ancient sport. Human beings will use it as a recreational or futile means to get rich quickly. When the gambling behavior extends to making impulsive decisions, squandering the family nest egg, lying about the activity, or going deep into debt, there is likely a gambling addiction at work.

Sex

Sex addiction can be difficult to define. Unlike gambling, sex is a physical part of being a human. The line between what constitutes addiction and a healthy sex drive can remain blurred for a long time. Using the basic definition of addiction, you can determine that sex addiction is at work if the sexual activities engaged in have begun to interfere with your relationships, negatively impact your overall quality of life, or progress to the point of being illegal.

Internet

Internet addiction is a relative newcomer to the field. The more human beings rely on it to perform their daily tasks, gain information and socialize with others, the more the risk of growing dependent on it as a mental and emotional fix. Social media, in particular, has been shown to have addictive qualities, as people begin to feel as though they are missing out on every second they aren’t spending on checking statuses and receiving likes.

Gaming

Gaming disorder also falls into the category of addiction to technology and is sometimes included under the heading of internet disorder. As video games became increasingly popular, it was discovered that some people were spending far too much time in their virtual worlds to attend to their real-world responsibilities. There have been stories of people failing to shower, skipping work, and even failing to feed their kids for the sake of spending every moment in the game.

Food

Much as with sex, human beings depend on food to survive. And, as it is a basic need, it can be difficult to tell when one is experiencing a food addiction. It bears to keep in mind that the nature of an addiction is that the behavior continues despite negative consequences. A focus on eating certain foods that cause damage to health, interfere with relationships or obstruct engagement in normal life may be an addiction.