Addictions

Ever play a video game that you were really into? It can be so much fun that you forget all about time, and any stuff that was worrying you. That’s cool. But if you were to start skipping school or work, or were losing sleep to play, then you’d have a problem—maybe even an addiction.

An addiction is an uncontrollable need for a habit-forming substance or behaviour. Some of the most common substance addictions are: Alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Behaviours that people become addicted to are: video games, sex, cybersex, food, internet use, shopping, gambling and work. These are called process addictions. Some of these behaviours seem like good things – like working all the time, but keep in mind the old rule that, “too much of anything is not good for you.”

Warning signs

• Cannot meet important responsibilities at home, school, or work, like doing your homework or coming home on time.
• Getting into trouble with the law, eg. Doing break and enters to support your habit
• More of the substance or behaviour is required to produce the same effect
• You go through withdrawals (e.g., irritable, restless) if you don’t have the substance or can’t engage in the behaviour
• You repeatedly try, but fail to limit your use of the substance or the behaviour
• You spend much of your time using, recovering from, or obtaining the substance or engaging in the behaviour
• Even though you know the substance or behaviour is having a harmful effect on you and your life, you continue using or behaving in the same way

To Know More

• Nechi Institute
• National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation
• The National Indian and Inuit Community Health Representatives Organization
• Zoot2
• Champion of Hope
• Focus
• Your Life, Your Choice
• Canadian Health Network

Sources

• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) - http://www.camh.net/
• The Addiction Recovery Guide - http://www.addictionrecoveryguide.org/
• The Facts about Addiction - prepared by IRETA
  AADAC