15 Addictions That Are Harder to Break Than You Think

When one thinks about addiction, their minds go straight to the heavy stuff like drugs and alcohol. Although those are some of the most well-known addictions, anything that keeps you from being your best self and changes you if you don’t get your “fix” can be considered an addiction. Here are 15 of the most popular addictions that people struggle with.

1. Video Games

Video games rose to popularity in the 70s and 80s, especially as they became accessible to play at home through video game consoles. But this created an unhealthy level of obsession for some. Some people will play for hours on end, determined to beat games or other players they are playing against. It becomes all they can think about and consumes their whole life, isolating them from everyone else around them. It can be a very slippery slope.

2. Procrastination

This may seem like an atypical thing to consider an addiction, but it is something that many people struggle with. Many factors contribute to why a person may procrastinate, but procrastination itself can have a profound impact on a person. For example, if you procrastinate about getting out of bed every morning, this can cause you to be late for work, which could eventually cause you to lose your job.

3. Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the most well-known addictions, and it’s a hard one to kick. Alcohol is still a very large part of our society today, especially in social settings, making it even harder for those who struggle with it to quit. For those who do manage to quit, it’s a daily battle, as they often find themselves thinking if they were to start drinking again, they could control themselves this time. Unfortunately, that’s a difficult thing to do for those who struggle with alcohol, especially if they turn to alcohol as a way to cope with stress.

4. Sugar

You may be surprised to find sugar on this list, but this is more than just having a sweet tooth. Some people crave sugar all the time but don’t even realize it. This is because when we consume sugar, it triggers the chemicals in our brain that make us feel good, like dopamine. People will feed the craving by drinking soda, and eating sugary fast foods like donuts, all to get that “feel-good sugar high”.

5. Work

Some people are completely addicted to their jobs. So-called workaholics put their work above everything else in their lives. Many factors can lead someone to become a workaholic. For example, some people throw themselves into work to distract themselves from what’s going on in their personal life. Others measure their self-worth through their success at work, and so they dedicate their life to their job to try and become as successful as possible.

6. Shopping

Shopping is another common addiction that people in today’s society struggle with. We have become fascinated with having “stuff”, and combine this with the “high” that shopping for new things can provide us with, it’s no wonder that people find themselves going into debt to buy the newest, latest and greatest thing. Then there’s the fact that you can now shop online from the comfort of your home – it’s been made so easy for us to get that instant gratification just by hitting the “checkout now” button.

7. Food

Food addiction is much more common than you might think, and it’s much more complex than just always thinking about your next meal. A food addiction occurs when there is a complete loss of control over eating, where you physically cannot stop yourself from eating. This is often linked to eating highly desirable fatty, sugary, and over-processed foods that are unhealthy and can lead to obesity and other health issues.

8. Drugs

When most people hear the word addiction, drug addiction is one of the top addictions that comes to mind. Even within the drug addiction umbrella there are many more specific addictions, such as prescription medications like opiates (e.g. oxycodone, morphine, etc.), cannabis products, and hard drugs (e.g. cocaine, heroin, meth, etc.). Often, people turn to drugs as a way of coping with other issues they are facing in their lives. However, drug addiction usually only makes matters worse, and once you’re hooked, it’s incredibly difficult, although not impossible, to kick the habit.

9. Caffeine

This is not as simple as drinking a lot of coffee – a caffeine addiction is much more serious. Some people feel they need caffeine to survive, relying on coffee, caffeine pills, and energy drinks to survive their day. While caffeine in moderation can be quite helpful for some, when it gets to the level of addiction, it can start to have an impact on your physical health. Caffeine addiction can lead to symptoms such as increased heart rate, digestive issues, headaches, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.

10. Skin Picking

People with skin-picking addiction will pick at their skin in any way they can – biting at their cuticles, picking at scabs or their scalp. This can be a result of stress and anxiety, but can also be due to boredom. Skin picking can cause negative impacts on the people who do it, including skin infections and scarring, so seeking treatment to understand why they pick at their skin and finding ways to address the underlying issue as well as cope with the urges, is the best way to avoid long-term skin damage.

11. Exercise

People can become addicted to exercise because of the endorphins that are released when you exercise that make you feel good. However, exercise addiction can also result from body dysmorphia in people who are obsessed with being thin – they exercise as much as they can to be as thin as possible. While exercise is generally considered a good thing for the body, too much of a good thing can also have negative effects on your physical health such as increased risk of injury and stress on the heart.

12. Nicotine

Tobacco products that contain nicotine like cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco can be some of the hardest addictions to quit. Nicotine is highly addictive because of its effect on the brain where it causes the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine. Nicotine tolerance is also something that develops in people who have nicotine addiction, causing them to need more nicotine over time to get the same effect that a lesser dose once gave them, making quitting even more difficult.

13. Legos

You may not think that playing with Legos is particularly addictive, but to some people, their entire life revolves around Legos. They spend thousands of dollars buying Lego sets and traveling the world to visit Lego conferences. Not only that, but they spend hundreds of hours building Lego sets, as well as building their own creations, and engaging with other Lego lovers (called AFoLs – Adult Fans of Lego) online. This can lead to isolation from their friends and family, especially if they do not understand the fascination with Legos.

14. Gambling

Gambling is an addiction that can have dire financial consequences. Many people end up losing all their money and going into debt to continue their gambling addiction. This has an impact not just on the person doing the gambling, but also on their spouses and families, especially if they find they are unable to afford their essentials due to lack of money.

15. Social Media

While social media has become a great way for people to stay updated on what’s going on with their friends and family, some have taken it to an unhealthy level. Some people spend every waking moment scrolling social media or posting their entire life online. Other people use it as a way to escape what’s going on in their lives – stress at work, studying for exams, medical issues, etc. – and end up scrolling endlessly to avoid thinking about the other problems in their life.

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