Can I or anyone else really use the term ‘Healthy Addiction’?

I don’t know why people back this expression of a ‘healthy addiction’. To me, addiction has a strong negative connotation to it. It implies that the ‘thing’ is in control, rather than the individual. Just in some cases the individual might not realise it.

Attempting to regurgitate what I can remember from the super dull ‘Psychology of Addiction’ module I took last year in my undergraduate degree, I can see why it’s a hugely diverse and complex topic.

Among all the various theories that seek to explain addiction and addictive behaviours, there is a firm underlying notion for some that there is no such thing as addiction.

I can certainly see the logic here. Perhaps a better way of phrasing it is that addiction is just a social construction. Someone, somewhere down the line, designed criteria that would seek to categorise people to say if they were or were not an addict for something. Whether it be units of alcohol consumed in a week, or hours spent playing Candy Crush, the measures were created by humans. And thus the label of Addiction has been formed.

But let’s not hide behind the fact that it’s a social construct as a means of saying it doesn’t exist or it isn’t problematic. Addiction is very real and very problematic.

It would be foolish to keep reading this and only be considering things such as alcohol, drugs, gambling etc. In fact, someone in theory could be addicted to absolutely anything, and sometimes not even see it themselves. This is why I believe there is absolutely nothing good to be addicted to. No addiction is healthy.

In the last year I have kind of had a half hearted epiphany that I might be addicted to something: Freestyle Football. If time and the demands on my body allowed me, I would probably train a lot more than what I already am, which at the minute is sporadic but let’s say roughly 4 two and a half hour+ sessions a week.

I could justify this saying that I am very serious about it, I want to get better, I want to be the best I possibly can: and most importantly I am still enjoying it. And also that it’s a great form of exercise so I’m getting lots of health benefits. Occasionally I’m even fortunate enough to earn a little bit of money from it, doing the thing I love. I want to see how far I can go with it. Some would call that reward for all the hard practice.

Sounds pretty healthy right? Where’s the problems?

Well what if I said it totally consumes an already very full and active mind of mine. Ideas, flashbacks, visual representations both in first and third person of freestyle football. I will never be able to objectively measure the frequency of my thoughts about it and compare it to another person’s frequency for thinking about something.

I get very restless if I go for long periods of time not freestyling, I get frustrated easily if I’m having a crap training session or if I feel something outside of my control is holding me back. I’ve invested so much of my time and effort into what started out as a hobby that it has effectively become such an integral part of my identity. So much so that I have missed stuff and been tunnel visioned at times.

In fact, almost everything I do now I think to myself “how is this going to affect my freestyling?” whether it be what I eat or even how I actually choose to get up and down stairs. I’ve met some great people through the sport and it’s community, but there are so many people in my life who over the years have probably felt like in my eyes they are second place behind Freestyle Football. Of course this has never ever been my intention.

Now I try to compare my situation to Olympic Athletes. They make tons of sacrifices in order to chase their dreams to in their sports. But I don’t think anyone ever told them ‘you need to lighten up, don’t take (your sport) so seriously and try not to become engulfed in it. I don’t think any of them would win their medals if they didn’t become engulfed in it to be honest.

But I have absolutely no intention of easing up or quitting. If it gets to a stage where I’m even more isolated from others and also even more of a penniless student yet still trying to push freestyle and achieve my goals, is it a healthy thing to be ‘addicted’ to?

I merely wanted to use my own situation to illustrate what I believe to be a logical view that eventually, the thing can consume a person and subsequently this will have a negative impact on one’s life. Whether it be time, or money, or health etc. One way or another your overwhelming desire or need for the behaviour is the priority.

The consequence of any other behaviour used to fulfill the behaviour one is addicted to is disregarded. Just seen as necessary. For example, I am paying a lot of money currently just to ensure I have a place to train freestyle football over the winter. That’s money that I probably should be spending on other things, but my perception is that this is an absolute must.

The irony though is that regardless of whether I or anyone thinks I am addicted to it, I am really happy at the minute. And subsequently I see no reason to change things. But I guess that is something an addict would say.

Thanks for reading! 
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