Am I an Addict?
Society shows us different kinds of addicts. It shows us the drinking addict, the drug addict, the sex addict, etc. The question is: Are they the only types of addicts? We usually see addicts as those who need help or those who are suffering. There is one thing we do not realize: addicts are human as well. They were once ordinary people like you and me who then got consumed by a habit. Habit. When we have a habit, we tend to be addicted to it. Like having the habit to be first to arrive to class or continuously brushing your hair in every opportunity you have. Small things like these can typically be addictions people have, which then leads into another question: Am I an addict?
We don’t usually see mundane tasks as addictions. Sometimes we don't, but we don’t recognize it to be as bad as other addictions. Other times we don’t see ourselves as addicts since we would appear more normal than typical addicts. Society gives us the idea of addicts as lost, broken, unstable, or even strange individuals. Even ordinary people can be classified as addicts. For example, Dry written by Augusten Burroughs is a memoir that allows reader to look into the author’s drinking addiction. When he arrived to a rehabilitation center, Augusten sees different individuals there because of their different addictions. He does not see himself as one of them and classifies himself as an ordinary person with a drinking problem as opposed to crazed addict with strange behaviors or habits. However, he soon learned about how few of the patients were ordinary people who were there because of their addictions.
In my personal life, I don’t even consider myself an addict until I did some self reflection. That’s when I discovered that I am addicted to playing a certain online video game or even I am addicted to watching online videos through Youtube. I also see that I can be addicted to listening to music. I even sleep while listening to music with headphones, but I usually listen to relaxing music that would make me feel calm and asleep. Personally, it is kind of tough to break out of those habits. However, I don’t see much trouble about it as I don’t see these kinds of addictions to be as bad as others. I mean sure, I would be considered an addict since I practice these habits way too often, but at least I wouldn’t compare them to other addictions. That is the issue with our modern day society. The image of an addict is typically seen as desperate and helpless individuals while in reality an addict can basically be anybody who forces themselves into a habit. Sometimes, we really need to ask ourselves: Am I an addict?
