The word “addiction” is often associated with “drugs” or “illegal substances.” But it’s not just illegal substances that people get addicted to.
While it can be confusing and sometimes frustrating trying to understand why some people continue to engage in harmful behavior, Makati Medical Center explains that addiction is more of a health condition than a lifestyle choice. And, with some of these strange behavioral addictions, you might understand just how hard it is to control an addiction.
But first, what does “addiction” mean?
“Addiction is a condition in which a person has a need to ingest a substance or engage in an activity to the point that it becomes compulsive and interferes with the person’s daily life, including his or her work, relationships, or health,” says Luzviminda Katigbak, MD, of the Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurological Sciences.
Shopping
Everyone loves to shop, but what differentiates a compulsive shopper? Compulsive buying disorder or CBD is characterized by using shopping as a solution to help you get over an emotionally trying moment, such as moments when you are sad, angry, or frustrated. Persons suffering from CBD experience euphoria, or a high after every purchase. But he or she feels guilty after experiencing this rush. This is because persons with CBD spend so much time and money on shopping at the expense of their jobs or their loved ones’ needs. Some even go as far as hiding their purchases or lying about their shopping habits and recent shopping finds. Oftentimes, items bought remain unopened or unused. Dr. Katigbak says it is important to first identify possible triggers to help sufferers get to the root of the problem.
Cosmetic Surgery
People with body dysmorphia, a disorder that causes a person to obsess about and imagine flaws in their appearance, are often prone to getting excessive plastic surgery to the point of addiction.
‘Pica’
This non-food cravings eating disorder can be found in 10 to 32 percent of children between the ages of one and six (US statistics). In adults, it can start during the first trimester of pregnancy. “Pica” (from the Latin word for magpie, a bird that is known to eat anything) involves the consumption of non-nutritional objects. It could be snacking on ice, but it could also manifest in eating various objects not considered food, such as cigarette ashes, chalk, stones, or dried paint. “This is one of those addictions that need close monitoring to treat, due to the possibility of serious medical complications,” says Dr. Katigbak. Stones or plastic toys, when eaten, can block the digestive track. Dirt, when eaten, could bring bacteria and parasites to the body.
Animal hoarding
Popularized by a TV show, hoarding is already a well-known addiction whose horrors have become known to many viewers. But there’s a specific type of hoarding that affects not just people involved with the hoarder. Animal hoarding is when a hoarder compulsively collects animals to care for, but unintentionally neglects them. The behavior also usually starts after a tragic or difficult life event. They cling on to the animals both for a source and a receptacle of love, although misguided. Eventually, some, if not most, of the animals end up dying due to neglect. If the person is also an object hoarder, then it may be that the dead animals stay in the house, under a pile of untouched collected items.
“Although it’s just a small percentage of people who suffer from really strange compulsions, they should show us just how hard it is to make sense of an addiction,” says Dr. Katigbak. Whether dirt eating or drug dependence, it’s important to treat every kind of addiction with the right mindset, medications, and tools. Counseling, therapy, structured recovery programs, and rehabilitation centers can help. Of course, the type of addiction treatment program you need will depend on your specific addiction. But it always helps, especially when experiencing withdrawals, to receive care and support from experts and specialists.
For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at (02) 8888 999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.