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Are you the type of person who cannot walk past the fridge
without looking in it and grabbing something to eat? Even if you are not hungry,
you have to have that cookie or bowl of chips? Although you try desperately to
stop it, you feel like you are obsessed with food.
Well, it turns out that your obsession might really be an addiction. Researchers
have discovered that people can be addicted to many things such as food,
gambling, drugs, etc. Quite possibly, you can be addicted to not eating, which
can lead to serious eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
In fact, people with eating disorders have admitted on being obsessed -- or
addicted -- to not eating. This addiction has even controlled their lives -- not
eating has been every thought in their minds from when they wake up in the
morning to when they go to sleep at night. This addiction has even spread to
more serious consequences, such as over-eating due to the lack of food in your
body and the mental strain you go through. This is more commonly known as
bulimia. However, I do not wish to talk about eating disorders themselves; I am
just hoping that you will realize the connection that they can have on
addictions.
On a TV special that I watched recently, a man admitted he was addicted to
gambling -- and tried to sue the government for his addiction. We all know that
gambling can be addictive, and leads people to do things that they would not
normally do in a reasonable state. If you go into a casino or other gambling
institution, you may find that there are warning signs placed around and on the
machines to alarm people of the consequences.
Drugs and alcohol are other addictive substances, and many admit to having a
serious problem with these elements and therefore, have an addiction. However, I
wonder how these addictions manipulate our mental state of being and how
something such as not eating or gambling can control our minds and therefore,
affect our actions.
For instance, I believe that everyone has had an addiction to something at one
time or another. It may not be as serious as the examples above, and may have
only been for a short period of time. Pregnant mothers confess to having an
addiction to certain foods, some of which are extraordinary -- such as burritos
and ice-cream, or salsa and peanut butter.
You might be addicted to a certain song -- which I admit to -- or addicted to a
specific television show or radio station. You cannot miss that one particular
soap opera everyday and god forbid if you do!
What do *you* think causes people to become addicted? Is it something more
scientific than we thought, or is it physiological? Can therapists really help
those who are addicted, and when does an addiction become an obsession? Is
obsession and addiction the same thing?
Okay, enough with the questions -- let us find some answers! Right now, I am
going to go for dinner, because I admit, I have been addicted to frozen fish
lately. Some may say "how gross" but my taste-buds await!
One Man Guy,
TIKE
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