What is a ‘real’ addiction?
Addiction Economy Thought for Today - What is a 'real' addiction?
Definitions of addiction I am learning are a minefield, with so many academics weighing in with increasingly more complex ones. We have chosen to use this definition from the UK NHS website:
“Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you”.
We picked it after discussions with policy folks which showed there was a real hierarchy on addiction and some people's problems dismissed because they were 'just' dependent. We are finding these rigid medical or academic definitions are often used to dismiss effects other than those at the pinnacle of a hierarchy of behaviour such as ‘excessive use’, ‘problematic use’, ‘dependence’, ’addiction’.
It is clear that negative, life-altering mental and physical effects and harms occur at many levels of compulsion to do, take or use something until it becomes harmful to us. So we are taking the broad view for the purposes of prevention and un-addiction. Because strategies to de-couple ourselves from the stuff that runs us instead of us running it, are always helpful. And strategies to stop people trying to addict us in the first place for their own purposes also helpful.
So back to the question - what's a real one? I am using exercise addiction as an example here, which is often dismissed because there is no addictive substance involved. There's lots about that at the moment, but I'm using this one from the BBC from a while ago. You can see it is driving this person's life like any other problem which we feel we have no control over and which then is done to the extent it is harmful.
Can I wedge in an Addiction Economy message here!!?? Yes and no - the cultural pressure all around us to be slim, fit, blah blah is behind this. It's not exactly tobacco, but the Wellbeing Industry has a lot to answer for and it will only get worse with notifications from every bldy app pinging people telling us how we should eat, exercise, live!
I was addicted to exercise
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50346131