Addiction- The development

The development of addiction usually starts when someone performs an action which brings pleasure alleviates pain. Whether it is drugs, surfing the internet, shopping at the mall, or playing video games, addiction brings about pleasure which helps avoid the pain. Because of the positive feedback loop of this process, the person is more likely to keep repeating it. Furthermore, as the effects of the drug/behavior are reduced, the addicts become more tolerant and the more dependent on the behavior/drug. This leads the addict to crave more and more in order to reach the desired effect. Since their main focus is to feed their addiction, the addicts’ performance in areas such as school, work, and relationships drops dramatically. Keep in mind that many common behaviors are addictive, but not all of them lead to developing a problem.

Characteristics of addictive behavior:

Reinforcement- Addictive behavior is reinforced because of the emotional and physical pleasure we receive, which means that all of negative emotions disappear

Loss of control- As the individual craves the need of that certain thing that satisfies their wants, they lose self-control as they cannot block the impulse to do it.

Escalation-Since the body becomes more immune to the drug. the addict will crave more and more in order to reach the desirable effect.

Negative consequences – poor performance in school or work, problems with relationships and health, as well as financial troubles; despite all that, the addict will continue on this self-destructive path.

“What once started as a seemingly innocent way of feeling good can become a prison” -P. Insel

Compulsive Shopping

In life, we have lots of ups and downs, and our emotions tend to be all over the place. In order to feel better or escape from an uncomfortable situation an addict seeks a pleasurable high, which in this case is compulsive shopping. Addiction to shopping can be treated as a drug, as it also leads to a pleasurable experience of a “high.” Once they are done shopping, however, shopping addicts can experience a deep emotional low, and the unpleasant feelings return as they start to feel ashamed and guilty for acting on an impulse. That is when the behavior is repeated in order to get away from those feelings, and it becomes an addiction as they want to shop over and over again so that the high never ends. Shopping is something we all do, whether we shop because it is a necessity, or simply because we want to. It has nothing to do with ethnicity, age or gender, and in fact 15 million Americans are addicted to shopping. Even so, shopping can lead to social, psychological, and financial problems. Some experts link that compulsive shopping has to do with the neglect or the abuse someone experienced during childhood also this compulsion, is associated with eating disorders, depression and bipolar disorder.