Growth in addiction in society

[Teresa9]

Dear friends

What do you feel the growth of addiction to various substances for example, drugs, alcohol and ‘things’ for example, shopping addiction, internet addiction, gambling is mostly down to? (apart from the fact that some addiction is a disease rather than an effect of circumstances) I know of people with great faith who suffer with an addiction. It not only damages their health, mind and body, but their very spirit seems to be affected also.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[WhiteDove]

Maybe folks have it too easy, have too much free time and too much disposible income. Idleness is the devils handmaiden…

 

[tru_dvotion]

Preoccupation with the present, failure to look ahead, self seeking desire for pleasure, need for instant gratification, (fast food approach to life) desire for control, false notion of having plenty of time, false notion of being in control, (I can stop any time I want to), plus the media, advertising, popular culture feed the human desire to be like everyone else, to fit in and to keep up with the status quo.

 

[LindaS]

I see addictions as self-medication. So many times, people are hurting from some issues in their lives that have not been healed and will choose to use some substance to reduce the pain. All the clients with whom I work who are addicts will agree with this. Many of them suffered from some kind of abuse or neglect either as children or adults or both. I have never known an addict who wasn’t self-medicating.

Peace,
Linda

 

[Jenlyn]

Shopping addictions: Pride
Internet addiction: Pride
Pornography addiction: Self gratification/Pride
Gambling addiction: Thinking you can win the ‘big one’/Pride
Concerned about appearance addiction: Pride
Gossiping addiction: Pride
Chronic complainer addiction: Pride

Drugs/Alcohol addiction: ? It depends why they start, social reason or tragic reasons. Social: Pride. Tragic: Usually a way to wash away the pain.

Culprit for the above paragraph: Media. I think the more you realize that is out there the more you want to try. The more the media pushes the ‘envelope’ the more we meet it and want more.

Jen