ADDICTION IS A HABIT THAT A PERSON RETURNS TO REPEATEDLY DESPITE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF ITS HARM.

It affects their relationship with the people around them and their relationship with themselves.

The first things that come to our minds when we hear the word addiction are drugs and alcohol. However, they’re just a fraction of the addictions. Drugs, Smoking, Weed, Junk food, Shopping, Alcohol, Nail-Biting and Plastic Surgery are amongst the multitude of things that a person gets addicted to while knowing that it harms them.

For example, some people are addicted to social media – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook … etc., but after spending an hour browsing, they feel upset and drained by negative hashtags and provoking posts, yet they return to surfing.

 Here is the question: why they come back to it? And the answer is because it is effective, and they need a stimulant or an influencer, regardless of whether it is a good or a disturbing stimulus.

 Their brains become addicted, even if this thing will bother them, they allow it to bother them, as long as they sit contemplating, thinking, amused.

Super stimulus is a natural stimulus. Their bodies naturally desire it, but when it is presented to them in a super form, their bodies are attracted to this super stimulus at the expense of the normal stimulus.

FOUR EXAMPLES FROM THE ORDINARY LIFE:

FIRSTLY: FAST FOOD ADDICTION

People are naturally drawn to eating sugar and fats. These are things the body needs, but foods in the 21st century contain exaggerated amounts of sugar and fats, which act as a super stimulant by making people addicted to unhealthy eating habits. Therefore, they are addicted to chocolate, cookies, and ice cream. Fast food provides them with a stimulus that their body needs, but in a super, so they leave the natural foods because they no longer meet this desire. So, when they have apples and cookies, which one wins? Cookies! Their body is biologically attracted to cookies!

SECONDLY: ADDICTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Why are they addicted to social media? Why are they addicted to notifications and likes?

 Because it is a super stimulant. The natural stimulus is their need for communication. It is normal for them to communicate with two or three people. Social Media offers this stimulant in a great way as they are communicating with a different person on the regular.

Nowadays, people are no longer able to sit with a person alone without constantly looking at their mobiles. Normal human contact has decreased because it no longer meets people’s needs. Nowadays, people feel bored when sitting only with two people because they have become addicted, and they want to communicate with 20 people at the same time.

If people were to remove social media from their life, they would have a lot of time to do many things that have been idle for a long time. They can read, learn, play sports, take a course in something they are passionate about and feel themselves become calmer psychologically. More importantly, they will find more enjoyment in spending time with one or two people, leading to stronger and healthier relationships.

THIRDLY: PORN MOVIES ADDICTION

The natural stimulus is the need for sex, and this is part of a person’s biological makeup. But what do porn movies do? They give them that stimulus in a super way.  Porn depicts the act of sex in an unrealistic way, showing scenes that humans do not usually see or experience in real life. This has distorted the younger generation’s view of what sex is, thus making them no longer attracted to the natural relationships.

FOURTHLY: OBSESSION WITH BEAUTY ADDICTION

It’s a natural topic. Humans like beauty in all its form. But when it’s transformed into exaggerations and obsessions that’s when it becomes a problem.

Who created the standards of beauty? Who has decided that women are more beautiful with smaller feet, fuller lips and Puffy cheeks?

These expectations have made women feel like society doesn’t respect or appreciate them except for when it comes to their looks and external beauty.

One of the reasons for this obsession with beauty is that people view themselves more negatively due to the beauty standards set by society, so they resort to plastic surgery.

One of the causes of addiction is that it makes people forget everything. Forget about the sadness of the past, anxiety about the future, or boredom in the present.

For example, when people are eating fast food, the pleasure this gives them makes them momentarily forget their problems. This is the same for any addiction.

Addiction can be managed through several solutions, including through the methods of detox and psychotherapy that doctors prescribe to their patients is the so-called Nature Bathing, where they spend time in nature. This has had a great impact in calming the soul, clearing the mind, and helping in the treatment of addiction.

A second solution to get rid of addiction is to fill your free time with hobbies. One of the advantages of hobbies is that they refine inclinations, this lets a person vent stress and anger. If people want to quit a bad habit, start a good one!

#addiction #stimulus #socialmedia #fastfood #pornmovies #obsessionwithbeauty #efivos, #phoenix_newspaper

References:

Ahmad Alshugairi – Researcher and programs presenter

Rema Beshtawy

Email: remabeshtawy@gmail.com

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