The Top 10 Most Common Addictions In The World

Many people believe that when you use the word addiction, you are referring to someone who has problems with drugs or alcohol, but in reality, addiction has a larger definition. Addiction is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a disease of the brain that is demonstrated by compulsive use of something or a compulsion to engage in an activity despite harmful consequences. In addition to drug and alcohol addiction, here are 10 other common addictions that people suffer from daily.

Coffee Addiction

Although people do not always see coffee as a drug, caffeine is a drug that stimulates the brain. Research has indicated that people who regularly drink beverages containing caffeine change the chemistry within their brains. With heavy caffeine use — and it is estimated that over 30 percent of people drink six to seven cups of coffee daily — the body becomes fatigued, and the person may suffer from nausea and headaches if they try to quit cold turkey. Irritability is also a factor in heavy caffeine use. Although we joke about it, Caffeine is a drug that can lead to rapid heart rate, insomnia, issues with digestion and anxiety.

Nicotine Addiction

While the use of cigarettes has been on the decline for several years, the rise of vaping has introduced a whole new generation to nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that causes severe illness or death in nearly 400,000 Americans every year, mostly due to tobacco use. However, the use of nicotine itself leads to a rise in the rate of several different types of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Nicotine has a direct effect of raising pulse rate and blood pressure, which can lead to long term cardiovascular issues.

Gambling Addiction

More than 80 percent of adults in the United States have gambled at one time or another in their lives, and of those, perhaps 3% have problems with gambling or have a serious gambling addiction. People who are addicted to gambling are at risk for depression, suicide, financial problems, and may commit criminal activities to support their gambling habit, such as fraud or embezzlement, which would result in jail time. Gambling can ruin relationships with friends and family as well.

Food Addiction

Researchers estimate that nearly 1 in 20 people are addicted to food in the United States, which means they use food to cope with everyday living issues. Food addiction leads to people craving certain foods, with an inability to maintain self control, especially in times of high stress or emotion. Obesity, a condition directly tied to food addiction in many cases, leads to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and certain cancers. It is estimated that in some states, over 35% of the population can be classified as obese.

Anger/Aggression Addiction

Young adults in the United States aged 16 to 24 are most at risk for aggression addiction. While many people discount anger and aggression addiction as a problem, people who suffer from this addiction have many qualities in common with people who suffer from other addictions: they are unable to stop the behavior, even when it leads to harm for themselves or for others. The saddest outcome for people with aggression addiction is the harm their aggressive or angry outbursts have on others, in the form of hospitalizations for violent assaults, or in murder.

Internet/Social Media Addiction

Researchers have estimated that there are approximately 210 users worldwide that are addicted to using the Internet or their social media accounts, such as Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Use of social media for 5 or more hours a day has led to a rise in depression and suicide rates among teenagers and young adults. This addictive behavior is also linked to narcissistic behavior, low self-esteem and an inability to engage with people outside of social media accounts, which leads to isolation.

Sex Addiction

While people have joked for years about sex addiction, it is a real addiction that can cost people their jobs and their relationships with family and friends. In some cases, sex addiction may cost people their lives due to sexually transmitted diseases, or by putting themselves in dangerous situations in order to have sex. It may also lead to criminal behavior. It is estimated that 8% of men in the United States and 3% of women are affected by sex addiction.

Pornography

There has been some debate among psychiatrists and psychologists on whether or not pornography is addictive, but there is research available that demonstrates for some people who view pornography, it becomes an overwhelming compulsion at the expense of their own health, sleep, jobs, and family relationships. Pornography and sex addiction are closely linked as well, and one addiction may feed on the other. It is estimated that over 40 million adults in the United States visit pornography websites, with approximately 10% of those users reporting they feel their pornography habit is harming their lives.

Video Game Addiction

1.2 billion people play video games worldwide, and it is estimated that about 8% of youth and adults who play video games are addicted to them. People that are addicted to video games will play them to the exclusion of everything else: school, work, friendships and family relationships. Extreme cases of video game addiction have led to death or injury, as the video gamer will sit for hours or days without performing basic human tasks needed to survive, such as eating, drinking, or using the bathroom.

Workaholics

In the United States, to say you are a workaholic is seen as a badge of honor, but in reality, adults who work too much suffer from physical and emotional symptoms. In fact, people who suffer from work addiction have stress-related physical and psychological issues, including difficult relationships with friends and family, sleep disorders and fatigue, low job and life satisfaction, depression, and poor health due to lack of exercise. Research has indicated that up to 8% of the population could be considered addicted to their work.