My Perception of an Addict - Essay Example

My Perception of an Addict Several years ago, my perception of an addict was solely in the context of drug use. An addict is someone who abuses drugs whether prescription or over the counter thereby his addiction is on drugs. In a different way, I also consider smokers as addicts as they could not somehow remove from their system the habit of smoking. Alcoholics are also addicts like smokers because they could not stop themselves from drinking alcohol. In these instances, I have made my definition of addiction as the state of attaching oneself physically or psychologically to something. However, after having watched several series of CSI, Criminal Minds, and of course Monk and after having read fiction and non-fiction materials with themes on addiction I have thus changed my perception on addiction. Addicts like any other group of people have their own stereotypes and these are what most people think of when they are presented with the concept. In most movies, drug addicts are often portrayed as disheveled, unruly, disoriented, aloof, and of course snorting cocaine, or smoking marijuana and goes unmindful of the world or worse making trouble. Chain smokers are also similar to drug addicts in terms of portrayal as well as with alcoholics. The latter, aside from being disheveled and disoriented, are also portrayed to pass out. Of course these presentations in movies and other texts have shaped my perception of addicts and that is they are out of control. As defined, addicts of substances like drugs are characterized with these three things: loss of control, compulsive preoccupation and continued use despite negative consequences. These characterizations in the movies are of course with specific basis. However, not all stereotypes are true to every single occurrence of the condition. The TV series Monk has shown a different side of addiction, that of compulsion. Adrian Monk’s character shows an investigator with obsessive-compulsive disorder. At first, he cracks me up like when he couldn’t just leave three flower vases with unevenly distributed flowers, he tries his best to distribute the flowers just to make it even. He also constantly avoids lines in the pavement and this is how his compulsion is being manifested. Another episode also showed him trying to perfectly position the frame hanging in the wall even if it was just a few degrees skewed. Harmless as it may seem but in some cases, addiction is not. Most of the cases featured in Criminal Minds all involve certain degree of addiction or as termed in the episodes obsession or compulsion. One episode I can’t forget during their earlier seasons was where the unsub or the suspect was obsessed with the number 3. She murders in three’s using three bottles of chemicals and either done in the third floor or with three people, as with the case of her last victims. What have I learned from these portrayals? It shows that addiction can be in varying degrees. It shows that addiction even when it is a synonym of obsession and compulsion is different from the other two terms with respect to the degree of addiction. Addiction can also be toward other things like computer games or even bonsai or other things. People who are addicted to computer games are almost always seen in front of their computer consoles playing day and night. For those who are addicted to other things may find themselves collecting these and storing these things. Some episodes in Pawn Stars and American Pickers showcase people in America who collect these things and not really do anything about them. In one episode of American Pickers, it shows several hectares full of cars just sitting there and deteriorating. When these guys from American Pickers asked if he wanted to sell, he declined not because of their asking price but because of his attachment to these things. Thus gives another aspect to addiction in my definition is attachment to material things. Addiction is not just toward material things. David Duchovny was actually into rehab for sex addiction (Serjeant). It should be pleasurable I imagine but then why should he be in rehab? Addiction to certain things may escalate. At first it may come on as a hobby or habit that one could not just shake off because it is interesting; it is physically satisfying like exercise such as running or extreme sports; it is physiologically addicting, like the nicotine addiction or caffeine addiction; or whatever reason there may be. If one gets used to it for quite a time, one would want more. I tried smoking once and did not like it so much. But since my friends were all smoking, I wanted to get used to it so I could somehow be in the zone. I began to enjoy it and of course got used to it. Then I started to feel like I cannot function without smoking at least one cigarette and then eventually it was just as normal as drinking water. Addiction, under normal circumstances, that is without psychological disorder, can start as just an activity or an attraction or interest toward something or someone. It can escalate and become an addiction as I have illustrated with my smoking. Addiction can present itself across ages. It can come to young ones and even adults. I taught my mother how to use the computer and she became addicted to computer games. It was funny because I taught her Zuma and Bookworm as a way for her to practice using the mouse to point and click. At first she was like “Oh, this is hard!” and “Hey! Where’d that come from?” It was amusing to see her struggle at first and then see her get better at it. After some time, I couldn’t get her to stand up from the PC because she wanted to finish a difficult level or beat the top score for that level. I realized that she was addicted already. However, she is still at the normal phase of addiction. She can do without the computer games for a day and still act normal. People can also be addicted to food. Food addiction is different from having favorite foods. Favorite foods are those that we like to eat but not always. However, I came across someone who could not eat without ketchup with any type of food! This is no longer a favorite food. He brings along his own ketchup packets just in case there weren’t ketchups served with the dish. He eats stew, pasta, steak, breads, sushi, and just about anything with ketchup maybe with the exception of desserts. But this is one hell of a weird addiction. There are others though who claim that they are addicted to something so bad like my friend who says she is addicted to Starbucks that she can’t live one day without her fix. She may just exaggerating it because one day she skipped because she didn’t have enough money for something else that is why she sacrificed her Starbucks. She was just probably looking for some attention when she said those things so I can say that she is not truly an addict. Having a psychological disorder that brings about addiction or compulsion is a different situation though. Under normal circumstances, addiction can start with the addict being aware of his action and being aware of the circumstances of his action like that of smoking or drinking alcohol or taking drugs. But in the case of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the repetitive actions that they do did not start from a conscious action. As they are disorders, they are said to have no control of what they do. This thus differentiates them from the addicts. It can be said that they are at a different level of addiction. For those in Criminal Minds, they may be classified as those with obsessions like the psychopaths and serial killers. Oprah has featured people considered as Hoarders and CSI too in one of their episodes. These are also people with some sort of addiction but are complicated with their psychological make-up. But they can also be seen as extreme addiction to material things. There is a thin line between extreme addiction and addiction as mental illness. And this is one area that I would not venture into. I have formed my definition for addiction based on the above presentation. Addiction is a condition where in a person shows severe attachment to something such as a substance like drugs and alcohol; materials like collections, groceries etc. It is learned or it starts as a normal activity and escalates as attachment or abuse. It is different from the level of addiction found in people with psychological disorders in that it is a conscious action. This definition of addiction and addict was shaped not only from my observations of other people but also of how they are portrayed in the movies, and written in texts. Too much of a good thing is bad. Addiction is too much of anything that is why it is bad. Control and of course, presence of mind is important to avoid addiction toward anything. Addiction to food is not a good thing, neither is addiction to cleanliness. As for my addiction to smoking, I am aware that it is not good for my health and the health of others. That is why I should have the political will to stop it as soon as I can and now that I still have control over my actions. I wouldn’t want to be a character to which future movie portrayals of chain smokers can be based. Works Cited: Friends of Norconon Int’l. “What is Drug Addiction?” Web. 28 Apr. 2011. Serjeant, Jill. “David Duchovny’s sex disorder is likened to alcoholism” Reuters 29 Aug. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. Read More