Addiction and Productivity

What is Addiction?

Addiction is a compulsive behavior leading to the overuse of a certain substance despite the knowledge of the negative consequences. It causes a lot of problems in the day to day living of the person and often takes over their lives too. The condition is complex.

Addiction affects your Physiology, Psychology and social relations adversely:

Physiological Effects like:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Cancer
• HIV/AIDS
• Hepatitis B and C
• Lung disease
• Brain damage, seizures, and strokes are also common

Psychosocial Effects include:-

• Long-Term Drug use results in mood swings, prolonged sadness, depression, and violence
• The use of drugs will make your cravings more intense i.e when you start taking drugs due to some stressor in life cravings start getting stronger.
• Also, Your family is the worst sufferers as they are the ones dealing with the stigma associated with it.
• Your job suffers as you are no longer able to manage your cravings. Earning Livelihood becomes difficult.
• Addiction is also a major cause of psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorders.

What could you get Addicted to?

• Alchohol
• LSD and other hallucinogens
• Opioids, painkillers, and heroin
• Cocaine, Methamphetamines
• Tobacco
• Caffeine

This is just a sample of what you could get addicted to, there is a host of many more. You can get addicted to even water! Addiction is a mental pattern that is repetitive and leads to a dysfunction in your day to day life.

When to seek help?

Due to the lack of awareness of mental disorders and delay in early intervention, most of the psychological disorders go unnoticed. Check out for these:-

• You are dependent on the substance and cannot stop taking it.
• When you withdraw the drug, then you experience withdrawal symptoms which include mood swings, poor focus, frustration, anger, empty, negativity, and hallucinations etc.
• You Avoid the activities that would decrease your chances of taking the drug i.e, Cancelling important meetings because taking the drug is not possible at the meeting.
• You feel that you cannot solve your problems without taking the drug or substance.
• Thus, Big sacrifices of money, property, and opportunity are made to continue the supply of the drug.

If you have any of the signs of these, talk to someone close and take help before you can no longer return!