Do You Even Lift?

Today I would like to step away from all the basic forms of addiction and focus on one specific, more abstract addiction that the majority of people could very easily overlook, or not even notice in someone else.
This is not a substance related addiction, so you can remove any thoughts of drugs, alcohol or even food.

So you have a membership at the local gym. You find yourself there twice, maybe three times a week, lifting weights and jogging, barely getting your heart rate up high enough to break a sweat. You're probably more satisfied with the idea of going to the gym, and being in that social setting, than you are with the actual activity itself. Then, after a few weeks of going, you notice him. That one guy that is there, working out, at any time no matter what day it is. You even notice that he runs to and from the gym.

Endorphin

"This guy must be dedicated!" you say. That very well may be the case! Chances are, however, that you are looking at an addict. Addicts come in all shapes and sizes, even in bodies pact with muscle holding almost no body fat.
This is someone who has a behavioral addiction to exercising.

Let's get into the science behind this.

When you exert your body physically, you experience extreme fatigue and often cramps. If you continue whatever it is you're doing, even while you're experiencing those painful side effects, you'll enter into what is known as 'Runner's high'. This is where you reach that point in which all of those pains have disappeared and you feel numb, just cruising through your run or workout. The pituitary gland in your brain has secreted endorphins into your blood stream, acting as natural pain killers. Endorphins also help in creating happiness and excitement (known to be released during sex, enhancing the experience.).

Much like someone can be addicted to a painkiller, people can be addicted to exercise to obtain a very similar effect.

Well what's wrong with that? You're bettering your body all the time, while simultaneously experiencing joy and getting "high"! Sounds awesome!
Here's the part you're not seeing. That guy values the feeling of complete exhaustion, more than he values his family, his job or his friends. Comparing this to my previous entry, you could say he's at step four. He has formed a dependency off of this feeling. You may think this sounds like a complete joke, but I assure you it is very real, very serious.

Someone who is addicted to exercise can fall out from all social circles, leaving themselves isolated. Just them, their weights and their endorphins.
 Common signs to look for:

• Exercising alone, for more than two hours repeadetely.
• Exercising when sick or injured.
• Exercising to the point of pain and beyond.

 You're probably asking what the point of this entry was, just talking about one specific addiction. It was to demonstrate that in the case of addiction, people can find themselves in any of the four steps at any given time, and no one would notice. You have to dig deep. Focus on yourself, on your loved ones, and try to pick up on strange, repeated, behavior. Sometimes we like to think that everything is fine, when in reality it isn't.
In the case of addiction, nothing helps more than a friend.

Sources:
http://www.brainphysics.com/exercise-addiction.php
http://www.fitsugar.com/Hormones-Released-After-Working-Out-19252431