Jumping In With Both Feet

I see my fascinating finger nail biting story has brought you back for more... You disgust me.
Jokes aside, in this entry I am going to write about where most addictions come from, and why they affect us in the ways that they do. It's pretty important to know how an addiction is formed and how to diagnose one, before you start running around claiming all of your habits to be new found addictions!

I would like to start off by addressing something that occurred to me last night in my never-ending, sleep-preventing, train of thought. In between recapping my exciting day at school and trying to catch some shut eye, it had come to my attention that people may have thought I used the term 'addiction' too lightly in my previous entry. Rest assured, that was not at all my intention! I am fully aware of the severity that comes along with some forms of addiction and I have experienced it through family members of my own. So, please keep that in mind through all of your readings. Thank you!
Moving on to my first discussion...

So how do we form an addiction?

Step one - Would be to introduce yourself to whatever it is that you are now addicted to. How could you be addicted to it without having tried it, of course.

Step two - You had a pleasurable experience ingesting this new substance or partaking in this new activity.

Step three - You now have a craving for this activity, whatever it may be. Let's talk about this one some more, because this is probably the biggest step of them all.

Dependent

Once you have developed a craving for something, because it got you high or gave you a rush,  your brain has now associated this activity to 'feeling good'. At the end of the day, who doesn't want to feel good? Now your brain has stored this craving in your Frontal Cortex, the part of your brain which feelings and emotions are stored, as well as cravings, to be called upon at any given moment when presented with a situation where your brain recalls having felt this way before. Just like a morning smoker can crave a cigarette by the whiff of a fresh pot of coffee.

Step four -  These constant cravings, if you are fulfilling them sufficiently and often enough, can turn into a dependency. Dependencies are most often scene in the case of Substance addiction, specifically drugs and alcohol. This is also, usually, where things turn ugly. People who grow a dependency to a substance can and will go to great lengths to obtain that level of 'feeling good'. Selling their belongings, and sometimes their bodies, to retain acquire their fix, and to put the ravishing cravings to rest.

So I guess you could say, those are the basic four steps to forming an addiction, from its mildest point, to its wildest point. However, don't be alarmed. Not everything reaches step four! It's actually quite uncommon in people who have their priorities straight, and know the consequences of reaching that level. A new encounter could end at step one, if you did not enjoy it. It could end at step two, if you did enjoy it, but don't crave it. More often than not, it ends at step three, where you have acquired a new craving. It could be as simple as a wanting cheeseburger, or as complicated as a therapeutic spa treatment.
Now that you know how an addiction is formed, you can also see that not everything ends in a dependency. I believe it all comes down to who you are and if you, like I've said, have your priorities straight as to what's important in life and to your health. I also believe it is important to form cravings! To have things to look forward to. Especially the little things like that oh so greasy cheeseburger that you just worked your butt off at the gym for an hour in order to deserve. Never be afraid to try new things, and to indulge in what you love. Some places be sure to test the water. Others, go ahead, jump in with both feet. As long as you do not need to make love, to obtain what you "love", you'll be okay.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20100802/cravings-emotions-use-same-part-brain
 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/addiction/