Definition - how do you fit?

At first glance you might think, and rightfully so, that I must be addicted to laziness, poor English skills, or being just plain sloppy. How exactly did "RU" take the place of "are you"? And, how exactly did "2" come to be a replacement for "to"? Well, whatever the process was, it seems to have taken hold and has become more the norm rather than the exception . . . so, I'm using it.

Back to addictions. It seems logical to go see what the dictionary says about the word, before making any rash statements. OK, the dictionary says:

ad⋅dict

/n. ˈædɪkt; v. əˈdɪkt/

–noun

1.	a person who is addicted to an activity, habit, or substance: a drug addict.

–verb (used with object)

2.	to cause to become physiologically or psychologically dependent on an addictive substance, as alcohol or a narcotic.

3.	to habituate or abandon (oneself) to something compulsively or obsessively: a writer addicted to the use of high-flown language; children addicted to video games.

---

Synonyms:
1. adherent, devotee; fanatic; junkie.

as found in the following:

American Psychological Association (APA):

addict. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 16, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addict

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):

addict. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addict (accessed: April 16, 2009).

Modern Language Association (MLA):

"addict." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 16 Apr. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addict>.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

Dictionary.com, "addict," in Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Source location: Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addict. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: April 16, 2009.

The term 'addict' certainly has a lot of negative connotations . . . but is there more to the term than meets the eye?

I have been addicted to socially unacceptable activities that are normally associated with 'addicts'. At the same time I have been addicted to many activities that are considered socially acceptable. In either case, I fit the definition of being 'addicted'.

Looking around, I have come to the conclusion each and every one of us . . . even those who wear shoes . . . fit into the category of being addicted to something.

That thought in mind, I ask you to provide proof that my premise is wrong and there are actually people out there that are not afflicted with any type of addiction. If my premise is right, then everyone will be able to answer the question:
What RU addicted 2?

The Easy One

Ahhh - this will be a piece of cake. Just about anyone can relate to addictions by looking at someone else who is obviously addicted. Part of the growing group of socially unacceptable addicts. Just imagine walking down the sidewalk, minding your own business, when you come across this fellow:



What are your thoughts? What do you do? What can you do? What should you do? These are some tough questions, but as I said, this is going to be the easy one - so, there won't be any quizzes or final exams here. Fortunately there are some who will take on the challenge and do their part to offer help. Last night, I talked to an old friend who had just come home from an AA meeting where he celebrated 24 years of sobriety from alcohol . . . congratulations Bob!!

I went to an AA meeting once . . . OK, I admit that it was just to get out of my housing unit when in jail a while back . . . but I still went, and while there the opportunity came for me to introduce myself. In the spirit of the meeting, my introduction went something like this: "Hi, my name is Neil . . . and I am an ADDICT." It's true. At that time I was addicted to work . . . but that story is for another time.

So, by now we are getting the picture, I hope. Addicts are those people who are hopelessly enslaved to socially unacceptable behaviors. And, they look like these people:
or, maybe:




My hope is that you can still say that you are not addicted to anything and send me a comment explaining why it is UR not Addicted 2 anything.

(remember, my premise I that we are ALL addicted to something . . . I would like to be proven wrong)

Now, it gets a little more difficult

Yes, it is easy to see a drunk passed out on the sidewalk, or a junkie with visible needle marks, or walking skeletons wasted by meth, and say, 'yep, those folks are addicted'. What about the rest?

There are quite a few addicts locked away in prisons. Yet, the majority of offenders are not alcoholics, or abuse drugs. Nearly 2 out of 3 offenders are doing time for sex-related crimes. So, do we add sex to the list of possible addictions? Most women I know would say so . . . and it seems the media would agree . . . and those men left that are honest will join in and say 'yes'. But, how far do we go with this one in making sex an addiction?

Some, definitely not all, of those in lock-up seem to have difficulty with this addiction because when released, they will re-offend and be right back in lock-up again. And just as with alcoholics or users, not all sex offenders ever make it to lock-up. We see it all going on and sometimes do nothing to stop it. Why? Could it be that each and every one of us knows we have our own 'skeletons', so we are not in a big hurry to point out someone else's?

What about the innocent-looking gentleman standing outside the grocery store wearing sunglasses and not saying much because his tongue is hard from watching all the scantily-clad young ladies parading about the mall? Have you seen him?!?

It has been reported that every 39 minutes, a new porn video is being produced in the United States alone. I may be wrong, but would venture to say that many of our young people are being set up and abused to satisfy this one addiction that is growing at a pace many cannot comprehend. Giving real thought to addictions begins to get difficult.

We have looked at only 3 addictions so far: alcohol, drugs, and sex. How many people do those 3 affect? Are there more . . . of course. Don't be disheartened though, the list will get longer and you may find a place where you fit . . . but I am still searching for one that is not addicted.

Socially Acceptable Until it goes Bad

Now here's one that I can speak to with much experience. I have a PhD in gambling and scored 20 out of 20 on the list of problem gambling characteristics. In other words, I started as a socially acceptable gambler, then progressed to a full-blown, pathological gambler. Was I addicted? Most definitely. Did it cost me? Almost everything. Am I the only one? Unfortunately, no.

While being in court-ordered treatment, I learned that my membership in gambling addiction is a very small part of a large, and growing, assembly. What may surprise many, is that the largest group of members in the society of gambling addicts are the states that promote gambling. So much revenue is being generated by gambling that the states have come to depend on that revenue for existence. Hence, they have become addicted to the result of gambling. (If you find that unbelievable, try starting an initiative drive to get rid of state-sponsored gambling where you live)

More and more people are ending up either dead or in prison as a result of this addiction, yet for the most part it is still socially acceptable. Are there other socially acceptable addictions that have dire consequences for those addicted? Well, lets get to those later . . . for now, are you starting to see a picture develop? Can you still look around and find someone who is not addicted?

Possibly the Most Costly Addiction

Each morning, on the local news channel, a very interesting phenomena is seen. Now, I have checked around and this is not an uncommon story . . . in fact, it plays out several times during both morning and evening newscasts in a great number of cities. 'It' is the evidence of what very well may be the most costly addiction today. Have you seen anything like this?


It is a pretty common sight, and each time I see it I am reminded of a good friend who drives 12 miles one way to work. Each weekday morning and each weekday evening, the 12 mile journey takes 90 minutes . . . an average of 8 miles an hour! Her 8 or 9 hour workday is turned into 11 or 12 hours simply because of traffic.

There are a very great number of people engaged in this daily exercise, which brings up the question: "Does everyone represented in the maze of traffic enjoy what they are doing?" About half say that they do, which leaves the other half . . . those who are doing something they don't enjoy, around 10 times each week, for a considerable amount of time. That sounds like a suspiciously harmful, routine activity and yet it is socially acceptable. Have we stumbled on the first socially acceptable addiction? Well, I know there is one in the crowd that will freely admit it . . . that would be me.

At one point I was so addicted to work that I barely spent time at home to sleep. Once, (or maybe more) my boss found me asleep at a project site because there was not enough time to drive home. And if I did drive home, I was always in a panic to get back to the 'project'. So, was I addicted? I believe so. Are others caught up in this socially acceptable addiction? That is a question each person must decide for themselves.

So, why is this the most costly addiction? Divorce rates skyrocketing, families disintegrating, atmosphere being clogged with exhaust fumes, landfills piling up with worn-out tires, and most of the money for fuel going overseas are just a few of the reasons. Sadly, this addiction just seems to get worse with each succeeding generation. Why? Because there is less and less time to teach anything different.

Harry Chapin said it best in his song, "Cat's in the Cradle".
Listening to that tune makes me wonder if my sons grew up 'just like me'. I suspect, but don't really know, because addiction resulted in our family going way past 'disintegrating' . . . it was totally and completely nuked.

There it is. Another in a growing list of addictions that have affected at least a few. Are there more? Unfortunately, I believe so . . . and I still believe there is one for each of us. That leads to a whole new question - is there any hope? My own experience says there is . . . but, it is a new addiction.