Highs, Habits, and Hooked Minds: Understanding the Addiction Spectrum
Addiction, drugs, and habits—sounds like the beginning of a juicy gossip column, right? But these three are more entangled than the earbuds you left in your pocket. Sure, marijuana might get you labeled as the fun one at parties, but not everyone who takes a puff becomes a full-blown addict. On the flip side, some people find themselves addicted to things without ever touching a drug—like checking their phone every five seconds or binge-watching the same TV series over and over. Talk about the hand yoga. So what’s really going on here? It all starts with addiction, the common thread that weaves its way through all kinds of behavior. And no, it’s not just waking up in a Las Vegas gutter wearing someone else’s shoes. According to the American Psychiatric Association, addiction is a compulsive engagement in rewarding behavior despite knowing it’s probably leading you straight into the arms of regret. Picture your brain yelling, “Hey, that was fun, let’s do it again!” while the rest of you...
