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Writer's pictureThe 4th Dot

Addictions Are Everywhere

Updated: Nov 5

It is too difficult to determine when things become an addiction. When do they become a daily vice for us? A coping mechanism? How much is too much? We may never know.

Just a Video Game or an Addiction?

Video games are an addiction for many-many-many peoples. All over the world, humans commit hours, days, months and years to them. This is an 85 Billion dollar industry hooks people of all ages with vibrant colors and constant action. These companies have learned how to pull users back in day after day with updates, upgrades, and new content that scratches the user's itch.


There is continuous research behind why these games become a big problem for some people. Society seems to focus on the dangers of children usage by focusing on violence and screen time. These concerns are warranted and should be addressed, but no one seems to have a solution. Are schools and parents gonna fight and beat a billion dollar company? Sad news, is probably not.


Children and Parents are no different when it comes to our want for escapism. Video games are a powerful way to ignore the mundanity of life. But how much is too much? When does video game playing become an addiction? Hard to define that line.

A tantalizing topic:

Pornography Addictions

Sex can be healthy. As a species, we need it to procreate, and we are chemically programmed to enjoy it. The act is enjoyable and has health benefits. The endorphins we feel before, during, and post coital acts draws us closer to the belly of the beast.


But sex and the access to sex has become a slippery slope and is at times almost unavoidable. We are constantly prompted to think about it in TV, movies, commercials, advertisements, etc. and our natural evolutionary reproduction drive will always be prevalent.


When does viewing porn become a problem? How much is too much? It is too difficult to draw a line in the sand. Most would claim that once your viewing it at inappropriate times is when there is a problem. After speaking to (probably) too many people (some comfortable and others shy with this topic), the video and audio visualization that is readily available makes the deed, easier and quicker. It doesn't seem to be a problem of lack of imagination based on my questioning, but rather the aid helps people focus on the task at hand- cumming. Pun intended.

Tattoo/Piercing Addictions

Are you willing to put something in your skin for forever? Does it mean enough? Will that 4th earing on your right ear make you happier? Does that pineapple tattoo help you through life? If so. Ink Up. Cover your body. Poke and prod everything you can.


Some people are looked at differently for their choices of ink. Some love the look of a full sleeve, while others may scoff at someone's choice of and think it is too much or deem it unprofessional. A fun one that you can see from time to time is the Gage earing.


Understand that humans are judgmental and your visual appearance can determine how they treat you. Be careful out there. How many is too many?

Taking Chances are Addictive

An old man asked me once,

"Are you focused more on surviving or taking chances?

Chasing the adrenaline rush can set you free."


Yes. But be careful as you head into deep waters.


If your life has been boring, it's time to Jump off that cliff! It's time to get on stage and sing a song, try and tell a joke, or simply ask someone for their number. When you take chances like these, you heart will pump, your palms can get sweaty, and the adrenaline in your body will spike. Whether you are successful or not is a different story. But, this feeling of taking chances can turn into an obsession, a habit, and can sometimes become an addiction.


Throughout life, we all need to take chances. They are unavoidable. Every day is a chance. Some things might seem too risky, too out of reach, or too daunting to attempt. But the act, the attempt, or even the idea of taking chances can be a lighting bolt that shoots through your soul. This proverbial lightning bolt has a dark side. Some people don't feel alive unless they are taking chances. Parts of life can a tendency to become a dull, mundane, and a repetitious slog. Scratching the itch can be a crucial step to making life more interesting.


Be careful. Chasing the dopamine rush from taking chances may make your blood boil, but be careful, because it can become an addictive rush.

In 2017 I found my roommate dead.

It was Sunday. I had the day off and spent it eating cereal and making artwork. Before dinner time, I received a phone call from the restaurant that Jamar and I worked at together.

"Where is Jamar?" says boss.

"I don't know." I say.

"He is supposed to be here." says boss.

"I will try and find him for you."


I knock on his door. His door is locked (from inside only). I call for him, nothing. I pound on his door. Nothing. I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something deep down told me to kick his door in. So I did.


Rigor mortis had already set in.

Fentanyl was laced in whatever he was smoking.

~truth~tears~reflect~

Needing Fulfillment Lures Us To Addictions

A friend [Mr. Wright] confided in me, "Been there and done all that. There was a point after I quit the military, that I got hooked on crystal meth. I was 29, working, had my own place, I had no family around, and I was lonely. Let's just say I made some friends in the wrong area."


He had a void that he needed to fill. He was on the search for a laugh, for a friend, for companionship. Sadly, this is one way that people get linked up in the 'wrong part of town'.


There was definitely a moment, right before you try a new drug for the first. You know it is forbidden in a way, or illegal, and even dangerous. "As a younger person, I experienced that anxiety after smoking weed and going to school. I dealt with those fears because I was chasing a good time. A decade later, I was at a friend's house, we were bored, and looking for a party. So we tried to add to the good time with crystal."


Mr. Wright elaborated about how he regrets many of his choices. He took the path less traveled, but it was covered in prickers and thorny bushes. "I feel like I am getting a late start on life." He said with dismay but our conversation concluded on a happy note.

Gambling is a Thrilling Addiction

Many people forget about how serious of an issue gambling can become. It can ruin people mentally and take them to desperate measures. It is a legal, and people's access to putting money on the line is easier than ever. The THRILL!



Most people seem to start gambling on a very light level. Scratch offs. Couple dollars on a sports game with friends. Even in our schools, we are doing 50/50 raffles. We teach kids games about chance and playing the odds. Humans are hardwired to crave the adrenaline of a big score!

"There isn't enough time to drink as much as I want to."

Said an addict.

I drink because I saw the cliffs,

and

they haunt me

to this day.

If you made it this far... MERP DERP!

What is the internet?

I don't know.

But I created, and I shared.

Thus, I have contributed?


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