Upon googling the word addiction, the most striking definition I came across was – “A habit or practice that benefits, damages, jeopardizes or shortens one’s life but when ceased causes trauma.”
That makes me think what are the common addictions students these days face?
Internet, Facebook, smoking, shopping, drugs, alcohol, caffeine, Blackberry, sleeping pills, gambling and binge-eating are some of the few I can think of. As far as my opinion goes, I believe that each one of us has an addiction, whether healthy or unhealthy.
An addiction is considered normal and healthy as long as it benefits us in some small way or the other and unhealthy or dangerous when it starts interfering with (or worsens) our day to day activities.
Talking about how they affect us isn’t of much use; rather I’d like to talk about how to overcome them.
1. Realization: Realizing how being an addict is ruining your and perhaps your family’s life is the beginning step to overcome it.
2. Moderating: An addiction is no more an addiction once you start doing that thing a little less. Reducing it more as you go on realizing how much better it is making your life, and finally stopping it. It is obviously hard, but then believe in the “No pain, no gain” theory.
3. Taking help: The first people that come to your mind if you want help should be your family or your closest friends. Because no matter who else you go to, they cannot care for you as much as the people who actually love you do.
Talk about it, be open. Tell people you are strong enough to stop it. Conquer your fears.
If you feel shy talking about your problems with your close ones, take advice from the anonymous helpers associations all across the country. The Centre for Student Development and Counselling at Ryerson University is the perfect place to go to if you need expert and friendly help dealing with such problems and also to overcome your emotional fears. Completely anonymous, your privacy is duly respected.
Dream big and have the strength to overcome all the hurdles in your way.
