By Eman Osman

When hearing the word addiction, substances such as Nicotine, Marijuana, Heroin and alcohol immediately come to mind.

What if it isn’t just that? What if you woke up one day and realized you’re indeed an addict? Maybe not to the things I just listed but to something else, something that might seem pretty harmless. But we all know that too much of something is never good. Having said that, let’s examine this quote right here:

“We’re all addicted to something that takes the pain away.”

Looking at this at first didn’t really enlighten me with any new information.  I’m not an addict. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I don’t do drugs.

I completely ignored the “all”. Because it is all. It is me and it is you. We’re addicts and that’s what makes us human. In a world where everything is constantly changing, we need something to hold on to. We weren’t made to constantly and quickly adapt to changes.

But change is meant to help you and lead you forward so holding on to something that stops you from that doesn’t do you much of a favor.

What we don’t realize is that anything and everything can be an addiction. You can be addicted to anything: from substances and acts to mental disorders. It’s usually something you’ve started to do from an early age. Something you call a “bad habit”. But there’s a fine line between “bad habit” and “addiction”.

In order for you to recognize your drug, you have to be accepting of the fact that you have an addiction. If you’re living in denial, not admitting that you have a problem, then you won’t be able to find a solution or a cure. Acknowledging the problem is half the battle.

Once you do that, you have to find a way to tame your urge. The worst thing about addiction is that it can’t be completely “cured”, just silenced. The urge will always be there, but it’s up to you not to surrender to it.