DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADDICTIONS

Assalam oalaikum,

The first thing that comes to our mind when we think of the word addiction is drugs, such as cocaine, heroine etc.  Smoking cigarettes, gambling and drinking alcohol are also considered to be different types of addictions.

Before we discuss the various types of addictions let us first try to analyze the meaning of the word addiction. Every addiction is a kind of a habit but every habit cannot be called an addiction. Addictions differ from habits in the sense that the people who get addicted to some vice lose control over them self. They become a slave to the particular addiction to which they succumb. On the other hand, in case of habits they can be changed easily if a person is determined to do so. Giving up an addiction, on the contrary can prove to be quite painful because the addiction takes complete control over the mind and body. So as it happens in the case of any chronic ailment, dealing with addictions also becomes an uphill task. Therefore, an addiction can be defined as an uncontrollable, habitual dependence on something.

Now, as I have mentioned at the beginning of this post, smoking- whether cigarettes or marijuana, drinking alcohol and gambling are some of the major addictions rampant in the society. However, we have oft heard of work addiction, tea addiction, sex addiction, movie addiction, video games addiction, internet addiction, pornography addiction, sleeping pills addiction, books addiction, chatting addiction, food addiction, television addiction, cell phone addiction, shopping addiction, technology addiction, sms addiction, roller coaster addiction, speed addiction to name a few. So we can safely say that some addictions can be more harmful than others.

As the phrase goes, ‘Anything in excess is bad’ so when a simple task of sending sms messages to someone is overdone then not only does it become an addiction but it also leads to hordes of health problems. As opposed to taking drugs, activities such as reading books, knitting or even watching television are totally safe. However, if the same activities are done in excess- to the extent that one becomes forgetful of fulfilling the obligatory duties such as Salaah, then the same activities will be called vicious additions.
If a man switches off the television on hearing the adhaan and leaves for the mosque then this may imply that he has a habit of watching television but it does not mean that he is addicted to television. This is because the man has kept his habit under control. He has not allowed his habit to control him. Such a person who knows where to stop can easily defeat Satan’s mission of distracting mankind from remembrance of Allah (swt) by lulling them into addictions.



Keep Me In Your Prayers.
Amel Soname
Amel_soname@yahoo.com