Tuesday, December 11, 2018

I want to take the time to talk about obsession, compulsion, and addiction

This is a public service announcement

Unfortunately, there are those among us who are not really in control of their own emotions, and oftentimes their own actions. Many of these people find themselves falling into addiction, whether that addiction be alcoholism, drug abuse, or whatever.  The sad part is that the failure to stay in control of yourself can be destructive to the person, and those around them.

Generally speaking those who have limited control of themselves, tend to replace one their vices over time. A person may stop drinking, and start taking pain killers. A person might stop taking drugs, and become addicted to porn. Sometimes people can actually find healthy vices to replace non-healthy vices. Perhaps they take on a new hobby such as an art or music. Perhaps they pick up a sport, start martial arts, or join a gym. Perhaps their new vice can be something constructive.

But of course, even something generally "constructive" can end up being damaging if things are taken too far. Sometimes these people take whatever it is that interests them into a compulsive obsessive pattern, that can become almost as destructive as drugs or alcohol.

So sometimes we all need to understand that there are people with weaknesses that they cannot control. The inability to stop drinking, to stop taking drugs, to stop watching porn, or something that seems even harmless... like cutting and pasting opinion articles that nobody wants to read, especially not at 3:00 in the morning.

So it's not necessarily that someone is doing something purposefully to generally destroy (or even just annoy) those around them. It's that they simply cannot help it. They simply do not have the self control to stop. So they take that next drink, snort that next line, watch that next fetish movie, or cut and paste that next opinion story. Try not to judge... perhaps they cannot help themselves.