To be addicted is to suffer from a mental illness that generates a strong desire to repeat a previously undesirable activity. Addiction typically has negative outcomes, such as altered brain function due to cravings and the inability to exercise self-control.
Despite the common perception, addiction can develop even into seemingly innocuous activities or substances. There has been a huge increase in the incidence of addictions in the United States, which has contributed to a rise in both the rate of reported instances of depression and the rate of reported cases of unhappiness. The most common 10 addictions in the United States are as follows:
10. Internet
No average person today can fathom a world without their computer or smartphone; these products have come to define our existence. Internet connectivity is essential for many aspects of modern life, including travel, healthcare, and grocery shopping.
While it's clear that the internet has many advantages, few people give much thought to the potential for addiction that comes with regular use. According to the Pew Research Center's estimates from 2021, over 77% of Americans regularly surf the web.
9. Food
Because it is physically difficult to abstain from food, food addiction is one of the most unexpected kinds of addiction. The prevalence of obesity in the United States should be enough to make anyone who is having trouble understanding food addiction realize the problem.
At least 5% of the population in the United States may suffer from food addiction, according to several sources. On average, 7% of women and 3% of men struggle with food addiction worldwide. Tolerance and cravings are symptoms of food addiction, just as they are of drug addiction. Obsessive eating despite health risks is a symptom of cravings.
Addicts who eat to relieve stress or emotional pain often develop a tolerance to the pleasures that food provides and need increasingly large amounts to achieve the same high. Some study suggests that heredity, brain chemistry, and stress eating may be among the leading reasons for food addiction.
8. Gambling
The internet has also contributed to widespread gambling due to the accessibility of betting sites and apps. Gambling is legal and, in most cases, unproblematic. But the fun and social connotation attached to gambling activities prevent many with a problem from admitting it. Only 20% of people who reported a gambling addiction accepted that their gambling might actually be a problem.
Recent reports indicate that approximately six million Americans live with a gambling problem. Unfortunately, many might not recognize the signs until it’s too late. Even though a gambling addiction doesn’t pose any immediate health risks, it can lead to diminished quality of life and compound to substance abuse and depression.
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7. Sex and Pornography
While the internet has many benefits, it has also given rise to many harmful habits, such as pornography addiction. Some experts and clinicians dispute the existence of sex and pornography addiction.
It's hard to tell when someone has a problem with sex or pornographic content addiction since specialists can't seem to agree on what constitutes a problem. But it's important to remember that 3%-6% of Americans have a sex or porn addiction.
And around 35% of all downloads on the internet are related to pornographic material. Many people who view porn have no addiction issues at all.
6. Heroin
Heroin, commonly known as opioids, is a narcotic extracted from the pods of the opium poppy plant. Besides its native range in Southeast and West Asia, Colombia, and Mexico are other important growing regions for this plant. Black tar heroin is a sticky material that can be either a black or white powder.
People often combine heroin and cocaine to increase the high. Speed-balling is the term for this technique. The medication binds to pain, pleasure, and sleep centers in the brain. It causes an “intense rush of serotonin,” which modifies these capabilities.
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5. Cocaine
Cocaine is second only to marijuana in popularity among American drug users. Cocaine is one of the most misused substances, with widespread use first appearing in the United States in the 1980s and continuing into the 1990s.
According to data from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 0.8% of American adults (or 1.9 million persons) reported using cocaine regularly. About a quarter of these people who report using cocaine only utilize the powder form.
Cocaine can cause serious psychological and physiological addiction. High blood pressure, heart disease, weight loss, mood disorders, stroke, and seizures are only some of the health hazards associated with this.
4. Prescription Drugs
There has been a dramatic increase in prescription drug usage and addiction in the United States during the past five years when compared to the prior decade. Accessibility, price, and the false belief that prescription drugs are less harmful to your health have all contributed to a dramatic increase in prescription drug usage over the years.
Unfortunately, there are a number of potentially chronic health effects associated with abusing prescription drugs. Opioid misuse, the most common form of prescription drug addiction, is remarkably similar to heroinism. Drowsiness, shallow breathing, diarrhea, and nausea are all possible side effects.
3. Marijuana
In the United States, marijuana is widely accepted as a recreational drug despite only being legal in 21 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Regrettably, there is a correlation between heavy marijuana use and increased vulnerability to psychosis and schizophrenia.
Marijuana consumers frequently report feeling more relaxed and creative after using it. The reason for this is that it stimulates the user's imagination and provides them with a false sense of energy by affecting the parts of the brain responsible for paying attention, learning, coordination, and making decisions.
By 2020, regular marijuana use was reported by 18% of Americans or 42 million people. Marijuana is the third most common addiction in the United States, with studies showing that 30 percent of chronic users suffer from dependency.
2. Alcohol
Alcoholism's devastating effects have been downplayed for far too long. The reason for this is that alcohol is the only major substance that is both legal and generally accepted in society. These factors contribute to the difficulty of spotting the signs of an addict's decline before it's too late.
There are a lot of things concerning alcohol that you might not realize. In the first place, binge drinking is a serious problem in the United States, with 26% of adults engaging in it on a regular basis. It's true that many people who drink alcohol, even on a daily basis, will never have an addiction problem. But that depends on how well they can keep to their daily restrictions.
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1. Nicotine
Cigarettes, cigars, nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, and snuff collectively account for almost 30 million Americans who are hooked to nicotine. Teens as young as 13 are dependent on nicotine, making it the most abused substance in the United States.
Those with a nicotine addiction often falsely believe that smoking cigarette or using another form of nicotine reduces stress. That is completely not the case. Recent research has linked nicotine usage to stress. Nicotine withdrawal leads users to feel irritable and tight until they can get their next fix.
