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5 Surprising Addictions To Everyday Activities

By Modupeoluwa Adekanye

16 July 2020   |   6:00 pm

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Often, when addiction is mentioned, the mind automatically goes to gambling, betting, and drugs. However, people get addicted to different things and it could be a habit, behaviour, or even some products. Below are some products and behaviours that are surprisingly addictive according to The Health: Exercise Exercise addiction usually means that your day is…

5 Surprising Addictions To Everyday Activities

Often, when addiction is mentioned, the mind automatically goes to gambling, betting, and drugs. However, people get addicted to different things and it could be a habit, behaviour, or even some products.

Below are some products and behaviours that are surprisingly addictive according to The Health:

Exercise
Exercise addiction usually means that your day is not complete unless you’ve gotten in a run, hit the gym, or hopped on a bike. Exercise addicts tend to feel that exercise is the most important thing in their life. They also use exercise as a coping strategy to control emotions. You are an exercise fanatic if you have to check in with yourself continually to see if there is a need to increase exercising in order to feel satisfied. Also,  it could be an addiction if you experience irritability or depression when you suddenly reduce the exercise you’re getting.

Shopping
If you are perpetually in need of retail therapy, it might turn out you are addicted to shopping. Shopping can be a way to soothe oneself, to feel more in control, or to fill an internal void. You might be an addict if you are shopping in order to change your mood. Also, if you have tried to stop and have been unable to, if you’re hiding purchases or bills, and/or if you’re lying about this to yourself and to others.

Online dating
People are addicted to online dating because so many of us have deep-rooted fantasies of finding Mr. or Ms. right who will change, rescue, or drastically improve their lives. Being in love can be one of the greatest things in life, and dating app addictions trail this desire. Hence, it becomes an addiction when you need to go on there to feel good, such as, creating fake profiles.

Pulling your hair
The clinical term for this is trichotillomania, and it’s when someone can’t stop twisting or pulling their hair out. It doesn’t just stop with the hair on your head, either. Dr. Guanche says some people will pull the hair on their eyebrows, beards, eyelashes as a compulsive urge or mindless habit, such as when they are zoned out watching TV, working, or even eating.

Sex
According to Dr. Nguyen, whether you enjoy having sex, therefore feel like you need to have a lot of it, or can’t stop looking at porn, you may have a hypersexual disorder. While having sex certainly can be good for you, this particular disorder negatively affects your relationships and how you function at work, home, and all other areas of your life. The disorder also means your brain is hardwired similar to someone who has a gambling or drug addiction, making it difficult to give up that behavior.

Addictions are not impossible to overcome, it might only take some time to overcome them. You can seek psychological help or speak to any family member that can help you get over addictions.