“Addiction can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or religion, and intervention should be considered for any person suffering from addiction to restore his or her emotional and physical health.”

So said Dr Christian Jessen in an article in the London Evening Standard  which went on to produce a list of the Top 10 addictions of modern lifestyles.

The List:

Workaholism
Very much encouraged in the modern commercial world, where every minute spent working can mean increased earnings. But all work and no play can lead to total burnout, and workaholics usually don’t realise there’s a problem until things go badly wrong.

Love Addiction
Not the same as sex addiction; the love addict can never let an infatuation go, meaning it can affect his or her health and future relationships. Research suggests feelings of love are caused by a rise in phenylethylamine, a neurological chemical that can be addictive. It has also been found that people who are infatuated share similar symptoms with cocaine abusers.

Television Addiction
We watch an average of four hours of TV a day. This means that by the age of 65 we may well have spent about nine years glued to the box. TV addicts share many clinical abuse symptoms such as helplessness in putting an end to the addiction, using their “drug of choice” to soothe their nerves, and irritability when forced to kick the habit.

Teeth-whitening Addiction
Colloquially known as “bleaching junkies”, these addicts have made teeth-whitening the top requested cosmetic dental procedure, increasing by 300 per cent over the past few years. It may seem harmless but the consequences can be as horrible as in other addictions. Excessive teeth sensitivity, bleeding gums and transparent teeth are common.

Exercise Addiction
Possibly something I should recognise in myself. Exercise addiction statistics are hard to find because it usually co-exists with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Treadmill abusers may sacrifice their health and social life for their addiction. A study published by Behavioural Neuroscience in August 2009 found similarities between excessive running and drug-abuse behaviour.

Oniomania
Otherwise known as shopping addiction, it’s not just celebrities who are afflicted. There are oniomaniacs or compulsive shoppers in almost every neighbourhood and family. Studies suggest that compulsive buying affects more than one in 20 adults. The mania has been linked to depression and has brought many shopaholics to the brink of bankruptcy.

Tanorexia
A silly word adopted by the press, it refers to tanning addiction. Doctors are concerned about tanning and advise against the use of tanning beds, as they have been proven to be carcinogenic — but tanorexia continues to be a problem, especially among young women. A 2006 study found that the UV rays of tanning beds produce feel-good endorphins, falling levels of which, post-tanning, can trigger withdrawal symptoms similar to those caused by alcohol and drug withdrawal.

Sex Addiction
The craving for sexual gratification is as old as human history. But modern dysfunctional families are often blamed for turning a human urge into sexually compulsive behaviour and some feel that easy access to internet porn has only reinforced it. Not all psychiatrists recognise this addiction, but growing numbers of self-help groups and sex recovery centres have been set up to help treat what they see as a real problem.

Internet Addiction
Constant, unstoppable, obsessive internet browsing that becomes a daily routine, and where any interruption causes irritability, may well indicate the presence of an Internet Addiction Disorder. Psychiatrists are now acknowledging the mood-altering effects of online pornography, gambling, gaming, networking and blogging — in some countries, internet addiction has become such a serious social problem that recovery programmes have been put in place.

Plastic Surgery Addiction
Negative body image is driving hordes of people under the surgeon’s knife. In 2006, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons warned its members about patients with a body dysmorphic disorder or “imagined ugly syndrome” for whom cosmetic surgery is an unending journey due to these addicts’ dissatisfaction with the results. The organisation reported an alarming study that found 40 per cent of Botox users admitting to being lured to it by the attraction of continued treatment.

Do you see yourself in any of the descriptions? You may not even be aware of it, but an addiction might well be lurking under the surface…..

Some folk might think that I am afflicted with a few addictions…..

Am I addicted?

No. No way, you got it wrong!

I am not surgically attached to my laptop & cell phone and you know I only see Buffy in short bursts, every few months.

I was writing an LBC Post. Honest! The phone in my hand was to try and capture a photo of the young madam on my knee, before George obliged.

The topic Modern addictions was chosen for us this week by Ramana and I can tell you he is totally addicted to his new daughter in law, Manjiree, you can tell – it is written in his eyes!