Behavioral addictions are often caused by stress that we cannot cope with. Ewa Woydyłło, a psychologist, answers questions about the types of new addictions, the causes of netoholism and why today we are more likely to fall into addiction.

Where dobehavioral addictions come from : workaholism, network addiction, shopaholism, gambling addiction and drug addiction?

The development of civilization has brought us an increase in mental disorders, including addictions - says Ewa Woydyłło, psychologist.

What are the causes of behavioral addictions?

Ewa Woydyłło:Some people even talk about an addiction epidemic. The pace of life, the pursuit of material goods, the weakening of spiritual values ​​and the resulting stress cause many people great difficulties in coping with life problems. This applies primarily to young, inexperienced and emotionally immature. Escape ways to deal with stress proliferated. Many people seek help from doctors who give them psychotropic drugs, which also become a form of escape from responsible solutions to real life problems.

Why is the treatment of people with symptoms of self-destructive addictions limited to the administration of antidepressants?

E.W.:Because it is easier to write a prescription than to bend over with care and commitment together with the patient over his life or personal problems. In addition, the entire medical and pharmaceutical sector is enriched by the mass sale of drugs. Meanwhile, people for any reason "carol" to the doctors and then buy tons of medicines. We are losing our natural, biological ability to survive. We live in constant stress and we cannot cope with extreme situations, because they rarely happen, but everyday ones. We stopped accepting the rules of life. For example, we obsessively turn away from what is normal - from death, aging, suffering.

Today we are less resistant to stress?

E.W.:If war broke out today, many mental disorders would be healed by magic. It is normal that when dealing with a lethal threat, an innate survival instinct takes effect and natural powers are activated in humans. We are happy to be alive, andwe do not lament that we have something. Prosperity and security do not make us happier. We set a trap for ourselves. We have ensured the ease of everyday existence and we do not tolerate its inconveniences, which give us stress that grows to cosmic dimensions. Who washes on the plate today, carries water to the house, weaves and sews clothes? It used to be a success and confirmation of our efficiency to find firewood, and today what? Of course, we are lamenting the present day, but on the other hand, where are people to learn to deal with adversities? Certainly not in today's family home.

Family breakdown is responsible for the increase in the frequency of mental disorders?

E.W.:Undoubtedly. Without it, there are no conditions to develop the fundamental mental he alth trait of "emotional resilience", as I call it in my books. Some are endowed with it by nature, others need to be helped to develop it. In the past, children were raised by multi-generational families, with close and distant relatives, as well as by environmental town and rural communities. The child was not left to fend for itself. Today, these micro-worlds have gone down in history, families have gone to four corners of the world, and social ties have collapsed. The parents themselves rarely have sufficient educational competences. We also have the conditions to have children, but we don't take care of them, we don't spend too much time on them.

And living requirements have increased. I often hear: "I will not have a second child, because we would have to buy a bigger apartment, and we cannot afford it." To think that everyone should have a separate room is condemning a child to loneliness. The convenience of a retreat may be good for a hermit, religious or artist, but lethal to a child.

Are behavioral addictions different from alcoholism or drug addiction?

E.W.:Yes. It's mostly an emotional disease. Escape from some suffering. A shortcut that makes you feel better. Stimulants and habitual indulgence of immediate pleasure provide quick relief from difficult feelings that we cannot cope with. In other words, they are ways of coping with stress and unstable emotions that bring temporary satisfaction and, in the long run, harm and aggravate problems.

What are the most common types of so-called new addictions?

E.W.:These "postmodern addictions" include eating disorders - bulimia and anorexia, shopaholism, workaholism, addiction to gambling, drug addiction, net addiction.

Are all addictions equally dangerous?

E.W.:Not all addictions, in factare the same. Much depends on how strongly a given addiction is developed and what personal characteristics and external conditions accompany it. The "lighter" ones disturb our relations with reality to a small extent, but allow us to function well in our personal and social life. The most dangerous addictions involving the use of psychoactive substances disrupt the functioning of the brain and destroy physically fairly quickly. Alcohol, although it is certainly the most common in our country, is not as dangerous as inhalation chemicals, glues or cocaine, because their path from the nose to the brain is the shortest. Some medications and psychotropic substances are also very dangerous to he alth.

Network addiction becomes the most common addiction

E.W.:The internet, which is a wonderful medium, should be handled with care, like weapons or alcohol. Network addiction mainly affects alienated, unfulfilled people who find a substitute for life in the virtual world. Efficient navigation in the virtual world does not require any interpersonal training. When someone is rude to us, he comes into conflict, we press the key and delete it. We become almighty gods in the unreal world, more attractive than the real world. This virtual world is simpler, stress-free and works on our terms. There, we don't have to reckon with anyone and nothing. Obsessive blending into reality that does not exist causes us to slowly disappear from the real world.

What forms does network addiction take?

E.W.:There is a whole range of needs that people deal with electronically. Addictions can take the form of erotomania when we are addicted to pornography, cybersex. Sociomania is very common, when we transfer our private life online, we become addicted to online social contacts, e-mail, social networks, we are obsessed with communicating via SMS. Addiction to games - both gambling and online - is not uncommon. We spend a lot of money on the Internet or succumb to the pathological compulsion to obtain newer and newer information. In the end, we become addicted to using the computer itself.

How is network addiction treated?

E.W.:Like other addictions. You need to remove certain electronic equipment from your direct field of vision, limit the time you use your computer, cell phone or tablet, and start learning new, he althy ways to spend your time and achieve your goals, tasks and needs. In therapy, one works to change the way of thinking and social functioning in order to overcome emotional isolation from people. Therapy happenscatching up on parenting.

Addicts are mostly immature people who have not been taught basic life skills by no one - the ability to solve conflicts and build relationships with people; the ability to name and recognize emotions, to deal with unsteady feelings. Successful recovery requires the healing of emotions and relationships with people and with yourself.

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Psychology