I received a disturbing call from an old friend this week that got my wife, who is a registered nurse, and myself talking about lifestyle choices that negatively affect each and everyone one of us, putting a strain on our family, friends and communities.
My friend called me from the hospital after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. You see, my friend smokes and drinks too much. He has an addictive personality disorder. How do I know this? His poison of choice used to be cocaine. Once he kicked the cocaine habit and became sober, he replaced his addiction with cigarettes and coffee, then beer, and now vodka! He confesses to drinking a minimum of a pint to a 1/5 everyday, and smoking upwards of two packs of cigarettes/day!
This heavily contributed to his current condition for which he is being treated, but may never fully recover. While I love my friend, I wonder if he realizes that he not only affected his own personal well being, but that of his family, friends and the American Tax Payers. His family has agonized over his addictive behavior for the 30 years we've known each other. He is a smart, talented guy, who surfed, played golf (2 handicap), he's articulate and an electrical engineer. So why does he do this to himself? Is the biochemical reward so great that he will risk everything?
Why are any of us making lifestyle choices that compromise our health and well being?
Despite the wide gulf between an addiction to drugs and an addiction to gambling, some mental health experts find it useful to view addiction as including all self-destructive, compulsive behaviors. Some even go so far as to include the relatively benign activity of compulsive television-watching.
In bringing together much of the existing knowledge on the personality's role in addictions, with an emphasis on drugs and alcohol, a new study prepared for the National Academy of Sciences concludes that there is no single set of psychological characteristics that embrace all addictions. But the study does see common elements from addiction to addiction.
The report finds that there are several ''significant personality factors'' that can contribute to addiction:
- Impulsive behavior, difficulty in delaying gratification, an antisocial personality and a disposition toward sensation seeking.
- A high value on nonconformity combined with a weak commitment to the goals for achievement valued by the society.
- A sense of social alienation and a general tolerance for deviance.
- A sense of heightened stress. This may help explain why adolescence and other stressful transition periods are often associated with the most severe drug and alcohol problems.
Potentially harmful addictions include: smoking, drinking, gambling, spending, acquiring, work, sex, caffeine consumption, eating of chocolates or other sugar-laden foods, television watching and even playing video games.
So, whatever your poison, check yourself in the mirror? What are you doing in excess that is negatively affecting your well being? Self awareness if the first step. If you can't help yourself, seek help.
My friend's self imposed health issues are costing upwards of $500,000 in medical bills that the VA (our tax dollars) are paying. This is an epidemic that needs to be addressed! Can you imagine a national health care program burdened with the millions of Americans who make poor lifestyle choices like my friend, everyday?!?
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