What better time than now to consider changing any bad habits that may be damaging your life.
Bad habits can keep you stuck and some, like addiction, can even change the course of your life. Your best life is waiting for you when you are ready. Dig deep, overcome your fear and take on the challenge to begin again.
Without further ado, I’m pleased to present a guest post by M. Farouk Radwan.
Most people who are addicted to a certain substance have an idea about its harmful effects. However, what most people don’t know is that there are other harmful side effects for addictions that many people are not aware of.
Apart from the general health effects, there are mental side effects that result from addiction. Many people forget about the physical risks when they have a bad habit. They may change their mind if they knew about the short term mental effects that these bad habits cause.
Do you know that your bad habit can be the reason for your depression, sadness or anxiety?
Read the following lines to know how your bad habits can affect you.
How addiction ruins your life:
Dopamine disturbance
When you get addicted to anything even food the levels of dopamine in your brain gets disturbed. Dopamine Is the chemical responsible for activating the reward system in the brain. The more you continue your bad habit, the less sensitive your brain becomes to dopamine.
As a result, the more boring your life becomes. Because new things rarely manage to stimulate your brain the way your bad habit does, your life becomes dull, unsatisfying, and boring.
Low testosterone
Testosterone is produced by both males and females. Testosterone reduces depression and prevents many of the bad moods people experience. It was found that people who occasionally drink alcohol have 20% less testosterone produced in their bodies.
As for hardcore drinkers, their bodies produce 40-50% less testosterone. In other words, alcohol will ruin your manhood if you are a man. It will ruin your mood if you are a woman.
Addiction reduces self-esteem
When the dopamine levels in the brain drop as a result of addiction the person experiences more anxiety and becomes more self-conscious. This leads to a reduced self-esteem. Many of those who gave up an addiction reported feeling more confident. They experienced great improvements in their social relations.
Guilt will ruin your mood
You may think that it’s completely ok to do the bad habit you are doing. However, your subconscious mind will be accumulating guilt each time you do it. After a long time of commitment to your bad habit, you will start getting used to that guilt. Your normal state of feeling will be a bad mood. In other words, you will always be feeling bad but you will assume that that’s how you should be feeling anyway!
Stress and tension
Don’t try to fool yourself by believing that the health warnings you read or the values you were raised to believe in won’t have an effect on your mood. Any conflict happens in the brain will result in stress. If you kept doing your bad habit even though you believe that its wrong, then you will get subjected to a high level of stress which will ruin your mood as well.
Final words
Addiction doesn’t only affect your health in a bad way. It also affects your hormone levels, state of mind and mood. Even if you believe that your addiction is totally harmless, you will be shocked to know about the real psychological effects it can have on you.
Save yourself and stop your bad habits today.
M.Farouk Radwan is the founder of 2 Know Myself, a website that has more than 2000 self-help, psychology, and personal development articles. Farouk is a full-time blogger who makes a living by selling his books on his blog.
Have you struggled with addiction? What suggestions do you have that helped you reach recovery?
If you liked this post, please share on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Thank you.
Hi Farouk,
It’s great to see you at TreatmentTalk.org and Cathy, thanks for having Farouk guest post at your blog.
Farouk, what I really liked about your post is how you clearly expressed the dangers associated with addiction in a simple way. Any type of addiction seems harmless at the beginning but is already starting to create all kinds of inner turmoil, which is not only doing us harm but will also create pain for those around us. The points you made about the adverse impact on self-esteem and the guilt one can experience, I appreciated in particular.
thanks for your comment Hieten, Glad to see you here : )
Hi Hiten,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
many thanks for posting my article cathy : )
happy new year
Happy New Year to you, as well Farouk! Appreciate your wonderful contribution to Treatment Talk.
Addiction does not only ruin your life but it can also ruin others, like your family. It is a good thing that you are aware of it and consider recovery before you regret anything.
Hi Jake,
It can ruin the life of family members and cause much stress and anxiety. It is great that you are offering an addiction recovery service. All the best.
Great points, Farouk! So true. I especially relate well to points three, four and five. The use of alcohol eroded my already low-self-esteem. Guilt and stress added fuel to the fire until eventually the (inside) pressure was so great, I had to surrender and give it up. It’s a terrible way to live a life. Thankfully, I’ve known that for thirty-one years now. My heart goes out to young people who drink alcoholically and take drugs. It’s very sad.
Hi Cathy! Thanks for sharing Farouk’s guest post with us. Happy New Year to you both. All the very best in 2013!
Hi Marianne
happy to meet you here , am glad you found your way out and you are now following a healthy life, keep in touch : )
Hi Marianne,
Great to hear from you. So glad you’ve discovered a better way to live. Have a wonderful New Year.
Hi Cathy and Farouk,
Addiction in any form is harmful as in too much of even a good thing! All the more reason to be conscious about moderation and letting go.
Thank you for a valuable post, Farouk!
Love, Vidya
So true! Thanks for stopping by, Vidya!
so true Vidya
glad to see you here : )
Hi Farouk and Cathy,
I really enjoyed your post, Farouk, and I think it will be especially helpful because it explains concepts most people don’t associate with the negatives of addiction. I will definitely be sharing it – thanks so much! Lisa
Thanks so much Lisa for stopping by and sharing the post. There are negative consequences that many don’t realize.
Thanks for your words! In this year I will stay free. Its so hard, but…Im trying!
Thank you!
hi Tony
am sure you can, just start : )
Getting over any addiction is difficult and not everyone is strong enough to go through with it – without help and support from friends and family. Low testosterone is something that is bound to happen if you stay addicted to a substance, as alcohol and most drugs will kill your testosterone levels and boost estrogen levels. Replacing bad habits with good habits is the method I used to quit smoking cigarettes. I simply started working out and then I realized I could boost my performance in the gym if I ditched the cigarettes, and what would make me happier – the 5 minute feeling of smoking or the awesome feeling of looking good and feeling proud of my body.
Hi David,
Welcome! That is wonderful that you made the choice to start working out and quit smoking. Taking care of yourself if definitely part of our general good health no matter what our situation. Good for you and thanks for sharing your story with us!
What can I do to get help? My GP is not an addiction specialist and I really do not know where to turn.
I have insomnia so I take sleep medication. I drink a little red wine with dinner. This has been going on for a while, but it seems that my body and mind are now reacting in a different way. I am more fatigued, less social, less productive, less interested in life.
I was very ill for a long time. I did recover, but this left me in a deep financial hole. It is amazing that I came out of it at all.
At one time I had a few loving friends who have since passed away. Then a boyfriend who betrayed me. Now I feel very worn out. I know I need support but do not know where to find it. I had a very good therapist but he passed away too.
Then I was referred to another therapist. He turned out to have a very negative impact on my life so I discontinued seeing him.
Where do I start? I do not have much money and am getting older.
Thank you for your help.
Hi there,
I would continue your search for a therapist that you can connect with. There are a number of support group available as well, such as SMART Recovery and 12 Step groups. Connecting with others who are on a similar path can be helpful. Do reach out and find support for yourself. That will help you get on a path of healing. All the best going forward.
I wanted to stop wasting time online and I came to your website.
You have mentioned very useful information above.
Thanks.