One look at Rhett Smith* and it’s immediately obvious that this kid has everything going for him. At 17, he’s full of good looks and quick smiles. When he walks down the hall at his high school there isn’t anyone he doesn’t know, and he’s as adept at slapping hands and working the crowd as a politician. He’s on the football team, and plays baseball in the spring. There should be nothing dark looming on the horizon for this kid, but there is. Most of his friends don’t know it, but he’s addicted to alcohol. Seriously addicted.
They know he’s a drinker, of course. As graduation approaches, there’s a party just about every weekend, and inside almost every one Rhett’s easy laugh can be heard over the pounding music. Plastic cup in hand, he blends in seamlessly with the other 50 kids at the party, all of whom are drinking as well. What they, and his parents, don’t know is that Rhett drinks every night, not just on weekends. He often stays up late, long after his parents have gone to bed, surfing the web and downing bourbon. The bottles are kept hidden under his mattress, he confesses. Due to the typical teenage mess in his room, his mother never goes in there anymore.
He’s kept a pretty good handle on it so far. He hasn’t missed a sports practice, although he’s gone to quite a few with a hangover. His parents and close friends don’t have a clue. His grades, however, are starting to give him away. They’ve been slipping since last semester, and are starting to get to the danger point. If his GPA inches down a few more points, he’ll be in danger of losing his college scholarship.
Rhett’s story is typical of millions of other adolescents in America today. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that at least 3 million teenagers in this country are full-fledged alcoholics, and millions more have a serious drinking problem. Addiction is an ever-growing problem in this country, but it’s not just limited to our kids. The number of adults facing an addiction of some kind is staggering- the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates the number at roughly 105 million. And that only includes those with a physical addiction such as alcoholism, nicotine, or drug use. Factor in such psychological addictions, or “soft” addictions, such as overeating, TV watching, gambling, or compulsive shopping, and a number doesn’t even exist to quantify it.
So what does defines an “addiction”? There are two main types: substance and behavioral. Substance addiction includes anything used repeatedly in spite of the harmful effects on the body. Smoking, drug use, and excessive drinking fall under this category. Behavioral addictions are just that-repeating a behavior in spite of the detrimental effects it has on your body or your life. Obsessive TV watching, over-shopping, over-eating; all of these are behavioral addictions.
Many people may wonder about some of these “behavioral” addictions. Everyone knows you can be addicted to drugs or alcohol, but when does watching TV become a nasty habit? Can you even be addicted to shopping or surfing the ‘net in the first place?
Experts disagree on the subject. While the American Psychiatric Association does not officially accept the term “soft addiction”, many doctors and laypeople alike agree it’s a growing problem.
If you consider the dictionary.com definition of addiction, which is: “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma”, then yes, soft addictions fall under this category.
So let’s look at some of these different forms of addiction. We’ll take one many people might not think of at first: Video Game Addiction. When does playing video games cross the line into a serious problem?
Doctor’s say it’s when the child or adult fails to stop when they know they should, lying to cover up the problem, spending less time with family and friends, and experiencing difficulties in work or school. They may even stop bathing or eating regularly just so they don’t have to stop playing. All of these symptoms raise a red flag that there is a serious problem. And with the advent of online gaming, the problem can get even worse. Cases abound of games such as EverQuest ruining the lives of people who got so addicted they quit school, quit their marriage, or quit their job just to keep playing the game. Online gaming also has a “chat” feature, letting players interact with each other online. Often times this online interaction replaces real-life relationships, leaving the gamer with a life almost hermit-like and cut off from the outside world.
So what about Shopping Addiction, or as many laughingly like to call it, Retail Therapy? With some experts estimating up to 15 million afflicted with the disorder, the problem is no laughing matter. Bank accounts and IRA’s have been emptied to pay credit card bills in many cases, and lives have been ruined over bankruptcy due to Gap or Macy’s obsessions.
Experts point, again, to the classic signs of any addiction. If you’re behaving like an alcoholic, and instead of hiding liqueur bottles from family and friends you’re hiding your shopping bags, you may have a problem. Another good sign is going into a shop to buy one blouse and coming out with 10. That compulsiveness could be pointing to an addiction.
While the American Psychological Association does recognize shopping addiction (or Oniomania, as some call it) as a legitimate condition, there isn’t much statistical data out there. A recent study from the University of Iowa reveals that up to 8% of Americans may have a compulsive shopping disorder, a whopping 90% of them women. The average debt incurred from obsessive shopping is $25,000. But support groups, such as Spenders Anonymous (www.spenders.org) are springing up all over the web to help people recover.
Of all the addictions out there, tobacco addiction may be the most widespread and the most fatal. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that it’s the most preventable cause of death in the United States, killing an average of 440,000 people each year and costing the economy over $157 billion. And yet, with all these staggering statistics staring us in the face, we keep lighting up. An estimated 3,900 young people each day try their first cigarette.
Despite the grim number, we are cutting down on our tobacco consumption. Sales are down billions of dollars compared to 5 years ago, thanks in large part to the sky-high taxes that the government put in place on the sale of tobacco.
If tobacco is the heavyweight champ in annual deaths, then alcoholism comes in a first for economic impact. The Mayo Clinic estimates that alcoholism costs the economy over $185 billion annually in lost wages, auto accidents, violent crime, medical care, and social programs. Even more sobering is that drunk drivers kill someone every 30 minutes in this country alone. It’s not just a number when you picture how many of your friends and family members could be part of that statistic.
The symptoms on alcoholism are similar to the ones we’ve discussed already, (hiding or lying to friends and family, problems with work or school) but there are a few that are unique. First, if you’re drinking more and more as time goes by to produce the same “high”, then heed that as a warning sign. Also, if you are becoming more preoccupied with drinking, like you only want to visit places where you know others will be drinking, then be on guard. You’re seeking out excuses to drink. And if you start drinking alone, or feel sweaty or shaky when you don’t drink, you need to seek help immediately. The further the habit progresses, the harder it is to break, not to mention the effect it’s going to have on every part of your body.
Whether it’s a hard addiction like alcohol or drug abuse, or a soft addiction such as shopping or gaming, there’s no doubt that as a country our vices are on the rise, and for many people the path can lead to self-destruct if they don’t seek help. Fortunately, thanks to the Internet and increased public awareness, there are help groups for just about every addiction you can think of. From Alcoholics Anonymous (www.alcoholics-anonymous.org) to OverShopping (www.stoppingovershopping.com), people are reaching out in more ways every day.
And what of Rhett? He got lucky. By sheer chance his mom found the stash of alcohol under his mattress a few weeks after graduation when she went in to finally wash his sheets. He vehemently denied having a problem when they confronted him about it, but the sheer number of bottles was undeniable. He knew deep down he had a problem, and was secretly relieved when his parents checked him into rehab a few days later.
People facing an addiction oftentimes are just like Rhett. They know they’re drowning, but don’t know how to ask for help. Recognizing the signs of addiction is the first step family and friends can take towards throwing them a life-preserver and helping them out.
* Rhett Smith is a fictional character