Because we are human we have hobbies – things we do when we are not busy earning a living and meeting our obligations. Playing games, exercising, socializing, researching, writing, making music, listening to music, reading, knitting, painting, shopping, name-it and we will recognise the auxiliary activities we don’t have to do, but love to do.
When we indulge in activities we like, including work unless we hate every minute of it, our bodies release chemicals (neurotransmitters) known as ‘happy-hormones’. Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins are the four primary happy hormones.
Who would have thought that these happy hormones are highly addictive? Believe it or not, they are. We become addicted to their effects – that feeling of happiness, contentment, satisfaction, and a burning desire to proceed until exhaustion knocks us out. And naturally, we develop an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder – that feeling that time is running out for those activity/activities, and that more effort is needed to achieve our goals concerning them.
When we indulge in activities we like, including work unless we hate every minute of it, our bodies release chemicals (neurotransmitters) known as ‘happy-hormones’. Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins are the four primary happy hormones.
Who would have thought that these happy hormones are highly addictive? Believe it or not, they are. We become addicted to their effects – that feeling of happiness, contentment, satisfaction, and a burning desire to proceed until exhaustion knocks us out. And naturally, we develop an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder – that feeling that time is running out for those activity/activities, and that more effort is needed to achieve our goals concerning them.
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Addiction to activities
Addiction to activities is called a process addiction. The DSM-V classifies these addictions as disorders.
A hobby becomes an addiction when it dominates our life to the point we are sacrificing our heath, well-being, safety, and relationships.
A hobby becomes an addiction when it dominates our life to the point we are sacrificing our heath, well-being, safety, and relationships.
Five signs of behavioral addiction
Behavioral addictions cause the same negative chemical changes in our brain as drugs. (While some parts of our brains are being over-stimulated and forced to overact, other parts are being under-stimulated, distorted, twisted and even killed.)
According to www.ashwoodrecovery.com the five signs of behavioral addiction are:
According to www.ashwoodrecovery.com the five signs of behavioral addiction are:
- You experience withdrawal symptoms (including mood changes, anxiety and depression) when circumstances prevent you from practising your hobby;
- You lie to others about how you spend your time;
- You react more strongly to your hobby than most other people do;
- You’ve tried to quit or slow down without success;
- Your loved ones have expressed concern.
A personal confession
I must confess that I become addicted to most everything I do, and I refuse to take any kind of tranquilizer to combat my tendency to develop OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). My only salvation is to stick to a daily schedule – so many minutes/hours for this and so many for that. Unfortunately, sticking to this schedule is another challenge, as my favourite activities are numerous and they seem to compete with each other.
Only guilt – because I am neglecting people – drives me from one (addictive) activity to the other. (Have I mentioned that I am even addicted to my work – recording financial transactions, sorting them into accounts, organising them into statements, and so forth. My sense for order is reflected in my work!)
Currently I am indulging in the genealogical records of my maiden family – the descendants of one Jacob Coetzer who arrived in South Africa in 1709. The more archived records I check, the more Coetzers and Coetsers I find. Connecting them to an existing branch is not always easy, as missing links flicker like lights on a Christmas tree. The more I comfort myself with the knowledge that another addictive hobby will soon pull me into its magnetic sphere, the more eager I am to get the Coetzer/Coetser family register up to date. In the process I neglect the living people I love and like!
Only guilt – because I am neglecting people – drives me from one (addictive) activity to the other. (Have I mentioned that I am even addicted to my work – recording financial transactions, sorting them into accounts, organising them into statements, and so forth. My sense for order is reflected in my work!)
Currently I am indulging in the genealogical records of my maiden family – the descendants of one Jacob Coetzer who arrived in South Africa in 1709. The more archived records I check, the more Coetzers and Coetsers I find. Connecting them to an existing branch is not always easy, as missing links flicker like lights on a Christmas tree. The more I comfort myself with the knowledge that another addictive hobby will soon pull me into its magnetic sphere, the more eager I am to get the Coetzer/Coetser family register up to date. In the process I neglect the living people I love and like!
What to do when we are addicted to a hobby?
It surely takes a lot of self-control to put our addictive hobby on ice in order to pay well-deserved attention to the people we love and like. It is a matter of grabbing oneself by the collar.
For 2018 I wish myself and all fellow-addicts the best of self-control. May those who are living with activity-addicts get tons of patience and tolerance!
For 2018 I wish myself and all fellow-addicts the best of self-control. May those who are living with activity-addicts get tons of patience and tolerance!
Until next week...err... time, | CallOuts: |
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