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Stages Of Addiction

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Addiction is a dependence on a substance in which the affected individual feels powerless and an unwillingness to stop. When a person thinks of an addiction, the first thing that comes to mind may be drugs, alcohol, nicotine, gambling or even shopping, but a new study shows that one of the most deadly addictions comes from a place of comfort. Food. Millions of people on a normal basis tend to experience the feeling of unquenchable hunger that can only be satisfied by a quick trip through a drive through or devouring an entire bag of chips in as little time as possible. Is obesity really that different from a more common addiction such as alcoholism? To answer this question we must consider the stages of addiction, recognizing symptoms, developing a plan of action in order to conquer this addiction, and how to …show more content…

When people use food to provide comfort they are often times compensating or trying to feel a void of anxiety, guilt, shame, low-self esteem, emotional distress, or regular stress. It may stem from a loss of a loved one or the inability to meet societal expectations of weight or beauty. This may be caused by the vast amounts of propaganda and advertisements of malnourished and photoshopped women in movies or on tv. These unrealistic body ideals often lead individuals, mostly women, to develop self esteem issues which causes the dependency for food. When people are having psychological problems they often times turn to food for comfort and do not realize they have developed a food addiction until they start developing symptoms of high blood pressure, diabetes, or congestive heart failure. Some warning signs of an overeater may include eating uncontrollably, preoccupation with body weigh, depression and mood swings, and for women an irregular menstrual cycle. Recovering from compulsive overeating and losing weight are extremely is a difficult process and requires a long term

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