The majority of people think of addiction to anything as being bad. I plan to show you differently.
I have two major addictions. Neither one is detrimental to your health, but they could be. In fact, every element of this addiction is necessary to life as a whole. I sense you are wondering what addiction could be essential for life to continue. What, if you did not have them, would make life extremely difficult for you? Where would we be without water, air, food, shelter or love?
My first major addiction is to air or oxygen. Without it, I stop breathing. Gasp! Help me!
My second major addiction is to food. This can be harmful to anyone’s health without proper care and control of intake. I miss my salt-laced potato chips and French onion chip dip (remember the Lay’s commercial, ‘Bet you can’t eat just one?’ What, one bag? No problem), but I can’t eat that anymore. All that salt increases blood pressure, which is not good. Although it is best to ‘eat to live’, some of us truly do ‘live to eat’.
A roof and walls is a foregone conclusion. It may not be the type of shelter preferred that is called ‘home’, but any roof and set of walls is better than nothing. Too bad landlords do not understand the term “affordable housing” as it relates to those of us on a very limited income.
Water is essential for the body to survive. I do not drink alcohol anymore, and not just because I did stupid things and couldn’t remember. It may make you feel good for a bit, but alcohol is a dehydrating element, and this is not good for the body.
The addiction to love is not sexual, but some may think so, driven by animal urges. This particular need for love is more mental and emotional. A person needs to love or accept who they are before love can be passed on to another. This is sometimes a true struggle to master because each new day brings challenges that can affect how you feel about yourself. Sometimes all the basic needs come into play with how you feel about yourself. “Why did I go out and buy that ice cream sundae? I know it will send my blood sugar through the roof. I was hungry and didn’t want soup again. Man, am I so stupid.”
Read Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Self-Actualization to better understand his hierarchy of these ‘addictions’.
