Addiction.
It’s a weird term.
An alien term.
It sounds negative, so negative. It sounds like
something we hear of / have read about / have seen in others, but it’s
definitely not something that could ever happen to us.
If only that were true.
Because in my opinion,
addiction has a far wider definition than most of us care to realize. Because
most of us, are addicted. Your vice could be alcohol, gambling or cigarettes, it
could be shopping or chocolates, it could be porn or physical intimacy, or work, or a
person…it could be absolutely anything under the world, only you would know.
But chances are, you wouldn’t know.
Because it would be so ingrained into your daily life, that you won’t even
notice it. Not until it’s gone. Completely. Suddenly. From your life.
And that’s when the withdrawal symptoms hit you.
This is the point at which you
have a choice. You can choose to deal with the symptoms, somehow get through
all that pain, and make yourself believe, in your darkest most pathetic hour,
that there will eventually be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Or you can look at yourself at
your darkest, most pathetic moment and break. And chase your vice. Whatever the
cost. It could be your hard earned savings, your family and friends, your self
respect, or even your life. And hopefully, if you have enough to give up,
enough to match up to the price demanded, you will catch up with your vice, and
enjoy another torrid love affair with your addiction.
But addictions are demanding
things. They always want more. It’s the weirdest symbiotic relationship. As you
consume your vice, thereby erasing its presence from the universe, you erase
bits of yourself…slowly, but steadily. You pretend to not care about your vice,
but your vice stopped caring about you a long time ago. It’s a self destructive
game theory routine. You either live together, or die together. And weirdly,
you’re miserable either way.
So which do you choose? Do you
choose to battle through the never ending pain, hoping that life might be
better without that one thing that you choose to live for? Or do you choose to
die, chasing the one thing you want to live for? When do you realize which is
the right decision? When the vice is too far away, and life too miserable? Or
in your last breath, of regret?
I reckon - we were all alive and happy well before the vice(be what it may) came into our lives, so why let it dictate the course of our days and our happiness when it is well and truly out?
ReplyDeleteOne should remind oneself that everything is good but only in moderation.
Interesting perspective at the end of your post.
Cheers :)
Interesting post.friends often say that I am a travel addict, but as far as I am living my routine social life, I don't feel like an addict. Passion, Addiction, Hobby or Joy of living..sometimes all sound like the same.
ReplyDeleteHi Shreya
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. What you call as addiction is whats referred to by spiritual gurus and philosophers as 'Desire'.Give it up and you would be happy!! Thats a very high level of thought written in simple words!
well addiction of any kind is bad in my knowledge , so whatever it is I will want to get rid of that addiction.
ReplyDeleteveyr philosophical though what you have said , My answer is probably very common
Open letter to all Indians -Bikram's
Definitely agree with Atrocious Scribblings, why let the vice dictate our lives?
ReplyDeleteThats a good one coming from you Shreya. You have very aptly compared the Game theory to the case of addiction and vice. and it is quite true.
ReplyDeleteSo, what are the vices which you are facing Shreya?
@Atrocious Scribblings - True...but if only one has the control to realise what moderation really is.
ReplyDelete@Solo Backpacker - As long as things are rosy, and not affecting you negatively, I believe it's passion and joy... As long as you can keep it to that! :)
@jaish_vats - Thank you!! But the question is...how does one give up desire?
@Bikramjit - Do tell how!! :)
@Kiara - As long as you're strong enough to recognise it and keep it at bay!
@Jay Singh - Aah Jay, my vice shall remain a secret! :)
I endorse your views. Addiction is self destructive.
ReplyDelete@P. N. Subramanian - Thank you for reading! And I completely agree!
ReplyDeleteCommon as in , I beleive that we have all got some sort of addiction, as you have mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI have mine I ma letting it rule me whereas a good person is that who will not let it rule them.
If we only knew how to give up one thing and take up another .. BUT THEN if we look at it the other way round WHY give up.. are we not told to work harder to achieve something and NOT give up :)
Bikram's
@Bikram - Yup...paradoxical, isn't it?
ReplyDelete