Hooked on the bright lights

- Contributed

Part of the crowd at the Asylum Nightclub during a recent drink promotion.

Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter

CAN'T GET enough of you baby' is said to be the 'addict's cry', because once a person is hooked on a particular substance or process, they can never seem to get enough of it.

Ever heard the phrase 'hooked on phonics'? Well, get used to the new kid on the block, 'hooked on entertainment', because the possibility that it can happen exists. Sounds scary doesn't it? For all those who just think that they are mere party animals or a regular film buff, think again - because you just might have developed an addiction. You know yourselves. You go to see every movie that Palace Amusement has to offer. Then there are those who have to be anywhere 'pan ah knock, fi go jump up and sing'; that is, they have be at every session or dance they know about. Also there are the 'cyber addicts' ­ those who cannot seem to get enough of the Internet and the cyberworld it covers.

It is a given that people can become addicted to drugs, alcohol and food. According to researchers, people can also develop addictions to other people, work and even exercise.

Research from the Arnot Ogden Medical Centre in 1998 found that an addiction takes over someone's life, preventing a healthy balance of activities, goals and relationships. Therefore, anything in an individual's life that has the power to create that kind of an imbalance needs to be diagnosed.

Those who believe that addiction deals only with and speaks specifically to substance abuse are wrong. The Gale Encyclopaedia of Medicine stated in 1999 that an addiction is a dependence on a behaviour or substance which a person is powerless to stop. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviour or activities.

Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addiction (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating and sexual activity). There is a growing recognition that many addicts, such as polydrug abusers, are addicted to more than one substance or process.

In addition to a preoccupation with using and acquiring the abused substance, the diagnosis of addiction is based on five criteria - loss of will power, harmful consequences, an unmanageable lifestyle, tolerance or an escalation in use of the substance and withdrawal symptoms upon quitting.

Addiction?

Whatever the process may be, it is potentially addictive, as an individual can reach a point where participating in the particular exercise escalates into a reliance and it becomes a must-have, even when dire consequences are involved.

Most importantly, they will become ill or restless if their source of entertainment is withheld from them.

This point was accentuated by Dr. Aggrey Irons, who told The Sunday Gleaner that almost anything which stimulates gratification in human beings can become habit forming. "In the strict sense of the word, anything that is pleasurable is potentially addictive, but the process of addiction always means that you re-visit and you want more of the particular substance or process than you wanted or needed before to invoke the same pleasure. But even more importantly, when you don't have it, you are not well; that is you get withdrawal symptoms," Dr. Irons said.

He continued: "So if you can't do without it and you are really sick if you don't get your particular brand of entertainment, then it is possible that the individual could be addicted. For example, if they feel restless without it."

Dr. Irons also made special note of the fact that not every addiction has major consequences. However, that does not mean that it is not a dependence. "I guess the addiction paradigm could be used with entertainment, because people have used it to explain sex as an addiction. As a matter of fact, people have used it to explain anything pleasurable as an addiction, because anything that gives pleasure causes a chemical change in the brain.... and, also, it depends upon the type of entertainment too," he said.

This line of reasoning was bolstered by Dr. Ruth Doorbar, consultant and clinical psychologist at the Oxford Medical Centre since 1978. "Of course, one can become addicted to entertainment, because you can become addicted to almost anything, just as I am addicted to jazz," said Dr. Doorbar, who is also a jazz musician.

According to the doctor, a person will know if they are addicted to a particular brand of entertainment when a feeling of absolute need surrounds the accessing it.

Effects on life

She also concurred with Dr. Irons when she pointed out that not all addictions are hazardous to one's health; as a matter of fact, some can prove to be beneficial. "The only time it is a problem is when it interferes with other things in your life, in other words, it depends on whether or not the addiction is constructive or destructive and this can be identified by whether or not it fits into your lifestyle," explained the veteran psychologist.

Twenty-six-year-old Mark (name changed upon request), who is a reporter at a popular media house, openly admitted that he is addicted to going to parties.

"Yeah man. I would say I am addicted to going to parties, because it's the only thing I really enjoy doing. Probably it's because of the social scene and the fact that you get to meet people, especially women," he said.

He added: "I have always been outgoing. I don't like the indoor ting so whenever me get the chance to go me will go."

Mark said that he discovered his addiction, when he suffered from what Dr. Doorbar and Dr. Irons referred to as withdrawal symptoms. "Mi find out when me realise seh bwoy, when me nuh go some way me nuh feel good. Mi jus feel restless."

According to the 'entertainment addict', he has to party every weekend. Once there is a party or session going on, he will be there. He says that he seldom goes out during the week, because there are not many places to go to.

He is also living testimony of the polydrug theory, which states that most afflicted persons are usually addicted to more than one drug. Mark seems to think that he is addicted to drinking as well. Wonder where he finds the time to drink? At a party, maybe?

"Well, once me a party me ago drink, so ah guess dem come hand in hand," he said.

However, the reporter seems to think that his addiction is not destructive, as it fits right into his lifestyle.

On the other hand, he noted "Mi couldn't handle this lifestyle doing a regular 9 - 5 job, because me affi get my sleep. Mi affi get mi eight hours ah sleep and if mi nuh get it, mi ago reach work late and dat cyaan mek it," Mark said.

He admitted that his addiction almost cost him his job at most or a suspension at least. "It mek me miss work one day. Me party one holiday till the next morning and had a hangover and couldn't come to work the next day. The boss dem tek mi up pon it, I had to lie to get out of the situation," he said.

Even with that incident taken into consideration, our case study is still adamant that he is not addicted. Ironically, it is a fact that denial is one of the first symptoms of addiction.

"I don't think it is something that I can't handle. When me nuh have the money mi chill and easy. Mi nuh tink mi reach the point weh mi ago get hysterical if mi nuh go, and as mi get older I thought I would be less interested but that is not panning out to be true," he said, nonchalantly.

Dr. Doorbar said that there is an antidote to combat the obsession. "You would have to detox, just as you would with any other form of addiction. Also, you would have to move further and further away from the product in question and substitute it with something else," she said.

She added: "There is usually a big time factor, so they should fill that space with some other activity or interest. For example, get involved with some kind of sporting activity."

In addition, the psychologist recommended the 12-step programme that boasts a high success rate.

There are 12-step groups for all major substance and process addictions worldwide.

The 12 steps are: