NOTE: These are only a set of typical examples. Absolutely any substance can become an addiction if someone doesn’t pay attention to diminishing returns, and the mechanism of addiction fits into most aspects of lifestyle.
Drugs and mind-altering substances:
- Over-the-counter drugs
- Analgesics
- Codeine
- Dextromethorphan
- Loperamide
- Caffeine
- Coffee
- Tea
- Energy drinks
- Nicotine
- Cigarettes
- Cigars
- Chewing tobacco
- Snuff
- Street drugs
- Hallucinogenics
- Ayahuasca
- LSD
- PCP
- Peyote/Mescaline
- Salvia
- Heroin
- Khat
- Kratom
- Cannabis/weed
- MDMA
- Methamphetamine
- Cocaine
- Crack cocaine
- Hallucinogenics
- Inhalants
- Paint, paint thinner, spray paint
- Gasoline, butane, lighter fluid
- Glue
- Nitrous oxide
- Alcohol
- Prescription drugs
- Depressants
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Nonbenzodiazepines (Z-Drugs)
- Opioids
- Fentanyl
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Stimulants
- Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine
- Methylphenidate
- Hallucinogens and Dissociatives
- Ketamine
- Psilocyibin/Mushrooms
- Depressants
- Other drugs
- Anabolic steroids
- Any antidepressant
- Antianxiety medication
Ritual activities:
- Cultural activities
- Cars
- Religious events
- Recovery and rehab groups
- Concerts
- Eating
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Orthorexia
- Compulsive overeating
- Sugar
- Fast food
- Exercise
- Drinking
- Ritually drinking
- Shotgunning drinks
- Bars/pubs
- Wine tasting
- Media and stories
- Books
- Emails/web browsing
- Movies/TV
- Binge-watching
- Pornography
- Smartphone use
- Social media
- Infinite scrolling
- Attention-seeking
- Video games
- FPS games
- MMO gaming
- Celebrities
- Thought leaders
- Consumerism
- Advertised fashions
- Hoarding
- Vacationing/traveling
- Smoking/smoke breaks
- Spiritual or religious rituals
- Technology use
- Talking
- Work
Excitement/Risk:
- Debting
- Fire (pyromania)
- Gambling
- Casinos
- Lottery tickets
- Investing
- Lying
- False lifestyle maintenance
- Fear
- Horror movies
- Watching news
- Pain
- Cutting
- Inflicting pain (sadism)
- Receiving pain (masochism)
- Relationships
- Love/Romance
- Sex (nymphomania)
- Friendships
- Family connections
- Spending/shopping
- Online shopping
- Bargain-finding
- Sports
- Extreme sports
- Racing sports
- Theft (kleptomania)
Thoughts:
- Anger (rageaholic)
- Conceit
- Self-abased conceit (e.g., false humility)
- Fear
- Political anxiety
- Doomsday preparation
- Hope (even if it’s false)
- Sadness
- Depression
- Grief
- Imagining things
- Romantic projections
- Financial aspirations
- Imagining being in fantasy worlds
- Philosophy
- Certainty
- Hopelessness (i.e., post-modernism)
- New thoughts
- Planning
- Spiritualized thoughts
- Success
- Understanding
- Collegiate education
- Science
- Trade-specific learning
Safety:
- Accumulating wealth
- Accumulating possessions
- Purchasing new possessions
- Acquiring social status
For any of the above, there is a simple way to detect whether someone has a substance abuse problem:
- Ask the people closest to them if that person has a problem with that substance.
- Omit the negating testimonies of everyone who has their own over-involvement with that substance (or something similar).
- If that omits all of that person’s known associates, carefully consider if that substance is connected to the matter.
To learn more about fighting the misery that feeds into addiction, look at this guide, or check here to understand the mechanism behind addiction in general.