Don’t let the coffee get you! (or The addiction post)

I have come across this article about addiction, which of course caught my attention (no i didn’t Google it). Almost everything around us can become an addiction, from food, alcohol, soft drinks, games but also feelings.

The article describes and analyzes the process, behavior and way to get over it. It is just crazy how hard we can close our eyes when there are people trying to help around and that no matter what they may say or do, we can pretend, but we just don’t see it the same way. I guess it’s because whether we’re feeling happy or sad, once we know how comfortable we are in this bubble we’ve created, it takes a lot to face the world.

From denials to the motivation we need to overcome in a fight against addiction, here are interesting lines from the article.

We’ve often been wondering if we’re partying too much. Wiser people say yes, and others think we should make the most of our youth while we can. Why? Well because we don’t want to build a load of regrets that would be eating us from the inside once we’re on the other side. Addiction doesn’t necessarily come from partying (although it may lead to it), so why should we stop?

We’re having fun!

Do I sound like an addict?

Photo by Bitzcelt

Addiction occurs when you can’t stop doing something, even when you want to.

Drug abuse is something else…..it does not necessarily imply addiction. Full blown addiction occurs when control is lost and the person has no choice but to continue to self medicate. Of course, this can occur with alcohol, chemicals, sex, food, and so on.

Because they are hooked, and want to keep self-medicating, they convince themselves that they are not really hooked because they want to keep using. This is your basic form of denial.

For example, we might be clean and sober and find ourselves getting into a relationship with someone that–deep down–we know is no good for us. But the idea of being romantically involved with someone feels good and we ignore the red flags and the advice of our peers and we pursue the dangerous relationship anyway. This, too, is denial, and it is more insidious because it doesn’t lead directly to relapse. But it is still denial, and could eventually get us into big trouble, eventually leading up to a full relapse.When an addict gets to the point of surrender, they ask for help. This is the turning point. It represents their start in recovery.

Related Reading: How to convince someone that they are an alcoholic or drug addict

GRRRrrreeeeen

I couldn’t resist, I had to make a post on what I call my “Grrrreeeen” phase. Why “Grrrr”? Well because it seems to be really difficult to sensitize people. No matter how much you talk about it, or try your best to act as green as possible, it just doesn’t seem work. So could you tell me how they’re supposed to make the whole planet do it? Anyway, here’s a list of the Grrreeen things I’ve been checking lately.

1. In Heat, George Monbiot explains how he believes we can reach a 90 percent carbon emission cut by 2030. He asks how we’re supposed to minimize our carbon footprints if we’re not all willing to take the step, for instance, why would one make the effort of using energy efficient light bulbs when his neighbor shows off his 1.2 million Christmas lights? He clearly believes the only way we can “live better” would be to make the government force us to apply eco friendly measures. Seriously, after trying to convert my own household, I’m starting to believe he’s right.

2. The “scary” Masdar Initiative. The United Arab Emirates which has one of the biggest carbon footprints recorded in the world, is now about to build the first car free, zero waste, zero carbon city. The US$22 billion project is impressive, almost scary but I guess by the time it’s completely built we’d all be used to the idea. I won’t say more, watch the video it’ll tell you.

3. 10 Simple ways to be green is one of the first article I wrote for Helium. It is rated 19 out of 105 at the moment, which I think isnot too bad considering I have only one article number 1 (which is about another topic so I won’t tell you about it now). Those are just random ideas that could help whoever wants to start being green. And since I’m pretty proud of the rating I thought I would share it here.

Hopefully I will add more to the list, and maybe I’ll manage to drag more of you on the way!

Happy Green reading!