為什麼任何事物都能成癮 ?

Why anything can be addictive ?

25 November 2011 Last updated at02:17 GMT
Source: By Dr Mark Griffiths Gambling studies expert, Nottingham Trent University

英國諾丁漢特倫特大學，馬克格里菲思博士賭博研究專家 撰

Even work can be addictive, according to Dr Griffiths

根據格里菲思博士研究表示，即使工作也可以讓人上癮

For many people the concept of addiction involves taking drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and heroin.

But in this week's Scrubbing Up, gambling studies expert Mark Griffiths warns that if the rewards are there people can become addicted to almost anything.

對於許多人而言，成癮的概念，是指包括服用藥物，如酒精，尼古丁，可卡因和海洛因。

但在本週刷新觀念，賭博研究專家馬克格里菲思警告說，如果有酬賞的話，人們幾乎可以對所有的東西沉迷。

For the past 25 years I have been studying gambling and I passionately believe that gambling at its most extreme is just as addictive as any drug.

過去 25年來，我一直在研究賭博，我炙熱的相信，賭博最極端表現就和任何藥物上癮一樣。

The social and health costs of problem gambling are large and have many things in common with more traditional addictions, including moodiness, relationship problems, absenteeism from work, domestic violence, and bankruptcy.

賭博造成的社會和健康問題的成本代價很大，在很多事情上的發展與傳統成癮的徵狀相同，包括：喜怒無常，人際問題，從職場曠職，家庭暴力，和破產。

Health effects - for gamblers and their partners - include anxiety and depression, insomnia, intestinal disorders, migraine, stress related disorders, stomach problems, and suicidal thoughts.

對健康的影響 - 賭徒和他們的合作夥伴 – 徵狀包括焦慮和抑鬱，失眠，腸功能失調紊亂，偏頭痛，壓力相關的疾病，胃病，和自殺的念頭。

If behaviours like gambling can become a genuine addiction, there is no theoretical reason why some people might not become genuinely addicted to activities like video games, work or exercise.

如果行為如賭博可以演變成為名副其實的沉癮，沒有任何理論的理由說明為什麼有些人可能不會成為真正沉迷於視頻遊戲，工作或運動的活動。

Research on pathological gamblers has reported at least one physical side effect when they undergo withdrawal, including insomnia, headaches, loss of appetite, physical weakness, heart palpitations, muscle aches, breathing difficulty, and chills.

In fact, pathological gamblers appear to experience more physical withdrawal effects when attempting to stop their behaviour when compared directly with drug addicts.

對病態賭徒的研究報告顯示當他們經歷戒斷時身體至少有一個副作用，包括失眠，頭痛，食慾不振，身體虛弱，心悸，肌肉酸痛，呼吸困難和發冷。

事實上，直接相較於藥物成癮的患者，當病態賭徒企圖停止他們的行為時身體似乎經歷更多戒斷症狀效果。

'Most important thing'

“最重要的事” 

But when does an excessive healthy enthusiasm become an addiction?

但是，極度健康的熱情何時成為一種沉癮呢？

Behavioural addictions can be just as serious as drug addictions”

行為成癮可和毒癮一樣嚴重“

Dr Mark Griffiths
馬克格里菲思博士

Excessive behaviour on its own does not mean someone is addicted.

I can think of lots of people who engage in excessive activities but I wouldn't class them as addicts as they don't appear to experience any detrimental effects from engaging in the behaviour.

In a nutshell, the fundamental difference between excessive enthusiasm and addiction is that healthy enthusiasms add to life whereas addiction takes away from it.

對自己的過激行為，並不意味著此人即是上癮。
我能想到很多的人忙於過度活動，但我不會將他們分類成上癮，因為他們從事的行為似乎沒有顯示任何不利的影響。

簡而言之，過度熱情和成癮之間的根本區別在於，生活須添加健康的熱情，而成癮則需要遠離它。

For any behaviour to be defined as addictive, there have to be specific consequences such as it becoming the most important activity in the person's life or being the way they improve their mood.

對於任何被視為上癮定義的行為，需有具體的後果，如它成為人一生中最重要的活動，或者是他們增進自己的心情。

They may also begin to need to do more and more of the activity over time to feel the effects, and experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms if they can't do it.

隨著時間的推移他們也可能需要做更多的活動以去感覺到效果，如果他們不能做到這一點，就會經驗到身體和心理的戒斷症狀。over time在此指與時俱進

This may lead to conflict with work and personal responsibilities, and people may even experience "relapses" if they try to give up.

這可能會導致工作和個人的責任的衝突，如果他們試圖放棄，甚至可能出現“復發”。

The way addictions develop - whether chemical or behavioural - is complex.

Addictive behaviour develops from a combination of a person's biological/genetic predisposition, the social environment they were brought up in, their psychological constitution - such as personality factors, attitudes, expectations and beliefs, and the activity itself.

成癮發展 - 無論是化學或行為 –都很複雜。

成癮行為的發展來自一個人的生物/遺傳傾向，他們在社會環境成長，他們的心理構合 - 如個性因素，態度，期望和信念，以及活動本身。

Many behavioural addictions are "hidden" addictions. Unlike, say, alcoholism, there is no slurred speech and no stumbling into work. 

However, behavioural addiction is a health issue that needs to be taken seriously by all those in the health and medical profession.

If the main aim of practitioners is to ensure the health of their patients, then an awareness of behavioural addiction and the issues surrounding it should be an important part of basic knowledge and training.

Behavioural addictions can be just as serious as drug addictions.

許多行為成癮是“隱藏性”的沉癮。不像酗酒那般，沒有口齒不清且不會成為工作的絆腳石。

然而，行為成癮是一個健康問題，在衛生和醫學界專業人士需審慎待之。

如果從業者的主要目的是，確保病人的健康，則行為成癮的警覺和環繞的議題應該是基本的知識和培訓。

行為成癮可像毒癮一樣嚴重。


參考資料 :


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