Addiction in today's society is becoming a worldwide epidemic. If the person relies on a daily pack of cigarettes or feels the need to steal something every time they enter a retail store. “Addiction is the continued repetition of a behavior despite adverse consequences, or neurological damage that leads to such behaviors.” (wikipedia) Addiction can ruin your life, whether it's a substance abuse problem or an act that rewarded you in the short term. Imagine yourself waking up in the morning and all the years you've been alive you've had some kind of breakfast. Well, on this particular day you are not allowed to eat in the morning and have to wait for lunch to arrive. No matter how much your stomach growls, you are not allowed to eat. But when you go into the kitchen there is a buffet of amazing food sitting right on the counter. I don't know about you, but I know that if it were up to me I would grab a plate and eat the food down like I wouldn't eat another meal for a week. It's pretty hard to compare eating food and not starving to having a five-dollar pack of Marlboros, but that's the urge and sense of need that an addicted cigarette smoker feels every time he wakes up, gets stressed, eats or needs a break at work. When I think of someone who is addicted to cigarettes, I immediately think of my father who smoked for 36 years since he was 16. When something is so harmful to you and the people around you with virtually no synthetic feeling of euphoria and it's just smoking for the sake of smoking, it is difficult to understand why these people cannot abandon this habit with such negative consequences that follow. Addiction is more than just on the surface. It is a psychological addiction that occurs when the p...... middle of paper ...... is no longer a reason to stop.8. People often have low self-esteem. Addictions are psychological illnesses, and many people across America suffer from a wide variety of problems. The best way to get rid of most addictions is to completely eliminate them from your life forever. You are not alone and you should talk to a psychiatrist about your problems. Those suffering from addiction can get help online at many anonymous websites or by calling a certain number. I think soon enough with our technological advances we will find a cure for everyone who needs it. People with behavioral addictions will soon be diagnosed with a disease along with those who abuse substances. Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human -brain/addiction1.htmhttp://www.indiana.edu/~ engs/hints/addictiveb.html