How we imagine addicts

When we think of an addict, we often imagine a homeless person in the park sniffing glue or a gaunt person with a heroin needle in their arm.

However, addiction doesn’t have anything to do with what one is addicted to. Addiction simply means leaning on something.

The addict relies on their chosen pursuit to block unwelcome emotions from entering their consciousness. The particular object of their addiction may be whisky or marijuana, but it could also be their mobile phone, buckets of a specific snack, cleaning cupboards, or tracking birds.