BAD HABITS AND ADDICTION:

BY: KATIE PFOTENHAUER DESIGN BY: ELLIOT KRIPPELZ

Most people have probably done something harmful even though they knew there would be consequences. For example, in the summer, it is common knowledge that wearing sunscreen can help prevent sunburn and skin cancer later in life. Even though many are aware of the repercussions of not wearing sunscreen, plenty of people still do not wear it because they do not understand how important it is or do not think it matters because it is not impacting them now.

Sure, one may get sunburned, but that sunburn eventually goes away. The same concept can apply to bad habits and addictions. While someone may think it is okay to develop bad habits now because the impact of a certain behavior or action has manageable consequences, the long-term effects can drastically influence the rest of their life, whether they know it or not.

First-year guidance counselor and former school psychologist John Markovich knows how easy it is for students to form bad habits.

“You start something, and it makes you feel better. That thing that makes you feel better in the short term does not always make you feel better in the long term. You start to get into that habit,” Markovich said.

Markovich anisms do not offer benefits.

“There is a commonality among people where they do not see the forest through the trees. You are just trying to make it day by day, and if there is something that can help you get through the day, we tend to rationalize our actions even if the outcome does not look great,” he said. “That is a major component of humans because we think, ‘Oh, that will never happen to me.’ It is a huge flaw we all have.”

Some students have a mindset that something unfortunate will never happen to them as a safeguard. While optimism is not a bad thing, being overly optimistic about something harmful know what addiction is and the detrimental consequences it can have on a person.

According to the article Habit vs. Addiction: What’s the difference? published by Alvernia University, “The most important distinction between habit and addiction is how choice, to an extent, is still possible with habit-forming behaviors. When it comes to addiction, people generally have a harder time making decisions because of their dependence on a substance or behavior.”

Bad habits are obstructive, but a person can still function with them. For example, a bad habit may be drinking too much caffeine. While caffeine is a stimulant that many consume from energy drinks and coffee, it can become unhealthy when consumed in copious amounts. When someone starts to rely on the caffeine from something like energy drinks, it can turn into an addiction when how they act starts to change.

. understands that students might just be trying to get through daily battles, but he knows some coping mech - may cause them to be unprepared for the outcome.

The word “addiction” can bring a range of emotions, and most are negative. Addiction is prevalent in society and can tear apart families.

Whether a person has seen addiction on television, watched someone they know go through the struggle or dealt with it firsthand, most people

14.1%

OF TEENS REPORTED CURRENT E-CIGARETTE USE IN 2022

According to the New Choices Treatment Centers’ article Different Types of Addiction: Physical and Behavioral, “Physical addictions are the ones that are generally better known. These are addictions to substances that are ingested or otherwise put into a person’s body.”

When addiction comes to mind, people may think about abusing alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs or marijuana, but addictions are more than what impacts a person physically.

Also according to the New Choices Treatment Centers, “Behavioral addiction is classified as any time that one loses control of their actions to engage in behaviors that result in brief feelings of happiness. That person becomes dependent on the pleasurable feelings that come as a result of certain behav -

27.6% OF CURRENT YOUTH E-CIGARETTE USERS USE A PRODUCT