Mertha Mo Nyamande: Mental Health and Addictions: Managing Deliberate Self-Harm

Addictions are servitude to various fanaticism: including Power, Food, Religion , Fitness, Gambling, Sex, Football, Work, Titles, TV and of course the social media By Mertha Mo Nyamande Following on from last week’s article on Addictions: Substance Use Disorders (SUD), this week explores how Addictions go way beyond just drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse is often seen as choice, thereby amounting to the concept Deliberate Self-Harming (DSH) behaviours and therefore focused on more because they are considered more menacing and harmful, though there is a long list of other addictions that cause a lot more and perverse harm than these. Other addictions are servitude to various fanaticism including Power, Food, Religion fanaticism, Fitness/Health, Money/Gambling, Sex, Football, Work, Titles, TV, Labels, Fame, Social status, evidenced by bling, flashy cars and huge mansions and off course the social media and internet that have made it much easier to reach volumes and tell the world, seeking validation and attention. Ironically, some of these, if not all, form the largest industries in this capitalistic world, yet they are simply coping mechanisms, though unhealthy ones. Sadly, there is more sympathy for the workaholic or obesity than the alcoholic or gambler, while the spoils, neglect, and abandonment