A story in today's China Daily prompted me to address this topic and Addictive Personality Disorder in general. The pictorial exposé showed teens and young adults at a bootcamp in various education centers around China. In fact, this problem is apparently so prevalent that there are no fewer than 250 of these centers in the country.

Is this addiction new, and so pervasive that it merits such focus? Let's broaden the scope to reveal other harmful addictions: Cigarettes/tobacco, alcohol, drugs...these have long been accepted as disorders but, with the exception of drugs, they are legal and socially acceptable. Or, at least tolerated. Other addictions include food, sugar, gambling, sex and compulsive shopping. These are all perceived as bad if done to excess and in fact they do disrupt and/or negatively affect an addict's life. For example, a food addict risks social rejection, obesity and associated health conditions. A sugar addict might suffer a wide range of behaviors, from manic to violent to depressed. And still the list of addictions goes on to include exercise, work, Internet and even cellphone addiction.

Addicted to a cellphone?

The person who practices any or all of these activities to the extreme can be labeled 'addicted'. But should that label address that addict's poison - gambling addict, nicotine addict, etc; or encompass all possible addictions, thus diagnosing the person as having Addictive Personality Disorder? For example: one might abandon cigarettes but then exercise too much. Or swear off alcohol but become dependent on opiates. While giving up the primary abuse, transferring that need to another 'field of addiction' only serves to underscore the fact that addict is addicted, even when deprived of his/her preferred substance/activity.

If we can accept that the person, not the substance is the cause, then looking at reasons why addiction is so prevalent in today's society is a must.