Addictions: A Battle of Body and Mind
In today’s world, addictions come in many forms. Some people cannot imagine a day without checking their phones, while others struggle with smoking, drinking, or gambling. What may begin as a harmless habit can slowly grow into an addiction that is difficult to control. Once this line is crossed, people often feel trapped by a powerful compulsion or even an obsession, and their mental state begins to suffer. They might want to quit, but the urge to continue is overwhelming.
An addict is a person who becomes so addicted to a certain behavior or substance that it takes over their life. Among the most serious cases are drug addiction and substance abuse, which can lead not only to physical damage but also to deep emotional struggles. People may experience anxiety, fear, and even a painful sense of failure when they cannot stop. Feelings of guilt are common, especially if the addiction hurts family or friends. Over time, many fall into hopelessness, and some may develop self-destructive behaviors, harming themselves further.
The effects on the body are also serious. Addictions can raise blood pressure, cause irregular heartbeat, or lead to breathing difficulty. Other symptoms include blurred vision, dizziness, or exhaustion. During withdrawal, people may report chills, sweating, or a strong shake in their hands. Problems with sleep are also frequent: sleepiness during the day, sleeplessness at night, or constant restlessness. Addicts often describe sudden moodiness, and in extreme cases of substance abuse, they may even experience a hallucination that feels very real.
Addictions affect the mind just as much as the body. Many addicts live in a cycle of worry and restlessness, unable to find peace. This long-term struggle drains their energy and creates constant exhaustion. Breaking free requires strong willpower, professional support, and sometimes medical treatment. Rehabilitation programs not only help people overcome physical dependence but also aim to rebuild a healthier mental state.
In conclusion, an addiction is more than just a bad habit. It is a serious condition with wide-ranging effects. It impacts emotions, thoughts, and physical health, often making life feel overwhelming. Yet, with determination and the right help, even those who have reached the point of hopelessness can learn to recover, regain control, and finally escape the destructive cycle.
Key vocabulary:
General Terms
addict — [ˈæd.ɪkt] — a person who cannot stop doing or using something, especially something harmful; narkomāns
addicted — [əˈdɪk.tɪd] — unable to stop taking drugs, or doing something as a habit; atkarīgs
addiction — [əˈdɪk.ʃən] — a strong and harmful need to regularly have or do something; atkarība
complulsion — [kəmˈpʌl.ʃən] — a very strong feeling of wanting to do something repeatedly that is difficult to control; apmātība, nepārvarama tieksme
habit — [ˈhæb.ɪt] — something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it; ieradums
obsession — [əbˈseʃ.ən] — the control of one’s thoughts by a continuous, powerful idea or feeling, or the idea or feeling itself; apsēstība, mānija
mental state — [ˈmen.təl steɪt] — a person’s condition of the mind at a certain time — how they feel, think, and react emotionally. It can be positive (calm, happy, focused) or negative (stressed, anxious, depressed); garīgais stāvoklis
quit — [kwɪt] — to stop doing something; pamest, atteikties no kaut kā, atmest
substance — [ˈsʌb.stəns] — material with particular physical characteristics; viela
Types of Addiction
drug addiction — [drʌɡ əˈdɪkʃn] — needing of natural or artificially made chemical that is taken for pleasure, to improve someone's performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it; narkomānija
substance abuse — [ˈsʌb.stəns əˌbjuːs] — the regular use of illegal or harmful drugs or alcohol; vielu atkarība
Emotions / Feelings / Actions
anxiety — [æŋˈzaɪ.ə.ti] — an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future; nemiers, bažas
failure — [ˈfeɪ.ljər] — the painful feeling when you believe you have not reached your goal or have let yourself or others down; neveiksme, neizdošanās
fear — [fɪər] — to be worried or frightened that something bad might happen or might have happened; bailes
guilt — [ɡɪlt] — a feeling of worry or unhappiness that you have because you have done something wrong, such as causing harm to another person; vainas apziņa
hopelessness — [ˈhəʊp.ləs.nəs] — the feeling or state of being without hope; bezcerīgums
self-destructive — [ˌself dɪˈstrʌktɪv] — doing things to deliberately harm yourself; pašgraujošs, pašiznīcinošs
Physical and Mental Outcomes
blood pressure — [ˈblʌd ˌpreʃ.ər] — a measure of the pressure at which the blood flows through the body (usually described as - high or low); asinsspiediens
blurred vision — [blɜːd ˈvɪʒ.ən] — what you see is not clear or sharp, but instead looks fuzzy, unclear, or “out of focus.”; neskaidra redze
breathing difficulty — [ˈbriː.ðɪŋ ˈdɪf.ɪ.kəl.ti] — hard to breathe normally. a person may feel short of breath, tightness in the chest, or as if they can’t get enough air; grūtības elpot
chills — [tʃɪlz] — when you suddenly feel very cold, often with shivering, even if the room is not cold; drebuļi
dizziness — [ˈdɪz.i.nəs] — a temporary feeling that your sense of balance is not good and that you may fall down; reibonis
exhaustion — [ɪɡˈzɔːstʃən] — the state of being very tired; izsīkums, nespēks
irregular heartbeat — [ɪˈreɡ.jʊ.lər ˈhɑːt.biːt] — the heart does not beat in a normal, steady rhythm. instead, it might beat too fast, too slow, or unevenly; nevienmērīga sirdsdarbība
hallucination — [həˌluː.sɪˈneɪ.ʃən] — the experience of seeing, hearing, feeling, or smelling something that does not exist, usually because of a health condition or because you have taken a drug; halicunācija
moodiness — [ˈmuːdinəs] — the fact of having moods that change quickly and often; svārstīgs garastāvoklis
restlessness — [ˈrest.ləs.nəs] — the quality of being unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you are worried or on drugs; nemiers, nemierīgums
shake — [ʃeɪk] — to move backwards and forwards or up and down in quick, short movements, or to make something or someone do this; trīcēt, drebēt
sleepiness — [ˈsliː.pi.nəs] — the feeling of being tired and wanting to sleep; miegainība
sleeplessness — [ˈsliːp.ləs.nəs] — the condition of not being able to sleep; bezmiegs
sweating — [ˈswet.ɪŋ] — when water drops (called sweat) come out of your skin. this usually happens when you are hot, exercising, nervous, or sick; svīšana
addict — [ˈæd.ɪkt] — a person who cannot stop doing or using something, especially something harmful; narkomāns
addicted — [əˈdɪk.tɪd] — unable to stop taking drugs, or doing something as a habit; atkarīgs
addiction — [əˈdɪk.ʃən] — a strong and harmful need to regularly have or do something; atkarība
complulsion — [kəmˈpʌl.ʃən] — a very strong feeling of wanting to do something repeatedly that is difficult to control; apmātība, nepārvarama tieksme
habit — [ˈhæb.ɪt] — something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it; ieradums
obsession — [əbˈseʃ.ən] — the control of one’s thoughts by a continuous, powerful idea or feeling, or the idea or feeling itself; apsēstība, mānija
mental state — [ˈmen.təl steɪt] — a person’s condition of the mind at a certain time — how they feel, think, and react emotionally. It can be positive (calm, happy, focused) or negative (stressed, anxious, depressed); garīgais stāvoklis
quit — [kwɪt] — to stop doing something; pamest, atteikties no kaut kā, atmest
substance — [ˈsʌb.stəns] — material with particular physical characteristics; viela
Types of Addiction
drug addiction — [drʌɡ əˈdɪkʃn] — needing of natural or artificially made chemical that is taken for pleasure, to improve someone's performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it; narkomānija
substance abuse — [ˈsʌb.stəns əˌbjuːs] — the regular use of illegal or harmful drugs or alcohol; vielu atkarība
Emotions / Feelings / Actions
anxiety — [æŋˈzaɪ.ə.ti] — an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future; nemiers, bažas
failure — [ˈfeɪ.ljər] — the painful feeling when you believe you have not reached your goal or have let yourself or others down; neveiksme, neizdošanās
fear — [fɪər] — to be worried or frightened that something bad might happen or might have happened; bailes
guilt — [ɡɪlt] — a feeling of worry or unhappiness that you have because you have done something wrong, such as causing harm to another person; vainas apziņa
hopelessness — [ˈhəʊp.ləs.nəs] — the feeling or state of being without hope; bezcerīgums
self-destructive — [ˌself dɪˈstrʌktɪv] — doing things to deliberately harm yourself; pašgraujošs, pašiznīcinošs
Physical and Mental Outcomes
blood pressure — [ˈblʌd ˌpreʃ.ər] — a measure of the pressure at which the blood flows through the body (usually described as - high or low); asinsspiediens
blurred vision — [blɜːd ˈvɪʒ.ən] — what you see is not clear or sharp, but instead looks fuzzy, unclear, or “out of focus.”; neskaidra redze
breathing difficulty — [ˈbriː.ðɪŋ ˈdɪf.ɪ.kəl.ti] — hard to breathe normally. a person may feel short of breath, tightness in the chest, or as if they can’t get enough air; grūtības elpot
chills — [tʃɪlz] — when you suddenly feel very cold, often with shivering, even if the room is not cold; drebuļi
dizziness — [ˈdɪz.i.nəs] — a temporary feeling that your sense of balance is not good and that you may fall down; reibonis
exhaustion — [ɪɡˈzɔːstʃən] — the state of being very tired; izsīkums, nespēks
irregular heartbeat — [ɪˈreɡ.jʊ.lər ˈhɑːt.biːt] — the heart does not beat in a normal, steady rhythm. instead, it might beat too fast, too slow, or unevenly; nevienmērīga sirdsdarbība
hallucination — [həˌluː.sɪˈneɪ.ʃən] — the experience of seeing, hearing, feeling, or smelling something that does not exist, usually because of a health condition or because you have taken a drug; halicunācija
moodiness — [ˈmuːdinəs] — the fact of having moods that change quickly and often; svārstīgs garastāvoklis
restlessness — [ˈrest.ləs.nəs] — the quality of being unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you are worried or on drugs; nemiers, nemierīgums
shake — [ʃeɪk] — to move backwards and forwards or up and down in quick, short movements, or to make something or someone do this; trīcēt, drebēt
sleepiness — [ˈsliː.pi.nəs] — the feeling of being tired and wanting to sleep; miegainība
sleeplessness — [ˈsliːp.ləs.nəs] — the condition of not being able to sleep; bezmiegs
sweating — [ˈswet.ɪŋ] — when water drops (called sweat) come out of your skin. this usually happens when you are hot, exercising, nervous, or sick; svīšana
Practice: now that you have learned the key vocabulary, it is time to use it in practice. Answer the discussion-type questions, which will help you develop the ability to give longer answers and practise how to support a proposed plan — just as in an English exam or real conversation. For each question, an answer prompt is available to guide you. As answering on the questions usually require to express your opinion, you can do it here: Insights into Family Relationships
Discussion-Type Questions
1. How can a person handle stress without turning to drugs?
"I firmly believe that learning to manage stress is one of the best ways to prevent drug use. I would say that sports, music, or meditation can be powerful tools. I believe this could really work, since they not only distract the mind but also improve overall well-being. The main idea is to replace harmful coping strategies with positive ones."
1. How can a person handle stress without turning to drugs?
"I firmly believe that learning to manage stress is one of the best ways to prevent drug use. I would say that sports, music, or meditation can be powerful tools. I believe this could really work, since they not only distract the mind but also improve overall well-being. The main idea is to replace harmful coping strategies with positive ones."
2. What is the best way to help someone who has already developed a drug addiction?
"In my view, professional support is necessary in the case of serious addiction. I would recommend rehabilitation centres and regular counselling. I completely support the plan, that combines medical help with emotional support, and addicts often need both. Without such guidance, recovery is much harder."
3. What role can family play in helping an addict recover?
"I am convinced that family support is often the strongest motivation for recovery. I would recommend open communication and setting clear boundaries. I’m sure this will help in the long run, because addicts need both love and structure to feel safe. Families cannot do everything, but their presence is critical."
"I am convinced that family support is often the strongest motivation for recovery. I would recommend open communication and setting clear boundaries. I’m sure this will help in the long run, because addicts need both love and structure to feel safe. Families cannot do everything, but their presence is critical."
4. What is the most effective strategy for schools to prevent addictions?
"There is no doubt that schools have a huge responsibility in teaching students about addictions. I would suggest introducing special lessons, inviting professionals, and encouraging peer discussions. So, I strongly believe that’s exactly what should be done, because awareness reduces risky behaviour. I think this is the most effective solution, as prevention is always better than treatment."
"There is no doubt that schools have a huge responsibility in teaching students about addictions. I would suggest introducing special lessons, inviting professionals, and encouraging peer discussions. So, I strongly believe that’s exactly what should be done, because awareness reduces risky behaviour. I think this is the most effective solution, as prevention is always better than treatment."
Revise: when we support an already proposed plan, it means that somebody has given advice. Do you remember how to do that? No worries if this has slipped your memory, form 7 will remind you: How to give advice in English
Supporting a Proposed Plan of Action — listen to the audio to check the correct pronunciation.
That sounds like the best option. — Izklausās, ka šī ir vislabākā izvēle.
That sounds like the best option. — Izklausās, ka šī ir vislabākā izvēle.
This must be the best choice for now. — Uz doto brīdi šī droši vien ir vislabākā izvēle.
That seems like the most sensible solution. — Izskatās, ka šis ir saprātīgs risinājums.
Yes, I believe this could really work. — Jā, es domāju, ka šis nostrādās.
I completely support that plan. —Es pilnīgi atbalstu to plānu.
This is probably the most practical option. — Visticamāk šī ir vispraktiskākā izvēle.
I agree, that would be the right step to take. — Es piekrītu, šis visticamāk ir pareizais solis.
That’s definitely worth trying. — Šo noteikti ir vērts pamēģināt.
I’m sure this will help in the long run. — Esmu pārliecināts, ka ilgtermiņš šis palīdzēs.
That’s exactly what should be done. — Tas ir tieši tas, kas jādara.
I think this is the most effective solution. — Es domāju, ka šis ir visefektīvākais risinājums.