Confessions of an addict – Reflections vol ii
It all started in September 1978 in Cairo at the beginning of the school year. I have indulged in it ever since from three to seven times at week preferably in the late afternoon, but also in the morning before work or at lunchtime. At first, I didn’t need much of it to produce the desired effect of euphoria and well-being, but as the years went by, typically I needed more and more of it.
Because my addiction to swimming was branded as positive, it gave me free rein.
However, as with ‘good’ habits that can be addictive there is a threshold where something healthy becomes unhealthy. Addiction is defined as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.”
Interestingly, exercise addicts share common traits with individuals who suffer from eating disorders: a negative body image (perhaps due to being overweight as a child), and a false sense of control, in this case gained from adhering to rigorous workouts.
What are the tell-tale signs of workout addiction?
- Excessive training in terms of time and frequency
- Anxiety and depression: feeling worthless and guilty if the daily workout is not completed
- Tendency to ignore physical and muscular injuries; fatigue
- Relationships and job difficulties
- Possible bigorexia: a term coined for body builders whose whole existence is dedicated to gaining as much muscle as possible
- Difficulty setting up priorities as activities revolve around exercising
- Financial setback as a result of requiring equipment
It is at times difficult to acknowledge that a behaviour that makes you look and feel good can have damaging effects on your body and mind.Β It seems even more unacceptable when, in my instance, new international research commissioned by Speedo has revealed that swimming helps to effectively relieve stress and tension and so promote a healthy happy state of mind, with regular swimmers feeling lasting benefits.
Exercise if often recommended as part of treatment for substance addiction and/or depression, and is extremely beneficial in most cases. However, if practised obsessively it can cause more harm than good and turn into a life-disrupting addiction.
It is useful to recognise that wanting to do something and needing to do it are two different things entirely. If you find yourself consumed with a once pleasurable activity to the point that it is adversely affecting your life, you might consider seeking professional help in order to regain control of your behaviour. Therapy with an addiction counsellor or a psychotherapist trained in obsessive-compulsive disorders will help you understand why and how you got there. A clearer insight of your personality will enable you to gain a fresh perspective of your distressing problem and allow you to reorient your life so that working out is no longer the #1 priority of your existence.
Okay, I’m off to the pool nowβ¦ (only kidding)
