Before we even get into the broad strokes of reading addiction let’s first start by defining the meaning of addiction.
Addiction can be defined as the inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behavior even though it is causing psychological and/or physical harm to you.
There are a lot of questions that revolve around reading and addiction which makes this post relevant for anyone that may have wanted to know more about this topic.
With that said, can reading be addictive?
Reading can be addictive if the reader uses reading as an escape. Addictive behavior usually stems from a person’s need to disconnect from reality and engage in an activity that provides some sort of pleasure or relief, whether good or bad.
If you therefore become a compulsive and obsessive reader that uses reading as a means to create a barrier between you and the world, you’re obviously suffering from heightened bibliophilia.
Of-ourse reading addiction won’t cause serious physical harm but any addiction is bad and worth confronting which is why I’ll describe some of the ways to combat reading addiction.
But before I get into that, let’s get into some of the signs of being addicted to reading.
You hate social engagements
Being addicted to reading will cut you off from society. You’ll want to spend all your time lost in a book.
This is something easily notable and people close to you will most likely intervene to try and get you off reading.
Social engagements become a nightmare when a person is addicted to reading because they would rather be away from everybody.
Being that secluded and loving that seclusion should give you enough of a sign that you’re probably addicted to reading.
You read with no consideration of time
We have lives to lead outside of any form of alone time which is why we allocate time for all our engagements.
People with a more than normal addictive reading habit don’t consider time.
You can therefore use this as a way to know whether you’re addicted to reading or not.
If you’re addicted to reading you’ll have no consideration of time.
You’ll stay up late even if you have to go to work in the morning.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU READ A DAY? LEARN MORE HERE
You don’t move without a book
There’s a difference between being a bookworm and being addicted to books.
You can notice a reading addict by what they carry when they move.
If you’re addicted to reading You’ll never leave your house without a book.
Even if you do, you’ll easily feel a void and know that something is missing …
You’ll obviously go back to grab a book and then head out.
Addicted people do this so they can read whenever they feel the need to.
Bookworms also do this but an addict will have more notable obsessive patterns.
FIND OUT IF ITS OKAY TO READ ALL DAY HERE
Reading becomes preferred recreation
It’s okay to spend some time on reading and the fact is we are all readers.
I like to have a good book to read almost everyday but I don’t spend more than 4 hours on reading everyday.
I avoid reading all the time because I know that there are other forms of recreation…
People that are addicted to reading cancel any other form of recreation and stick only with reading.
If you’re a person that would rather read a book the whole day and everyday without considering any other form of recreation, you’re probably addicted to reading.
FOR more on this topic, THIS ARTICLE will explains reading aggressively or too much.
Depression after finishing a book
We all love reading books and we all have to deal with the inevitable fact that whatever book we start reading will eventually finish.
Finishing a book usually feels great because you feel accomplished by having read a complete work of an author.
For people that suffer from reading addiction, finishing a book can lead to depression.
The reason behind this is, using reading as an escape makes a person feel the need to keep reading.
If the reading addict finds some book they like… they’ll want to keep reading it and won’t consider the fact that the book will be read till its finished.
Rationing a book
We all read books differently and one way to do this is rationing a book so we read it more effectively.
Reading addicts ration books differently. When the book they’re reading is nearing the end they’ll obsessively ration it.
This is because of the fear of finishing the book.
If you find yourself rationing a book as you near the end, It may be a sign you’re addicted to reading.
You lose sleep because you have to read
Sleep is an essential part of our everyday lives as human beings.
People addicted to reading may find it difficult to sleep and may resort to staying up all night just to read .
If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to read a book that you spent the whole day reading, you’re probably addicted to reading.
You shouldn’t substitute sleep with reading.
You need rest.
You miss meals because of reading
People that are addicted to reading may get so carried away with it.
They may find themselves lost in a book without a proper sense of things happening outside of that activity.
One of the common things this obsession leads to is missing meals ….because one is simply too carried away with reading and doesn’t feel the need to get up.
Reading is great, but if you miss meals because you simply don’t want to abadon a book…you’re probably a reading addict.
You re-read ferociously
Almost everyone that is addicted to reading will have obsessive tendencies that will seem far from normal.
Going back to read a book I’ve is something that i do.
They say you don’t need to read a lot of books, you just need to read the best books over and over again.
Reading addicts however, find it difficult to move on from a book.
They therefore re-read books ferociously with no sense of having read the book before.
How to combat reading addiction
Below are some good ways you can use to get on top of a reading addiction so that it doesn’t worsen.
Know you’re addicted
The first step is obviously getting off the hooks of denial and accepting your reality.
This means understanding that you’re addicted to reading.
Once you have this understanding of the situation, what needs to be done afterward is accepting your it.
Only through acceptance can you actually begin to seek help and an actual path out of your reading addiction.
Therefore, it’s good to assess your behaviour toward reading and not ignore signs that could interpret into addiction.
Read for quality and not quantity
One the reasons why people addicted to reading never want to leave a book so they do something else, is because all they want to do is read.
With signs like this you can easily understand that a person isn’t necessarily reading for quality but reading for quantity.
Therefore a good way to deal with reading addiction is only sticking to high quality reading material and not necessarily reading everything.
Get out more
Another way you can get rid of a reading addiction is simply getting out more.
You can’t always be cooped up in your home reading books.
When you feel reading is turning into an addiction it may be in your best interests to get out more often.
For example, Try going out and spending time with some people over the weekends or during weekdays.
Spending time with your family can also be an excellent way to combat reading addiction because they can obviously help.
Replace reading with movies
Often times people that read a lot find it hard to sit down and enjoy a movie.
The reason for this is simple, reading makes you visualize and run down ideas at your own pace.
Motion picture feeds you what it wants to feed you and the choice or mode of decoding is up to you.
People with a reading addiction won’t sit down to watch movies.
Therefore, a good way to control a reading addiction is to watch movies more than you read.
Movies can fill in time and keep you away from reading too much.
Confront what you’re running from
Any addiction is always built over the same thing. The inability to process some sort of discomfort which leads to finding an escape that puts a barrier between a person and the world.
Therefore, to be able to control a reading addiction you should confront the very thing you wish to escape from.
This is not of course an easy thing to do. People go through a lot of different things.
Seeking professional help like therapy that can help you talk through issues and work things out can be the best solution in such situations.
Get help from your friends
Your true friends obviously wish the very best for you and want you to be free of any bondage like addiction.
Therefore, dealing with reading addiction can be something that you can share with your friends and ask them to help you.
A social circle can help you get away from books as well as help you find your foot back into society again.
So never be afraid to ask your friends for help.
Detach from books
One of the reasons why people get addicted to books is because they create and form attachments with them.
This is very unhealthy.
You need to have some form of isolation from books and understand that all you’re reading is information being conveyed to you by an author.
Anything more than that Is unnecessary.
Therefore don’t get too personal and too attached to the content in the books that you read.
This way you can alienate yourself from reading addiction.
Can reading possibly make you nuts? Find Out Here
USEFUL LINKS
A slow cure for book abuse | Fiction | The Guardian
50 Signs You’re Addicted to Reading – POPSUGAR
Reading Addict: The Scientific Effects Of A Damn Good Book – Elite Daily
Can I Get Addicted To Reading Books? – Zksnyder
7 Reading Addiction Signs – Odyssey
