How Ideological Addiction Drives Extremism and Undermines Civil Discourse

“It is made even more dangerous because unlike other addictions, which are widely accepted as harmful, ideological addiction is being constantly fueled by irresponsible members of the political class, the press, and many on social media.”

When we think about addiction, we usually conjure images of cigarettes, alcohol, or other mind/mood-altering substances. We may think of pornography, gaming, and gambling. What does not typically come to mind is ideology. Ideological addiction, however, is quite real and constitutes one of the greatest threats to American society.

Like other addictions, ideological addictions can take the form of an inability to cease engaging in obsessive thoughts, even though such thoughts may be harming the person who has them (or that person’s loved ones). Right now, ideological addiction is one of the greatest—yet largely unrecognized–addictions plaguing our society. It is made even more dangerous because unlike other addictions, which are widely accepted as harmful, ideological addiction is being constantly fueled by irresponsible members of the political class, the press, and many on social media.

Significant evidence supports the conclusion that substance addiction is a mental disorder that stems from a form of self-medication. People with this disorder are often attempting to overcome emotional or psychological issues through substance use. Both substance use disorders and ideological addictions can be exacerbated by a person’s desire to fill a void in his life, a desire to overcome beliefs that his life is hampered, insignificant, or meaningless, as well as that he is powerless to bring about any positive change.

During times of loss, grief, and trauma, we can all be confronted with deep existential questions, such as: “Who am I?”; “What is my life about?”; and “What am I meant to do?” We can find ourselves feeling insecure, unsure of ourselves, and questioning where we belong and our life’s purpose. This process informs identity construction when working properly but, in other cases, can promote the dissolution of one’s sense of self.