Compulsion to repeat afflictions and Buddhism

Question

I've noticed in myself a tendency to pursue situations that cause a certain stress, in a somewhat compulsive way. This is a bit like people who are drawn to people who are bad for them. I have heard Thich Nhat Hanh saying teens drawn to spending all their time on computers feel empty inside.

How are such "addictions" conceptualized in Buddhism? In other words, what would be the cause and nature of a behaviour that is bad for one, that depends on a kind of meaninglessness and self-sabotage?

Lastly, what would remedy such internal afflictions? Are they forms of a kind of avoidance of suffering?

Answer 1

It's all greed, anger and delusion.

Self-sabotage is an obvious expression of cruelty towards oneself, it is due to a lack of compassion, a lack of sympathy and of course ignorance.

Greed, delusion, lack of concentration, laziness and all this lack of development is also there, right there for all with eyes to see.

The remedy is of course the development of the five strengths, the five faculties, the four satipatthana, the seven factors and the eightfold path.