Addicted to Murder
“Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.” This is from a short story written by Ernest Hemingway for the Esquire Magazine in 1936. There are numerous reasons on why people commit murders, but what serial killers have in common is that they find pleasure in their acts. From locating their targets to killing their victims, serial killers thoroughly enjoy the thrill of the hunt and excited by the entire process. What these serial killers experience are many of the same things addicts feel; addicts are always looking for their next rush and that is what draws them back. Society has recognized many acts to be addictive,
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Ted Bundy, a serial killer in the 70s, became an addict for murdering women. He would bludgeon them to death, rape, mutilate them. Craig Traub, a psychologist and criminologist, pointed out how Bundy, like most addicts, refused to take responsibility for his actions. “Bundy blamed people for looking vulnerable, saying that they were, in a way, begging to be murdered,” he said. (Kim) Ted Bundy showed classic symptoms of an addict through the four common stages of experimentation, regular use, substance abuse, and …show more content…
This does lend support to the idea that criminal behaviour could become addictive for some individuals. (Guy)
Substance abuse addiction has a physical effect on the body that causes psychological changes to the addict. The reverse could be true. Dr. Shipman murdered as many as 250 people through his practice as a general practitioner and is a prime example that through the thrill of committing an illegal act, the rush received can cause the body to release chemicals similar to substances(Guy). Addiction is a combination of physical and psychological factors that causes the human body to crave for more. Dopamine released in brain is the source of the euphoria, the effect is that the mind craves for more. This rewires our mind to seek out this reward and the dopamine that results from it. These factors can be the caused by substances such as alcohol and drugs, but it can also be caused by the thrill of an act. Gambling, sex, video games, and criminal activity can all be addictive as it is the psychological factor that causes the physical effect. Committing murder is the worst sin in society and serial killers receive a tremendous adrenaline rush when committing such acts that the brain reacts similar to the addicts of substances.