Addiction is a much broader topic than dependence on alcohol or drugs.
Process addictions can occur in addition to chemical dependency. Some compulsive behaviors have been viewed as an addictions such as gambling, shopping, and disordered eating. Being active in addiction not only hurts the user, but also those associated with them such as friends and family. This brings up questions. What actually is addiction? How does all this get started? When does a pattern of behavior cross the line into addiction?
It is a mystery why some can use drugs or alcohol and not become addicted, while others cannot avoid it. Victims of addiction have lost the ability to control or stop their user behaviors. Addiction strikes across all strats of race, culture, and economic status.
There is no single standard definition of an addict. No one is ‘typical’. Though addiction has been studied for years, few researchers can agree on causes or cures. A truly difficult part of addictive behaviors and addiction to measure is the emotional impact on self and others. A lot of people believe they can gain relief from uncomfortable emotions by taking part in their addiction. It is strange that the more one engages in addiction the worse the negative consequences and the greater the need to soothe the negative effects.
While addiction manifests itself in different people in different ways, here are the most common signs and symptoms of addiction:
Symptom 1 - Unable to meet responsibilities of relationships or at home, school or work.
Symptom 2 - Compulsive preoccupation, meaning one spends a great deal of time thinking about the substance or behavior
Symptom 3 - Has tried but failed to stop using the substance or end the behavior. Loss of control has set in.
Symptom 4 - Engages in the behavior or substance use knowing it is dangerous or in dangerous situations such as driving.
Symptom 5 - Because of the addiction, one stops activities or hobbies that were fun or enjoyable.
Symptom 6 - There is a need to increase the amount and frequency of the behavior or substance to achieve the desired felling or affect.
Symptom 7 - Ones life has become centered around the addiction, isolation from others occurs.
If one or more of the above symptoms are occurring, it is time to talk to someone. One thing all researchers and addiction professionals agree on is that addiction is progressive. If you do nothing, the disease will progress toward the worse.
There is more information available here on addiction treatment.
