When people refer to addiction drug addiction or alcoholism comes first to mind, but inreality addiction is broader in scope than that.
There are process addictions in in addition to addiction to illegal drugs or alcohol. Addictions such as gambling, shopping, and disordered eating are related to compulsive behavior. When a person is actively using they hurt themselves and others. This raises questions. What is the definition of addiction? How does all this get started? Crossing the line from a behavior into addiction is a difficult point to ascertain?
A lot of people can participate in substance use or engage in certain behaviors and not have it become problematic. Victims of addiction have lost the ability to control or stop their user behaviors. Addiction is possible for everyone despite ethnic, social or economic status.
There is no single standard definition of an addict. There is no universal type. Despite a lot of study scientists cannot agree on the causes or cures for addiction. A really hard part of addiction to measure is the emotional impact. It is not uncommon to see addiction being fed by the quest to gain relief from emotional distress. Engage in addiction creates even more negative emotions that lead to an increased need for self soothing.
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.
Talk to somebody if any of the above symptoms are occurring. One thing all researchers and addiction professionals agree on is that addiction is progressive. If you do nothing, the problem will progress toward the worse.
There is more information available here on addiction treatment.
