Is My Addiction Bad Enough? Addiction Solutions -

Many times people think that they do not have an alcohol or drug problem because they imagine a person in a back alley drinking out of a brown paper bag as the stereotypical alcoholic. As long as they are working and appear to be very functional, they convince themselves that things are okay.

As a Substance Abuse Expert who does assessments on a regular basis, I ask "Do you have any problems that might be associated with alcohol?" and the answer is usually in the affirmative. The client explains that their partner is nagging them about how much they drink, or the boss sent him for an assessment because he smelled alcohol or the police laid an assault charge after a physical fight that was the other person's fault. do I have an addiction

I then state that there is an alcohol problem. You see, most people who have an addiction do not see the substance as a problem. They view all the other people in their lives as the problem! They do not have any idea that they might be alcoholic even if they drink every day or have blackouts or have had charges for being over.08. You see they believe that these are "exceptions",

One of the symptoms of addiction is denial. Another is blame - blaming everyone else for causing trouble. It is interesting to know that intoxication is a legal term used to describe a blood alcohol content over .08. Impairment, however, is a term that more accurately describes the individual's lack of ability to perform well and usually lasts a long time after intoxication is reduced.

You might be surprised to learn that a binge is defined as three drinks for a male and two drinks for a woman. Yes, we imagine that binge is passed out or falling down drunk. Not true. Here is how I loosely define an addiction. When you use too much of something for the wrong reasons, you need to get some help. am I an addict

Is your shopping becoming out of control? Do you gamble so that you are worried about finances? Are you using drugs every week? Are people worried about the amount you are drinking? When a person uses an activity or substance to deal with their feelings because they do not know how to get through the day without help, there is a definite problem.

First let me explain what addiction is. Addiction is frequently being compelled to indulge in a behaviour that offers short-term relief, but long term damage in any area of your life (heath, relationships, finance and work to name just a few areas). The important word here is compelled.

Addiction is a difficult challenge to overcome. Not because the addictive behaviour is hard to break once the addict realises they have an addiction, but because addiction is shrouded in denial, preventing the addict from seeing their behaviour with clarity.

Denial is created by the addict in a bid to protect them from the loss they perceive they will endure if they give up the addictive behaviour or substance. Perceive is a very important word here because the addict actually does not gain anything from their addiction at all. Their addiction gradually and systematically destroys every area of the addicts life until all that is left is the addiction. As each area of the addicts life is slowly destroyed, the addict clings more and more to the addiction because the addiction is perceived to be a pleasure. The key to breaking any addiction is to break the cycle of faulty thinking that keeps the addict enmeshed in this cycle. So the good news is, addiction can be overcome a lot easier than we all think possible. how can I tell if im addict

First let us explore addiction itself. All addiction has exactly the same roots regardless of the substance or behaviour that makes up the addiction. So addiction could be to substances such as alcohol, drugs or food, or it could be to behaviours such as gambling or shopping. All addictions are there to serve the same purpose, which is to change the way the addict feels. All addiction is masking unresolved pain.

This is how it works. The addict has a feeling. Now the feeling could be good or bad. A good feeling will lead the addict to celebrate. If they are addicted to food, they will celebrate by eating. An alcoholic will have a drink. A gambler will treat himself to a little flutter. If the addict has a bad feeling, they will indulge in the addictive behaviour to try and make themselves feel better. This is the paradox of addiction. One cure for all feelings! So, as the addictive behaviour continues it naturally gathers momentum (I will explain why in a moment) and becomes a bigger and bigger part of the addicts life. In extreme cases, if allowed to continue, it becomes the only thing in the addicts life. do I have an addiction problem

Addictions naturally gather momentum for numerous reasons. The first reason is that the addict perceives that they gain some kind of reward from their addiction. This is never the case. If you enjoy something, you can take part in the activity and feel better for having done it afterwards. An addict usually feels worse following the addictive behaviour. A drinker will have a hangover, a shopper will feel guilt about the bills they now have to pay, an emotional eater will feel guilt about their latest binge etc. As discussed earlier, addicts indulge in their addictive behaviour to change their emotional state. Once the bad feelings surface after their latest indulgence, what is the first thing you think they will want to do? Yes! They will indulge once again in their addictive behaviour in order to get rid of their unwanted feelings. This is obviously a downward spiral. Your addiction can be mild, moderate, or severe. No matter your diagnosis, getting treatment is important for recovery.do I have an addiction addiction definition