One of the reasons that it is so hard to convince someone that he or she has an addiction is because they see their addictive behaviour as normal.
It is especially hard helping people who have addictions if society promotes the behavior and supports it.

It is said that the “regular” activities that we do can be addictive. Like someone can be addicted to sex, but he or she just feels that they love sex and they want lots of what they like doing.

A person could be just as addicted to masturbation, and they find themself drawn to masturbation but they are never really satisfied because they want to do it often. People can be addicted to work. Or having a few drinks of alcohol after work each day, they don’t have to get drunk.

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A male or female who has casual sex with different people every now and then may tell themself that it is fun, a lifestyle choice, and exciting.
But the reality is that they could have a sex addiction and they are addicted to the thrill of a new person to sleep with each weekend etc. This person may even lie to themself and to family and friends, and always claim that it is all leading to finding true love. But when they get into a relationship he or she sleeps around still. Once they are caught out they return back to the casual sex again, he or she can’t control themselves. Society accepts casual sex, mind doctors may tell us that it is a choice, so the slavery to the addiction continues.

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If an activity is regular, a “must have and a must to do”, and if the person feels “withdrawal feelings” if they don’t do that activity then it is an addiction.

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A slavery interferes with our life, and we find that we have to adjust our life to fit the accepted-addiction in so that we can continue with it.

But with time it can take up more and more of our life and cause far more trouble than it is worth, like shame, lack of confidence, feelings of being weak, and upsetting people. It can interfere with family and work etc.

Some people may feel that adjusting their life for the addiction is creating happy fun times, but the reality is that they are going to pay a price for that addiction in the future in some way. They may lose family, lose friends, work may suffer, they become too ashamed to be in public as the addiction escalates so they stay in their room etc.

Another point is to look around you. Are the people around you, or other people as active as you in what you do? That could be a sign that your activity is unnatural and unhealthy for you.

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If you were addicted to work then you may be the last one to leave the job every night, maybe hours after everyone else.

We can tell ourselves little lies to convince ourself that our over dedicated activities are because we are committed and faithful.

Telling ourselves lies makes us feel good about what is destroying our happiness.

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And sometimes people lie to us to comfort us saying that our behavior is normal.

But any form of slavery is not normal.

A sports activity can be an addiction. Extreme sports etc.

 

Are your activities harming your relationships?

Are they interfering with the important things in life like family, your love for your children, activities that you used to enjoy that were innocent and fun?

Try going a day, or a few days or weeks without something that you suspect could be an addiction.

If you feel withdrawal symptoms, emotional turmoil, anxiety, and frustration etc, then you have an addiction that is harming your life and taking away your happiness and freedom.

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All the best from

James M Sandbrook.

First Published – 6th of September, 2015.