This week is Drug and Alcohol facts week. As many as 21 million Americans have substance abuse addictions.
Addiction is a popular term that I think tries to relate the helplessness people who struggle with behaving or consuming feel. For example, I have heard people say “I am addicted to social media” or “I am addicted to coffee/caffeine”. But what I am hearing people say is that they are struggling to engage with life without these things; we are addicted when behaviors or things are used to help us cope with life. So social media, coffee, Netflix, YouTube, games, sex, alcohol, food or exercise can all be addictions.
Yes, even good things can become addictions.
Here are four questions to help you determine if your use of ______ is an addiction:
Is my day thrown off if you don’t ______?
Do you use/do ______ even if/when you will get in trouble? (Example: watching sports at work even though you can get fired for doing so. OR drinking alcohol and driving despite the possibility of hurting or killing self/others)
Have you tried cutting back on ______ and have failed?
Do you feel guilty about your relationship with ______?
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