An addiction is a chronic dysfunction of the brain system that involves reward, motivation, and memory. It is about the way your body craves a substance or behaviour, essentially if it causes a compulsive or obsessive pursuit of reward and lack of concern over consequences.
Overtime, addictions can seriously interfere with your daily life.
People experiencing addiction are also prone to cycles of relapse and remission. This means that they may cycle between intensity and more use. With these cycles, addictions will typically worsen overtime.
Most signs of addiction relate to a persons impaired ability to maintain self-control this includes changes in social, behavioural, health related & related to personality.
Someone with an addiction won't stop their behaviour, even if they recognise the problems the addiction is causing. In some cases, they will display lack of control like using more than intended.
Many activities can become addictive, however certain substances and habits are more commonly seen. Below you can learn about common addictions in more detail.
In some cases, the harm of addiction may only be recognised when the individual in question experiences a crisis - either as a result of a major life consequence or when the addictive substance or behaviour is suddenly unavailable. This is typically what motivates individuals to seek help, but there are those who will be able to kick-start their recovery long before the problem reaches crisis point.
While some people are able to recover from an addiction without help, many people will require support in the form of specialised addiction treatment. Generally, the earlier the person receives treatment, the more successful the recovery process will be.
The first step in seeking help for addiction is usually to speak to someone about how you're feeling. If you are the person with an addiction, you may not feel comfortable speaking to friends or family, but know that there are many other resources available to you.
You may also want to consider visiting your doctor, who can answer any questions you may have about your addiction, and explain the next steps you can take.
There are several treatments said to be effective in helping people overcome their addictions. But of course, everyone is different, so treatments are tailored to the individual and their particular addiction. Typically, addiction treatment is a combination of medication and talking therapies, which are designed to promote abstinence and help individuals manage both the physical and emotional consequences of the addiction.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is common in addiction counselling as it helps individuals to identify problematic behaviours and change them into positives. CBT also helps to address any underlying problems that often co-occur with an addiction. This is important in helping the individual understand the cause and take the steps in overcoming and coping with their issues.
Essentially, by interrupting the cycle of addiction, counselling provides a new way for people with addictions to think, feel and act - removing the troubled thinking and helping them to view difficult situations in a new light.
There are many signs of an addiction. While these may vary depending on the substance or activity, every addiction has the capacity to greatly impact self-esteem and confidence - inducing troublesome feelings such as shame, guilt, a sense of hopelessness and failure. Everyone is different and some people may be better at hiding their addiction, or they may not be aware it has become a problem, but certain behaviour changes can indicate a problem.
Common behaviours and signs of a possible addiction include:
If you’re worried about someone you know, support is available. It’s difficult to know if someone has a problem - not all addictions are easy to detect and often, people will try to hide their behaviour from friends and family.
Remember that there are ways you can help them, as well as helping yourself. Coping with a loved one who is suffering can be overwhelming, and can put a lot of tension on your relationship, but be supportive and let them know you are there to help them.
Learn more about what to do when you're worried about a loved one.
