by Alf Davis, PhD
The word addiction is used to broadly describe any strong physical or psychological need to do or use something – typically that is unhealthy and hurts the individual (and those around them).
An addiction can start anywhere and grow until it controls the person’s thoughts and behaviours. Often, the addiction is used to deal with pain or traumatic life events.
What starts out seeming like a solution to a problem soon develops into a dependency and spirals out of control until the person is hooked by the addiction.
While the physical component can be present, the mind agrees with the activity, and together, the mind and body function to reinforce the behaviour.
The addiction is often denied or rationalized – which is why it is critical to address BOTH the MENTAL + the PHYSICAL components.
The first step in dealing with an addiction is admitting there is one.
