Do I have an Addiction?

Do I have an Addiction?

To answer this question, it would be of great value to understand what addiction is. Per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, addiction means: “a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble).” For example: If you are out with friends at a restaurant and having super with a bottle of wine between four people, this does not qualify as an addiction, obviously.

One of the key aspects of whether you have a drug or alcohol addiction would require a part of the definition of “strong and harmful need.” So if after the first glass, you have a second and third and then order another bottle, others may question your motives. This would then go into the next day where you would have another bottle of wine, and when there is none left, you will find a way to go and purchase some more.

This situation is very similar to drug addiction. One offers a joint of pot or hashish, it’s free, and the person is with a bunch of friends on a Saturday evening. But this is usually followed by the individual finding that they enjoyed the altered mental and physical state. This person may contact the marijuana supplier and ask for more; it always begins with a few times. This soon escalates, and the person now must have some.

There comes a time when the pot is simply not doing the trick anymore of making them laugh or feel disconnected from the daily stresses of life. So a new drug is introduced such as cocaine, or heroin or even Oxy’s. That drugs create new effects on the person, and so they want more and more. The person will start lying and stealing from family and friends. They will also have financial problems, health issues, failure in life, and a whole list of unpleasant and dramatic situations begin to surface. You can tell that they have an addiction, but when did they get addicted? Was it when they started to lie? Or when they began to sneak out and take drugs during the coffee break at work?

The point where they became addict was when they had the first “strong and harmful need to have” this is when they became addicted. It does not matter if it’s pot, alcohol, or chemical prescription drugs; the addiction cycle is the same. The only variation is the circumstances and the means.

If you are asking yourself: Do I have an Addiction? There is a strong possibility that yes, you do. Most people do not realize they have an addiction until everything important to them begins to fall apart. Relationships are among the first things to break down, responsibility is next, and this is followed by faulting others for their failures, and it spirals out of control from there.