Addicted To...

There are many types of addiction. Many are terrible to have and can kill you or impair you in some way to make it possible for you to kill someone else. Most people think of drugs when they think of addiction. Here are few that you may not have known were addictions: alcoholism, smoking, gambling, gaming, sugar, blogging :) There are many more but you get the picture.

There are a couple of alcoholics that I know of. It's really sad especially when you have known the person for a long time. There is nothing that I have seen that helps. Tough love and being their friend leads to resentment on both sides. The alcoholic will find a way to feed their addiction. The alcoholic, like most addicted people, have to realize they are addicted and help themselves. They are really good liars too. It's hard to trust them and your lack of trust in them is a good thing. There are many signs to look for. If they seem to do their day to day tasks good, they may truly be on the mend. If they are sleeping more and look haggard, they are more than likely still drinking. Going by breath alone is no good. They are experts at hiding it. Even if they seem to be on the mend there is always the chance they will relapse.

Druggies and smokers have it bad because the side-effect of what they are doing causes the addiction. I've seen many smokers quit but I have seen many fail as well. You know you are addicted to something when you have to pay over $40 for a carton of cigarettes that probably only last a week. That's $120/month! A non-addicted person would quit real quick just for that fact alone.

It would be an easy thing for me to become addicted to gambling. I've been to Las Vegas a couple of times and to Shreveport a couple of times. In Shreveport I got a hot streak in craps and won about $450. If my wife would not have been there I probably would have lost it all back. I would bet $20 each dice roll and she would take the winnings. I would use the same $20 if I won. I did that with $100 (5 losing rolls, many winning rolls). She kept pocketing the winnings and her pocket was bulging. It was hilarious.

If you want to know if you are addicted to something, look around you. Are you neglecting anyone or anything? Is your budget busted for buying too much of something? If you find you are and you realize you need help, seek it out. Ask your family and friends to get you help. Don't continue because it will only get worse.