What To Know
- When you have an addiction, a true addiction, it slowly chips away at our close relationships, and it can be so hard to see the impact.
- The process of a deep-seated addiction is often a slow decay, and by the time we’re in the middle of it, close relationships are now distant.
3 Minute Read.
One question we may ask ourselves when looking to venture down the path of sobriety is, how do we know when addiction is… actually an addiction? How do we determine newfound passion from detrimental disease? How do we determine if we have an addiction?
Many forms of addictions we encounter these days can often be a double-edged sword. Things such as, let’s say exercise, or the occasional treat, can be relatively good for us when we do it in moderation. When we do these things in excess, we turn healthy exercise routines, rewarding foods, and other good activities into something that consumes our attention, focus, and eventually, our life.
So, for today’s article, I’m going to discuss three major signs that can give you a better indication of whether something good, is becoming an addiction. It’s not uncommon for most of us addictive types to warp our perception of what is good, and not good. This sort of concept I like to describe as denial and minimisation, which can be found here, and I highly recommend you check it out.
Now, while I only list 3 major signs below, I also list another whopping 10 key indicators here, if you want to take an even further deep dive.
Your potential addiction disrupts responsibilities
There’s nothing wrong with putting off chores every now and then, but do you ever find yourself compulsively doing something daily, when you should be doing something else? This can be a sign you have an addiction.
Maybe you binge on Netflix rather than studying for class, or perhaps you down half a bottle of rum instead, and then attempt to tackle a page or two. Some other responsibilities could also include work, looking after the children and even looking after yourself.
Regardless of what it is, when we begin to neglect these somewhat basic things in our life, it’s probably a good indication that something isn’t right.
Your potential addiction creates distance from relationships
Do you ever find yourself moving further and further away from someone you use to be close with? Maybe it’s a friend, family member, or intimate partner. Sometimes we can often distort what we think is good for us, without looking at the potential ripple effects that addiction can bring on someone’s whole life.
When you have an addiction, a true addiction, it slowly chips away at our close relationships, and it can be so hard to see the impact. The process of a deep-seated addiction is often a slow decay, and by the time we’re in the middle of it, close relationships are now distant.
This is a pretty important one because spending time with our loved ones is often completely overlooked. Life is precious, it can be taken away within a blink of an eye, and we don’t want something like booze or drugs to accelerate this process.
You google your potential addiction
Do I have an addiction? Something you may have googled either once, twice, or a thousand times (mine is the latter). It seems pretty obvious, but if this is something you’re doing, your subconscious is probably telling you something.
The Takeaway
Although three major signs are a great indication, they’re most certainly not definitive. If you want the more comprehensive approach, check out my page on the hallmarks of addiction. This is pretty much the only set of questions you’ll ever want in determining the grasp a potential addiction may have on your life.
Alternatively, leave your details below and be updated on release dates for my book, which is the only ever book you’ll ever need to live a live addiction-free.
If you have any feedback regarding this article, reach out. Help Clarity reach more people and quit addiction by following us on Instagram, it’s also the perfect place to message us and ask questions!
All the best in health,
Former Drinker & Clinical Nutritionist
Stephen Brumwell.
Get the “Sober Tips” Newsletter in your inbox today.
A rapidly growing email list that provides the highest quality FREE sober resources and tips to live an addiction-free life, without limits.
Absolutely no spam. Just quality information to help you live your most limitless sober life.
Related Articles
Former drinker, Nutritionist, Biohacking enthusiast, self-experimenter, research fanatic, and self-taught writer, Stephen immerses himself deep into the literature of human optimisation and better understand the nature of addiction. His goal is to help people take control of their addiction, reset their cravings, unscramble their broken brain circuitry and use actionable strategies that work ten times better than anything else.