Dealing with addictions

Addiction: what is it?

If you're dealing with an addiction, you're not alone. It's estimated that two million people in the UK are too.

Work: workaholics are obsessed with their work to the the extent that they suffer physical exhaustion. If your relationship, family and social life are suffering and you never take holidays, you may be a work addict.
Computers: as computer use has increased, so too has computer addiction. People may spend hours each day and night surfing the internet or playing games while neglecting other aspects of their lives.
Solvents: 'volatile substance abuse’ is when you inhale substances such as glue, aerosols, paint or lighter fuel. It makes you feel intoxicated, and can be fatal.
Shopping: shopping becomes an addiction when you buy things you don’t need or want in order to achieve a buzz. This is quickly followed by feelings of guilt, shame or despair.

Whatever a person is addicted to, they can't control how they use it, and they may become dependent on it to get through daily life.

In this section

There are many reasons why addictions begin. In the case of drugs, alcohol and nicotine, these substances affect the way you feel, both physically and mentally. These feelings can be enjoyable and create a powerful urge to use the substances again. Gambling may result in a similar mental ‘high’ after a win, followed by a strong urge to try again and recreate that feeling. This can develop into a habit that becomes very hard to stop.

Being addicted to something means that not having it causes withdrawal symptoms or a ‘come down’. Because this can be unpleasant, it's easier to carry on having or doing what you crave, and so the cycle continues. Often, an addiction gets out of control because you need more and more to satisfy a craving and achieve the ‘high’.

The strain of managing an addiction can seriously damage a person’s work and relationships. In the case of substance abuse (drugs, alcohol, etc), an addiction can have serious psychological and physical effects.

There's evidence that addiction is genetic, but it's known that children who grow up with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol are more likely to develop addictions themselves. An addiction can be used as a way of blocking out difficult issues. Unemployment and poverty can trigger addiction, along with stress, and emotional or professional pressure.

Whatever the addiction, there are many ways you can seek help.

Reproduced under the terms of Click-Use Licence number C2009000382. The content of this page has been published under a Click-Use Licence (link this to http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index) which covers the use of core Crown copyright information. The original material can be found on NHS Choices.