Sugar Addiction
Addiction to sugar involves compulsively excessive consumption of free sugar, the term for the sugar included in processed food and drinks, as well as that found in honey, syrup and fruit juice. These sugars are called “free” because they are not contained within the cells of food we eat and lack extra nutrients, such as […]
Internet (“Net”) Addiction
There is, as yet, no scientific or clinical consensus internationally as to whether a diagnostic classification of Internet Addiction is fully justified. One area of contention is whether use of the internet per se can be addictive or whether it is simply the medium through which people access potentially addictive experiences like gambling, pornography, gaming or social networking. Increasing numbers […]
Codependency and Alcoholism
Some people call on the assistance of substances like alcohol or mood-altering behaviours to make life more tolerable. Alcohol addiction at least offers the illusion of being in control of mood; for a time. Other people look to achieve this sense of control through close relationships. This is recognised as a form of co-dependency. Know how […]
Narcissism and Addiction
Narcissists tend to see everyone in their circle as somehow useful to bolstering their sense of self-importance. This will inevitably include their partners and children who are treated as mere extensions of the narcissist’s person rather than autonomous individuals with needs and interests of their own. The narcissist would almost certainly deny that that was […]
Bipolar Disorder and Addiction
Bipolar disorder used to be known as manic depression. However, the extremes of clinical depression on the one hand and mania on the other, which justify use of the term bipolar, are still the defining symptoms of the disorder. If we were to think of a symbol to reflect the experience of bipolar disorder, a […]
Understanding porn addiction: signs, effects and pathways to recovery
Porn addiction shares many things in common with other forms of behavioural addiction, but it is secrecy and feelings of shame with which it is most strongly associated. For those struggling with porn addiction, symptoms of depression often follow. Recognising the signs of porn addiction is the first step toward seeking help and rebuilding a […]
Addiction and Depression
It is common to find people who suffer simultaneously from both addiction and depression while others may suffer from one of these conditions before or after they develop the other. People with varying degrees of depression – sometimes diagnosed and sometimes not – may turn to addictive substances or behaviours to bring relief from their depressive symptoms, […]
Eating Disorders and Addiction
Eating disorders have much in common with addiction to substances and to behavioural addictions. But there are also significant differences. These will be taken into account within the context of an addiction treatment centre. However, this will not be a suitable setting for every person with an eating disorder. The characteristics eating disorders have in […]
Quick Solutions for Addiction
Are there quick solutions for addiction? When dealing with addictive behaviors, this is a question (or hope) that, in many cases, will inevitably and sometimes involuntarily emerge. And the sentence could be completed with: and will it go away forever? While there are some aspects of addiction that can be dealt with “quickly”, such as […]
Addiction After the Holidays
The festivities are behind. The turmoil is over, and the decoration lights are off. The frenetic rush of the end of year celebrations seems behind but what about addiction? What’s left after the holidays? For many, a trail of Christmas magic, sparkly images, and heart-warming memories remain, but for others the void inside is left […]