Conditions: Addictive Behaviours

What is meant by addiction or substance misuse?

Addiction is an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behaviour even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.

Misuse is not the same as addiction and it refers to the misuse of a substance at high doses or in inappropriate situations that could lead to health and social problems. However, not everybody who misuses a substance has addiction.

There is substance addiction and non-substance addiction. Some examples of non-substance addiction include gambling; food; internet; gaming; cell phone or; sex, but it’s possible to be addicted to just about anything. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviours that become compulsive and often experience lack of control. 

Addictive behaviours are not a sign of either weakness or lack of willpower. Addictions and problematic relationships with mood altering substances often constitute progressive psychological (and sometimes physiological) conditions. It is important to try and identify reasons behind it - either from the past or more recent factors that contributed to the development of the problem. Perhaps there are things happening in your life at the moment which you try to escape from; maybe it has become the only thing you can do to feel as though you can manage and make things more bearable. Whatever the addiction, it is serving you an important purpose, but its consequences can be very painful or destructive.

Is your addictive behaviour or misuse connected to anything specific?

• Drug

• Alcohol

• Gambling

• Sex

• Food

• Other