An invitation to get curious about addiction

If I were an alcoholic, today would be the fourth anniversary of my sobriety. I am not addicted to alcohol, though. I never liked the taste of it, and I always got terrible hangovers, so alcohol was never my drug of choice. Food was. I started my journey towards recovery from food addiction in August 2021 and have been able to maintain my “sobriety” from food since October 2021.

On these anniversaries, I like to talk openly about my struggle with food addiction just in case it resonates with anyone else who might be struggling with any kind of addiction.

I’ve done this a few times now, so if you have known me for a while, you may be tired of hearing me talk about addiction. Fair enough.

But maybe there is something about this topic that makes you want to read more about it, almost in spite of yourself…

If you’re wondering whether something in your life has crossed the line into addiction, you can ask yourself some pretty basic questions:

• Do I need it to feel okay, or to change how I feel?
• Have I tried to stop and couldn’t?
• Does it take up more space, time, thought, or emotion than I want it to?
• Do I find myself repeating a behavior even when I don’t want to?
• Do I feel anxious, ashamed, or defensive when I think about my relationship with it?

I have a suggestion for a possible way forward: Get curious about this topic, and try not to stamp out your thoughts before you have given yourself time to actually think. Find quizzes and articles online to help you learn more about addiction in general, and addiction to certain substances and behaviours in particular, if you think you might already be able to name your “drug of choice”.

There is help out there for all addictions, for all addicts. But you can’t get help if you don’t think you need it.