Am I an Addict? John was infamous for how many beers he could drink without experiencing any apparent effects. He spent several nights each week at the bar and his friends had seen him drunk several times recently. He was just arrested for a DUI. Katherine always loved Bingo games. No one really thought much about it until a family member discovered her children home alone one evening while Katherine was out at the casino. Addiction Counseling: Definitions and Key Thoughts Addiction involves having a dependence on a substance (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, prescription or nonprescription drugs) or an activity (i.e., shopping, gambling). It can be either a physical (as in the case of most drugs) or psychological (as in the case of most activities) compulsion to use the substance or activity as a way to cope with everyday life. Addiction is a habitual behavior that is extremely difficult to control and leads to activities that are designed solely to continue or cover up the … [Read more...]