Overview

DOT/SAP

Addictions can take many forms including Alcohol, Drugs, Nicotine, Sex, Pornography, Gambling, Internet, Food and even Relationships.

Substance Abuse

Definition:

The overuse or abuse of alcohol (alcoholism) or other drugs is called substance abuse. It is common and costly. It can cause or worsen many medical problems and destroy families and lives.

Symptoms:

Substance abuse is a pattern of repeated use of alcohol, drugs, or both, even though this use causes unpleasant or distressing events in the user's life. A person has a substance abuse problem if one or more of the following have occurred within the past 12 months.

• Substance use has interfered with the person's ability to meet his or her obligations at home, school, or work. The person may not show up for, have poor performance at, or be fired or expelled from work or school. The person may neglect family members or the home.
• Alcohol, drugs, or both have been used repeatedly in dangerous situations, such as while driving a car or operating machinery.
• The person has incurred legal problems related to substance abuse, such as arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) or disorderly conduct.
• The person continues to use alcohol, drugs, or both, despite social or personal problems caused by or made worse by use of the substance. This includes everything from arguments with a family member about drug use to physical fights with strangers.

Someone who has a substance abuse problem may suffer serious withdrawal symptoms if he or she stops drinking alcohol or using a drug suddenly ("cold turkey"). Once dependency develops, it may become very difficult to stop drinking or using a drug without outside help. Medical detoxification may be needed.

Self-Assessments:

If you think you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, take a short quiz to evaluate your symptoms. The CAGE screening questionnaire is used to screen for alcohol abuse and dependence in adults. It is not used to diagnose the disease but only to indicate whether a problem may exist. If you answer "yes" to even 1 of the questions, you may have a problem with alcohol or substances.

The CAGE questionnaire consists of four questions about your use of alcohol or drugs:

• Have you ever felt you ought to Cut down on your drinking or drug use?
• Do you get Annoyed at criticism of your drinking or drug use?
• Do you ever feel Guilty about your drinking or drug use?
• Do you ever take an Early-morning drink (eye-opener) or use drugs first thing in the morning ("a little hair of the dog that bit you") to get the day started or eliminate the "shakes"?

Food Addiction

Definition:

People who are addicted to food tend to display many of the characteristics of addicts and alcoholics. Food addicts develop a physical, mental, emotional craving and chemical addiction to food.

Symptoms:

Characteristics of food addicts can include:

• Being obsessed and/or preoccupied with food.
• Having a lack of self-control when it comes to food.
• Having a compulsion about food in which eating results in a cycle of bingeing despite negative consequences.
• Remembering a sense of pleasure and/or comfort with food and being unable to stop using food to create a sense of pleasure and comfort.
• Having a need to eat which results in a physical craving.
• Food addicts also may have symptoms including headaches, insomnia, irritability, mood changes, and depression.

Self-Assessments:

Only the compulsive eater can determine whether there is food addiction. The following are questions that potential food addicts may ask themselves. If you answer yes to even one of these you may have a food addiction:

• Have I tried but failed to control my eating?
• Do I find myself hiding food or secretly bingeing?
• Do I have feelings of guilt or remorse after eating?
• Do I eat over emotions?
• Is my weight affecting my way of life?

Sexual Addiction

Definition:

People who are addicted to sex tend to have unusually intense sex drive or an obsession with sex. Sex and the thought of sex tend to dominate the sex addict's thinking, making it difficult to work or engage in healthy personal relationships. In addition to damaging the addict's relationships and interfering with his or her work and social life, a sexual addiction also puts the person at risk for emotional and physical injury.

Symptoms:

For some people, the sex addiction progresses to involve illegal activities, such as exhibitionism (exposing oneself in public), making obscene phone calls, or molestation. However, it should be noted that sex addicts do not necessarily become sex offenders. Behaviors associated with sexual addiction include:

• Compulsive masturbation (self-stimulation)
• Multiple affairs (extra-marital affairs)
• Multiple or anonymous sexual partners and/or one-night stands
• Consistent use of pornography
• Unsafe sex
• Phone or computer sex (cybersex)
• Prostitution or use of prostitutes
• Exhibitionism
• Obsessive dating through personal ads
• Voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking
• Sexual harassment

Self-Assessments:

Answer these questions to assess whether you may have a problem with sexual addiction.

• Do you keep secrets about your sexual or romantic activities from those important to you?
• Have your needs driven you to have sex in places or situations or with people you would not normally choose?
• Do you find yourself looking for sexually arousing articles or scenes in newspapers, magazines, or other media such as the internet?
• Do you find that romantic or sexual fantasies interfere with your relationships or are preventing you from facing problems?
• Is it taking more variety and frequency of sexual and romantic activities than previously to bring the same levels of excitement and relief?
• Have you ever been arrested or are you in danger of being arrested because of your practices of voyeurism, exhibitionism, prostitution, sex with minors, indecent phone calls, etc.?
• Do your sexual activities include the risk, threat, or reality of disease, pregnancy, coercion, or violence?
• Has your sexual or romantic behavior ever left you feeling hopeless, alienated from others, or suicidal?

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, we would encourage you to seek out additional literature as a resource or contact a counselor to assess your needs.

Nicotine Addiction

Definition:

Nicotine dependence is the physical vulnerability of your body to the chemical nicotine. Nicotine is potently addicting when delivered by various tobacco products. Nicotine produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing. The mood-altering effects reinforce your continued use of tobacco.

Symptoms:

Some of the most common symptoms of nicotine dependence are listed below:

• Increased use of cigarettes with an increase in tolerance over time.
• Inability to stop smoking.
• Experiencing strong withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop smoking.
• Strong withdrawal symptoms include: craving for tobacco, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, headache, drowsiness, stomach upset, constipation and diarrhea.
• You keep smoking despite health problems.
• You give up social or recreational activities that don't allow you to smoke.

Self-Assessments:

Answer these questions to assess whether you have a problem with nicotine addiction:

• Have you ever tried to quit but couldn't?
• Do you smoke now because it is really hard to quit?
• Have you ever felt like you were addicted to tobacco?
• Do you ever have strong cravings to smoke?
• Have you ever felt like you really needed a cigarette?
• Is it hard to keep from smoking in places where you are not supposed to, like school?

In answering the last four questions, when you tried to stop smoking, or when you have not used tobacco for a while ...

• Did you find it hard to concentrate?
• Did you feel more irritable?
• Did you feel a strong need or urge to smoke?
• Did you feel nervous, restless or anxious because you couldn't smoke?

Answering " yes " to any one of the above ten questions indicates that you may already be hooked on nicotine and are chemically dependent. Your "yes" answer is your own honest self-assessment that you have already lost the freedom and ability to simply and effortlessly walk away.