When you think about an addict, you immediately think drugs or alcohol. To be sure, alcoholism is the most common addiction. It’s also one of the most physically harmful, leading to physical, social and even mental problems. Drug addiction is less common, but the impact can often be more severe and devastating.

And we’ll just sort of gloss over smoking as an addiction, too. After all, not all medical insurance companies have yet figured out that nicotine addiction is as severe, if not more severe, than most other substance additions and therefore won’t pay for treatments.

Can’t Get Off Line

One of the most common addictions that’s not substance related is Internet addiction. A relatively new phenomenon, Internet addiction affects folks across all demographic strata. The most common Internet addict profile is an intelligent male between the ages of 16 and 26.

Recognizing Internet addiction can be hard, largely because we all spend so much time online these days. The best way to determine whether someone is addicted to the Internet is to look at what’s missing. If they’re ignoring real-world interactions, failing in real-world responsibilities and all so they can spend time online, they may be addicted.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Many women (and some men, for that matter) joke about being a shopaholic. Yet, this is a real condition. It’s medical name is Oniomania. Oniomania is the compulsive desire to shop, and is often referred to by other names such as compulsive buying, shopping addiction, shopaholism, and compulsive shopping.

Here again, it can be hard to identify when someone has a shopping addiction. Just merely buying beyond your means doesn’t indicate an addiction, especially during this age when most college graduates already have credit card debt and when times are tough economically.

When a person is buying beyond their means, and when they’re buying things that they can’t or won’t ever use, it can be a sign of shopping addiction. When shopping affects other aspects of life, and when a person would rather go shopping than go to work or spend time with friends and family is another good indication that there’s a real problem.

Get Help

If you think you or someone you know may be addicted to the Internet or a shopaholic, it’s all right to seek treatment. Whether or not the insurance company will pay for treatment, you need to get on the right track so you can truly life your life in a happy and productive way.

Photo via Don Hankins