Do you have to have it (whatever it may be)? Even when you get it, does the dose never quite seem like enough? And those times when you can’t get it, will you obsess and plot until you find another way? Will you go through withdrawals? Will you spend all your money, hurt people, and risk the things in life you hold most dear all to get it? Then, hello, Addict!

The it can be just about anything. There are Addicts of drug, drink, food, sex, cigarettes, people, television, nasal spray, exercise, cutting, gambling, hand-washing, shopping, stealing, gaming, pulling out your own hair, pulling out other people’s hair, moneymaking, money spending, money smelling, religion, cleaning, hoarding cats, eating sand, and any number of combinations of the above (i.e. stealing then hoarding sandy cats from church…), and more. 
 
It is the pattern more than the object of addiction that defines an addiction. Put simply, Addicts invest greater quantity and intensity of attention on it than intended and can’t stop. 
 
Addicts are people who play with fire and get burned, but that doesn’t stop them from coming back for more and more blisters. They turn the reigns of control over to it and let it run their lives. 
 
Addict Superpowers
  • Forming harmful bonds and behaviors
  • Trading self-control for a momentary escape 
  • Being secretive about their problem
  • Continuing their behavior despite dire consequences of doing so
  • Wasting time and energy in self-defeating practices 
A Happy Addict
The feeling that floods the Addict in the heat of an addictive pattern can’t exactly be called “happiness,” as it’s often more of an out-of-body experience and “happiness” is a more natural, healthful emotion that’s grounded in reality. The Addict spends life swinging between the extremes of being miserably without it or escaping out-of-body through the use of it.  
 
Famous Addicts
Many celebrities have struggled with Addiction and overcome it. Also many have died including Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Lenny Bruce, Jack Kerouac, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Sid Vicious, John Belushi, Dee Dee Ramone, Andy Gibb, River Phoenix, Chris Penn, Mitch Hedberg, Heath Ledger, and more. 
 
Addict Entourage
Many Addicts are helped by their relationships with the: Angel, Advocate and Believer. Addicts are not helped, and eventually brought down by their relationship with the Co-dependent, Vampire, Devil, Con Artist, Lawbreaker, and other Shadow types. 
 
Addict in Love
The Addict’s first love is always it. Every other person who loves the Addict will likely be hurt and/or used, as the Addict will often do nearly anything to get more it.  
 
Addict Challenge
Recovering Addicts will tell you that the most difficult thing they have every done in their lives is kicking their addiction to it. The Addict’s biggest challenge is take back the control that they’ve lost and start coping with reality again. This involves  learning new coping skills and developing different habits. Addicts may turn to a supportive social structure to reinforce a lifestyle of sobriety. Many also draw strength from a spiritual source. 
 
How to Play It
The Addicts options are limited to three choices. Either they stop being the Addict, live the hell of addiction or die. If you’re an Addict, get help. 
 
If someone you know is the Addict, your life may be disrupted by this person’s behavior; addiction is a terrible thing to watch. Feelings of frustration, anger, shame, guilt, and confusion are common in those connected to Addicts. You may find that you need special care and training to know how to proceed in your relationships with the Addict. Get educated about the role of a Co-Dependent to make sure that you are not playing into the addiction or enabling it. Setting and maintaining personal boundaries is a must for those connected with the Addict.