I am no therapist but I want to cover this sensitive topic because I’ve been through it myself in a past relationship. One of my ex boyfriends was addicted to gambling and it took me a year to find out. No one knew about it. I remember the shame and guilt associated with his addiction, the multiple lies that led to trust issues, but also how helpless I felt… At his worst, he was able to lose the equivalent of a month’s salary in a few days, simply by gambling it online. I had to involve his family and he never really forgave me for that.
After a year of struggle, I was still clueless what to do to break the cycle so I eventually ended the relationship. Gamblers tend to think they can always earn back what they lost, “hope” is what causes their downfall. It was not an easy break-up but I figured the best way to help him was to “lose” me for good. Today I’m still convinced it was the right thing to do. But you can’t break up with everyone… What if he was my brother, my dad or a close friend?
Are some people more inclined to become addicted than others? Maybe it’s in our genes. Or are we all addicted to something in the end? I don’t know for certain but I’m hoping I can at least shed some light on the matter.
Types of addiction
Some things are famous to easily create dependence:
- Drugs (illicit or not)
- Some medication (prescribed or not)
- Alcohol
- Gambling
But you can also be addicted to pretty common things… For example:
- Junk food
- Your mobile phone
- Internet or social media
- Computer games
Whether it’s an addiction to a substance or a specific behaviour, it can be very dangerous and/or unhealthy. If it’s not identified rapidly, it can lead to serious consequences.
What are the signs to look after
Below are some questions you need to ask yourself if you’re in doubt. Are they:
- Suddenly lacking interest for a hobby that used to be important?
- Neglecting relationships?
- Ignoring the negative consequences of their actions?
- Noticing any distinct change in their sleeping patterns, causing chronic fatigue?
- Becoming secretive, lying about the amount of substance used or time spent?
- Going through an abrupt change of weight?
- Changing moods and showing signs of irritability?
- Depressed with suicidal thoughts?
- Lacking concerns over their physical appearance?
Just remember that someone with an addiction will almost always understate the seriousness of their condition. When confronted, they may make excuses and try to justify their behaviour to you. So unless there are any potential medical reasons for someone’s health decline, there’s an increased chance of an underlying addiction problem.
How to help them recover from it
If you know someone who needs help with an addiction, keep in mind they don’t always want to acknowledge they’re addicted. Approaching and helping an addict could be a long, challenging, and painful process. Start with a one-on-one conversation, free of distractions or interruptions. If they’re willing to seek professional help, then great. But in some cases, they won’t. If they become defensive instead, let it go for the time being and start involving family members to plan an intervention. And even when they accept to enrol in a recovery program, stay involved with the process and keep giving support. If they’re still reluctant to change, the most difficult part is to strike a balance and set boundaries in the relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes you may need to cut off contact in order to maintain your own emotional well-being, like I did.
Below are some ways you can attempt to help them:
- Learn more about their addiction (substance or behavioural), document yourself and read about testimonies, successful recovery stories, etc
- Stay involved but not in a patronising way, show compassion
- Provide an environment free of possible triggers
- Speak up and freely express your concerns
- Look for a rehab facility or organisations that will be able to help manage the addiction
But at the end of the day, recovering from it has to be their decision, not yours. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you didn’t manage to convince them. Have you ever been in this situation? Did you manage to find the light at the end of the tunnel?
“I’m Not Telling You It Is Going To Be Easy, I’m Telling You It’s Going To Be Worth It.” (Anonymous).
Big Girl x
Big Girl Big City 
This is so like me!! I can get pretty addicted to things, great tips to get out of addiction and signs to look after!
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It’s a good thing to be aware of it at least!
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Great article, really gives you a lot to think about and such an important topic to raise awareness on.
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Thank you! Yes it’s a bit dark but so worth sharing!
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So true being glued with social media and the fomo thing, but Im glad to put time limits in my apps especially at night. Thanks for these tips, its a work in progress.
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Social media has created so many addictions… But I think we’re pretty much all likely to be addicted to some things at the end 🙂
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I agree with you, some people are not aware that they have an addiction… its great of you to mention the signs we need to look for to signify that something is wrong. Great tips as well. Thanks for sharing!
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It’s worse when you’re not aware you’re addicted… Because you need help and you don’t want it. Hopefully this post will be useful to some people!
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I believe it is worse when you realize that you’ve been an addict for a while without knowing… thinking that you had it all under control…
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Yes, and it can escalate very quickly if you’re not careful!
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What a great read and these factors are so important to be mindful of! Keep up the great work!
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This was a really helpful read! Thank you for the information
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Great post! Such an important topic.
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Such an underrated topic that needs to be talked about. Thanks for sharing this
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This is a great read and a very underrated topic. It’s interesting that you mention so many different types of addiction. It’s not just drugs or gambling. You can become addicted to anything really. Being aware of it is the first step to recovery. Well done on getting out of that relationship. It can’t have been easy but sometimes you have to look after yourself especially when you cannot control someone else’s actions. I honestly wish you all the best for the future xx
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You summed it all up brilliantly!
It was an experience that taught me a lot, from almost 10 years ago now. Since then I’ve found my Mr Right, getting married this year 🙂
Thanks for your kind words xx
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Very well written. All we can do is support them, encourage them, motivate them – but eventually it is their call.
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Well said!
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Very insightful and great tips to help recognize addiction! Thanks for your insight 🙂
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Great read on a sensitive topic. This line: “at the end of the day, recovering from it has to be their decision, not yours” says it all. Thank you!
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Exactly. If you need to take home only one sentence from this entire post, this is the one.
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My Dad had issues with alcohol for a while. He hid bottles from my mum and he only agreed to tackle the issue after a fall. You are absolutely right that the person themselves has to choose to change, you can only support them in the meantime and sometimes the only option might be to withdraw. Thanks for sharing, very useful advice for anyone going through this.
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Thanks for talking about your personal experience, it adds so much to the topic and shows how it can destroy various aspects of life. I hope your dad has managed to recover from his addiction xx
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Excellent post on a sensitive subject. There’s a lot of addiction in my family so I very much appreciate your post. Look forward to reading more of your posts.
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Thank you, I’m glad you liked this post if you can relate!
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