Do I Have a Habit or an Addiction?

This is a series of mini-lessons designed to address the problems of addiction, depression, Unforgiveness, and any issue that has a hold on you to the point of controlling your behavior.

                                   Habit

A habit is an ingrained behavior stimulus for a behavioral reaction manifested consciously or subconsciously to achieve a goal. Washing hands is a habit for achieving the goal of removing dirt and germs. Changing a habit requires lesser time and concentration.

                                 Addiction

Addiction, on the other hand, often requires serious self-examination.

As a human being, you are naturally drawn to habitual patterns because repetition creates familiarity and comfort. People, places, and things are the natural man’s answers to an unfulfilled heart; A heart seeking comfort from counterfeit sources. Sometimes, even habitual behaviors develop into addictions.

Recovery requires that you honestly assess your behavior and how it affects your health, relationships, job, and spirituality.

Here is a Checklist of questions to identify whether you have an addiction

• Are there physical and or emotional changes such as a change in your appearance, behavior, and stability?
• Are you obsessing over it by thinking about it continually?
• Do you worry over not having enough or stockpiling?
• Is your behavior negatively impacting your life directly or indirectly?
• Are you guilt-ridden?
• Do you put yourself in dangerous situations?
• Do you fail any attempt at stopping?
• When you try to stop for any length of time, do you experience withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, stress, shaking, or pain?
• Have you lied about or tried to hide your behavior?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you are likely suffering from addiction.

Please feel free to email me at rutheek1@gmail.com for any questions or a need to talk. There are answers available.