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To take alcoholism as an example, the diagnostic guide DCR-10 suggests that you may well have a dependency problem if you show at least three of the following symptoms:
- A strong desire or compulsion to drink
- Difficulty in controlling the amount you drink
- Withdrawal when you are not drinking which can only be lessened by drinking again
- Increasing tolerance to alcohol, and the need to drink more to achieve the same effect
- Less interest in other activities or pleasures
- An inability or unwillingness to stop even after recognising the harmful effects of the habit
Addiction is a progressive disorder with the sufferer turning to the dependency whenever there is a need to cope with a situation in their lives, even if the situation is the dependency itself. They will need more and more to satisfy their need for a “high”, a way of closing off the world and the pain or discomfort it exerts on them. Mood swings and an emphatic denial of the existence of any problem (especially to themselves) will also accompany an addiction. These mood swings will worsen the longer an addict is parted from their habit.
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