It’s the easy denial, the refusal of logic: an addiction is deemed a mere hobby, thought to be acceptable. Its excesses are considered worthy. Its effects are forgotten. And every single moment that is offered to it is one you’d never trade. There is nothing better, you are certain, than your chosen obsession (even as you’d never call it that, would never give it such a lowly name). It’s your salvation after too long hours. It’s your indulgence. There is nothing wrong with this, you believe. Everyone deserves a little respite.

But, unfortunately, your respite is not the occasional taste, the infrequent sampling. It’s instead a routine, followed daily. And this is not to be ignored.

Addiction, simply defined, is a reliance on a specific element, wherein an individual cannot function without continued usage of that element and will suffer debilitating effects should they be forced to stop. Often this is applied to substances you personally would never touch (such as cocaine, heroin, and other drugs that would require interventions from organizations like Rehab-International.org). The concept is not so limited, however. It can instead be offered to all forms of obsession: from gambling to food, computers to sexual intercourse.

There is no end to the causes and there is only one cure: acknowledgment.

Addiction must be understood before it can be treated. Too often, however, do individuals consider themselves immune to this notion. Their pleasures are not compulsions, they argue. They are instead simple joys.

Such joys – when unable to be resisted, when made to dominate every thought – are more than hobbies, however. They are instead part of a disease and they must be recognized as such. Denying the truth is perpetuating the problem; and that can lead to disheartening results.

It is a careful line that divides enjoyment and addiction. That line must be scrutinized often, though, to ensure it doesn’t sway.