PART V - THE MAJOR ISSUES

Addictions

Hopefully, the closest thing to an addiction you will see in your marriage is an addiction to caffeine. Unfortunately, however, addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, sex, and even shopping, food, sports, or television are commonplace, and can ruin a marriage.

Some addictions are physical, some are psychological, and some are both. Whatever the basis, nothing changes until the person with the addiction recognizes the problem, and wants help. 

If you think you might have an addiction but aren’t sure, ask yourself how much time, energy, and money you put in to making sure whatever-it-is happens. 

Also, ask yourself if whatever-it-is is creating problems with your spouse, finances, job, other relationships, or self-image. An honest appraisal of your relationship to whatever-it-is along these lines should help you decide if you are addicted.

If the person with the addiction does not admit the problem, things can’t get better. If you (or your spouse) want help, the tips on communication in Part IV may help you both understand how serious the problem is, and the impact on your marriage.

Resolving addictions almost always requires professional help and is beyond the scope of this website. In addition to one-on-one professional counseling, support groups are available such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, and Sexaholics Anonymous. 

Other resources can be found on the internet. Just go to any search engine, such as Google and type addiction help in the search box. (Caution: not all internet resources are worthwhile. Use care - sound practical judgment, referrals, etc. - in selecting which ones to use.)