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Originally Posted by Sultana
How can one tell it's an addiction rather than...I dunno, an excuse?
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Using my handy data entry program from the state, Oregon's Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services defines moderate addiction as "once daily", serious addiction as "two to three times daily", and chronic addiction as "several times daily." The most evident criteria for defining addiction are the answers to these questions: Does engaging in this activity interfere with normal life (attendance at work, school, etc)? Are you engaging in potentially damaging behaviors because of this activity?
Evaluation for addiction is largely self-reporting; even in a clinical setting the clinician must rely on the information given to them by the client, regardless of substance used.
I think we tend to downplay the damage true addiction causes, and yes, I believe it's totally possible to be addicted to things like pornography, cleaning, video games, sex, etc, and I do think those kinds of addictions can be just as devastating and harmful as addiction to drugs and alcohol.