Hello, my name is... and I am...

an alcoholic, a sex addict, a compulsive gambler, an attention whore - you name it, we've been addicted to it. When you get right down to the basest elements of addictions, though, you can call us all by the same name: Seekers. We are all seeking to find something, an elusive "something" that always seems soooo close that we can sense it, almost see it, sometimes almost taste or smell it, but we never quite get a grasp of it. My particular claim to shame really doesn't matter much, not in the long run. There are no "good" addictions, no "addict light" brand that is better than the full-octane one. Any addiction that grips you, no matter even if there aren't side effects that are visibly detrimental, is an addiction all the same, and can cloud the mind and your judgement. For instance, being addicted to working out at the gym... that CAN'T be a bad thing, right??? Well, what if you are so addicted to that rush you feel after a good workout that you get really annoyed when you can't make it to the gym and you begin to snap at your coworkers, friends, or even loved ones? (Sounds an awful lot like someone who didn't make it to the coffee pot yet also, doesn't it???) The point is that anything can control you, if you allow it. There is a wonderful "flip-side" to that coin, however. Control is almost always a two-way relationship. If you are allowing a substance, person, emotion (GUILT, for example), or flavor of ice cream to control you, it is your CHOICE to do so and you may then choose to take that control back. Granted, it is not entirely that simple, and there are many steps you must take to completely restore yourself, but first you must make that choice.