When most people think of an addict, they immediately picture someone strung out on crack, living under a bridge. Unfortunately, addiction is much more insidious and much more difficult to identify in its early stages.

If we start by defining an addiction as "anything that we habitually use to alter our emotional state," then we can begin to characterize many things as potential addictions: drugs, alcohol, unhealthy relationships, compulsive shopping, sex, pornography, online gaming, food, shoplifting. The list goes on and on.

• Do you suffer from pervasive feelings of depression or anxiety?
• Do you consistently avoid feelings of emptiness by losing yourself in whatever gives you pleasure?
• Do you feel guilty about certain habitual behaviors? How often do you think about quitting them for good?
• Are you honest with others about how often you engage in these behaviors, or do you try to hide them?

Most people aren't aware of their addiction until the problem has become severe. There is some truth to the myth that the many addicts have to "hit bottom" before there is a willingness to seek treatment. Unfortunately, our addictions become barriers to intimacy.

In our efforts to soothe our pain, we become secretive and defensive about our actions. We might be hide our addiction for years before things become bad enough to be noticed by friends and loved ones. At that point, the habits become so ingrained that it becomes difficult to stop the behavior without professional help.