When many people think of addiction treatment they think of substance abuse, but not all addictions involve alcohol or drugs. Knowing when to seek treatment is important in order to get help that is needed, and assuming that addiction only occurs with substance abuse is a big mistake. There are people who are addicted to sex, gambling, porn, the Internet, and even shopping or eating. All of these problems are caused by emotional wounds or a void in the life of the addict that the individual is trying to fill. Understanding when addiction treatment is needed is very important, and if you do not know when to ask for help then you will never recover and overcome the addiction that is affecting your life.
Addiction treatment is needed any time you develop an addiction. If something interferes with a normal life and it has a devastating effect on you and those that you care about but you continue the same behavior and activity then addiction treatment should be sought. This is true whether the problem is substance abuse or if you find that you are losing monthly bill money by gambling yet you can not seem to stop and continue to give in to the compulsion in spite of the consequences. There are many different types of addiction, and some involve substance abuse while others do not. Any of these can have a devastating impact and destroy your life, and without treatment a full recovery is not possible. There is help available, and effective addiction treatment programs that work.