Not every repeated behavior is an addiction, and not every coping strategy requires a recovery program. But when a strategy becomes dominant, hard to stop or control, and begins shaping your life, the question is no longer whether it looks like someone else’s addiction. The question is whether it is costing you freedom.

Addiction doesn’t only take the form of substances or obvious behaviors. It can also take the form of addictive processes that organize life around managing internal discomfort. This article explores what addiction was trying to manage and how awareness begins to change the pattern.