Psychotherapist, Dr. Garry Corgiat, is an expert on addiction and offers this insight into addiction and obsessive bahavior.

1. Remember all addictions don't start out as an addiction, they start out as behavior that makes us feel good, or takes away our focus on what makes us feel bad. It is an action that relieves our pain and anxiety, or distracts us from something else in our lives, like low self esteem, a bad relationship, or a bad job. An addiction is a behavioral disease that grows stronger over time.

2. There is a crossover point when we can't stop the behavior anymore, even if we want to, wish we could, or think we should. What we once could control, now has control of us. We start to accommodate to it by lying, and keeping secrets to support continuing it. We lie to ourselves by rationalizing or denying, and we hide our behavior from others because we know down deep inside that there is something wrong with it. Still we can't stop thinking about it, or doing it.

3. If you think you have a problem, but you won't tell anyone about it - you have a problem.

4. There are negative consequences that occur as a result of not being able to control or stop your behavior. If you think you can stop. Do it.

5. Get help before the downward spiral takes over. If you can't before it does, get help on the way down. If you can't get help on the way down, get help at the bottom. Even when you think you can't be helped, ask for help.

Resources for Getting Help:

1. Look online in your local area. Do a search under your addiction and recovery, and see what comes up. If you don't have a computer, go the local library, they have one that you can use free of charge. Educate yourself. Get information. Take action. You are not the first or last person to go through this. Others have fought and won.

2. 12 step programs are free. AA, SCA, CMA, CA, NA, SLAA. Call them. Go to a meeting. They will help you know if your are addicted, and guide you to help if you are.

3. If you have health insurance, or work for a company with employee assistance programs, find out what they will cover and how they can help. It is their job. Going to them and telling the truth might help you keep yours.

4. Look into therapy groups, outpatient and inpatient programs, recovery centers. All are available to help you. Sober living housing is there too, if you can't be alone once you face the problem. All of these resources are designed and created to get you clean, sober, and back into leading a healthy, happier life.

5. Your daily choices either support the problem, or support the solution. You decide.