The term "rock bottom" is often used to describe the point at which a person with an addiction is forced to acknowledge that he or she has a problem - which can lead to their seeking help. But where is rock bottom? And how do people get there? Wende Wood points out that "rock bottom" is a subjective term. For one person, losing everything may mean losing a marriage or their home, while for another becoming homeless is not yet the end. And what rock bottom looks like will naturally depend on what someone had as a starting point. Additionally, Wood explains that it is a common misconception that one needs to arrive at the so-called bottom before reaching for help - often various opportunities occur along the way where the person is open to receiving or asking for help. Sam Waldner explains that often the person with the addiction needs to start feeling the pain from the consequences of their actions before he or she can start making changes. The process of feeling the pain is a lengthy one, as the pain often serves as a stimulus to start one's self-defense mechanisms. These protect and maintain one's self-esteem (through the denial that one is an addict), allowing one to rationalize and continue with the behavior. In many cases, the loss of, or prospect of losing, a relationship or something of similar value can often help the person to recognize that there is a problem. Legal charges or an arrest (e.g., for possession of illegal drugs or driving under the influence) can also contribute to this awareness. Waldner emphasizes that typically the person needs to hear a repeated message (with specific observations) from family and friends that they are seeing a problem. While this information will likely not serve as an immediate stimulus to seek help, the repetition of the overall message can help to counter the "powerful and long-maintained" element of denial.

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Fitango Education
Health Topics
Knowing when you're addicted

2. 1
Overview
The term "rock bottom" is often used to describe
the point at which a person with an addiction is
forced to acknowledge that he or she has a
problem - which can lead to their seeking help. But
where is rock bottom? And how do people get
there?

3. 2
Overview
Wende Wood points out that "rock bottom" is a
subjective term. For one person, losing everything
may mean losing a marriage or their home, while
for another becoming homeless is not yet the end.
And what rock bottom looks like will naturally
depend on what someone had as a starting point.
Additionally, Wood explains that it is a common
misconception that one needs to arrive at the so-
called bottom before reaching for help - often
various opportunities occur along the way where
the person is open

4. 3
Overview
Sam Waldner explains that often the person with
the addiction needs to start feeling the pain from
the consequences of their actions before he or she
can start making changes. The process of feeling
the pain is a lengthy one, as the pain often serves
as a stimulus to start one's self-defense
mechanisms. These protect and maintain one's
self-esteem (through the denial that one is an
addict), allowing one to rationalize and continue
with the behavior. In many cases, the loss of, or
prospect of lo

5. 4
Overview
Waldner emphasizes that typically the person
needs to hear a repeated message (with specific
observations) from family and friends that they are
seeing a problem. While this information will likely
not serve as an immediate stimulus to seek help,
the repetition of the overall message can help to
counter the "powerful and long-maintained"
element of denial.

6. 5
Crossing the addiction line
Many of us take part in activities that are often
associated with addictive or
compulsive behaviors - activities such as drinking
or gambling. But not all of us are addicted to them.
What constitutes addictive behavior? When do we
cross the line?

7. 6
Crossing the addiction line
Addictions come in many forms. Street drugs,
prescription medications, alcohol, and inhalants
are all common substances of abuse. Gambling,
sex, and shopping are often associated with
compulsive or problem behavior.

8. 7
Crossing the addiction line
To get a clearer idea of what addictions look like
and how they can be treated, we spoke to two
experts on the subject: Wende Wood of the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), a key
addiction and mental health teaching hospital in
Canada, and Sam Waldner of Samuel Waldner
Counselling and Addiction Services, who is a
private practitioner and a proponent of 12-step
programs (of which Alcoholics Anonymous is a
famous example).

9. 8
Crossing the addiction line
Wood says that the hallmark of
addictive behavior is that it interferes with a
person's life - to the point where all of their energy
and attention is given to that pursuit. This, she
explains, is because certain activities (such as
drinking or gambling) stimulate a "reward
pathway" in the brain. As a result, the brain wants
to continue with this activity, even in the face of
negative consequences for the person involved.
The desire for the "reward" becomes stronger than
the impact of the

10. 9
Crossing the addiction line
Waldner describes an addiction as a continuous
involvement in a repeated behavior that creates
some kind of negative consequence. This also
applies to a person who continues to pursue an
activity despite harmful results - for example, a
smoker who does not quit despite knowing the
health risks they face.

11. 10
Crossing the addiction line
Waldner says the key characteristics of addiction
are two-fold: a loss of control (one's behaviour
becomes unpredictable, for example continuing to
drink despite having vowed to stop) and a strong
sense of denial. Denial about having an addiction is
a powerful factor in leading the person to continue
with his or her habit, as the belief is strong that
there is no real problem and that next time the
outcome from the same behaviour will be
different. "It's almost as if the person experiences
a