Do I Have An Addiction?

Have you ever wondered if that passion you have on your free time has started to become something more than just a hobby? Have you ever wondered if you could be developing an addiction to some unusual hobby?

When we hear the word “addiction“, we often think about drugs, gambling, alcoholism… It is true that society is opening up lately and unmasking some other new practices as addictions too. We read about teenagers being addicted to video games, “shopaholics” and so on, but it’s still hard to recognize other seemingly harmless behaviours, for example, to spend too much time checking websites or social media, even if you are not taking selfies on the bus on your way to work.

The self-evaluation template

A few days ago, I came across a self-evaluation template with a questionnaire where gambling addicts can answer a few questions about their habits when it comes to the game. After answering the questions and checking their honest answers, they hget to know more about the possibility of possibly having an addiction to gambling.

After reading the questions, I came to the conclusion that, juat by replacing the word “playing/gambling” with some other activity plus some other minor adaptations, you can also create your own “self-evaluation” questionnaire.

It’s a pretty simple way to find out if you have some kind of addiction or issue with any practice/hobby in your life!

After doing it myself, I discovered that I am currently safe (mostly thanks to the minimalist practices I have been applying to my life over the last year). However, looking back, 2 years ago, answering the same questions would have given me a headache for sure…

I used to spend a ridiculous amount of time checking clothing websites and online shops. Even though I wasn’t buying compulsively (I was still buying more than I needed), I was wasting my precious time in a way that was causing me guilt and regrets.

Now, I am going to replace this time the word “game/play” with “bowling”. You will have to replace this with the activity where you think the issue is and start answering the questions.

For example, if it comes to mind that you spend too much time packing picnics, in the question “Have you taken time off work or your studies because of bowling?”, you would exchange it with: “Have you taken time off work or your studies because of packing picnics?”. Easy!

Are you ready? 3…2…1… GO!

• Have you taken time off work or your studies because of bowling?

• Is bowling affecting your personal relationships (family, friends)?

• Have you prioritised financing bowling over financial responsibilities to your family?

• Is bowling affecting your own health (problems with sleeping, self-neglect, isolation, depression, stress, behavioural difficulties)?

• Have you felt remorse or regret after bowling, or felt the need to go back to go bowling as soon as possible in order to win more money/make up your losses?

• Have you bowled to repay debts or to make up a financial deficit?

• Have you bowled beyond the financial and time limits that you had set for yourself?

• Have you borrowed or sold something to finance your bowling?

• Have you lied to your friends and family about your bowling?

• Have you considered acting illegally in order to finance your bowling?

Now, let’s go with the affirmations. Remember to be honest with yourself, otherwise it will be useless. Let’s do it!

• Sometimes I bowl for more time than I wanted
• Sometimes I lose the notion of time when I’m bowling
• People say that I spend a lot of time bowling
• Sometimes I spend my time bowling when I should be doing another thing
• Sometimes I pay more money than I should to satisfy my bowling needs
• Sometimes I bowl with money that should have used for something different
• Sometimes I take money borrowed to go bowling
• I do not want to tell other people the time and money that I spent bowling
• My family and/or friends think that I bowl too much
• Sometimes I feel bad when I think of all that I have lost bowling
• Sometimes my affection for bowling gets me short of money
• I feel empty if I can’t go bowling
• I feel bad when I think about my bowling
• My affection for bowling sometimes stresses me out

So now what?

I read that most compulsive “bowlers” would answer “Yes” to at least 6 of these questions. To be fair, I don’t think you need to get to 6 to have a problem with an activity. This particular condition doesn’t make much sense to me.

For the record, if your family thinks you go bowling too often but they just see you once a week and that is the only day of the week you devide to go bowling, let’s say for 1 hour, you probably don’t have any problem (apart from possibly having annoying family members).

On the other side, if you need to borrow money to go bowling, or your bowling goes beyond the financial or time limits that you had set for yourself, it’s pretty clear there is an issue with “bowling” and as soon as you start taking care of it, the better and quicker you’ll be able to get over it!

If you think you may have too much love for some activity that doesn’t contribute to your life in a positive way, that is good! Now that you have identified the problem, you are one step closer to solve it.

If you aren’t too attached to any activity or practice in particular, congratulations, you are now a free human!