I suffer from addiction: How common is addiction problems

Jon, I think addiction problems are very common and they can be to just about anything - food, drugs, people, emotions.  Maybe your doctor would have some ideas about how to get help - does he know about your addictions?  I know there are various support groups for various addictions, but I don't know if that's necessarily the right answer for you.  Perhaps you need a therapist who specializes in addictions, if that's what you want to work on.  Do you think you can talk to your doctor about it?  Maybe someone else on the site will have some better ideas, but I guess that's where I would start for lack of knowing about much else.  I think it's great that you're trying to get beyond the fear of the work being hard.  Sometimes, we just get to the point that we have so much pain, it doesn't seem like anything could be much worse.  Let us know where you get to with this or if you just want to release some emotions.  You are stronger than you think, Jon - I think you are finding that out.

Hypnotherapy is the fastest means of correcting addictive behaviours. You can get your brain reprogrammed in as little as one session - or buy some CD/Audio files over the internet. to top up on the effect. The purchased CD's may not be quite as quick in effect as a personalised session with a hypnotherapist.

All addictions are are habits that for some reason the brain has associated to be pleasureable or one that overcomes or distracts you from some painful emotion. (in a sense you are "treating/medicating" yourself when you are feeling low through your addictive behaviours to stimulate a better mood.

The brain doesn't know the difference between good or bad habits only that it is a habit and your subconscious says I can take on that job for you.... when you feel angry/upset or sad/hurt/fearful/guilty/etc/ ...let's eat/drink/spend money etc That's what you did the last time so that's what we'll do again....only there's no need to think about doing it in your conscious brain...it's now a habit so you can leave it to the subconscious to trigger  and maintain that behaviour for you. The addiction can be reprogrammed fast during hypnosis....it's painless...quick....and efficient.