When does liking something turn into an addiction?

Question

What line has to be crossed to show the difference between wanting something and then being obsessed by/addicted to it?

Answer 1

Work for 30 years and alcohol!

Answer 2

when its starts to affect you negatively and affects your life in a bad way

Answer 3

Something turns into an addiction when you have to have it no matter what the consequence.

Answer 4

When it becomes a physical craving (you get physically ill without it) and/or when your thoughts are almost exclusively about that thing and it interferes with other things in your life.

Answer 5

when it becomes all that you can think about

Answer 6

When you can no longer function normally without it.

Answer 7

When it interferes with other, more important things in your life.

Answer 8

Whenyour pursuit of this liking interferes with other parts of your life and can't be put on hold when necessary.

Answer 9

When you find you can no longer function properly without taking substance A or performing activity B or whatever. If you function fine without it, or aren't thinking about it every second you don't have it, its not an addiction.

Answer 10

When at first your thinking about it and then after a while your constantly doing it. Alcohol for example? drugs? Yahoo Answers? very addicted to that sh*t

Answer 11

the line is crossed when it interferes with your everyday life or you panic or crave for it when not doing it.

ie you like doing yahoo answers and questions, you are addicted if

it stops you working or looking after your kids.

you play on your WII for 3 hours and then go out with friends - you

are addicted if you do nothing but play on the WII.

its a fine line and some people have addictive personalities.