There might be many kind of different addictions in one's life: alcohol, tobacco .. fast cars, pets, music .. everything which makes life enjoyable for us.
This topic is not meant to be as a shrink's session. Feel yourself free to share your thoughts, comments and a personal experience when it comes to addictions of any kind. Some of them might be funny, some of them tedious, but they're part of your life and what might be better if you're happy about them ..

I noticed recently that instead of reading the morning news as it was used to be, I've started to open up a Mingle's webpage as a first thing in the morning when firing up my PC. And that's the last thing to close down, before going to sleep ..
Wonder .. is it an addiction .. and if so .. how hopeless might be this case ..

well,at least you took that First Step,identified the problem!

Well, my personal experience with addiction started with alcohol. I managed to quit for 12 years, it was something I was proud of. After I went through my separation and divorce I picked it up in a moment of weakness, began slowly. I thought I had it under control and it was nice to relax with a really good beer. Of course with addiction it began to control me and the frequency and amount began to increase. After a year I was drinking pretty much every night and eventually it got to the point when I couldn't remember the last time I didn't drink. Somewhere around the 4 year point the depression from drinking was eating me up, waking every morning saying I wasn't going to drink tonight only to get off work and make my daily stop. I had absolutely no control over it. I went to an a.a. Meeting once, it wasn't for me. I have nothing at all against the program and encourage it to anyone who needs it but something about it turned me off personally. I had my moment of clarity one day when I had just had a major repair on my car and was waiting on a direct deposit to my acct. I just so happened to have picked up my kids that day and on the way home realized I forgot to get dinner. Then I realized I was also waiting on a deposit so I told my oldest daughter we were just going to bear eating what we had in the house for tonight, what a proud father I felt at the time (sarcasm). Don't get me wrong, I always took care of my children, this isn't the story of a bitter belligerent alcoholic that treats his children horrible. It is the story of an alcoholic that suffers daily from anxiety and depression brought on by his addiction and the hope of putting it in the past. With that being said my daughter offered to buy dinner with her tip money she got from work that day, I had not bought any beer that day and as much as I needed it I knew I could not, even my weakest moment, buy even one beer with her generosity. So that was the day, the first day in I couldn't remember how long that I didn't drink. And I woke up the next morning feeling ok, so I did it again. I made it a week, I was feeling anxious but better. Everyday got a little easier and every week felt like a huge milestone. I'm nearing the 2 year mark now, I admit, I think about it at times but I'm much stronger and have focused more on what I enjoy in life to ease those moments. I consider myself lucky, many people with addictions never pull out of it and lose everything. I'm so very happy I had the love of my children and the decency to go one evening that gave me the moment of clarity I needed. So, this isn't a story I share often, especially with strangers but who knows. Maybe it may encourage some who stumbles on this to help themselves. Thanks for reading guys.

I wish you good luck!

Mingle2 was created by the Lonely Hearts Club so that anyone entering would never want to leave because of all the addictive games, forums an endless fake profiles to view, combined with the unlimited money on plastic cards to give those fake profiles... The Site causes those inside never to age, while time goes on at a seemingly accelerated rate outside. Known victims include MrBeeKeeper, ADivorcedOne, 2email4M, SitkaRains, Blondey111 and the infamous Bratz... (feel free to add your name if you are a certified addict) If you ever get a chance to escape, don't take it. The virtual reality here is the best on the internet...



On the serious side, Thank you yetanotherusername1 for sharing your story. It's great to hear of successes like this and I wish you the best in continuing your course!

On a very serious note.Thank you so much for sharing..This is an inspiration to many that may not ever admit it.
I believe just small thing can change our lives... I am so proud to have read this this am.
Here is to two years and I know you will make it all the way if nothing else for the pride and love you have in your children.

I have to agree Mr.B... It does become an addiction...I have made some friends out here I have known for years that I keep up with. I also love forums.. You never know what you will get. I mean NEVER... Giggle... So I am hooked...

I find that I have 3 screens on my computer in the am over coffee.. News, and 2 for Mingle one forums the other one emails. Lord help the ones I start answering before the first cup of coffee...

And Some of us do age.. I have a picture of when I first started out here about a decade a go dang I have aged. And I "don't " Have a lonely heart even when I was single.. so there

Am I an addict of this forum Yes I am and have no intentions of changing it anytime soon.

Ok.. I admit it I'm addicted to Kleenex..
And.. jelly beans.... the good kind..
Not those big fat sugary sweet ones..
..ok.and sex... I don't know what's the matter with me ..I just can't seem to say no... God knows !..I have tried to say no....but but... it's hard to deny someone else pleasure and myself..
I know!.. I'm a monster..lol..
I need professional help....I need to...
Oh wait a minute.. did that hot brunette just wink at me..ok..brb ..
Gotta go feed my addictions..ohh.. I think she has jelly beans... bonus points

Time to make another rehab center...mingle2 addition rehab

Yep. Welcome to MA (Mingle2 Anonymous)!! Hello, my name is Kenny, and I am a Mingle2 Addict.

I'm just here to change my straight jacket. Paging Dr. Dodo_David!

Conrad, Sitka and 2email, thanks for your kind words. On a much lighter note though... Now My coffee addiction is quite strong, oh, and ice cream, I think I could live on coffee and ice cream

There are some addictions that are just necessary like Diet Coke. If I could get an IV for it I would... My Blood is caramel color now with how much I drink.



And Isn't coffee and ice cream called Jamoca Almond Fudge at Baskin Robbins???

Thanks for making me smile day yetanotherusername1. I appreciate it.

My pleasure and I meant it you are an inspiration..

OH coffee ummm I more of that as an addict than mingle..
Ice cream.. That is more yummm..
I love chocolate coffee,with hazelnut ice cream..
I buy it in very small containers or I would be huge.. rofl...

People with addictions just go from one to another. So everybody should identify themselves if they have an addictive personality.

Okay, lets see how can we do this?????

Hmmmm.... Let's see.

Oh, I know, everybody with over 1,000 posts on this site.

great testimony! I hope others read your testimony and get an in site to their addiction.
it's made me think.i stop drinking for 32 years. i now drink one beer a day to relax. i am reading a book that talks about late on alcoholism.
it's brought on by boredom, social drinking, retirement etc. thanks for making me be more observant about having a beer every day.

have you ever been drunk on coffee. it's possible. one who drinks too much coffee can get giddy and silly from a cafine high. especially someone who is not a coffee drinker.
i don't drink coffee i chew gum instead.

my son once drank too much pop at a hockey game, he gots a sugar high. he could not walk straight had to walk arm in arm with him he also became overly social.

The only minor vice I had for 30 years was.....smoking....I smoked around 60 cigs a day and on weekends even more...some people said I was addicted......I never made an effort to argue...smoking was as good a pleasure as was sex......but only double, as a cig after the sex was even better.....But due to foreseen circumstances...lack of cash, low paying job and a wife and newborn to support, it came down to a very tight vote.....my cigs or baby formula. Yeah, the baby formula squeeked out a win by a 2% margin and a dirty look from the wife.....and was she good at that, even then....So having to stop buying and enjoying life's second pleasure at the time, yeah! sex was and always will be number One, it boiled down to......how am I gonna quit...For a change the bigger head kicked in with this awesome idea of going cold turkey.....and cold turkey it was.........

Fast forward 20 years.......Mingle2 shows up...I join....and now, its only me, who says I am addicted to the forums...kidding me, I ain't about to give away my secret second most pleasurable hobby in life, by announcing to all and sundry.......yeah! and I also know, you are going to go back up, and find out whats my first pleasure in life. ...good luck with that...

My addiction is easy to explain and I'm sure that anyone who has been in the forums for a while has figured it out by now. I am self destructive, think of it like being in a extremely abusive relationship with someone your locked in a small room with forever. I know it doesn't sound like an addiction because there is not really a feel good time. You could probably compare it to a drug addiction to something like heroin or crack but without the high, so a life time of crashing. I have spent time on a couch so I know exactly why I started doing it and what it boils down to is I was bullied relentlessly as a child, but I found that if I berated myself first the bullies left me a lone. You know the saying "if you can't beat em, join em" well in a way I joined in hating on myself so that I wouldn't be the only one not laughing. (shrug)

Yeah but......

What if you aren't working, live alone, and don't leave the house unless you have to.

In that case, the Internet is just a tool and there must not be an addiction.

See, I knew, I'm not addicted to the Internet!

I can stop at any time!

Well, maybe after the next few posts.

Oh yeah, then I've got to check my email.

Oh, that's an interesting topic..........