Historically addiction has been understood  to mean an uncontrollable habit of using alcohol or other drugs. Because of the physical effects of these substances on the brain and the body, people usually take the view that “real” addictions only happen when people consistently use these kind of substances in large amounts.
We now however, understand that people can also develop addictions to behaviors such as gambling, computer games or porn, and sometimes every day activities such as eating, the internet or excercise. Activities such as these, have in common the experience of pleasure which can eventually lead to a lack of control in 'use' of the activity.

Dependence
Dependence means feeling that you need a substance in order to carry on doing something.  This might be a social activity or other interest or hobby or even work. People continue to use the substance even if problems result from its use. If you are dependent on a substance then you might be said to be addicted to it. Addictions or dependence though should not be viewed simply as, someone is hopelessly addicted, or not, addiction happens in stages and degrees of intensity.
Most addictions take time to develop as a persons consumption and tolerance progress through different stages. A persons tolerance and the effects of the substance will be determined by the nature of the substance, how it is being used, the problems that it may be linked with, as well as aspects of the person's psychological make-up, and their personal and social relationships.

Stages of Addiction
Following the first try - maybe to experiment to see what the substance is like - a person may go on to use the substance again, and then begin to use on an occasional, then regular basis. Meanwhile, the amount consumed may also begin to increase. For some substances, the body rapidly becomes tolerant of a dose taken and the user will increase the amount to achieve a desired effect.
The harm from dependency on a chemical substance  harms not only the body (the physical effects), but also impacts on an individual's mental health (the 'psychological' effects) and also their social health. In the extremes of serious addiction, the need for the substance becomes all-consuming, taking priority over work and relationships and disrupting the person’s ability to live a normal life.

Addiction Treatment
Many different addiction treatments help people overcome addictions. Approaches to addiction treatment depend on the needs of the individual, and may include:

Detoxification to medically manage withdrawal from alcohol or drugs
Individual therapy to help the person reach a greater understanding of their addiction and how to overcome it
Group therapy to allow people with the same addiction problem to share understanding, support and encourage each other
Residential treatment to give people the chance to get away from their usual lifestyle into a safe supportive atmosphere ,with   intensive therapy

Many people do successfully overcome addictions without professional help through 'natural recovery', however,
both natural recovery and addiction treatment can be enhanced through counselling and, or self help groups.

How Do I Know Which Treatment To Use?
People often use a combination of approaches to addiction treatment. It may take several different treatments to successfully overcome an addiction.
Quitting takes time, and involves several stages:

The decision to change - you may not be ready to quit but services exist to help you make this decision.
Preparing to change- deciding on the best way to quit.
Withdrawal from the addictive behavior - can last a week or two.
Developing a lifestyle without the addictive behaviour.
Finding healthier ways of coping.
Maintaining a non-addictive lifestyle over the long-term - this will take the rest of your life.

The effectiveness of therapy will depend on:

Your readiness to change.
How well you get on with your therapist. If you have a trusting relationship with your therapist you are likely to make more progress.
How severe your addiction is – it is dangerous to withdraw from some drugs, including alcohol, without medical supervision.
Your physical health –you may have related problems to your physical health which also need immediate treatment.
Your mental health – your addiction may be co-occurring with another mental health problem, which will also need immediate treatment.
The amount of personal or social support you have. Generally, family and friends who do not share the addictive behaviour can support your recovery, but people still engaged in the same addictive behaviour tend to make it more difficult.
Your financial circumstances – you may need to take time off work, and if you have difficult financial circumstances, treatment services can connect you with financial and housing support.

How Do I Begin Seeking Help?
The best place to start is to discuss your addiction with your family doctor or suitably qualified therapist.
This offers help in some of the following ways:

Providing a long-term therapeutic relationship - someone who can see you progress from being addicted through to long-term recovery.
Diagnosing physical and mental conditions you may not even be aware of.
Referrals to other medical, psychiatric and formal addiction services.
Advice on addiction treatment approaches.
Medical management of your withdrawal–they can explain how this will work, whether you need to go into a detoxifcation program or hospital, and refer you to appropriate services.

You can also contact a helpline, to put you in touch with treatment services. Helplines provide immediate anonymous support and information, often 24 hours a day.

What Does Addiction Treatment Involve?
Addiction treatment services vary, but general guidance about what to expect would be:

Confidentiality
Specialists who will work with you and encourage you to keep trying, and help you solve problems in a supportive collaborative way.
Individual counseling
Group therapy, where you will meet other people in addiction treatment, give support to each other and learn about addiction and recovery.

Your addiction treatment  may or may not involve:

Drug testing - only if abstinence from alcohol or drugs is one of the goals you agreed with your therapist.
Medication management by a medical professional - a great advantage if you are detoxifying, or if you have other mental or physical concerns.
Family support and/orcouple counselling to give support to people in your life who could help your recovery.
Follow up – to make sure that you are still doing OK after completing the treatment program.

Useful Contacts
Speak with your G.P or find a suitably qualified therapist who you feel comfortable speaking with and discuss a way forward such as those treatments outlined above. Alternatively, you can seek help through helplines such as:
Alcoholics Anonymous. Great Britain National Helpline 0845 769 7555 (calls charged at local rate).http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Frank. Drugs-The Highs and Lows and Everything Inbetween. Helpline 0800 776600 sms 82111Gamcare.Gambling Support.Helpline 0845 6000133.http://www.gamcare.org.uk/
Useful Links

Further Reading
Glasser.W.(1985) Positive Addiction.New York.Harper Colophon Books.
Siluk.D.L.(2002)A Path to Sobriety, the Inside Passage: A Common Sense Book on Understanding Alcoholism and Addiction.USA.I Universe.
Barnard.M.(2007)Drug Addiction and Families.London. Jessica Kingsley Publishers