Do You Have A Soft Addiction?

It’s time for a little introspection: Do you have a soft addiction?

- Bessie Recep

What are we addicted to right now? Sleeping in, Narcos, and Oreos by the handful (there’s currently a box full of them in the CLEO office ... among other things). All innocent enough vices, right? I mean, they won’t require months of rehab to wean us off them – so surely they can’t be bad for us? But have you ever thought about how much “soft” addictions are adding to your life? Or what they’re taking from it?

Going SOFT

“Soft addictions are seemingly harmless habits, like compulsive shopping, overeating. Or endless web browsing,” says Judith Wright, self-help expert and author of The Soft Addiction Solution: Break Free Of The Seemingly Harmless Habits That Keep You From The Life You Want (Penguin, US$16.95, approx. RM70.91). “They’re common daily activities, but we often don’t realise their negative impact – they cost time and money, and numb our feelings.”

Sydney-based clinical psychologist Louise Shepherd agrees: “Many of these habits may help us to feel good but may actually get in the way of us living a fulfilling or rewarding life.”

What’s the HARM?

Judith coined the term “soft” when considering the consequences of such addictions – comparing them to “hard” ones, like drug and alcohol dependence.