About 5% of the population has one compulsion or another. In total because of overlap that is one in eight. In other words 3% of the population has two or more compulsions. Smoking, food and gaming are excluded from the stats.
They split into two main types- behavioural and substance. The most common behavioural compulsion is gambling (and fastest on the increase of all compulsions) and the most common substance is alcohol.
Of the addictions these two have the highest recidivism at 85%. Gamblers attending Twelve Step have three episodes before they give up gambling for good. Most gamblers end up divorced, some multiple times. This is because gamblers behaviour destroys an R, they spend the family resources and damage goes well into recovery. It can take a lifetime to recover from gambling binges and in most jurisdictions bankruptcy isn't possible for debts of a gambler as it's seen as deliberate.
Alcoholics do better as long as they are not cross addicted, and they most often cross addicted with gambling. Many alcoholics are functioning alcoholics for a long time. The damage is usually with health issues and their partners often stay with them once that occurs. In fact of all the addictions alcohol when stemmed has the highest recovery, immediately the drunk stops drinking the home sitch, fins and health improve. Alcohol can be used to medicate depression but is itself a depressant.
The stats on drugs is very stark, they deteriorate very quickly once they hit hard drugs. Of those in treatment few survive. Many drug addicts have addicted partners.
All compulsives with addictions suffer serious withdrawal. This is also a dangerous phase for an R. Compulsives do best in a 12 step, Rs are maintained and survive if the addict is supported in a 12 step anon group by their partner.
Working 12 steps for life maintains R.
I don't have stats for porn and know very little about it.
I maintain that involving WAW in 12 step, seeing you collect a pin in open meetings is beneficial. Hearing therapies will help her to understand what a remarkable achievement recovery is. I mean recovery not abstaining.
Abstaining seems to assist some compulsives although for many the compulsion emerges in another form.
Gambling is the most studied addiction for stats because of debt management. Alcohol affects children the most and triggers more antisocial behaviour. This is my view based on experience.
The Intel available on R is hard to come by, and is largely limited to serious cases, it often doesn't count the walking wounded.
More men than women are compulsivery although that is changing. The most addicted groups are men 20 to 30 and over the age of 55. Men outnumber women in 12 step by 6 to 1.
Other than this I have no info.
Is that helpful?
V
I'd say the stats are high Lady V. Not that you're not accurate, but how many people do you know that can go 30 days without a drink? I don't know many. Or they'll do it and then on 31 get blind drunk.
Porn is probably the most underestimated addiction IMO too. You don't show up after lunch smelling like porn so it's easy to hide, but it's everywhere and guys are ingesting it on their phones, tablets, and computers. There's an entire generation that has had porn at their fingertips 24/7. It's insidious. Plus if you ask most guys about it they'll say, "Every guy looks at porn." Doesn't make it any less dangerous though.
Zues, I've asked myself the same questions you asked. My addictions were well known by my WAW. I drank with her, I got stoned with every member of her family at every family function. Her parents would gift me marijuana! It was just part of our lives.
That doesn't make me immune to looking at my life and saying, "Ok this is out of hand, I need help. She's asked me if I'm ok and I'm saying I am when in my head I'm saying that I'm not." I'm an adult and should have been honest and asked for help.
Addiction is so hard on the spouse, I understand this completely. Plus it completely takes us out of being present. COMPLETELY. No matter what the addiction is or how honest you are about it. That I own 100%.
M 39 W 36 T5 M3 BD - 1/15 Separated - Same Day Served 9/15 D finalized 6/17
