Do you struggle with an addiction?

Most of the time when we think about addiction, we think of addictions to hard drugs. But there are many "drugs" with addictive properties that are also legal. 

For example:

1. Alcohol – for example, wine, beer or liquor
2. Amphetamine or similarly acting sympathomimetics – for example, speed or crystal meth
3. Benzodiazepines – for example, Xanax, Valium or Klonopin
4. Caffeine – for example, coffee, tea or sports drinks
5. Cannabis – for example, marijuana, grass or hash
6. Inhalants – for example, poppers or aerosols
7. Nicotine – for example, cigarettes, cigars or nicotine patches
8. Opioids – for example, heroin, morphine or painkillers
9. Sedatives, hypnotics or anxiolytics – for example, sleeping pills or downers

But addiction can also be a behavior. The most common behavioral addictions include:

1. Computer — for example, internet, video games, social networking sites, cybersex or online gambling
2. Eating — for example, overeating, bingeing or purging
3. Exercise — for example, weight loss or sports
4. Gambling — for example, VLTs, casinos or slot machines
5. Gaming — for example, computer games
6. Sex — for example, porn, cybersex or multiple partners
7. Shopping — for example, spending or stealing
8. Work — for example, overwork, money or power

Most addictions have a serious impact on finances. In fact, financial problems are even cited as a possible symptom of addiction for substance dependence and compulsive gambling in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) used to diagnose mental health problems. 

So how do we manage our money when we're recovering from an addiction or helping someone else?