I think if I had ever started smoking I would have easily become addicted though I am thankful that I have never been much of a drinker.
Addiction, the combination of obsession and compulsion can creep up on you. It builds hour by hour, day by day, week by week and year by year. You start something that probably doesn't mean that much to you, say something new. An interest grows, you read more about it, you invest more of your time in it and before you know it, you cannot do without it. You even feel the need to invest in it beyond what you know is good for you or your wallet.
What am I specifically referring to? Well it could be anything. With me it is certainly true with photography and photography kit. Olympus is my equipment of choice and if anyone has followed this companies fortunes, you will know that they seem to have abandoned the beginner's side of the DSLR market concentrating on "professional" DSLR and inter-changeable lens compact system cameras.
I started with a beginner's DSLR in 2008 & was for a long time happy with the kit lenses that came with it, purchasing only an extra couple of lenses (still low priced), BUT the more I thought about the kit and photography, the more my obsession and compulsion grew. Purchase of various photography technique books, getting the laptop & software to go with the camera, more books, must get a camera bag, tripod, flashguns - on, and on...
It got worse! In 2011 after taking a long break from news and photography forums, thats when I found Olympus had dropped its mid-range DSLRs & the compulsion to buy 2nd hand kit (camera bodies) grew and the wallet started to taking a beating getting not one, not two but three extra camera bodies to make sure I had something to use in the future for my chosen range of cameras. Perhaps I should have held back after purchasing the 2nd body and waited to see what the future will bring, but compulsion does not let you do this.
At least my addictions don't cause physical harm to myself or others, so I'll probably continue to indulge, but watch out for those addictions, they could wreck your life!
Take Care
