It's time to come clean - I'm a drug addict...

i have a confession to make. i am a drug addict. i have a dependency that i can no longer control and i need to come clean.

it actually started when i was very young - i first tried it while i was still at home with my parents, infact it was them who got me hooked on it in the first place! but don't feel bad for me - they're good people really...

truth be told, it all started while i was hanging out with friends after school, and later at college when we were all meeting new people and doing new and exciting things. then at uni it really took off! i'd spend two, three, four sometimes even five days a week floating up there in the druggie ether...then on my travels things sort of got out of control and i wouldn't go more than a few hours without a hit...but now i think it's time for me to share my story. maybe, through my admission, i can help others find peace with their own addiction...

y'see, my drug of choice was - and still is - happiness.

now don't be mistaken - happiness is a drug. 100%.

we experience happiness as part of a chemical reaction in the brain which affects our serotonin neurotransmitters, exactly the same as when you take ecstasy (or so i'm told...ahem...), and happiness is often used as a coping mechanism when we need to feel better about ourselves and get through the dark times, again much like other drugs...

as for getting hooked on it, well that's the easiest part of all - happiness is the most addictive thing on the market today!

we see it, we want it; we taste it, we need it; we we try it, we crave it, and once we have it in our system, you better believe that we'll go to some crazy lengths to get that feeling again!

it sends us wild - it can make us do things we wouldn't dream of while sober! for instance, extensive research into this drug has shown me that common symptoms include:

• smiling more often and more widely
• freedom from worry or preoccupation (although this can be seen as both cause and reaction)
• a propensity to talk (and be nice) to strangers
• a willingness to indulge in spontaneous action
• a deeper appreciation for what matters in life and a greater sense of perspective on our priorities

you must recognise the signs, right? you've surely seen all of these in others at some point? in fact, looking back at your younger days you might even recognise a time when you exhibited these same effects of chemical exploration...and that's the final point i need to make about happiness - it's contagious!

we can be taking it without even knowing it...we can be getting high from a friend's buzz and before we know it we're smiling and grinning and who knows - maybe even laughing!

well, i'm coming to terms with my addiction - i can't see me getting 'clean' or wanting to get clean anytime soon...i'm having too good a time today for any of that talk, but they say the most important step is admitting you're addicted...

well sweetness, i'm addicted - i'm 100% hooked on happiness and happy to be!

and seeing as i've taken the plunge and come clean, i've got to ask - when was the last time you took a hit of pure, uncut joy, huh?

just a thought...