This is what addiction is:

Introducing an external chemical into your body for a period of time long enough that your personal body chemistry alters itself and incorporates the external chemical in such a way that it can't properly function without it.

That's it.

You are not addicted to sex. You are not addicted to shopping.

Sex and shopping provide pleasure, which is the release of serotonin, a chemical already present in your body. You are not addicted to it, just as you are not addicted to adrenaline or to testosterone. Calling yourself addicted to sex or shopping (or anything similar) is simply a cop out so you don't have to take responsibility for the choices that you make that give you pleasure. Embrace your choices or make different ones, but stop being a pussy.

Addiction is not a disease, since it can be overcome. Diseases are never overcome. They are either cured or maintained. So alcoholism is an addiction to the chemical ethyl alcohol. Nothing more.

So remember, if what you are doing does not involve the introduction of an external chemical into your body chemistry, you are not addicted. You just really, really, really like it.

Just thought I'd clear that up.