Loving someone who struggles with addiction can feel like living in a constant state of alert. You watch closely. You worry deeply. You replay conversations, manage crises, and try to anticipate what might go wrong next. Over time, this way of living becomes exhausting — emotionally, mentally, and physically. If this sounds familiar, you are not weak, broken, or failing. You are responding to something that is incredibly difficult. Addiction does not affect only one person; i

The Invisible Corporate Liability For corporate South Africa, the greatest risk to productivity, reputation, and talent retention isn't market volatility—it's the untreated addiction  silently managed by high-functioning employees. Addiction, whether rooted in substance use or a behavioral process, is a business risk. It leads to compromised decision-making, volatile performance, and significant corporate exposure. Treating this reality requires a strategic shift. We must mov

When Shopping Takes Over: How to Break the Cycle Reading Time:  4 minutes The parcel arrives. You hide it before your partner gets home, shoving it into the back of the wardrobe with the others still in their packaging. The brief rush you felt clicking "buy now" at 2 a.m. has already dissolved into familiar dread. Another credit card statement you can't face opening. Another conversation you'll need to deflect about where the money went. You tell yourself this time will be di

Break Free from Compulsive Gaming Reading Time:  4 minutes The notification pings. Your guild needs you for a raid. Just one more hour, you tell yourself, knowing it's already been eight today. The sun has set, risen, and set again whilst you've been in front of your screen. Your phone buzzes with messages you won't answer, emails about missed shifts you'll delete without reading, and reminders about deadlines that feel impossibly distant compared to the immediate rush of lev