Am I normal? Part 1.

The first in a three-part series hosted by clinical psychologist Tanya Byron. This part attempts to pin down what addiction actually is and when a relatively harmless desire to do something out of habit or pleasure tips over into a life-altering addiction. Can behaviours be considered to be a serious addiction in the same way as heroine or alcohol addictions? Teresa Chase describes her addiction to Heroin, Michelle Hart talks about her addiction to computer games, Vikki Clark was addicted to gambling and Lance Tracy was addicted to internet porn. Interspersed are the opinions of expert psychologists, evidence from brain scans and details of alternative treatments including equine-assisted therapy and thought-field therapy. Finally, is addiction a physiological illness or are we just less able these days to control our impulses?