when are you technically “addicted” to something?

Question by t.: when are you technically “addicted” to something?
i use lortabs, pot, and alcohol quite often. i’ve tried to quit everything but bad times, and i end up back to them all, usually even harder then before. what i want to know is when can you technically say you have an “addiction”?

Best answer:

Answer by Tomiko
You can’t get enough of it, you can’t stop.

Answer by Maniac Gamer
You are addicted when you feel the need for it and the desire for the thing takes control of you.

Eric Clapton Speaks About Pattie Boyd And Alcohol Addiction In 1999 Interview – 60 Minutes with Ed Bradley.

Macklemore Opens Up About Drug & Alcohol Problems From his Past
During a new special for mtvU's "Half of Us" campaign, the "Thrift Shop" hitmaker gets candid about his drug and alcohol addiction that almost cost him his music career. "[When I actually drank for the first time, I was by myself," Macklemore explained … Read more on GossipCenter.com

Alcoholics Anonymous and Addiction Doctors Are Fighting an Outdated Battle
Alcohol abuse causes 79,000 premature deaths annually. It's one of the leading causes of morbidity, trailing closely behind tobacco, and it costs the economy more than $ 220 billion annually—that's $ 1.90 for every serving of alcohol consumed in the … Read more on Slate Magazine

Alcohol vs. Marijuana (Part 1)
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol remains the leading addictive substance consumed in the U.S. But according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is categorized as a Schedule I substance — in the … Read more on Town Hall