I skimmed the article and thought I found it when I got to the section titled "Key points – How to know if you’re addicted", in the middle of the article; but again this section didn't give a list of things to look out for...
Maybe I missed it?
If that describes you, you likely have an addiction.
Surely one can be addicted even if it doesn't have negative consequences right?
Also it means that who is considered an 'addict' is partially socially constructed: Some people have jobs that will randomly drug test for weed, so if they smoke daily and lose their job, they're addicts, but since my job is remote and doesn't care, I could be high as a kite most nights and not be an 'addict' since it didn't cause issues.
more generally, I would push back on the idea that someone isn't experiencing consequences just because they manage to hold a job. spending all your nonworking time intoxicated is not usually the path to a fulfilling personal life. the consequences are there whether the person sees them or not.
People are also addicted to porn, gambling, to sports (the 'hyperfit'), or to doing nothing, etc. Activities / experiences / behaviours are addictive, which shows that it is not as simple as just a physiological response to various substances.
I have an addictive personality. I have to watch my routines since I fall into ruts very easily, just about anything I do can do it.
I don't know whether it's useful, but it suits the definition. We do enjoy this coffee, we do drink it regularly, and we do crave it when we don't have it.
I'd say addiction sums it up.
maybe exercise would have been a better example. there are people who damage themselves through compulsive overtraining, but there is often a compulsive element to moderate exercise. a person with a solid 5x1hr/week regimen will often feel bad if they miss a day and be very reluctant to do so. but this is not a bad thing at all; it is a very healthy habit.
If I keep consuming coffee when I'm tired despite the negative consequences, I could be addicted to it. All desires are "genuine" but many desires are harmful to yourself or to others. If that doesn't prevent you from indulging, you should analyze it and probably try to stop.
When the activity is a consciousness altering chemical and you compulsively use it despite the negative consequences to you or others.
Are there negative consequences to me or others? Not that I can identify. The literature has no good study that suggests any long-term health problems with coffee consumption.
But I will feel out of sorts if I suddenly stop. I'll be fine again after a few days. But it seems certain there is a chemical dependence. This does not fit your definition of addiction, but it seems odd to claim that my daily coffee consumption is not, at the least, a light addiction?
It's placed under "Reflect on urges and motivation," with the points:
"Do you recognise your feelings and behaviour in any of the signs below?
"-You need an increasing amount of alcohol or drugs to feel a buzz or high.
-You feel an urgency to get the first drink or drug of the day.
-You experience a loss of interest in other activities and an increased desire to get ‘high’ or ‘buzzed’.
-You try to quit or cut down on the use of alcohol or drugs but can’t.
-You will do almost anything to get the drug or alcohol."
This segment is particularly more difficult to find at the first glance, as it's in the middle of the broader "What to do" section, versus at the start or end of the section. These points of the article may have been a more suitable fit under the emphasized "Key points" section.