Addiction is always an escape from something. What you escape to is happenstance, and people who have a tendency to get addicted often just find another addiction after leaving one, unless they can face the thing that they're escaping from.
But habit is also a strong force. Whatever you do repeatedly will train your brain to return to those thought patterns automatically. Find other associations for your daily events.
I escape from obligations and social pressure by closing myself off and coding. But I don't really think it has been enough of a hindrance in my life to do anything about it. Often it has been to my benefit (e.g. career) and it's a way to recharge my batteries.
Maybe you just need to find a replacement addiction that makes you happy. Try tea.
Because women are socialized (and possibly genetically predisposed) to be better at building community and having many close relationships, often more physically intimate as well (touching, hugs etc). So men are less equipped to live alone.
The first two thirds of that book took me at least a month to read. Somewhere around the last third I couldn't put it down and kept reading until the end. By then it was 4 AM and I got only a couple of hours of sleep, but it was worth it. Needless to say, it's not the same thrill when you already know how it ends.
BTW: absolutely do not watch the movie before reading the book. It's much worse but still spoils the story. You'll rob yourself of the first read.
Leave me out of this