Thread: Addiction

In the 'What is Love' catagory, I stated a thought that love and addition are the same thing, or at least similar. Given more thought, it seems that love is not the only thing addiction can be related with.

What I mean to say is that I believe addiction can be applied to much more than drugs, and even finite things. Is it possible for a person to be addicted to another person? An idea?

Originally Posted by llantas

In the 'What is Love' catagory, I stated a thought that love and addition are the same thing, or at least similar. Given more thought, it seems that love is not the only thing addiction can be related with.

What I mean to say is that I believe addiction can be applied to much more than drugs, and even finite things. Is it possible for a person to be addicted to another person? An idea?

A person can be mentally and/or physically addicted to virtually anything.

To put it simply: Yes, a person can be addicted to another. Normally due to imbalances in brain chemistry that make you impossibly (and sometimes dangerously) attached to the person.

This isn't to be confused with dependancy. Dependancy normally comes from another line of psychological problems.

I agree. People can get addictive to almost everything. But, there's a difference between psychological and physical addictions and it also depend of the legality.


I mean, you can be addictive to coffee or alcohol but those addictions has not the same consenquences as to be addictive to illegal substances in terms of societal norms.

You get into a very gray area when you attempt to separate psychological and physical addiction. One who goes to the gym every day is, in some cases, addicted to both the endorphin rush, as well as the body image, comfortable routine they accrue. Just like my cigarettes, I don't feel as well without exercising daily. Alcoholics are physically addicted, but that addiction can frequently flourish with all the associations of good times, promiscuous sex and adventure that goes with constant debauchery. Love also mixes, depending upon an "addict." Some may be dangerous, as you said, but others let such an inherent and genetically explicit addiction thrive and improve them. Addiction to emotion can be like a drug, or like any enjoable feeling.

yeah, mostly all addictions can be both but the difference is important for treatment. The line is very fine.

yeah, people can be addicted both physically and mentally, but i think most forms of addiction operate on a mental level. i smoked for 10 years, and quit cold turkey about a year ago. yeah, i still feel 'physical' cravings, but after looking back on those 10 years, i feel my addiction was mental. i liked to have a cigarette while driving, or just passing the time. i wasn't really craving one physically, it was usually just habitual.

cigarettes are mostly psychological. Mainly due to the fact they become insta-stress relievers for many. similar to chewing gum, playing video games, etc. E.G: The fact you liked them especially while in the car. A car tends to be one of the most stressful situations in the day.

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

cigarettes are mostly psychological. Mainly due to the fact they become insta-stress relievers for many. similar to chewing gum, playing video games, etc. E.G: The fact you liked them especially while in the car. A car tends to be one of the most stressful situations in the day.

I think you will find cigarettes are a chemical addiction, for some reason some people seem to be more susceptible to this particular chemical addiction - which may be genetic and may be why some find it easy to give up and others cannot.

Well, I don't think the chemical addiction is that bad. The stress relief factor appears to be more of an addictive phase, since almost everybody who tries to stop say something regarding it being stress relief. Unless the chemical does that.

Perhaps I could offer a link:-

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8628

I concede there, but that doesn't rule out psychological addiction. >.>

Originally Posted by Megabrain

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

cigarettes are mostly psychological. Mainly due to the fact they become insta-stress relievers for many. similar to chewing gum, playing video games, etc. E.G: The fact you liked them especially while in the car. A car tends to be one of the most stressful situations in the day.

I think you will find cigarettes are a chemical addiction, for some reason some people seem to be more susceptible to this particular chemical addiction - which may be genetic and may be why some find it easy to give up and others cannot.

There are two problems here. First of all, there is no difference between the psychological and biochemical. What we are is not caused by biochemistry - we are that biochemistry.
Second, there is quite a bit of rhetoric when it comes to nicotine addiction, it being purely psychological is uttered by various end-addiction-quickly gurus.

I concede there, but that doesn't rule out psychological addiction.

I see that "Got a Nietzsche?" made an excellent post remarking upon the difficulty of this.

Note that "DSM-IV" speaks of abuse and dependence. Addiction is riddled with semantics which makes an honest discussion nigh impossible.


Mr U

yaaa it may b possible, but only if the boundaries r extended, however the affected person should understand that addiction will leave nothing on his part!!!!

8) well, I am addicted to compulsive gambling and am emotionally codependent, but I think that addictions have root causes from our childhood. Its no coincidence that both my parents were gamblers, I believe.

Originally Posted by Phatticus

8) well, I am addicted to compulsive gambling and am emotionally codependent, but I think that addictions have root causes from our childhood. Its no coincidence that both my parents were gamblers, I believe.

Yes in that sense this is a pattern of behaviour that you have learned.
now you have recognised you have a problem, you can easily go and deal with it.