Addiction

[Lumps]

Ever been addicted to something? Let's all have open minds here. I'm sure there will be a couple smartass funny answers but a lot of the times a funny answer to an addiction is an actual addiction for someone out there. We are addicted to a lot of things especially in the modern era this could be video games, food, sex, drugs (legal too), porn, cigarrettes, phones, the internet, certain internet sites (ahem, think hard on that one), eating, gambling.

Addiction is, in the beginning, a matter of will but prolong addiction and habitual relapse are characteristics of gene expression as well; an 'addictive personality' if you will which also stems from biological, physiological and enviromental sources.

If you have been addicted to something how did you eventually stop or are you still addicted? You do not have to say what you are addicted to if you do not wish, I am more looking for how you either cope with your addiction now or insight on your successful (or failed) strategy to stop the addiction altogether.

Quoting from a quick google search, a bit vague (pysch today):

"Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance, or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work or relationships, even health. Users may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others."

[Sapper]

Substance dependency is actually not a disease nor technically an addiction. Once you get over that notion, you will be fine.

Source: (personal experience).

[Lumps]

Substance dependency is actually not a disease nor technically an addiction. Once you get over that notion, you will be fine.

Source: (personal experience).

This is what my graduate classes are teaching and is what is written in books by doctors. I never took a side really, just relied on education.Personal experience as a source has absolutley zero external validity. This is what I mean by keeping an open mind. Dependency isn't the disease, the diseases is the rate of wear down on physiological brain and body parts like recepters. After long use the brain can wire itself neurologically to function 'properly' more like 'normally' while on a drugs.

Asking them to just function without them is like someone forcing you to take the addicts drug of choice and just 'function properly, use your will'. You wouldn't be able to do it.This is why sometimes weaning someone off of drugs is a much better solution, and has less probability of relapse, which may or may not take more willpower depending on the individual.

The beginning of addiction is usually a matter of will but this is not nessecarily the case. For instance in volentary drug abuse, it is the case but what if you get addicted to pain pills your life once relied on. This is not a case of will really and to simple tell that person to stop isn't as easy as that. People have will before they start drusgs, that is why it destroys their life, it destroys their will. Telling someone whose will has been destroyed to recover by using will is not always the answer. Sometimes it is. This is what I mean by having an open mind.

Addiction is a disease. Do not go off of personal experience, educate yourself. Even a quick google search will give you 10x more empirical support for addiction to be a disease than not. Individual addictions do vary, some are a matter of mind of matter but others are not. A doctor would never dismiss family history when you confront him about an addiction, that isn't to measure your family's 'will' either.

A lot of the times if it only takes 'will' to just quit, doctors will not label you as addicted.

[Sapper]

This is what my graduate classes are teaching and is what is written in books by doctors. I never took a side really, just relied on education.Personal experience as a source has absolutley zero external validity. This is what I mean by keeping an open mind. Dependency isn't the disease, the diseases is the rate of wear down on physiological brain and body parts like recepters. After long use the brain can wire itself neurologically to function properly while on a drugs.

Asking them to just function without them is like someone forcing you to take that same drug and function properly. This is why sometimes weaning someone off of drugs is a much better solution, and has less probability of relapse, which may or may not take more willpower depending on the individual.

The beginning of addiction is usually a matter of will but this is not nessecarily the case. For instance in volentary drug abuse, it is the case but what if you get addicted to pain pills your life once relied on. This is not a case of will really and to simple tell that person to stop isn't as easy as that. People have will before they start drusgs, that is why it destroys their life, it destroys their will. Tellign someone who's will has been destroyed to recover by will is not always the answer. Sometimes it is. This is what I mean by having an open mind.

Addiction is a disease. Do not go off of personal experience, educate yourself. Even a quick google search will give you 10x more empirical support for addiction to be a disease than not. Individual addictions do vary, some are a matter of mind of matter but others are not. A doctor would never dismiss family history when you confront him about a disease, that isn't to measure their combined 'will' either.

Okay, What? I am in no way saying I have personally experienced substance abuse (hint: I have) but sorry, this comment is utterly insane. Personal experience has zero validity? Do not go off personal experience and educate yourself? Is your teacher the most moronic person on earth?

[Floppin]

Substance dependency is actually not a disease nor technically an addiction. Once you get over that notion, you will be fine.

Source: (personal experience).

Well technically it is. The reason addicts have lost control is because they have suffered permanent physical neurological changes based in their brains and nervous systems. The disorder manifests in long term obsessive-compulsive behaviors outside the realm of the addicts own control. It is true enough that the use of chemicals begins with chosen behavior. But if alcoholism or addiction develops, the problem has moved outside the realm of free choice. It has developed into a long term mental and physical neurological disorder. All the emotional 'feelings' involved in drug or alcohol seeking are based in neurology. Addiction is based in physical dependency created by altered neurotransmitter balances, and driven by millions upon millions of new living, functioning active neurological pathways which have been established to sustain the condition in the addicts brain. The new neurological pathways are permanently established, and they will not just disappear. The primary neurological disorder is only complicated by physical dependence on the substances. The physical dependence on the substances is secondary! Physical drug withdrawal does not change the underlying neurological addictive disorder. After drug withdrawal, long term overpowering cravings are predictable. These cravings are, in reality, spontaneous nerve impulses. Even in the longer term, overwhelming cravings are outside the addicts control.

Consider yourself lucky that you've over come some sort of physical dependence, but don't cheapen the issue because you did. The reality is that you may have not had the full neurological effects of addiction.

[Floppin]

Not everyone with a drug/alcohol abuse problem is an addict, once you realize this you will be more educated on the subject.

(source:personal experience and science)

[Sapper]

People do not come to the Huddle for advice on neurology. However, since we have established MDs on this board, allow me to clarify my statement.

The best way to get over a serious addiction is being familiar with the situation. Sorry for those that came into this thread looking for advice and getting a ctrl-A and ctrl-v WebMD post update. I must have let my experience get in the way of Yahoo! Search. Won't happen again, promise.

[Sapper]

ctrl-A THEN ctrl-c then finally ctrl-v....where have my manners gone?

[Razzy]

I didn't read this thread, I'm sure someone has already mentioned the difference between chemical dependency and mental addiction. I am currently trying to quit smoking. I have been smoking for almost a decade and it's starting to effect my health. I know I have to quit, but right now I've just been making an effort to cut down on my smoking. When I get really stressed and I want a smoke, it's mental addiction and easy to defeat. When I am physically shaking and unable to focus because my craving for nicotine has struck, that's a physical addiction.

[Floppin]

People do not come to the Huddle for advice on neurology. However, since we have established MDs on this board, allow me to clarify my statement.

The best way to get over a serious addiction is being familiar with the situation. Sorry for those that came into this thread looking for advice and getting a ctrl-A and ctrl-v WebMD post update. I must have let my experience get in the way of Yahoo! Search. Won't happen again, promise.

You're confusing mental addiction/abuse with physical addiction. Actual true addiction causes irreparable changes to your brain function. You will never be cured once you are an addict. You will always be an addict. That is why a life long support system is ESSENTIAL for true addicts.

[Lumps]

Okay, What? I am in no way saying I have personally experienced substance abuse (hint: I have) but sorry, this comment is utterly insane. Personal experience has zero validity? Do not go off personal experience and educate yourself? Is your teacher the most moronic person on earth?

Some would say you were not really addicted if you just stopped cold tukey and claim superior willpower. That doesn't make sense, its saying people want to be addicted to things, and just stop when they want. In reality even in a broken will powered state they don't want to be addicted as Floppin explained, but their body does.

My source do not like to be called teachers, they like to be called doctors, and I am sure their addict rehabilitation record is more successful than yours. I am not being treated by any of them, just learning. Also I did not say validity, of course your experience does. What I said was external validty, which is really hard to achieve in the area of disease.

This is not to compeltley disregard willpower. It plays a huge role in addiction but it isn't the only role and eventually in a lot of cases no longer is the 'star role'.

[Floppin]

And if you don't think that I don't have personal experience in this subject...well, you would be wrong. I have more drug charges than you can count on all your fingers and toes with three felony convictions and my wife has now been clean and serene in NA for over 16 months. My level of personal understanding is quite acute, but I am also very much more informed, on the medical side, than your average person - stemming from countless hours of personal research while attempting to improve myself and my family.

[Floppin]

An addict will die from their addiction without willpower. You need personal willpower to prevent yourself from giving in to your body once your brain has made those changes. You will need it for the rest of your life because your cravings will be the same from the day you quit till the day you die.

[Sapper]

You're confusing mental addiction/abuse with physical addiction. Actual true addiction cause irreparable changes to your brain function. You will never be cured once you are an addict. You will always be an addict. That is why a life long support system is ESSENTIAL for true addicts.

Okay, fair point. I will not challenge this in the least.