Discussion How do you define addiction?

[BetweenRadioStations]

How do you define addiction?

This question interests me because on a base level we are all addicted to something whether it be certain foods, media, porn, relationships, anime, etc. However, when do you feel it crosses into the territory of addiction as most of us would think of it. What line must be crossed for a person to be considered a porn addict, food addict, drug addict, etc. When does an addict become an addict.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts,
Thanks.

 

[Celerity]

I know I'm an alcoholic for 3 reasons: I can't seem to stop despite knowing I should, I often crave alcohol more than good food or masturbation or anything else I enjoy, and (most importantly) I like who I am and how I see the world better when I'm in that beautiful place just shy of room-spinning drunk.

Alcohol is filling a hole in my psyche that I haven't yet found another patch for. I can curb my intake for days at a time, but I can't imagine a life now where I don't love the feeling of being drunk.

 

[Freedom Believer]

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

"Just one more time, then I'll stop." That's what I said all the time. It takes doing something different for something to change. I'm happy to say that the cycle is over, permanently.

 

[Alwaysbadtime]

It's like having a job you don't get paid for.

 

[Celerity]

It's like having a job you don't get paid for.

I couldn't resist.

"It's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it, if it were easy." -

Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)

Not sure if that is from the book, but whoever wrote it knows a little something about alcoholism.

 

[GenesAndEnvironment]

Guess I'd make a 2d spectrum. The x-axis: on one end there is drinking water and on the other end is the hardest of hard drugs. The y-axis: no effect on pursuing goals to obliterating goals completely.

 

[everydayiloveyou]

When using the substance starts to mess with other parts of your life. Functional impairment.

e.g. can't keep a job because you come to work drunk. Having fights with family and friends because they want to spend time with you, but you *need* to play video games. Smoking weed all the time, always think about smoking weed, only make friends with people who smoke weed, and suggest to everyone that they should smoke weed to cure whatever disease they have. Meanwhile you are so busy doing weed-related things that you don't do your homework or clean your room.

 

[FuneralCry]

I think it reaches the point of addiction when you have a lack of control, you cannot stop yourself from overeating for example and you feel empty when you are not doing it. I see it as becoming an addiction when it dominates your life and becomes the only thing you focus on, and it begins to be detrimental to your functioning.

 

[Tomoko]

When the pain is bad enough to warrant a less hurtful pain as a means of distraction.

 

[BetweenRadioStations]

When the pain is bad enough to warrant a less hurtful pain as a means of distraction.

This is a very unique definition compared to the rest, or what is usually said, in my experience. To me your definition is more of a basic explanation of how people get there while the rest of the answers are the bi-product of that. Thanks for sharing :)

 

[Kattt]

It's important to separate addiction and dependence
I consider addiction to be quantified by the horrendous withdrawal symptoms that assail you when your DOC is unavailable.
Dependence is the need to use a certain substance to cope with life

 

[BetweenRadioStations]

It's important to separate addiction and dependence
I consider addiction to be quantified by the horrendous withdrawal symptoms that assail you when your DOC is unavailable.
Dependence is the need to use a certain substance to cope with life

That's a real neat distinction. I've never heard it put like that.
Thanks!

 

[Kattt]

That's a real neat distinction. I've never heard it put like that.
Thanks!

it might be pure babbling from an addled brain

 

[Fakereality]

Life itself is an addiction.

 

[jing]

Hi I'm ringdingjingaling and I'm an addict. :P

I feel like I truly had and exercised control when I said fuck you to my substance of choice, that I'll take a pass today and I went to do something else. Right before that, no matter how logical or sensible I was, I was thinking of it, my next fix. I feel like that's my definition of addiction. And right after making the decision, I went on with my life feeling that I've gained back some control and a weight lifted off my mind.

 

[BetweenRadioStations]

Hi I'm ringdingjingaling and I'm an addict. :P

I feel like I truly had and exercised control when I said fuck you to my substance of choice, that I'll take a pass today and I went to do something else. Right before that, no matter how logical or sensible I was, I was thinking of it, my next fix. I feel like that's my definition of addiction. And right after making the decision, I went on with my life feeling that I've gained back some control and a weight lifted off my mind.

I'm not sure if I'm following you so correct me if I'm wrong. Are you defining addiction as the inability to stop obsessing about something even though you have been able to white knuckle it and stay sober???

 

[jing]

I'm not sure if I'm following you so correct me if I'm wrong. Are you defining addiction as the inability to stop obsessing about something even though you have been able to white knuckle it and stay sober???

Yes, that may be one of the aspect of it. That you're still obsessing over it even when you're not doing/using your DOC. In a way It still holds power over you, no?

 

[rosie93]

It's like having a job you don't get paid for.

Hahahaha lol! Exactly!