Stop Calling it an Addiction!

[Dirty Apple]

It's been a long held annoyance of mine that people will attach the word addiction to anything. I refuse to refer to anything that doesn't bear an adverse biological dependance as an addiction. Cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, perscription drugs, these are legitimate addictions. Gambling, television, and, of course, gaming aren't addictions, they're more in line Obsesive/Compulsive disorders. Show me one case where an individual has suffered withdrawal symptoms from lack of gambling, and I'll reconsider my position. Until then, it's only an addiction if there are negative physical aspects to its long term use and eventual removal.

This annoyance also applies to those who insist on re-branding addictions as diseases.
Last time I checked, one can't simply starve out lymphoma and hepatitis. As terribly awful as heroine withdrawal must be, it is survivable. I would love to be in the room and hear the self perscribing hop-head tell the Multiple Scelrosis patient that they belong in the same group.

Both of theses recent movements are just retconned attempts at buying into a higher funding level, and I think it's pathetic.

 

[McHanhan]

I do believe there are people that suffer from gambling withdrawals. They get more anxious and irritable, just like people that go cold turkey on smoking and such.

It's however not a disease. Thats something else entirely.

 

[zen5887]

In this thread - People thinking into something a little to much?

 

[Seasons of Bailey]

It's been a long held annoyance of mine that people will attach the word addiction to anything.

Kind of like how people use the word rape. I see where you're coming from, and I always have found it strange when people call drug addiction a disease. You can't quit a disease.

 

[smithy1234]

Those who consider gambling, television, gaming, etc. claim it's a psychological addiction. Which I find is a legitimate claim, although you can become psychologically addicted to anything (sex, chocolate, playing checkers).

 

[crudus]

Show me one case where an individual has suffered withdrawal symptoms from lack of gambling, and I'll reconsider my position.

Actually...my aunt had gambling withdrawals. The addiction comes into play from the endorphins supplied when she won money. This became a problem as any other addiction. She neglected her son, missed rent payments, occasionally didn't have money for food, etc. I can tell you her story and replace the words "gambling" with "crack" and you would believe me. Gambling isn't much different from smoking. Nicotine is a stimulant just like caffeine or dopamine which the brain can get used to and expect in regular intervals. The only difference is gambling is totally internal whereas smoking gets it externally.

 

[Pimppeter2]

I say we riot!

 

[Dirty Apple]

I do believe there are people that suffer from gambling withdrawals. They get more anxious and irritable, just like people that go cold turkey on smoking and such.

Are you putting "anxiety and irritability" on par with vomiting, cold sweats, and hallucinations?

Those who consider gambling, television, gaming, etc. claim it's a psychological addiction. Which I find is a legitimate claim, although you can become psychologically addicted to anything (sex, chocolate, playing checkers).

I hear what you're saying, but in my mind what seperates a legitimate addiction from an obsession is the physical need. The addictions your talking about are psycho-somatic at best. And that is short term at best.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Psychological addiction is a serious concern, and people who blow it off are being pretty callous. There's actually quite a few drugs (I think cocaine is one but I can't be bothered to check right now) that don't have a physical addiction side to them, and people are just getting addicted to the rush it gives them.

Heroin gives an addiction in the sense that if you stop taking it your body begins breaking down, which I assume is what you would label addiction, but there are plenty of drugs you can get 'addicted' to that don't have this physical component, so why shouldn't there be other things which are purely psychological.

People can get addicted to bizarre things like stamp collecting, model building, and when they aren't allowed to do them they suffer near exact symptoms to people going cold turkey, just with no literal physical dependence. There's a whole psychological theory that some people have addicive personalities, which lead them to become focused on things. (As a side bar, there's also people with anti-addictive personality, and a defining trait is that they don't believe people can get addicted to anything, and anyone who does is weak.)

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I don't think it falls within the range of obsessive compulsive disorder. Also funny you should bring that up, since it is another term that is thrown around frivolously.

Doxcology has it best. Psychological addiction. People become so reliant on a source of entertainment that it slowly consumes them. While in most cases it is small scale, the more severe examples are usually coupled with another mental condition.

 

[quiet_samurai]

God I love it when people take their own ideas and push them forward as facts.

People can be both physically and psychologically addicted to things. Are you an actual doctor that can clinically and factually refute this? Do you have the qualifications to categorize what is an addiction and what is an obsessive compulsive disorder?

Gambling is a good example, most people that are addicted to gambling cannot physically stop. Sure there isn't a chemical dependance, at least not an external dependance. But there certainly is an internal chemical dependance, gambling usually either makes them feel happy or normal just like a drug addict does about their dependancy.

What about sex addicts? Some people cannot physically go a day without fucking someone. It doesn't matter what they look like or if they are even attracted to them... all they care about is the act and probably the end result, which can also be a chemical dependancy if you understand the complex chemical miasma that goes on in your body during sex.

Also a psychiological dependancy is much stronger then a physical. It only takes about three days to a week to no longer be physically addicted to something, depending on the substance. But the psychological aspects is what brings people back to their dependancies over and over.

I do agree with you on calling an addiction a disease as bullshit, it's just an excuse so people won't have to take responsibility for their actions and use it as away to blame it on an external power they don't have control over.

Oh yeah, and people die from heroin withdrawls all the time.

 

[McHanhan]

I do believe there are people that suffer from gambling withdrawals. They get more anxious and irritable, just like people that go cold turkey on smoking and such.

Are you putting "anxiety and irritability" on par with vomiting, cold sweats, and hallucinations?

Those who consider gambling, television, gaming, etc. claim it's a psychological addiction. Which I find is a legitimate claim, although you can become psychologically addicted to anything (sex, chocolate, playing checkers).

I hear what you're saying, but in my mind what seperates a legitimate addiction from an obsession is the physical need. The addictions your talking about are psycho-somatic at best. And that is short term at best.

Yes I am. Vomiting, cold sweats, and hallucinations are not the only symptoms of withdrawals.

 

[Atheist.]

This just informs us how ignorant you are. The definition of addiction has nothing to do with withdrawls. Physical dependence is a category on its own. People can be psychologically addicted to many things, including gambling, gaming, etc.

It's been shown in studies that addiction to gambling stimulates the same parts of the brain as an addictive substance (ex. cocaine) and releases endorphins. People get addicted to the feelings associated with performing the task, and the chemicals released when they do it. All addictive behaviours work on immediate positive reinforcement, which is one of the basic criteria for defining whether or not something is innately addictive.

I've read enough case studies and research papers to scoff at what you assume. You seem to be confusing physical addiction as the only form of addiction, when it's clearly not the case. While addiction may be thrown around more than it should be for the masses, it certainly exists in forms outside of drugs.

Also an important note: You can experience withdrawls for opiates and benzos (Amongst others) without being psychologically addicted. Just figured I'd throw that out there.

 

[LeonLethality]

I say we riot!

seconded!
some guy in the background "what for?"
WHO CARES LETS RIOT!

 

[A Raging Emo]

I blame the violent media.

 

[Sneaky-Pie]

I say we riot!

Rabble, rabble, rabble!

 

[Puzzles]

It hurt when my parents too my WoW away, I was pretty irritable =P

I'm pretty sure alcohol is only psychologically addicting, unlike the other ones you listed... So that falls in with gambling and stuff.

 

[minarri]

This annoyance also applies to those who insist on re-branding addictions as diseases. Last time I checked, one can't simply starve out lymphoma and hepatitis. As terribly awful as heroine withdrawal must be, it is survivable. I would love to be in the room and hear the self perscribing hop-head tell the Multiple Scelrosis patient that they belong in the same group.

You sure you're comfortable with branding all mental illnesses as trifles?

 

[Dirty Apple]

Are you an actual doctor that can clinically and factually refute this? Do you have the qualifications to categorize what is an addiction and what is an obsessive compulsive disorder?

No, you're right I'm not a doctor. Congrats. But, since you're using that particular argument foil I'm assuming you a doctor. I refuse to put psychological addiction on the same level as the physical. If the release of endorphins nad similar neuro transmitters is the only requirement for psychological addiction, why aren't we all incapacitated with psychological addictions?

Spending time with my wife is one of my greatest pleasures. And I'm sure that in our 10 years together an avalanche's worth of feel good chemicals have been released in my brain. Where's my addiction?

 

[Carlston]

It's been a long held annoyance of mine that people will attach the word addiction to anything. I refuse to refer to anything that doesn't bear an adverse biological dependance as an addiction. Cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, perscription drugs, these are legitimate addictions. Gambling, television, and, of course, gaming aren't addictions, they're more in line Obsesive/Compulsive disorders. Show me one case where an individual has suffered withdrawal symptoms from lack of gambling, and I'll reconsider my position. Until then, it's only an addiction if there are negative physical aspects to its long term use and eventual removal.

This annoyance also applies to those who insist on re-branding addictions as diseases.
Last time I checked, one can't simply starve out lymphoma and hepatitis. As terribly awful as heroine withdrawal must be, it is survivable. I would love to be in the room and hear the self perscribing hop-head tell the Multiple Scelrosis patient that they belong in the same group.

Both of theses recent movements are just retconned attempts at buying into a higher funding level, and I think it's pathetic.

It's called Ican'tbeAccountableForMyOwnActionsitis.
Gambling lures people in with the promise of greed. But It is not something that you can't stop because it changes the chemicals in your brain...

Little edit here.
Same thing happens with The global warming bs. You spin doctor it to a end of the world problem for money. Recall the 80's, Captain Planet no raind forests by 2000? They are there and not because the goverments cared. Aid was to kill all human life by 2010? RIGHT.

Scientists don't get paid for, everything is ok they get paid for emergencies they imagine and prove on paper.

I want fund for my research "One hundred percent of all people born WILL DIE. I believe it is oxygen and water being taken into the body....it's a common link in all the death cases.