What Is An Addiction? Your views on what can be included an addiction

[velma 6]

Hello everyone,The other day I was talking to a couple of my friends and as I was nagging them to stop smoking one of them said that my nagging too is sort of an addiction like their smoking. I mean the fact that the habit of nagging is considered an addiction.That set me thinking that for all we know, Everything that we do might be an addiction, our computers,books, videogames, Junk food.I totally agree that Iam addicted to food,books, talking and games. Dont you think that posting too is an addiction in a way?Freaky but so cool.I'd love to hear about what you define as an addiction and I would love to hear yoursCheers

[shadowx 0]

Good question. On the internet an addiction is defined, very well, as:

Strong emotional and /or psychological dependence on a substance such as alcohol or drugs that has progressed beyond voluntary control.

i think that is a perfect and simple description of an addiction. As with smoking they become dependent on it and they cant voluntarily just stop because they will feel terrible and start again, it takes an awful lot more to stop like limitless amounts of determination, will power and im sure there will be some suffering in the form of withdrawal symptoms like headaches, maybe depression for a while.

Because of that i wouldnt say that everything we do is an addiction, though i do think im addicted to computers, when my laptop broke i just didnt know what to do with myself, its ridiculous really! I could watch TV but then id get bored of that, id miss being on forums like this, talking to my friends on IM and such like. Not the same kind of addiction as smoking or drugs though id still say its an addiction.

And like you food gets me every time. It gives comfort, and im sure it releases endorphins which make me happy, it tastes nice etc... but withdrawal symptoms come in the form of death because youre not eating! So again its different to something like drugs but id still say you can be addicted to food!

caffeine is another that i think millions are "addicted" too, like my dad he gets headaches without his coffee! And i cant wake in the mornings without some form of caffeine, im sluggish the whole day through unless i get my "hit" of it in the mornings! You might be able to tell im drinking strong tea which has caffeine in it which is why my last two post have been rather long!

and also what i like about that description above is the fact it mentions a psychological dependence, so things like books and talking could possibly become addictive in ways like you "miss" having a book to read and get on a bit of a downer and dont know what to do with yourself and i guess that would be considered an addiction of sorts.

Interesting thread, id like to see what others think of this.

[Laurie 0]

The word 'addiction' is usually thought to refer to something bad. I feel that it is just a state of being. It can be negative or postitive depending on what you do with your addiction. If it makes your life more difficult or gives you a lower standard of living I would probably think of it as something negative. However, if it gives you something to do with your time and energy that doesn't make your life worse, then it could be thought of as something positive. I consider myself addicted to spending my time at the computer, but others may just see it as an obsession. However, I don't like it when I am forced to be away from doing something that makes me feel good about myself and be in contact with other people. This is what I get from being at my computer. I am attempting to develop some other more active pursuits so that the physical aspect of my life will be more healthful and capable. There are many times when I will sit down at the computer intending to just catch up on the latest posts and I will find myself still sitting there hours later without having used the restroom, gotten any food or moved at all from the chair. Is that an addiction? I am hoping to make it an addiction to stand up at least once an hour. That way my body will be craving it and I am more likely to do it. I have broken a couple of ribs and I need to do gentle exercise to get me back to being able to move effectively. I'm very certain that I don't want to get addicted to the pain medications that are available to me. But I don't mind being addicted to the mood stabilizer medications that my doctor and I have determined are effective in treating my mood swings. I have physical responses when I don't take them for a few days. It is better for me to take them. This I feel is a positive addiction. I require food, water and sleep but I don't think I would call them addictions. My boyfriend was/is a smoker. He has quit, but I think the addictive tendencies are still there and it would be easy for him to start again. If someone determines that they are addicted to something and then they quit doing it, are they still addicted? How long would it take away from the behavior to determine that they are not addicted anymore? I feel that someone facing an addiction should determine what the results of the behavior are and consider whether the cost is worth the benefits gained. If not, then what actions can they take to eliminate that behavior? I am addicted to my sedentary lifestyle and am on the borderline of changing to a more active one. I still don't know what it will take to push me into action. Any suggestions as to what I could use as the 'on' button to get me going?

[narutorasengan17 0]

i am addicted to "fixing my website" lol, since all the hosts i have been to before this one have crashed, im always backing up my website and forum and uploading it to a new server, lolz, so whenever my friends call me or IM me, theyd be like wutcha doin? me: fixing my website!! lolanother addiction is anime!!!! i love anime, if an anime series comes out, i will watch it from start to finish, not missing a single episode, not a single detail is missed, and im always on the anime discussion boards!, some people think that people that like anime are freaks...but its not like that

[FLaKes 0]

I think everybody has got an addiction, wether they like to accept it or not. I think it would be wierd or freaky to find someone has does or has not had an addiction in his whole life.

[Empy 0]

Well they say that if you drink more then 2 glasses of beer each you are an acoholic. I usually drink about 8-12 beer a day but I'm never drunk, so I find it hard to say if it's an addiction or not. Really, people always go around saying well they try not to drink for a week, well I know I can do that so I should be fine really. The thing is, I don't really feel anything with the normal amount of beer I drink, it just tastes better then erm.. well whatever you guys drink.

[narutorasengan17 0]

Well they say that if you drink more then 2 glasses of beer each you are an acoholic. I usually drink about 8-12 beer a day but I'm never drunk, so I find it hard to say if it's an addiction or not. Really, people always go around saying well they try not to drink for a week, well I know I can do that so I should be fine really. The thing is, I don't really feel anything with the normal amount of beer I drink, it just tastes better then erm.. well whatever you guys drink.

lol, it doesnt have to have side affects to be an addiction, but the fact that u drink so much in a single day makes it appear as if it is an addiction, but that also depends on your ability to quit when the time comes to quit...

[Smack 0]

An addiction is simply the physical or mental dependence on a substance. Though the definition on a substance can be considered sketchy. I believe you can become addicted to anything - television (many people are definately addicted to this, people just got to watch their soaps!), gambling, athletics (running - I've heard that exercising can cause a 'natural high' which people may then become addicted to), sex *who isn't addicted to this?*, video games (apparently a young girl from Asia died because of exhaustion from playing World of Warcraft - she stayed up a straight week or something of the sort), and of course people can become addicted to drugs. Though not everything is as addicting as the next thing, addiction largely depends on the 'user' or person. People who have a strong will may find that they do not become addicted to anything but the hardest of drugs or most seductive of their desires.

[gisellebebegirl 0]

Hello everyone,
The other day I was talking to a couple of my friends and as I was nagging them to stop smoking one of them said that my nagging too is sort of an addiction like their smoking. I mean the fact that the habit of nagging is considered an addiction.

That set me thinking that for all we know, Everything that we do might be an addiction, our computers,books, videogames, Junk food.

I totally agree that Iam addicted to food,books, talking and games. Dont you think that posting too is an addiction in a way?

Freaky but so cool.

I'd love to hear about what you define as an addiction and I would love to hear yours

Cheers

well an addiction is something you cant seem to stop doing

whether it makes you happy when you do it

or even if just thinking about obtaining from it makes you anxious

i know im addicted to myspace/photoshop/youtube/guys =)

[Liam_CF 0]

My brother is addicted to runescape.It's very annoying. I want to stop him playing but I can't.

[polter 0]

I know a friend who's addicted to sex. Most of us are fond of it but this guy's totally obsessed. He's got the largest collection of pornography and watch them any time he can. All he ever talks about is the chicks he's been with today, yesterday, high school. I don;t know what to do with him. Maybe I should refer him to a therapist...

[patrickcurl 0]

I'm totally addicted to sugar, and soda, and it totally sucks. I weigh 530 lbs. I'd like to be on biggest loser, and maybe finally lose the weight, but that might be scary too. But hey it's life, right? Maybe I'll make $100,000 this year with my blog, and be able to pay for gastric bypass surgery.

[craz 0]

Well i think an addiction is an uncontrollable craving, or seeking for something. Sometimes is could be referred as compulsive drug use, psychological dependence, and continuing use despite harm.Well I think my addiction is the whole computer and internet thing, I couldn't live without it. And I use it whenever I have the time to. Sometimes I procrastinate with work because I am addicted to it.

Edited December 23, 2007 by craz (see edit history)

[techclave 0]

yeah.... if you see if we think logically, everything that we do in excess is an addiction. for example, sleeping for long hours, drinking tea or coffee more than 2-3 cups a day, always exercising etc etc. but, the key is if we can easily change or come out of that habit then i don't thing it is a addiction. it is just lack of motivation to come out of the habit. see, i have the habit of siting before the computer for a very long tme at a streach. but i can easily stop sitting before it if there is any other work to do. so i think it is not a addiction. it is just because i am not motivated enough to not sit before the computer for a long time. hope you get my point...

[LiveHiFi 0]

Hello everyone,
The other day I was talking to a couple of my friends and as I was nagging them to stop smoking one of them said that my nagging too is sort of an addiction like their smoking. I mean the fact that the habit of nagging is considered an addiction.

That set me thinking that for all we know, Everything that we do might be an addiction, our computers,books, videogames, Junk food.

I totally agree that Iam addicted to food,books, talking and games. Dont you think that posting too is an addiction in a way?

Freaky but so cool.

I'd love to hear about what you define as an addiction and I would love to hear yours

Cheers

Addiction to me is really defined by unhealthy behavior that affects you or others negatively, and is uncontrollable and often unobserved.

In that, I'd say I am in no way an addict.

However, I like to think that I am addicted to:

-My girlfriend, gawd she's gorgeous
-My computer, it's... a tool. Hahah.
-My car, 72' red vw super beetle. HOW THE HELL NOT?
-My family, I can't live without them
-My studies, they give me purpose