4 ms·

I disagree. Addiction is defined as: "a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)." Do you not put p

I disagree. Addiction is defined as: "a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)." Do you not put phone/internet usage into that category? In a 2-hour drive this morning I had three near-accidents all because of the drivers on their phones. Ask the average American 30-year-old to avoid their phone for 24 hours straight and that will be a significantly difficult task, one that actually causes physical reactions not too dissimilar from drug withdrawals. Not all addiction results in hopes of death.

thrwy111 11y ago
Then we need a new definition for what I know as addiction. I think your quoted definition may actually get in the way of helping addicts. There's no way that if society imagines addiction as merely a "strong and harmful need" that they'll ever be able to sympathize with people who have addictions as I know them. "Oh, you're trying to quit smoking? I quit Farmville once."
- nugga 11y ago
  I'm sure you know this but addiction isn't just the physical dependence where your body requires the stuff to feel normal or 'well' during withdrawal. Even then the strength of dependence varies rather than exists as a binary thing. You might feel anxious without your daily doses of caffeine or sleep worse and get the sweats after discontinuing weed. In the worst cases, with alcohol especially, you might even die during abrupt withdrawal. But there is also the psychological component (habituation, compulsion, behaviour). For example you might still be left with the strong compulsion to smoke even if you satisfy nicotine addiction through other means or feel empty or distressed if your computer dies and you can't get online.
  - sophacles 11y ago
    People make a very odd distinction between "physical" addiction and "psychological" addiction. I don't understand why, but I suspect it has something to do with "morals" and "strength". When its "just psychological" you'll see a lot of people who treat it as a personal failing, rather than an actual, difficult thing. Much like people treat depression and other mental illness.
- digler999 11y ago
  It sounds like you're just getting addiction confused with dependency.

thrwy111 11y ago

Then we need a new definition for what I know as addiction. I think your quoted definition may actually get in the way of helping addicts. There's no way that if society imagines addiction as merely a "strong and harmful need" that they'll ever be able to sympathize with people who have addictions as I know them. "Oh, you're trying to quit smoking? I quit Farmville once."

nugga 11y ago
I'm sure you know this but addiction isn't just the physical dependence where your body requires the stuff to feel normal or 'well' during withdrawal. Even then the strength of dependence varies rather than exists as a binary thing. You might feel anxious without your daily doses of caffeine or sleep worse and get the sweats after discontinuing weed. In the worst cases, with alcohol especially, you might even die during abrupt withdrawal. But there is also the psychological component (habituation, compulsion, behaviour). For example you might still be left with the strong compulsion to smoke even if you satisfy nicotine addiction through other means or feel empty or distressed if your computer dies and you can't get online.
- sophacles 11y ago
  People make a very odd distinction between "physical" addiction and "psychological" addiction. I don't understand why, but I suspect it has something to do with "morals" and "strength". When its "just psychological" you'll see a lot of people who treat it as a personal failing, rather than an actual, difficult thing. Much like people treat depression and other mental illness.
digler999 11y ago
It sounds like you're just getting addiction confused with dependency.