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There are definitely nuggets of truth to what you say, but I can say first hand that often the biggest challenge (after admitting your flaws, of course) in batt

There are definitely nuggets of truth to what you say, but I can say first hand that often the biggest challenge (after admitting your flaws, of course) in battling addiction is determining what exactly it is that I am missing. If things are going well in my life generally (marriage, work, friends, spiritually, etc) and yet I still feel the pull to this coping mechanism, why is that?! I don’t have any latent trauma that I’m aware of either. It can be utterly demoralizing and confusing to continually fail for seemingly no reason at all.

okmokmz 8y ago
Having a support system, and things in your life to focus on outside of your addiction, such as marriage, work, friends, spirituality is certainly important in recovering from addiction, but it is not a cure. It's perfectly normal to experience feelings of wanting to go back to what you were addicted to, especially in times of stress, sadness, or any other emotions you have a hard time handling. Relapsing, or feeling as if you want to go back to your addiction, is not a failure. As most recovering addicts will tell you, relapse is just another part of recovery
bluntfang 8y ago
>If things are going well in my life generally (marriage, work, friends, spiritually, etc) and yet I still feel the pull to this coping mechanism, why is that?! dopamine receptor abuse by these giant companies with a large line item for psychological research.
mbrock 8y ago
The internet is the most fascinating thing in the history of humanity. Of course you're "addicted" to it, why wouldn't you be? In the old days you would have been addicted to reading books, probably. Every second you're faced with the choice "should I do nothing in particular or should I reach into my pocket for the ultimate information entertainment device?" Why wouldn't you take a look at what the internet has to offer this minute? That might be a really interesting question to try to answer. Is there something else you'd rather be "addicted" to, some kind of less salty addiction, something more challenging?
- twodave 8y ago
  Actually I was speaking about addiction more generally, but yes actually there are lots of other things to be addicted to. Sex, drugs and alcohol immediately come to mind. The Internet, while quite interesting and addictive in its own right, does not provide quite the same physical sensations. And often the choice isn't between "nothing in particular" and your vice of choice. Part of what makes an addiction harmful is that when faced with a choice between healthy relationships and your addictive vice, you choose the vice (and ultimately isolation, which works to increase the grip of your addiction).

okmokmz 8y ago

Having a support system, and things in your life to focus on outside of your addiction, such as marriage, work, friends, spirituality is certainly important in recovering from addiction, but it is not a cure. It's perfectly normal to experience feelings of wanting to go back to what you were addicted to, especially in times of stress, sadness, or any other emotions you have a hard time handling. Relapsing, or feeling as if you want to go back to your addiction, is not a failure. As most recovering addicts will tell you, relapse is just another part of recovery

bluntfang 8y ago

>If things are going well in my life generally (marriage, work, friends, spiritually, etc) and yet I still feel the pull to this coping mechanism, why is that?! dopamine receptor abuse by these giant companies with a large line item for psychological research.

mbrock 8y ago

The internet is the most fascinating thing in the history of humanity. Of course you're "addicted" to it, why wouldn't you be? In the old days you would have been addicted to reading books, probably. Every second you're faced with the choice "should I do nothing in particular or should I reach into my pocket for the ultimate information entertainment device?" Why wouldn't you take a look at what the internet has to offer this minute? That might be a really interesting question to try to answer. Is there something else you'd rather be "addicted" to, some kind of less salty addiction, something more challenging?

twodave 8y ago
Actually I was speaking about addiction more generally, but yes actually there are lots of other things to be addicted to. Sex, drugs and alcohol immediately come to mind. The Internet, while quite interesting and addictive in its own right, does not provide quite the same physical sensations. And often the choice isn't between "nothing in particular" and your vice of choice. Part of what makes an addiction harmful is that when faced with a choice between healthy relationships and your addictive vice, you choose the vice (and ultimately isolation, which works to increase the grip of your addiction).