3 ms·

I feel like the definition should just be "Addiction can be defined as a persistent, compulsive need to use a substance". Surely one can be addicted even if it

I feel like the definition should just be "Addiction can be defined as a persistent, compulsive need to use a substance". Surely one can be addicted even if it doesn't have negative consequences right?

Mezzie 5y ago
Yeah, this is a major omission and it is also why you see so many functional addicts who don't think they have a problem. Also it means that who is considered an 'addict' is partially socially constructed: Some people have jobs that will randomly drug test for weed, so if they smoke daily and lose their job, they're addicts, but since my job is remote and doesn't care, I could be high as a kite most nights and not be an 'addict' since it didn't cause issues.
- leetcrew 5y ago
  I mean yeah, different jobs come with different obligations. showing up high to a construction site is a problem in a way that being high during your shift at a dispensary is not. I dunno if that's "socially constructed"; it seems like a very real safety issue to me. it's unfortunate that we can't test for acute cannabis intoxication the way we can with alcohol, but I'm sure we'll get there in time. more generally, I would push back on the idea that someone isn't experiencing consequences just because they manage to hold a job. spending all your nonworking time intoxicated is not usually the path to a fulfilling personal life. the consequences are there whether the person sees them or not.
sgc 5y ago
I agree, but it's still not a good definition. People are also addicted to porn, gambling, to sports (the 'hyperfit'), or to doing nothing, etc. Activities / experiences / behaviours are addictive, which shows that it is not as simple as just a physiological response to various substances. I have an addictive personality. I have to watch my routines since I fall into ruts very easily, just about anything I do can do it.
leetcrew 5y ago
I guess, but if there truly are zero negative consequences, it's not really a problem that needs to be solved. I have a compulsion to have one or two cups of coffee every morning. is it useful to describe myself as a coffee addict?
- k3liutZu 5y ago
  > is it useful to describe myself as a coffee addict? I don't know whether it's useful, but it suits the definition. We do enjoy this coffee, we do drink it regularly, and we do crave it when we don't have it. I'd say addiction sums it up.
  - leetcrew 5y ago
    I disagree. word definitions are not handed to us by god; we get to choose useful ones. to me, the "negative consequences" bit is what makes "addiction" more specific than "habit", which can be of bad, neutral, or even good quality. maybe exercise would have been a better example. there are people who damage themselves through compulsive overtraining, but there is often a compulsive element to moderate exercise. a person with a solid 5x1hr/week regimen will often feel bad if they miss a day and be very reluctant to do so. but this is not a bad thing at all; it is a very healthy habit.
heikkilevanto 5y ago
By that definition, I must be addicted to oxygen, food, water, and a number of other substances.

Mezzie 5y ago

Yeah, this is a major omission and it is also why you see so many functional addicts who don't think they have a problem. Also it means that who is considered an 'addict' is partially socially constructed: Some people have jobs that will randomly drug test for weed, so if they smoke daily and lose their job, they're addicts, but since my job is remote and doesn't care, I could be high as a kite most nights and not be an 'addict' since it didn't cause issues.

leetcrew 5y ago
I mean yeah, different jobs come with different obligations. showing up high to a construction site is a problem in a way that being high during your shift at a dispensary is not. I dunno if that's "socially constructed"; it seems like a very real safety issue to me. it's unfortunate that we can't test for acute cannabis intoxication the way we can with alcohol, but I'm sure we'll get there in time. more generally, I would push back on the idea that someone isn't experiencing consequences just because they manage to hold a job. spending all your nonworking time intoxicated is not usually the path to a fulfilling personal life. the consequences are there whether the person sees them or not.

sgc 5y ago

I agree, but it's still not a good definition. People are also addicted to porn, gambling, to sports (the 'hyperfit'), or to doing nothing, etc. Activities / experiences / behaviours are addictive, which shows that it is not as simple as just a physiological response to various substances. I have an addictive personality. I have to watch my routines since I fall into ruts very easily, just about anything I do can do it.

leetcrew 5y ago

I guess, but if there truly are zero negative consequences, it's not really a problem that needs to be solved. I have a compulsion to have one or two cups of coffee every morning. is it useful to describe myself as a coffee addict?

k3liutZu 5y ago
> is it useful to describe myself as a coffee addict? I don't know whether it's useful, but it suits the definition. We do enjoy this coffee, we do drink it regularly, and we do crave it when we don't have it. I'd say addiction sums it up.
- leetcrew 5y ago
  I disagree. word definitions are not handed to us by god; we get to choose useful ones. to me, the "negative consequences" bit is what makes "addiction" more specific than "habit", which can be of bad, neutral, or even good quality. maybe exercise would have been a better example. there are people who damage themselves through compulsive overtraining, but there is often a compulsive element to moderate exercise. a person with a solid 5x1hr/week regimen will often feel bad if they miss a day and be very reluctant to do so. but this is not a bad thing at all; it is a very healthy habit.

heikkilevanto 5y ago

By that definition, I must be addicted to oxygen, food, water, and a number of other substances.