4 ms·
There’s a big difference between psychological addiction and physical dependency. At some point during addiction your body depends on these substances to opera
by almost_usual 2y ago
There’s a big difference between psychological addiction and physical dependency.
At some point during addiction your body depends on these substances to operate and stopping becomes much more difficult. Alcoholics need to taper or take benzodiazepines to quit otherwise they may seize or die when going through withdrawals.
I would say anyone who begins drinking to numb the feeling of withdrawals (morning or middle of the night) is beginning the journey of serious alcoholism. That’s not really a craving it’s more of a need at that point.
- sublinear 2y agoI can only speak for my own drinking, but tapering off is as natural as other forms of long term planning. The drinking tends to fall off the calendar like anything else. I'm not saying alcoholism isn't a thing, but the way some people discuss alcohol seems like they're blaming the symptoms rather than the root cause. Low impulse control, not seeking novelty enough, and otherwise living a messy life is the actual problem.
- wongarsu 2y agoBoth play a role. But in my experience for most common addictions the psychological component is the bigger issue. The physical dependency can't be ignored and is something you have to manage when quitting, but what brings people back is usually the psychological addiction. Of course this depends on the addiction. With some hard drugs or coffee the physical dependency is the bigger factor