When is addiction addiction?

[Ennui]

Ah. A subject rather close to my heart. I like to describe it as when a 'want' suddenly becomes a 'need' when it is not in fact a necessity. It's almost an obsession in bad cases. You can't stop thinking about what you're addicted to and once you get it, begin to think about when you'll get it again.

 

[drysba]

Ah. A subject rather close to my heart. I like to describe it as when a 'want' suddenly becomes a 'need' when it is not in fact a necessity. It's almost an obsession in bad cases. You can't stop thinking about what you're addicted to and once you get it, begin to think about when you'll get it again.

Does you think an addiction can be stopped by will-power, or are external forces required to break this feeling of 'need'?

 

[Ennui]

Does you think an addiction can be stopped by will-power, or are external forces required to break this feeling of 'need'?

I think that depends on the person. There are people (who I am greatly jealous of) who can realize that they are harming themselves and find both an inner strength and will power to stop. Even in those people, it can either be incredibly difficult or easier than they imagined. However, there are also people who do need external forces. They may not know of methods to face/beat an addiction - outside help (like a therapist) can be beneficial. They may also find strength in support and encouragement from others.

I know that for me, it was a blend of the two worlds. I found out that my best friend was disappointed in me and I couldn't stand knowing that image was in his mind. I wanted to be the best friend I could be to him and I wasn't doing a good job at that. The desire to make him proud of me served as an external force, I suppose, and in that I had to find the will to continue making progress - something no one could give me in the long run but myself.

Wow, apparently I'm wordy tonight! Sorry about that... :]

 

[Skarekrow]

Does you think an addiction can be stopped by will-power, or are external forces required to break this feeling of 'need'?

As someone who has been on opioid pain medications for 10+ years....enough to kill someone who's body is not accustomed to taking them.
I recently needed to stop taking them as the high levels of the drugs were actually causing severe muscle pain...even more pain than what I was being prescribed them for. I can tell you that is is the worst hell imaginable to stop. I did, but it fucking hurt...and not only does it physically hurt pain-wise...but the anxiety is physically palpable, enough so that that is too hurts. And is if that wasn't enough, you cannot sleep (I didn't sleep for the first 3-4 days, I thought I was going insane), you have zero energy, you have gastrointestinal issues, you have skin that crawls so much it hurts, you have the chills, it's impossible to get comfortable, and cannot eat. This goes on in the severe form until the drug is fully out of your system.
For me, I was taking Methadone and Oxymorphone...unfortunately Methadone is the longest of all the opioids to leave the body...so it was about a week of the severe symptoms....then another week with almost severe but more tolerable...every week after that it has diminished slowly...it's two steps forward and one step back...I will start to feel better for a day or two then feel like shit the next. I still cannot sleep well....it has been almost 3 months since I have stopped all the medications. I still feel the pangs of unaccounted for anxiety. I still have pain in my legs (very common symptom of opioid withdrawal), and I have trouble being on my feet moving around for longer than an hour. My body grew addicted to the medications I was taking...it has changed the way my brain chemistry and the neurons fire in my head...when the drugs were taken away, my brain felt as if it were buzzing so much it burned. I guess you could say that I was physically addicted, but not mentally...and by mentally I don't mean the physical aspect of your brain as just described. I can say that if I were someone who had a drug dealer whom I could have easily called while in withdrawal HELL, who could have popped by with the drugs that would make that go away...I probably would have called him/her....it was that bad...I can think of no worse torturous physical/mental pain. So I can empathize with those addicted, I can see how easily one can stay in that circle of self-destruction. It is much harder to quit than it is to just continue staying addicted.