What makes someone a drug addict?

[Ghostrae]

Yes, in my early thirties I had extensive surgery. There was a long recovery period. While hospitalized I was on round the clock IV morphine. For many weeks as I recovered at home I took one of the stronger ones. I can not remember which one.
At one point I called for a refill. The receptionist said "no, go take an aspirin. You have been taking this for too long". I said thank you mam. I took no more. There was none of this taper thing nor do I remember any WD diarrhea. That was 80's. Tapper was not part of the treatment. Not even heard of. Evidently. I really believe it's all part of a very successful campaign to get people to believe they are on a drug. It's going to be painful to stop taking it... and Can never easily be gotten off of and a customer should take something like suboxone or methadone to replace it. People have fallen for it. I know because I am one of them. Even though experience has taught me different.
It is possible to relocate and painlessly leave the drug habit behind.
So, I don't know what I'll do next. I still have pain even if I take 40mg over 24 hours. I am confusing a drug problem with what is really a health problem. I'm 75yrs old. My bones, tendons and cartilage are going. There is nothing that can be done except find the strength to face the pain and deal with it instead of running by taking a pill. There are no silver bullets.
With the drug thing I think I am chasing a phantom. It may be true it's all in the head.
I will add a disclaimer. There is physical withdrawal after very heavy use of some drugs. Caution is advised even medical treatment needed to get off. Barbiturate withdrawal or Valium can be fatal.

 

[Ghostrae]

an addict is an addict - not necessarily a drug addict - so i dont think it's fair to call somebody a drug addict specifically

a person may have an addictive personality

if you can't stop, and you need outside help, or you need something else to help you quit, like something as simple as a nicotine patch to quit cigs, it's safe to say that you're an addict

i'll leave it at that - its not really too complex - but i simplify everything so there's that too

I agree. "An addict is an addict". During my life I've been addicted to cigarettes, benzos, alcohol. Each at different times. Broke each habit. Except cigarettes the amounts addicted to ridiculously small.
I've even wonded if I am addicted to the "PAIN" of withdrawal.

 

[TheFrogEffect]

I think addiction is many things to many different people as everyone is experiencing it so subjectively that nobody can define anyone else's addiction. Yeah, every addiction has near universal signs and symptoms that are essentially true for any addict you look at. It's the cause of the addiction that is what varies.

I'm addicted to depression. It's my DOC. So I will do any drug under the sun to the detriment of my health and wellbeing, with no regards to the bridges I burn, the people I lose, or fact that I'm setting myself up to lose my housing and ability to feed myself. Meth makes me feel the worst and causes me to create the perfect coditiions to lose everything I love in the fastest way possible. This is the second and only other part to my addiction: when I self-destruct, I always know what I am to expect. Pain, loss, sorrow, agony, and regret, and so many more awful things. So that is why I self-destruct. Because it gives me full control over my life in which I have nbo control otherwise. I don't care about the substances at all. I just want to watch my whole world burn, and the substances are the best ignition.

Some people are ridiculously strung out but keep their shit together despite feeding the impulsive and compulsive. I don't know how to function as an addict, so I don't really know much about how this works at all. I mean I do know, but I can't consciously choose to function properly... if that makes sense at all.

Basically, by contending with and having to regulate impulsive and compulsive desires to do things (substances, gambling, overeating, not eating at all, undereating, etc.) to the point of being harmful to you and/or those around you and/or the general public, you have an addiction that you're dealing with. And hopefully you learn to take control of it before it has a chance to end you.