degrees of addiction

[deez_nuggs]

i often find myself wondering about addiction and its mechanisms on us humans. this got me thinking, can one be physically addicted to something without being psychologically addicted?

personally i'll drink caffeinated soda from time to time, but not necessarily to stay awake, and ive certainly never had cravings for it that even compared to something as trivial as marijuana. what are everyones thoughts? im interested in hearing..

 

[rollingstoned!]

Yep. I find marijuana use can range from anti-addicting to physically addicting.

 

[Lady Codone]

I'm physically dependent on poppy tea to prevent withdrawals, but don't always want to drink it due to side effects like constipation/itching/etc. I have no cravings for it even in the midst of physical withdrawals and drink it mainly to ease social anxiety and prevent withdrawals. Frankly I don't find it all that pleasurable, especially compared to many other drugs and use it in much the same way as I use prescription antidepressants--the same dose at the same time every evening.

Hydrocodone, mephedrone and propylhexedrine are another story. These drugs trigger the desire to redose and make me crave them when I don't have access.

Seems to me that psychological addiction is much more soul-crushing and all-consuming than physical addiction. I'd take physical withdrawals over mental ones any day.

 

[Nortyy]

^^ Physical withdrawls over mental!!?? No thank you Lady_Codone. I don't know you so I can't call you out on anything but I would like to assume that you've never suffered any severe Oxymorphone or Methadone withdrawls.

But I must remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, not their own facts.

 

[capRx]

A lot of the SSRI anti-depressants can create a 'physical dependence,' but not a psychologically one. Your body creates a tolerance for these drugs and you become dependent on them, so if you were to suddenly stop taking them, you would start to suffer from a wide range of side-effects such as brain-zaps, etc.. But it is not psychologically addictive because you will never feel a want for them or a craving to take them (unless you start suffering from the physical withdrawal side-effects..ha).

-cap

 

[skylines7]

^^ Physical withdrawls over mental!!?? No thank you Lady_Codone. I don't know you so I can't call you out on anything but I would like to assume that you've never suffered any severe Oxymorphone or Methadone withdrawls.

But I must remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, not their own facts.

I agree with Lady_Codone.....and Nortyy I could assume that you haven't fucked up enough in life during your addiction to have to deal with all the fuckin bullshit from everyone on top of feeling horrible yourself.

Opiate withdraw is Opiate withdraw is Opiate withdraw. I withdrew from a 320-400mg Oxy habit and a 6-10mg xanax habit at the same time. It was hell, but the mental part was worse and led me right back to addiction. You can't tell me that the addiction I went through and most opiate users go through is nothing compared to methadone. I know people say its hell because of the half life, but I don't think it can be THAT much more intense.

 

[highhooked]

Yea ive never been through withdraw so i dunno how much credit this post has ha but i would think physical would be muchhhh better than psychological.

Physical you can tough that shit out for a while but the mental shit will stay with you, depression, anxiety, 2 awfull things to have to deal with

And depression and anxiety can both have physical symptoms aswell and also lead you back to addiction.

I would think if one could just go through the physical symptoms of withdraw with a clear head and not have any psychological problems it would be much easier than an emotional rollercoaster and feeling depressed, craving, having anxiety.....ughhh sounds awful

Pluss the psychological symptoms stay with you longer

 

[MgmtBlue]

I have been through Opiate withdrawal and find that mental aspect is far worse than the physical. All relative I suppose, but I'll take physical withdrawal over emotional hell.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

I think its the mix between the two, although its the mental part is usually what brings me back to opiates. I can take benzos and ride through the physical part much easier than the mental part, which also lasts longer than the physical part.

Another issue I have is I'll take benzos and then say "fuck it" and redose with more opiates. It's a complicated issue, that's for sure, and it's also different for every individual and every individual addiction. I think trying to categorize it into "degrees of addiction" is sort of a pointless mission.

 

[fryingsquirrel]

The only thing I've had WD's from is dilaudid, which sucked big time. But that was 15 years ago. I'm addicted to drugs in general, it really doesn't matter what. Luckily I don't need to be totally trashed, a little herb or a xanax and I'm good. Hell even a massive dose of caffeine is enough. But if I don't have anything it drives me nuts.

 

[villian]

^^ Physical withdrawls over mental!!?? No thank you Lady_Codone. I don't know you so I can't call you out on anything but I would like to assume that you've never suffered any severe Oxymorphone or Methadone withdrawls.

But I must remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, not their own facts.

I can assure you a week of being dope sick is preferable to months and months of mental anguish.

I've kicked high-dose methadone and benzos and dope, btw.

Kicking is the easy part man. I suggest you look into PAWS.

 

[lordreven333]

I found myself psychologically addicted to hydrocodone but not physically I found myself taking more and more barely aware of that but no withdraw or anything like that this was months ago I stopped for a while and then started back but I have to keep in mind use when needed and not to often.