According to my therapist, the disease of addiction is something you are born with.

[missmegandelaney]

According to my therapist, the disease of addiction is something you are born with.
Of course, we choose to try drugs in the first place. But if we have this disease, it will make the difference of being able to use the most addictive substances occasionally, and those of us who will make substances our lives.
But she also said "addiction" isn't as common as people like to think.
It's much more then drugs. It's a mood dissorder ect.

I found it funny.

 

[JustaChippa]

I believe it. Alcoholism has always run rampant in my family--on both sides--and has gone from generation to generation.

I used to drink like a fish, or probably twenty years, till I discovered opiates. I basically replaced one addiction with another, and many of my cousins have also added various DOCs in addition to all the alcohol they consume For example, one cousin was a major coke/crackhead, (she also liked opiates), and did pretty much any drug offered, while also continuing to drink.

The substance isn't what counts; it's all the same disease. Addiction. It also seems to correlate with high intelligence, creativity, and a highly developed sense of humor, and also with depression, OCD, insomnia, and other problems. One day, I believe it will be discovered that thee are all basically merely different aspects of one over-arching syndrome.

I quit opiates CT several years ago, and rediscovered my enjoyment of drinking. It didn't take long for me to be able to put down a 12-pack of beer every night. Then, I began dabbling in the opiates again, and to nobody's surprise, became addicted again, and once again, the very smell of alcohol again makes me sick.

 

[pkt]

I believe it.
The substance isn't what counts; it's all the same disease. Addiction. It also seems to correlate with high intelligence, creativity, and a highly developed sense of humor, and also with depression, OCD, insomnia, and other problems. One day, I believe it will be discovered that thee are all basically merely different aspects of one over-arching syndrome.

Very relatable post!

 

[missmegandelaney]

I have OCD and PTSD.

Makes sense.

 

[Pill2Chill]

I have ADHD, social phobia, depression and I bet they could diagnose me with a few more disorders. The only thing that "helps" is talking about it to someone who can relate IME. Drugs are temporary patches. IME the only drugs that can have a life changing effect are psychedelics. This can go both ways, though ime even bad trips are a learning experience, that make you think "Wake the fuck up, these are the hard, cold facts. How are you gonna handle this?"

Addiction is a 'coping mechanism' and not a disease imo. If people are prone to addiction it means they have a problem coping with todays society, so they try to make life a little more exciting.
These people are "thrillseekers", if you will, but as I mentioned above todays society doesn't exactly allow people to do what they want. Laws, rules and regulations serve an important purpose, ofcourse. It's being taken too far though imo. Freedom has become too limited. Alot of fun things are too dangerous to be legal. Freedom should mean you can do whatever the fuck you want as long as it doesn't affect others. But well.. That's pretty much an utopia.

Said thrillseekers who can't find their thrills in a normal life are more likely to end up getting their kicks out of drugs and becoming addicted.

Meh, it's just a theory.

 

[MissNervosa]

I have major depressive disorder,panic disorder with agoraphobia and occasional self harming episodes.I was also bulimic as a teenager.

My parents have always been heavy drinkers,and my brother self medicates his anxiety and depression with weed daily (if he misses a day-watch out.He's a total asshole when he's not stoned).My aunt was schizophrenic and my grandma had a serious opiate and sleeping pills problem,was a chain smoker,was once an alcoholic,once a heavy gambler,and also attempted suicide a few times in her life as well as being mentally and sometimes physically abusive to my mum.

Now is anyone the least bit surprised that I've been addicted to Xanax,as well as spending 2-3 years with a pretty big amphetamine problem? I'm trying my best to get my antidepressant type meds balanced,but I still crave speed,coke and benzos,and if I could get some Oxys I'd probably get into them too.Self medicating much?

 

[wighty_88]

I have OCD and PTSD.

Makes sense.

i have PTSD from being in the military. The only thing that help is opiates. I have lost interest in everything i used to enjoy. Not good.

 

[Rabidrabbit]

Well I wouldn't say you're born with the disease but rather the propensity towards the disease.

You won't know you have the disease unless you try a drug / alcohol.

Although there is the argument that other addictive things -- sex, food, running, compulsive shopping, anorexia/bulimia, hoarding -- are also caused by that "ADDICT" part of the brain...

So, essentially, I guess we're all fucked because we CAN live without chemical substances but we cannot live without food or sex & if no drugs are ever touched, we would have probably ended up doing one of those other things compulsively...

Both my parents were addicts. I am an addict. It's interesting that my brother is not, but he is special needs so that would have been a huge failure on my parents & my parts if he were an addict to substances. I can't say he does anything compulsively, though.

But seeing as though even the most hardcore of addicts can and have overcome their addictions, we have to wonder why.

I've personally replaced my addictions multiple times. First it was food. Then bulimia. Then alcohol. Then cocaine. Then LSD & marijuana (debatable as "addictions", but I suppose it depends on your intent) and finally opioids and benzodiazepines. Now I am a poly drug user but the drugs I use most are opiates and benzos. Nicotine, for me, is take it or leave it and I only smoke while high as shit. Another anomaly, because lots of people cannot quit smoking even after they've quit heroin or other extremely addictive substances...

We are strange creatures.

 

[max_]

I agree qith Rabidrabbit. You can have tendencies towards different things. Some people tend to be obese, some tend to be happier, some tend to be creative, some tend to be gay-ish, some tend to do drugs. Environment cannot be taken out of the equation.