Is addiction really real? I've done things that are considered one hit addictions and I feel no dependacy to any of them like meth exctasy weed vicadon noz shrooms and I have no addiction to any of them I'm young and still on high school. So addiction In my opinion is for those people that are in distress and do drugs to relieve it. When I do it it's only because I'm bored or with friends and I'm pretty responsible when doing it. So is addiction really a major factor? I feel I can do "stuff" without the extra fear of addiction.
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Addiction factors
- Thread starter fernie
- Start date
skillz~4~thrillz
Bluelighter
addiction is very real...physically and psychologically. I fall into both categories. when your body id physically addicted to a substance,it means that you cannot function properly w/o it. Alcohol and cigarettes are 2 examples of physically addictive substances. Plus physical addiction is not from doing something once or every now and then. it takes repeated and everyday use of a true addictive substance to become addicted. I am 35 and I am a true addict-a junkie. not just w/ substances-as I am now clean,but I am addicted to video games,Bluelight,Vanilla boost shakes and if I had access to it,pot(pot is not physically addictive-it is psychologically addictive but that makes it no less and addiction. addiction is about impulse control on a psychological and physical level...it is very real. Being so young do some research on addiction-what it means-who it affects,ect...in my day I had to go to the library and use a card catalog... you probably never heard of that-which is not a bad thing. my point is-your generation has the internet-a universe of information at your finger tips. take advantage. and be sensitive in your assumption about people who suffer from addiction. like you said,you are young,you have not walked in the shoes of those of us who are true addicts. some addicts become addicted to medicines prescribed by Doctor to treat an illness,symptoms or provide relieve from agonizing conditions. Not all addicts are junkies. just something to keep in mind. I hope you do look into studies on the matter and educate yourself on the range of definitions and situations concerning addiction.
Much peace and love.......................skillz
Much peace and love.......................skillz
Hi fernie, YES addiction is really real. A large percentage of The Dark Side discussion is pertaining to people's problems with addictions so just have a browse of some of the threads in TDS to get an idea of the difficulties that many people go through with addiction.
You are still very young, and it's very common for young people to think they are invincible and that certain bad things won't happen to them (that is not a criticism of you by the way, it's just really common that adolescents tend to think this way
). Please continue to do your research on drugs, have a good read of lots of threads on Bluelight which pertain to the drugs you are taking, and make EDUCATED CHOICES about your drug use. Never assume that addiction can't/won't happen to you.....because then it probably will 
Addiction largely depends on how much and how frequently you use a drug. If you only use a particular drug fairly infrequently, e.g. once every few months or even once every few weeks (depending on the substance), it's unlikely that you're going to get addicted to that substance. You have to be really careful though, even if your usage of a particular drug increases gradually you can still slowly become addicted to it, over a matter of years. If you begin to require MORE of a drug at any one time to get the same effects you used to get off a smaller dose, or if you start using a particular drug more frequently, the warning bells should be ringing and you should consider cutting back your use of that substance.
Dependancy is also a different term which might need clarification. Dependancy on a substance is when you NEED to have it, in order to avoid having withdrawal symptoms. For example, an alcoholic who is dependant on alcohol every day will suffer tremors and possibly even life-threatening seizures if they don't drink. But someone has to have been drinking copious amounts of alcohol every day for a prolonged period of time to have a reaction like that.
So if you only use drugs every so often, and if you mix up your usage e.g. ecstacy one weekend, weed the next weekend, shrooms on a different weekend etc, you are not going to become dependant on any of those substances.
Also, most of the drugs you listed actually aren't very well-known for their addictive potentials. Ecstacy, nitrous, shrooms generally aren't majorly addictive.
Weed is mildly to moderately addictive so be wary of that.
Meth, as you know can be highly addictive so please be careful with that one especially.
Opiates e.g. Vicodin are also highly addictive so please try to limit your usage of anything that falls in to the opiate category.
Vicodin also contains acetaminophen which can cause irreversible liver damage if taken in high doses or for prolonged periods of time.
Lastly, if you have a good support system of friends and relatives, please talk to them if you feel that your drug use is getting out of control. I personally believe that it's fine to experiment with drugs but like I said, just make sure you do all your research and make educated decisions about what you take and how much. That is what this whole site is here for, after all!
Be safe and sensible
You are still very young, and it's very common for young people to think they are invincible and that certain bad things won't happen to them (that is not a criticism of you by the way, it's just really common that adolescents tend to think this way
). Please continue to do your research on drugs, have a good read of lots of threads on Bluelight which pertain to the drugs you are taking, and make EDUCATED CHOICES about your drug use. Never assume that addiction can't/won't happen to you.....because then it probably will Addiction largely depends on how much and how frequently you use a drug. If you only use a particular drug fairly infrequently, e.g. once every few months or even once every few weeks (depending on the substance), it's unlikely that you're going to get addicted to that substance. You have to be really careful though, even if your usage of a particular drug increases gradually you can still slowly become addicted to it, over a matter of years. If you begin to require MORE of a drug at any one time to get the same effects you used to get off a smaller dose, or if you start using a particular drug more frequently, the warning bells should be ringing and you should consider cutting back your use of that substance.
Dependancy is also a different term which might need clarification. Dependancy on a substance is when you NEED to have it, in order to avoid having withdrawal symptoms. For example, an alcoholic who is dependant on alcohol every day will suffer tremors and possibly even life-threatening seizures if they don't drink. But someone has to have been drinking copious amounts of alcohol every day for a prolonged period of time to have a reaction like that.
So if you only use drugs every so often, and if you mix up your usage e.g. ecstacy one weekend, weed the next weekend, shrooms on a different weekend etc, you are not going to become dependant on any of those substances.
Also, most of the drugs you listed actually aren't very well-known for their addictive potentials. Ecstacy, nitrous, shrooms generally aren't majorly addictive.
Weed is mildly to moderately addictive so be wary of that.
Meth, as you know can be highly addictive so please be careful with that one especially.
Opiates e.g. Vicodin are also highly addictive so please try to limit your usage of anything that falls in to the opiate category.
Vicodin also contains acetaminophen which can cause irreversible liver damage if taken in high doses or for prolonged periods of time.
Lastly, if you have a good support system of friends and relatives, please talk to them if you feel that your drug use is getting out of control. I personally believe that it's fine to experiment with drugs but like I said, just make sure you do all your research and make educated decisions about what you take and how much. That is what this whole site is here for, after all!
Be safe and sensible
N3o nailed it
There is a lot of confusion about the terms addiction and dependence and what substances are addictive.. a lot of debates around the subject hapen on this very site all the time! There is a difference between psychological addiction and physical dependency as n3o explained, and different substances are more or less likely to cause either of these states. However, a lot of it also has to do with your personality, and social situation, and how you use the substance (or allow it to use you).
Really, from a practical point of view, the most important thing is whether a substance is having a detrimental effect on your life or not. It can be hard to accept and see this when you are in the depths of addiction, so I think a good practice is to constantly have a little thing about your substance use - the pros and cons - how would you feel if you couldn't take the substance for a while - be honest about any negative effects it is having on your life or health. If after that you are satisfied that your use is okay and that overall it is enhancing your life rather than having a negative effect, then that is fine. The key is being honest with yourself
This website is an excellent resource, not just for finding out about addiction and it's impact, but on learning how to enjoy drugs safely if you have any queries, feel free to ask!
There is a lot of confusion about the terms addiction and dependence and what substances are addictive.. a lot of debates around the subject hapen on this very site all the time! There is a difference between psychological addiction and physical dependency as n3o explained, and different substances are more or less likely to cause either of these states. However, a lot of it also has to do with your personality, and social situation, and how you use the substance (or allow it to use you).
Really, from a practical point of view, the most important thing is whether a substance is having a detrimental effect on your life or not. It can be hard to accept and see this when you are in the depths of addiction, so I think a good practice is to constantly have a little thing about your substance use - the pros and cons - how would you feel if you couldn't take the substance for a while - be honest about any negative effects it is having on your life or health. If after that you are satisfied that your use is okay and that overall it is enhancing your life rather than having a negative effect, then that is fine. The key is being honest with yourself
This website is an excellent resource, not just for finding out about addiction and it's impact, but on learning how to enjoy drugs safely
if you have any queries, feel free to ask!
footscrazy
Bluelight Crew
Addiction is real - even if you do believe that it's just a form of escape, that isn't any less real. Thoughts are real, actions are real, emotions are real - so even if you dispute that addiction isn't a disease and is all about choice - it's still a real set of behaviours, thoughts and emotions.
But, I do believe that addiction has a material basis as well as a psychological basis. In the end, it's all the same. Thoughts have a material basis - every thought arises from a physical state of the brain, and every thought changes the structure of the brain. In this way, I believe regular drug use can change the brain to make addiction more likely.
But, I do believe that addiction has a material basis as well as a psychological basis. In the end, it's all the same. Thoughts have a material basis - every thought arises from a physical state of the brain, and every thought changes the structure of the brain. In this way, I believe regular drug use can change the brain to make addiction more likely.
VanWeyden
Bluelighter
The other posters already made a lot of important points. Always remember that addiction does not start with not being able to abstain from a drug but with not wanting to. Your brain will trick you deeper and deeper into and when you realize you cant abstain its already much too late.
Swiching drugs is quite a good idea if you want to avoid dependency but it will not avoid addiction if you use too frequently.
Swiching drugs is quite a good idea if you want to avoid dependency but it will not avoid addiction if you use too frequently.
herbavore
Bluelight Crew
My son used to say that boredom was his biggest trigger. His addiction killed him.
^ This.
One of the biggest common threads that I've heard from people who have recently detoxed and are trying to adjust to sober living is that they're constantly bored. Once one is addicted, anything else of interest pales to the drug. Nothing else is fun but getting high. There's a somewhat cruel saying that I bounce around my head when I start to think that I'm getting bored: 'only boring people get bored'. The more you do, the more interests, hobbies and passions that you have, and therefore the more interesting you are, the less likely it is that you'll ever be bored.
Addiction does sneak up on you though. One of the self-checks that I've gotten in the habit of doing when I indulge a bit is to keep track of how often I use. If it starts to feel 'weird' if I'm not high/drunk/stoned/etc... in a certain situation, then I need to re-evaluate either the situation or the frequency of indulgence. For example, I've recently done a little experiment where I didn't have a drop to drink in September. I wasn't drinking that much beforehand, but I was drinking pretty regularly this summer, along with a couple of binges. I was having a couple of drinks every night when I got home from work, and more on the weekends. So I stopped, and checked how I felt. There wasn't any withdrawal syndrome per se, but it did feel odd for the first week, and I was really tetchy the second week. Eventually it faded, and I found that I didn't really care to drink. I've since started having an occasional social drink, but that's about it.
So, IME, one of the keys to avoiding addiciton is strong self-awareness and the ability to take a step back and examine one's situation from arm's length. Which is no simple feat, by the way. We all have our blind spots, but in time we can learn to recognize them and compensate for them.
One of the biggest common threads that I've heard from people who have recently detoxed and are trying to adjust to sober living is that they're constantly bored. Once one is addicted, anything else of interest pales to the drug. Nothing else is fun but getting high. There's a somewhat cruel saying that I bounce around my head when I start to think that I'm getting bored: 'only boring people get bored'. The more you do, the more interests, hobbies and passions that you have, and therefore the more interesting you are, the less likely it is that you'll ever be bored.
Addiction does sneak up on you though. One of the self-checks that I've gotten in the habit of doing when I indulge a bit is to keep track of how often I use. If it starts to feel 'weird' if I'm not high/drunk/stoned/etc... in a certain situation, then I need to re-evaluate either the situation or the frequency of indulgence. For example, I've recently done a little experiment where I didn't have a drop to drink in September. I wasn't drinking that much beforehand, but I was drinking pretty regularly this summer, along with a couple of binges. I was having a couple of drinks every night when I got home from work, and more on the weekends. So I stopped, and checked how I felt. There wasn't any withdrawal syndrome per se, but it did feel odd for the first week, and I was really tetchy the second week. Eventually it faded, and I found that I didn't really care to drink. I've since started having an occasional social drink, but that's about it.
So, IME, one of the keys to avoiding addiciton is strong self-awareness and the ability to take a step back and examine one's situation from arm's length. Which is no simple feat, by the way. We all have our blind spots, but in time we can learn to recognize them and compensate for them.
Snarky91
Bluelighter
Addiction is what you make it out to be. In most cases, stopping use of a drug will not cause prolonged, measurable, physical consequences. So the most practical connotation of "addiction" is a psychological one. It's like a strong urge or habituation to keep using, no matter the adverse consequences. The impetus to keep using, in almost every case of addiction, is psychological. If addiction is psychological, it shouldn't be hard to break in theory... But in practice a person might take xyz substance to ward off boredom. Then the person cannot cope with boredom except through habitual drug taking because normal coping mechanisms have been minimized. Later, events once considered to be exciting now also seem boring as another unintended consequence. Suddenly it dawns on a person that he is partaking far more than he set out to use initially and by this time, it is difficult to attempt a normal routine without drugs so the cycle of addiction is consolidated. I wouldn't underestimate the power of drugs.
Legerity
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2010
- Messages
- 2,965
Maybe one-hit addictions are mostly made up but dependence on a substance or person or behavior is very possible. To me it has more to do with the relationship a person has with the substances they use, rather than what particular substance or how often it is used. If a person drink 12 beers per day but is perfectly fine without them, then I'd consider that less of an addiction than the person that drinks 1 per day but can't relax unless they have it.
It's hard to predict what will happen. Thinking that you are immune to addiction doesn't mean it is true, but it could also be that you have certain barriers that will make it less likely to become dependent. But the majority of people who do become dependent at some point probably did not think it would happen.
It's hard to predict what will happen. Thinking that you are immune to addiction doesn't mean it is true, but it could also be that you have certain barriers that will make it less likely to become dependent. But the majority of people who do become dependent at some point probably did not think it would happen.
Knox Harrington
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2010
- Messages
- 33
Fernie, I felt just like you did when I was in high school. That was 11 years, one DUI, five suboxone maintenances, three seemingly insurmountable credit card debts, one broken family, a couple hundred lost friends, a half dozen lost girlfriends, a hundred grand, a million lies, three car accidents, three seizures, a half dozen bills for Plan B, one embezzlement charge, two continents fleed, any number of bars kicked out of, one state kicked out of, one island kicked off of, a couple thousand cocktails before noon, four full time jobs and one unlimited potential ago.
xxsicknessxx
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2008
- Messages
- 1,014
yea its real...
I drank and had fun for 8 years for 1 year I was addicted... it was not in my mind it was real. I had to drink or I would shake, I could not function I could not think I hurt I saw things I was in so much pain it was real. However I drank for 8 years with no problems on and off.. and it was quite fun..
It was not in my mind it was real... opiets too.. I took them like normal and one day slipped over the line into addiction there is a huge difference.
I drank and had fun for 8 years for 1 year I was addicted... it was not in my mind it was real. I had to drink or I would shake, I could not function I could not think I hurt I saw things I was in so much pain it was real. However I drank for 8 years with no problems on and off.. and it was quite fun..
It was not in my mind it was real... opiets too.. I took them like normal and one day slipped over the line into addiction there is a huge difference.
It's so easy to slip over the edge.. it can help to have a trusted friend to let you know when your use is becoming problematic, as one of the hallmarks of addiction is hiding the truth from yourself, being unable to accept that it is becoming a problem, or just not being aware of how far things have gone. Of course, it is very hard to listen to someone else telling you something you don't want to hear.. but getting an outside perspective can really help. It's so hard to see clearly when you are in the midst of it all, especially if your use used to be "okay" and not problematic, and you slowly slipped..
Edit: Having said that, ultimately you do have to realise yourself. Having seen friends slip into addiction and been powerless to stop them, it is so hard not being able to pull them back.. but you can't make their mind up for them. Giving up smoking is a classic example - people can only quit when they want to..
Edit: Having said that, ultimately you do have to realise yourself. Having seen friends slip into addiction and been powerless to stop them, it is so hard not being able to pull them back.. but you can't make their mind up for them. Giving up smoking is a classic example - people can only quit when they want to..