Are You Addicted??

[~Sgt.Smiley~]

Hmmmm, aggressive tone, quick to point out the flaws in others, looking for any form of justification.... me reckons you are all addicted
Drugs are bayyyd mmmkay......

 

[AliEnGiRl78]

Under Alcohol Use Disorders in DSM-IV there are two headings; alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. There's also information under substance abuse and dependence.
Generally speaking (there's a lot of info), the difference in criteria between abuse and dependence is this; substance dependence includes tolerance, withdrawal symptoms and the continuance of substance use despite health problems relating to the substance. Both abuse and dependence can have severe negative effects on social and occupational activities as well.
Basically, abuse and dependence have different criteria and the criteria is based, not so much on the amount of substance taken, but the effects on the person and people around them, physiologically, psychologically, occupationally and socially.
Of course, there's heaps of other info in there that I haven't included, its actually pretty interesting!
You gotta love DSM-IV - if only my psych classes were this interesting

 

[Mirage]

Of course your gonna feel different when you go with out something, everyone does with everything, everyday.
Please define "feeling different" because it can mean anything. BFB has got some very good points. Argh, now I've lost mine!

totally forgot what I was getting at lol.
*click*
Patterns don't define addiction, if you find it diffcult to/just can't go without something then you are addicted. Sure, there are different degrees of addiction, but I think you are going over the top here....

 

[*@ngel*]

Just to clarify my last reply.....I'm not addicted {cause I dun do it that often}, I'm not agressive or nasty {at least not all the time!} and my {drinking} friends like to generalise, thereby catergorising me into heroin-junkie-land which they have no idea about anyways...
Actually I'm quite friendly and smiley, cause I can be...
-Rephrase- "I'm not addicted" physically that is. I can't see myself stopping what I do in the near future because I enjoy it too much. If I am addicted to anything regarding chemicals {ie: not including Dunhill Blues and tequila} then I'm addicted to the escape it offers me and the experience I embark on everytime I drop. It gives me that little bit of time each month to stop stressing and start enjoying. And that can be addictive...