Use, abuse and addiction are three different things. Use is where you just get high or drunk, maybe just a little bit, without serious problems. Abuse is where you're not craving and compulsively taking substances, but are having problems from your use. Addiction is where you crave the substance or behavior compulsively.
Think about it. You might like to drink, gamble, play video games, have sex or eat chocolate, because they're fun. However, someone who gets drunk on weekend nights, plays bingo occasionally, is a serious gamer, has a lot of sex, or eats chocolate a lot isn't an alcoholic, compulsive gambler, game addict, nympho, or binge eater unless it's out of control. Same with drug use.
According to the DSM-IV(what the doctors use for diagnoses) one or more substance abuse criteria are
1.Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home (such as repeated absences or poor work performance related to substance use; substance-related absences, suspensions, or expulsions from school; or neglect of children or household).
2.Recurrent substance use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (such as driving an automobile or operating a machine when impaired by substance use)
3.Recurrent substance-related legal problems (such as arrests for substance related disorderly conduct)
4.Continued substance use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of the substance (for example, arguments with spouse about consequences of intoxication and physical fights).
So if you're getting way too fucked up, come to work hung over all the time, getting into fights or having DUIs but are not addicted then it's abuse
The DSM-IV defines addiction as three or more of
1.Tolerance, as defined by either of the following: (a) A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or the desired effect or (b) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.
2.Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: (a) The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance or (b) The same (or closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
3.The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended.
4.There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use.
5.A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover from its effects.
6.Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use.
7.The substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (for example, current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption).
Some have criticized the criteria for addiction, since some drugs don't produce much tolerance or physical dependency. Also you can have tolerance and physical dependency from legitimate medical use, not addiction, even if the medication isn't a drug of abuse.
The criteria will probably change in the new DSM-V. I think they'll drop tolerence and withdraw as criteria, include non-substance addictions like gambling or sex addiction, and include drug abuse as a part of the addiction spectrum. I personally think including drug abuse in with addiction is a bad idea, but I think the reasoning is that abuse carries a moral rather then medical connotation. Kind of like how they don't call anxious patient neurotic, downs syndrome patient mongoloids, or mentally challenged patient morons or imbeciles.
Lastly, yes I have IV'ed heroin a couple times. It was great, but this impure black tar heroin here just eats up the veins. I'm fine with smoking shit. It gets me to where I want, I like the act of smoking whatever, and I'd end up going back to smoking anyways once all the veins are destroyed. And if MXE is anything like PCP, I could see myself getting addicted to it.
synthetix said:
no it's not.
it depends what you define as addiction.
i was addicted to codeine after the first time i tried it.
i was given a box of them for back pain, took one, and never took them as directed but rather in mouthfuls per day, for about two years.
I define addiction as the DSM-IV does. I mean did you just like it a lot so you used it all the time? Was it like you just took it one day and got strong compulsive cravings? IMO fiending or abusing isn't addiction yet. It just that IME almost every addict I've met had about like that pattern I described.
