Here is another opinion on what addiction is for you to consider Swam..
Physical dependence is not being able to function normal with out it... addiction is a drive that comes from you unconscious.. it drives you to use the drug.. how often it drives a person to do it once addicted depends on how fast the circle through the cycle of addiction.. the two most addictive non RS drugs on the planet are methamphetamine and cocaine... and i will go out on a limb and say they are the most addictive substances on the planet out of everything.. and they dont cause physical dependence to any great degree.. and some addicts can go long periods of time with little or no problem.. then for some reason the drive will kick in and then it everything they can do not to do the drug.. .. you mind keeps track of and ranks dopamine releases.. in a non drug users brain large releases are naturally tied to behaviors and goals that are necessary for the continuation of the individual's life and the promotion of the species.. sex, eating, drinking water, ect.. and these big ones come with their own drive.. the drive to eat is hunger, drive to drink water is thirst, sex drives makes you want to get some loving..
When we introduce an addictive substance into this system we risk having it be logged into that system as something necessary for life and risk having a drive attached to it.. that drive is caused drug addiction.. and addicts can make it long periods of time in between use and function normally with out it.. then the itch, drive, jones, desire will hit and we fight it and try and arrest it.. this takes practice and so much work to be able to do.. and until someone is able to really change their whole life and thinking an addict will be forced to use to try and gain relief.. though this doesn't really provide much relief, because then the addiction goes into over drive and you find yourself being driven twice as hard as the level you were trying to get relief from. addiction is also progressive, witch of course it gets worse and worse with time..
So as i said the brain logs and ranks dopamine releases.. by using a chemical like cocaine or methamphetamine, witch both have a Lipophilicity that allows them to rip through the blood brain barrier so unusually fast that it has been shown to actually create heat high enough to possible cause significant neurotoxicity and combining that with an IV administration that gets the whole dose of a drug to the barrier in a couple seconds and all at once pretty much, causes a huge dopamine release the is not only capable of causing addiction but it IMO will almost guarantee addiction with any sort of use at all.
Her is a little thread about addiction you should gander through as it a pretty complex beast.. the definition given in the beginning is pages long and completelly accurate. >
addiction guide<
I havnet used IV coke in a good amount of time but there is almost no day that i dont think about it. And of course in the begining my story looked just like yours. Just someting to tak into consideration. I hope you are doing good tonight and I look forward to reading you thoughts on this
Thanks, that is a really interesting view of addiction, one I did not consider. I am a philosophy major and can't help but to critically examine a couple of the parts.
"addiction is a drive that comes from you unconscious.. it drives you to use the drug.. how often it drives a person to do it once addicted depends on how fast the circle through the cycle of addiction..."- This seems reasonable, that the drive comes from the unconscious, though I think the latter portion is vague and gets into trouble, especially later on the description.
"When we introduce an addictive substance into this system we risk having it be logged into that system as something necessary for life and risk having a drive attached to it..."- I personally know this to be true, that our body can prescribe the trait of "necessary for life" to things which aren't. I have PTSD from abuse when I was younger. I get nightmares and I will get a ton of very unpleasant adrenalin, which is no longer necessary for living as it used to be, but my brain doesn't know that so it kicks in. Same thing if I have a flashback. Not fun.
"and addicts can make it long periods of time in between use and function normally with out it.. then the itch, drive, jones, desire will hit "- This is where the description starts to get too murky for my like. This combined with the previous 'how often it drives a person... depends on how fast the circle through the cycle of addiciton' makes me feel as if this description is allowing too many things to fall under the heading of "addiction."
To me, it is looking like many things can fall under the category of 'addiction' using this definition. Many times throughout our life we crave things, and simply can't get our minds off them and even when we do it, we can still have a strong desire to do it later. I already gave the example of a chocolate bar: a person can go weeks without one, but all of a sudden you can have a hankerin' for a chocolate and almound bar. Not just with food though, mind you. I'm an artist, and every once and a while I will have the drive to paint, just can't get it off my mind. So I'll paint for a while until I get it out of my system and be done with it. The desire comes back, sometimes faster than others. Sometimes I can get it off my mind, other times not. This can be the same with many things, such as taking a walk, seeing a friend, playing guitar, watching a show, etc.
I guess what I am trying to say is, that there are now two options, neither one do I have a problem with, but both options change what I believe the intent is of the provided definition of addiction.
Option 1: If the things such as a casual desire to walk, paint etc are things which fit under the definition of addiction provided and are things which are NOT considered addicting, then the definition provided is NOT correct.
Option 2: If things such as a casual desire to walk, paint, etc are things which fit under the definition of addiction provided and are things which ARE considered addicting, then the definition provided is correct. But if the definition provided is correct and things like a casual desire to walk, paint, etc are considered an addiction, then it seems addiction is not a bad thing and that everyone experiences it and it does not hinder a person at all and is just part of life. But it does not seem that addiction is not a bad thing and that it does not hinder a person and is just a part of life. So it seems like this definition of addiction is not what we consider addiction.
Proof:
Premises
1.AD->CD
2.CD->~AB
3.~~AB
Work
a.~CD Modus Tolens, 2 & 3
b. ~AD Modus Tolens a & 1
.:/ ~AD
It is true that "things such as a casual desire to walk, paint, etc are things which fit under the definition of addiction provided" are either things which ARE NOT considered addicting or ARE considered addicting. If the first is true and they ARE NOT considered to be addicting, then the definition is incorrect. If the second is true, and they ARE considered addicting, then by the proof given, as long as you agree with my third premise (that addiction is not not (~~) a bad thing (aka IS a bad thing), then the definition also doesn't work.
The only way one can say the definition does work is to deny 3 (that is to say, that addiction is not not not a bad thing [aka is not a bad thing]) and if a person denies premise three, then there is no weight to using addiction to disuade somebody to use a substance. But there IS weight to using addiction to disuade somebody to use a substance. Therefore you cannot deny premise 3.
Proof:
Premises
1. ~P3->~WA
2.WA
Work
a. WA=~~WA
b. ~~P3 Modus tolens a&1
c. ~~p3=P3
.:/ Premis 3
Anyway, those are my thoughts on it since you asked! But ya, tonight is doing good, 1:30am and just playing Fallout NV and watching Netflix. Thanks for your post by the way! Really gave me something to think about and was a great viewpoint to examine, much appreciation for your time!
Yeah a couple times a week of IV coke sounds like your developing a bit of a habit.
I remember very much when I was "completely in control" of my drug use. It wasn't really until I ran out of money, dope or my connex went away on vacations at club fed and what not that I started feeling pretty shitty.
Its a slippery slope mate. I mean I was the exception until I wasn't. Maybe your the exception. More power to you if you are.
I am not trying to be a dick, but damn dude if you jetting up blow several times a week it will most likely progress to 3 or 4 day runs. When your money runs low you might find yourself doing things you didn't think you normally would. But hey maybe your not addicted. Who am I to judge.
Track marks are not sexy, except to junkie hoes that cling on to guys that have dope. And if your a woman men are the same way.
Slippery slope mate. Just my two cents. I guess what I am saying try to be honest with yourself. I really dunno if you are an addict, but you know if you are or not. I would suggest seeing how things go without the blow for a bit if you really are not addicted.
I havn't really had a drive to use yet, just been using in the middle of the night or home alone when I am bored and got nothing to do. I guess that is my way of saying I don't really have a habit of desire, though I have a habit to use (currently gone 4 days without it and don't really have and desire as of yet, though I have not tried to go four days without it, just been doing other things). From what you say it sounds like you were addicting when you thought you were completely in control, which I have been worrying that might happen to me. Thanks for that info, even though it is not what I wanted to hear (I'd rather have it be that you can know when you are addicted haha!).
"I was the exception until I wasn't" Damn, like I said, it is the answer to my question, just not what I would rather hear haha! I know track marks aren't exactly the current fad, but the kind of person I am interested in (and I don't want to come off like a hippy [though I have nothing against hippies]) I would believe would have an open mind about it.
Thanks again for your info though! I don't believe I am addicted, but I havn't gone more than 4 days without it so I don't know how I would react to a longer period, but so far I don't believe I am addicted.
Thanks everyone so far!