Sex addicts get high from watching porn, say Cambridge University researchers

[Jabberwocky]

ro your post is a perfect example of how useful the "old world" definition of addiction is still useful, considering it's all about taste + habit = addiction (without, again, any negative or positive connotations). For instance, I too cannot fathom how I could become addicted to gambling - to me it just doesn't make sense. But I can totally understand how I could become (re?)addicted to long acting opioids. Love that shit. There is certain commonalities, it's just a different expression of particulars/material. You may be addicted to caffeine and politics while I may be addicted to opium and social justice.

I don't mean to be lame, but this is kinda getting a bit worn. Which isn't to say we can't continue squeezing value out of this thread and the discussion(s) here, just that, well, I too am tired of dick sizing our 'additions'/

Maybe we can talk about how we/people can embrace and benefit from their (past, current or "inactive" or whatever) addictions or addictive traits - such as being a hard worker - and how such can be channeled for the better.

 

[ro4eva]

ro your post is a perfect example of how useful the "old world" definition of addiction is still useful, considering it's all about taste + habit = addiction (without, again, any negative or positive connotations). For instance, I too cannot fathom how I could become addicted to gambling - to me it just doesn't make sense. But I can totally understand how I could become (re?)addicted to long acting opioids. Love that shit. There is certain commonalities, it's just a different expression of particulars/material. You may be addicted to caffeine and politics while I may be addicted to opium and social justice.

I don't mean to be lame, but this is kinda getting a bit worn. Which isn't to say we can't continue squeezing value out of this thread and the discussion(s) here, just that, well, I too am tired of dick sizing our 'additions'/

Maybe we can talk about how we/people can embrace and benefit from their (past, current or "inactive" or whatever) addictions or addictive traits - such as being a hard worker - and how such can be channeled for the better.

Oh hell no, I never meant to dicksize my addictions, even if I came across like I did, just wanna be clear on that.

I'm certain that there are many others on here who have it way worse than myself with respect to opioid addiction, and the baggage that usually comes along with it. And that's fine with me. This sort of information never makes me jealous. It's not something to be proud of in the sense that "a feat of strength was accomplished."

Plus, I really don't like that sort of behavior where people begin to compare who can handle their drug better, who has used their drug longer, who has overdosed more, etc. I find it so inherently stupid (and potentially very reckless) Edit - Unless they're genuinely doing it for harm reduction purposes (e.g. "I've used [this] drug before, you say you haven't but want to try. I have some advice if you want to hear it..."). I wanna ask the person, "Have you learned nothing from your experience other than to compare and gloat if you're on top?"

Well, in fact, I did ask someone this question before, but unfortunately, he took it a little too seriously.

I would hope that if I was in his position, that I would put all that experience to better use - perhaps, to even be able to spot a problem and save a fellow user's life.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Naw naw naw, I wasn't saying you were dicksizing ro, more that I see a lot of that going on sometimes (like parts of this thread), and it's just pointless and old (at least the vast majority of the time). I can understand how and why we seek to validate ourselves and our actions, but meh, as you said, it never makes me jealous either. Either I learn from the plights of others, or I think to myself, "fuck that is stupid." Thankfully I do the former much, much more than the latter. Learning instead of judging I mean.

 

[slimvictor]

Well, for what it's worth, it makes sense to me.

I obviously haven't experienced all the addictions I listed off, but I've seen others behaving in a very destructive manner with regards to several of them - such as gambling, sex, and comfort foods.

When I try to think about it, in all honestly, I cannot even begin to grasp how someone can become addicted to gambling. It's something which never appealed to my tastes. I have tried it many times in the past, but never enjoyed it much, regardless of the fact that I have won big.

But then, I see others who cannot stop, even after they've all but gambled away the shirts on their backs. And then I realize that my understanding of how an addiction to gambling "works" and manifests itself is not there because I haven't experienced it personally. Thankfully, I also realize that my understanding is not required for an addiction to exist.

I could be arrogant and ignorant about such things - all because I cannot grasp the concept. However, I've been on the other end of that straw far too many times, and have been treated like doodoo. So instead of choosing to be stubborn, I will not make opinions based on my inexperience to gambling addiction, because I sure as hell don't appreciate it when drug prohibitionists judge me about my heroin habit by screaming that I deserve to be left for dead because I'm too weak to stop, and that they are certain I can easily stop by simply saying no.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, treat others how I'd like myself to be treated, I say - even if I don't fully understand their issues. It can be VERY challenging at times to do this, but in the end, I find that it works out much better for both of us.

Hopefully you guys get what I'm trying to say, and I don't come across like The Riddler in this post, or others.

I think I understand very well, Ro, and that we agree.
I also try to keep my mind open, even (especially) when something doesn't make sense to me.

Opiate addiction? Never. Don't even like opiates. How could so many people...
Gambling addiction? You must be kidding. I don't get it.
Exercise addiction? Now that is something I can relate to, though I have never taken it too far.


I should mention just one part: that eye-for-an-eye thing. That is not the same as the "golden rule", y'know? The golden rule is about respecting people, but the eye-for-an-eye thing is about revenge. I love the golden rule, but I think of the Middle East as showing us what happens if you try to follow the eye-for-an-eye rule: nothing good will ever come of it.

 

[S.J.B.]

The major flaw in your theory is that alcoholic drinks do not have a general taste, their taste varies incredibly widely. It makes no sense that the only way I could enjoy one drink that tastes COMPLETELY different to another is because they both contained alcohol and the first one conditioned me to like all alcoholic drinks. Your theory is ridiculous.

Have you drank both lager and stout? If you have I am sure you would acknowledge that the tastes are so dis similar that there is basically no overlap whatsoever.

They all contain the taste of ethanol itself.

 

[drug_mentor]

The taste of ethanol is not a major taste component of beer in the way it is in say vodka for example. Many beers are less than 5% alcohol and contain other strong flavours, like hops for example. I don't think you can hide behind the fact they all contain some amount of alcohol as an argument that they in any way taste similar. There are plenty of dishes that contain some base ingredients that are the same yet bear no resemblance to one another, this is because by the time you balance it with a number of other flavours it completely alters the taste.

Obviously we don't see eye to eye on this issue but in my opinion your theory is totally wrong.

 

[S.J.B.]

Fair enough!

 

[ro4eva]

I should mention just one part: that eye-for-an-eye thing. That is not the same as the "golden rule", y'know? The golden rule is about respecting people, but the eye-for-an-eye thing is about revenge. I love the golden rule, but I think of the Middle East as showing us what happens if you try to follow the eye-for-an-eye rule: nothing good will ever come of it.

I meant it in the context of treating others how you'd expect them to treat you, but worded it without realizing that it's rooted in revenge.

^^ I say this now, but in all honestly, I'm not sure how well I'd be able to live up to treating someone with respect if that person - for example - was to kill a loved one in cold blood. Not suggesting it would solve much, but, a lot of animosity comes to the surface when an innocent person I care about dies and the accused is let off the hook. It's happened once already, and it's tough to move on.

This is why the story of Eric Garner dying due to an (illegal) chokehold really struck a cord with me. That man didn't deserve to die. And now, six children are left fatherless, and a rotten pig gets away with a report which doesn't even mention a chokehold taking place.

Well, I won't go into too many details, but something similar happened to someone I loved. And a decade later I'm still not completely over it. And I'm not sure I ever will be. If the person responsible would have received proper justice for what he did, then it would be different, but I felt he did not - not even close.

 

[slimvictor]

^ That is terrible to hear.
The thought of you carrying that intense grief around with you for a decade makes me sad.
I would try to convince you of (or at least share with you) what I believe about justice - that "proper justice" is meted out by nature, with the bad guy having to live in a world of evil, that he himself created, and from which he cannot escape, even in his dreams - or I would try to convince you that the bad guy's situation should not limit your happiness and recovery, logically, since that allows him to keep hurting you - but I cannot really hope to know what you are feeling, since i have never been through anything quite like that myself.
Maybe all I can do is to send some internet hugs.
I hope that you can drop it - not forget about it, but not be tied up or affected by it - and live happily.

 

[ro4eva]

^ That is terrible to hear.
The thought of you carrying that intense grief around with you for a decade makes me sad.
I would try to convince you of (or at least share with you) what I believe about justice - that "proper justice" is meted out by nature, with the bad guy having to live in a world of evil, that he himself created, and from which he cannot escape, even in his dreams - or I would try to convince you that the bad guy's situation should not limit your happiness and recovery, logically, since that allows him to keep hurting you - but I cannot really hope to know what you are feeling, since i have never been through anything quite like that myself.
Maybe all I can do is to send some internet hugs.
I hope that you can drop it - not forget about it, but not be tied up or affected by it - and live happily.

Thanks buddy, I appreciate the kind words

You're right - I should drop it. And I'm working on it.

 

[pmoseman]

Seek peace and with reason secure yourself from defeat. Teach peace and with reason defeat your enemy. Without reason there is war. Aggression is rewarded but pacifism is respected. Revenge is without balance. Intimidation does not resolve fighting. You will never be defeated once you have reason and you will never have victory without understanding your enemy.

 

[slimvictor]

^ Wow, that is deep pmoseman.
I like it.
Is it from The Art of War?
Or did you write it?

 

[poledriver]

 

[Jabberwocky]

My heart grows soft, as my dick grows hard.

 

[pmoseman]

Good ear. It was derived from the Sun Tzu text...
Know other, know self, hundred battles without danger; not knowing other but know self, one win one loss; not knowing other, not knowing self, every battle must [be] lost.
and
The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

I interpret the first quote as, when you understand your reason for fighting, you cannot be beaten. When you also know your enemies reason to fight, then peace can be achieved. I applied this new meaning to the second phrase along with a few other basic ideas.

This Art of War text also does not glorify war...
For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

 

[ro4eva]

Seek peace and with reason secure yourself from defeat. Teach peace and with reason defeat your enemy. Without reason there is war. Aggression is rewarded but pacifism is respected. Revenge is without balance. Intimidation does not resolve fighting. You will never be defeated once you have reason and you will never have victory without understanding your enemy.

This is so profound. I gotta copy it down.

Thanks pmoseman

Edit - By the way pmoseman, I just wanted to let you know that - even though you may have zero respect for me - I have a lot of respect for you, because even though we are quite different in many areas, I admire your resilience and patience. It's truly impressive how you've managed to stick around and have - for the vast majority of the time - debated controversial topics without resorting to derogatory remarks towards other BLers (even when they may have done so towards you <-- which I'm guilty of at times and I know it's wrong, forgive me please). So, definitely, respect to you for that.

 

[THE_REAL_OBLIVION]

I only find porn addictive when on speed (dexedrine, adderall, street meth pills..) I must have some sort of deficiency :D

 

[THE_REAL_OBLIVION]

I agree with NSA (in fact, that is what I was hinting at in my post above).
Addiction is real.
And Ro's post supports that.

"Addiction elitism" is real too:
"My drug is much stronger than yours, and my addiction is much more real than yours. If you tell me you are addicted to cannabis, or X, or Y, or Z, I will laugh at you because that is not a real addiction. You don't know what addiction is, if you think that is real. My addiction to benzos / crack / meth / heroin is so much stronger than your addiction that you can't even use that word - "addiction" - for yours. Because you don't understand. Because only people who take my drug (or something stronger) can possibly understand."

Some people get heavily addicted to gambling. They lose all of their money, their family, their job, and they cannot stop.
Just because there is no physical component (or less of a physical component than tobacco, etc.) doesn't mean that their addiction is not real.
In fact, we have neurological evidence showing that, in the brain of the individual, they are treated the same way.
If that doesn't clinch the argument, I think that you (my imaginary opponent in this argument) are just selectively choosing what you want to count as "addiction" based on your addiction elitism.

I'm sorry but this blonde ex-nurse (who lost her job for being a coke/crackhead, who could only become an assistant nurse after that rehab) when I went 6 days in to start my methadone treatment, she was like, it's different for everyone. "NO IT'S NOT, you've never had opiate withdrawal and or benzo withdrawal, please shut the fuck up, ask any of the doctors we see here! (the nurses being too dumb during dinner hour, wouldn't confirm that I was right.

I was addicted to smoking freebase i'd make from ridiculously strong already fishscale, .4 turned into freebase would give me .34 and after 6 months I once failed turning my coke into freebase and started to panic, then thought of all the money I used on this shit for the last 6 month and that was it, I called the delivery guy maybe twice in the next 3 months out of boredom/other people wanting to do some and the third time The Guy told me to never call again because I wasn't regular enough for him, lol fuck that world. Something that is purely psychological of an addiction is always easier to get rid of, on a whim, that a motherfucking 32 to 56mg IV Dilaudid habit.

Sorry you touched a sensitive point for me here.

 

[ro4eva]

I only find porn addictive when on speed (dexedrine, adderall, street meth pills..) I must have some sort of deficiency :D

I am happy to tell you that chances are you have no sort of deficiency - especially when it comes to sarcasm.

Either that, or I also share a similar deficiency when using amphetamines. Hopefully it's not too dangerous, because I'd rather not talk to my doctor about it.

 

[THE_REAL_OBLIVION]

Heheh, yeah that's why I put in that smiley. I've seen chicks even do questionable things from speed + a little E.