Are You Addicted??

this has probably been discussed b4, and i dunno if this belongs in social or drugs, but here goes:
i was having a talk over a few beers with one of my non-drug-taking-friends the other nite, and the question of me being addicted came up...
i thought about it (which is strange for me) and i decided - what addicts me to the whole pop-a-pill-dance-like-shit-meet-everyone thing is how much fun the people are. i could give up the drugs tomorrow (and dont anyone challenge me to!) but could still go to raves and clubs and have an awesome time!
this thought made me happy... i realised that i dont need drugs to enjoy myself (it's just sooo much fun though!)
i pointed out to my mate:
-i take a pill about every one or two months..
-we have a mate who is a habitual gambler... he spends hundreds each week on horses, pokies etc...
-another mate who spends hundreds on alcohol, and cant enjoy himself unless he is pissed (which happens about 3-4 times a week)
my habit is seen as the worse one, one which i am habitually given shit about. i pointed this fact out to my friend, he just shrugged his shoulders and said he thought my pills were getting out of hand...
not wanting to big note myself, but out of the three of us i mentioned (me, the gambler, the drinker) i'm the most successful in jobs and stuff.. so i'm just confused....
now that you are at the end of my post, it's probably best that u didnt read it overall...
thanks for listening to me ramble shit
-muzby

Excellent subject.
I have friends that i've introduced into the rave/electronic scene, and there is NO way that they would come out without some form of drug. They also wouldn't go to other clubs or parties without consuming large amounts of alcohol. Pretty sad really
But what shits me the most is that they (and most other people) find it hard to beleive that I can go out to a club or rave and not take anything. A few weeks ago I was talking to one of them and mentioned that I hadnt had a pill for about 4-5 weeks.... to which they replied "yeah right, you go out nearly every weekend!"
I suppose I just really hate the fact that it is fine to go out every weekend and get blind drunk, just because it is legal, and therefore socially acceptable.
Maxi
btw: i dont have ANYTHING against alcohol... i'm just sick of the hypocracy(sp?)

I am addicted to the social aspect of pills, not the pills themselves. I can go out without them and still have a good time. I think when You can't go out without them, you need to re-asess the situation. So my answer would be NO!
*INFORMATION FOR YOU ALL*
The standard definition of addiction comes from the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, which list nine criteria for determining addiction. The two groups, which prefer the term drug dependence, base their definition on research done since the 1960's. This research has determined that multiple traits must be considered in determining whether a substance is addictive. These criteria are:
· Taking the drug more often or in larger amounts than intended.
· Unsuccessful attempts to quit; persistent desire, craving.
· Excessive time spent in drug seeking.
· Feeling intoxicated at inappropriate times, or feeling withdrawal symptoms from a drug at such times.
· Giving up other things for it.
· Continued use, despite knowledge of harm to oneself and others.
· Marked tolerance in which the amount needed to satisfy increases at first before levelling off.
· Characteristic withdrawal symptoms for particular drugs.
· Taking the drug to relieve or avoid withdrawal.
A diagnosis of mild dependence on a psychoactive drug is determined by meeting three of the nine criteria. Five items show moderate dependence and seven items indicate a strong dependence. (Not all nine items apply to each drug. For example, time and effort spent acquiring a drug is a significant feature of heroin addiction, but have no meaning in nicotine addiction.)
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*Adventure, excitement, A Jedi craves not these things*

I too cop a lot of shit from people around me for "pill popping" as they like to say. It's fine for them to go out, binge drink, throw their guts up and spend the next two days getting over it.
But when I mention taking a pill every couple of weeks, all hell breaks loose and I am labelled as a "druggie" and get these sympathetic and worried looks from people for it, like I somehow need rehabilitation from some sort of life-threatening addiction.
It is addictive, going out, meeting fantastic people, enjoying great music, and dancing your ass off! My name is Cyna, and I am an addict.
[This message has been edited by CynaKill (edited 09 July 2001).]

Ahh I feel a connection with this one.
I know people who think I'm gonna wind up on the dole, sleeping on park benches and asking strangers for money to get my next hit of heroin within a year or so....
They all smoke way too much. Those that drink, get solidly pissed at least once a week, come holidays, 2+ times a week. The ones that smoke weed get stoned 2 times a week, come holidays and I don't want to know. They usually combine alcohol with their weed too.
My one pill a month will have me dead by 30 man, I'm not gonna get a proper job... I'm gonna fry my brain and become an unmotivated loser... My kids are going to be born deformed... They all get their money from their parents/youth allowance... I work as a public slave.
Yet it's me who has an idea of what he wants to do with his life. I don't jig school, we are in year 12 you dicks, that was for the last few years... They still do. They "dunno man, don't really care" about what they are gonna do after school.
Blah blah, I'm ranting. Yew get the point
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wisest is he who knows that he does not know...

You can't beat my friends who decided that I am a horrible person because of what I do...
-It changes my personality to be aggressive and nasty, I waste all my time and money on something as pathetic as having an awesome night with awesome people {without alcohol}, I'm just not the same anymore.....
It's all crap, people have closed minds, they believe what they want to believe or incidently what is fed to them by others. I do what I please and have a good time doing so.
Live and let live.

Heh just wait till *ALL* your friends are pillheads and they all think its ok, thats when you run into trouble. You should be glad you have friends who occasionally pull you into line and tell you that you might be going a little too far, because you never know sometimes you might be.

I don't particularly think I'm addicted, but I do tend to find myself hanging out for the next big night out. It worries me sometimes, but it's more a matter of hanging out for the social/music aspect than anything else.
Anyway, it's always funny talking to non pilling mates and having them be hung over almost every time I see them. I can hardly take any advice from them seriously. Having done the college thing for three years I can definitely say that I was much closer to forming an addiction to alcohol than I am now to anything else.
Anyhow, its hard to take seriously anyone that is basing their opinions on what the government or mainstream media has told them.
/end mindless G affected ramble...
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:: www.guerrillanews.com/cocakarma/ -- a must read ::

its interesting reading how different people's friends react to their drug use. it seems in my circle of friends i have it quite good.
i don't think its bad to have a majority of your friends that drop pills. i find that they keep me grounded better than anyone who doesn't know where i'm coming from. we share knowledge, stories, laughs, and look out for each other. i like that.
our non-pilling friends, well, we generally don't force our views on them. they don't mind what we do - they generally don't understand either. some approach us with genuine curiosity, and others don't approach us at all. but i don't think anyone has ever tried to tell me i'll end up living in hyde park.
[for reference, all of my drug taking friends have respectable jobs, or are completing their degrees]
i don't think i'm addicted to any substances (i gave up cigarettes not long ago). i *am* addicted to parties. i lurve going out/staying in/running around. using the criteria listed by blufluffybunny, i have a moderate addiction to parties.
i love my friends
C

Remember, even the most hardcore heroin junkie thinks he's got it all under control...
I think in a way we're all addicted. Not physically addicted, but psychologically addicted. Sure we can go out and not take anything, but we still takes stuff anyway. Just because it's only once a month, doesn't mean it's not still a mild form of addiction. How many of you could go 5 months without a pill?
I'm not judging people, or trying to point the blame. Or if I am, then I'm judging myself amongst you because I am equally as guilty.
I think the difference between our form of addiction and the "bad" form of addiction, is that we can afford to keep the supply up. We're only addicted to the point where it's still easy to satisfy it (ie: only once a month).
I'm sure what I just said doesn't apply to some of you. But please take a closer look... I'm not robbing servo's to fund the speed I consume around once a month - in fact I've got plenty of money left over. But I'd be kidding my self if I said I wasn't at least mildly addicted.
[This message has been edited by Pleonastic (edited 10 July 2001).]

I tend to agree with Pleo. However, how many of you think your drinking mates would go a few months without a drop, or your weed smoking mates go a few months with a toke? Fact is people don't give it up because there's no need to give it up. Sure if they had to give it up they could, but There's no need, it's not afecting their lives and our pill consumption isn't affecting ours.
So people will keep doing what they're doing, the question is, is that a problem? is that addiction?

Pleo, you’re just being pedantic now.
If you call pilling once a month being addicted, then what do you call everyone’s parents who have a glass of wine with their dinner each night or the ones who drink more than a glass a night, would you call them alcoholics?
I'm not having a go at you dude, but seriously, doing something once a month isn't an addiction.
I wouldn't even call someone who pills once every 2 weeks addicted. You simply don't have enough information to make that assumption! If they can't go without a pill once every 2 weeks then sure call them addicted, if they get huge cravings call them addicted, if they have bigger than usual withdrawals (i.e. not just wanting to do the night again or wishing the night was still going) call them addicted, but omfg, don't ever call someone addicted (mildly or otherwise) from a scrap of information like how often they do something.
Like I said I’m not spewing at you dude and I mean no disrespect or offence but seriously addiction is a heavy word, you should be more careful how you use it.
Addiction is when something your doing starts to have an adverse effect on your life. Like stealing for money to support an addiction (as pleo said), when you're always wanting another hit, when your health starts declining, etc, etc.
[This message has been edited by Mirage (edited 10 July 2001).]

wow.. never thought this thread would generate such discussion.. i was just having a whinge at the time.. plus i thought tarsalan would shut it down like the rest of mine
i raise the question..
i love cars, i stop and watch em in the street, love looking at them (shit, i own two...) and cant go for more than two days without driving... i fully get cravings...
am i addicted?

I'm not being picky, I posted what I did for two reasons...
First, I believe that people define addiction incorrectly - I don't see it as a negative term as long as it's a controlled addiction.
Secondly, and more importantly, I wanted people to actually think about it before they responded. It's very easy to just say what people would expect you to say (ie: no, I'm not addicted), without even stopping to consider if you are or not.
Like I said, I'm not accusing anyone - I did mention that I'm sure it doesn't apply to some of you. But I'll back that it does apply to others.
I'm glad this has sparked some debate, rather than having everyone sit around and sing Koom-by-yaa and shake each others hands for not being addicted to anything.
Sincerely,
The advocate to the Devil...
P.S. Just in case this is taken the wrong way - this is not a flame war or anything. It's hard to convey emotion over the internet, but I can assure you that if we were having this conversation in real life I'd have a smile on my face!

[This message has been edited by Pleonastic (edited 10 July 2001).]

addiction n.
1)Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.
2) The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.
compulsive adj
1:caused by or suggestive of psychological compulsion; "compulsive drinking"
2: strongly motivated to succeed [syn: determined, driven] n : a person with a compulsive disposition; someone who feels compelled to do certain things
habitual adj.
1.Formed or acquired by habit or use.
2. According to habit; established by habit; customary; constant; as, the habiual practice of sin.
EDIT: yeah, I'm not flaming either, just trying to make my point as you are yours
[This message has been edited by Mirage (edited 10 July 2001).]

Cool cool... I've made my point and you've made yours. In a strange way we're sort of in agreement, with minor differences on the technicalities.
Maybe I've implied that what I said applies to more people than I should have. Maybe the term addicted is wrong for what I'm saying, and dependant or something similar would be better. Either way, I'm interested to see how people answer the original question given both our (equally valid) points of view to consider before answering...

hehe, yeah.
My point was that imo you were using the term addiction too losely/in the wrong way.
But I could see what you were getting at, well pretty much

Good thread. No matter which way you decide, its important that you think about it regularly and honestly - even if only to yourself. That way you stay in control, and do what you feel is right for you.
Personally - I'm a nicotine addict and always will be. I restrict my party habits to every 6 wks, and SOOO look forward to them - but am not addicted to pills. As long as I can keep saying that honestly when I question myself, I'll keep doing it.

Just to prove a point to myself, I always go out clubbing 2-4 months of the year without doing drugs/drinking (well, at least 90% of that time in the time frame). It takes me about 2-4 nights of clubbing before adjusting myself to not pilling or what have you before I find it very enjoyable. But as others have stated, its so much fun rolling, so thats why I do it. Im just trying to find an age when I should stop most drug related activities. I know I wont drink to excess at age 30 (I hardly drink these days anyway,it gets boring FAST..) But what age do you guys think is a good age to stop pilling and enjoy life straight? There has to be some age, I have no idea when?

i think fluffybunny (or whatever ur correct nick is ) has got the rite definition of addiction. this is THE WORLD WIDE STANDARD!!
it is what comes out of the DSM IV which is the pathology used to discern mental illnesses ect.
and mirage dear..umm actually the DSM IV clearly indicates that YES if someone has a glas of wine with dinner (more then 1 generally but some clinicians would say one qualifies)that they are INDEEED an alcoholic. this is classified this way after MANY MANY years of research as well. the latest DSM (IV) was published in the 90's. it may be better to uderstand addiction and the way it is thought of as more of a pattern of behavoir then actual addiciton the way dictionaries define it. the 'pattern' would b that some ppl would have a glass of wine wif dinner every nite..and would feel dif if they did not. same goes for those of you on this board who go out once a mth to the big parties. it may only be once a mth BUT it is still ur PATTERN to go out that once a mth and drop.