Is addiction a disease?
I seem to be losing all my friends to drug addiction. I had a good friend for a while who got real bad into heroin, and I don't talk to him any more. My other friends are getting really into coke now too, and I'm worried about them. So naturally I go online and read about addiction and stuff because it's interesting to me. Some people say it's a disease some say it's not. What do you think? I think it is in a way both a disease and not a disease. To call it a disease downplays the role that the addict's decision making plays in developing addiction, and could give the addict an excuse not to exercise any willpower and make positive changes for themselves. (such as in the episode of south park where randy marsh joins AA) However to say it's not a disease downplays the physiological changes that addiction creates, for example cocaine reducing the number of dopamine receptors available in the brain, making it harder for them to feel pleasure without it. This can in turn make the addict feel like a failure and more ostracized, blame themselves and undermine their motivation to change. Or at the very least set up a vicious cycle of abuse. But then again, is it disengenuous to define whether or not it's a disease based on what is most beneficial to the addict, as opposed to making a more objective determination? How do you define disease? 10 points best answer.
What are some characteristics of meth addicts?
Rather than the obvious signs of the homeless rock-bottom addict, perhaps it may be more useful to see some of the earlier subtle signs:-Weight loss despite junk food diet. They may appear pleasantly trim.-Bad skin-Very talkative, full of ideas. Can be intellectually interesting and engaging but at some point it feels they are talking at you more than with you.-No meaningful follow through on said big ideas.-Prone to irrational shifts into angry outbursts. These can be very quick and weird in normal conversation. -vanishing, unreliable to time commitments... Like not answering the phone all weekend, with vague explanations. In reality they were asleep for 3 days.-strange tooth decay, like along the sides of the front teeth. Teeth ground down.-hypersexual at times in risky ways-extremely clean house. Spotless bathrooms and kitchens. And yet there may be a nasty pile of junk hidden somewhere with piles of unfinished projects and found objects -spastic bird-like motions. If they are into dancing this might seem normal -rapid shifts in mood. They may go from sluggish and grumpy to quick and talkative after a short bathroom break.-weird hours in general. Like texting you at 5am with some sort of question -paranoid delusions. This doesn't have to be conspiracy theories and mind control, it could be extreme jealousy and accusations directed at you. Then it may get weirder with obsessions that various people or entities are watching them.-fascination with parts of objects.Contrary to expectations, there are severe meth addicts out there who hold down jobs and the appearance of normal life. In fact meth is a drug that can actually increase brain speed and productivity. Meth users are not stupid while high, but they end up irrational. They are dimwitted only when coming down. This makes the addiction very insidious as the addiction outsmarts the addict and the people around them in subtly sophisticated ways.
Addicted to Cheating????
Is it really possible to be addicted to cheating? I have been married for almost 7 years (7-year itch?) I do love my husband, although I don't feel that I am in love with him. He takes care of us (me and kids) great, I have no issues there. My problem is that I am always looking for excitement, that is no longer in my marriage, which, I credit that to me. It's not like I go out and just sleep with anyone, I would not do that. Anyone that I have ever had an affair with I have known for some time. I am not posting this to get rude comments, but I probably will, I really think I need help, and I am not sure where to turn. I am not sexually attracted to my husband anymore, hence the reason I cheat????
Pot is not addictive like aolochol people cant get hooked on pot rite??
Pot is the number one drug that people seek out treatment for addiction for. By the way, you are probably an addict. I treated drug addicts for many years and let me tell you about the pot smokers. None of them considered themselves addicts. Even when they lost their homes, their spouses, all their money, all their self respect. Even as they were thrown in jail for violent, drug related crime and had to see me by court mandate or else face 5 years in prison....they would not admit that they were addicts. Wouldn't stop either. Many of the people I came into contact with chose prison rather than stopping pot. Think about that. You'd rather spend the next 5 to 10 years of your life being gang raped and beaten during racist hate crimes, day in and day out, rather than stop smoking. If that ain't addiction, I don't know what is.
How do meth addicts act? What are some signs you should look for if you think someone is on meth?
I’m an extreme case of a functional addict, but I am very rare and I have money. Money helps conceal habits…. Here’s a few less obvious signs;Qtips. Tweakers love q tips.Openly picking their nose, bonus points if they eat it.If they blow their nose, get tissue. Let it dry out and then the boogers will be obviously not wholly organicMeticulous personal grooming. Not all of them look like shit, some are obsessed with looking good. They floss and whiten their teeth and put face creams on and the whole nine yards. Perfect eyebrows, hair all of it. This is usually true with tweaker couples. One is obsessed with keeping the other one pretty.Dry skin around noseThey gambleThey go thru a lot of phonesTheir car has random dents or a rip in the seat or curbed rims or minor damage here or there. (Functional kind with money, for instance I have a Mercedes G wagon with a rip in the seat, a curbed rim and a small dent in the rear bumper.They shake.They don’t look you in the eye.They always have random stuff for sale.They generally don’t eat a lot.They don’t drink liquor anymoreThey misplace things a lotTheir phone is always close to deadThey get super focused on strange things sometimes and then forget to finish whatever it was they were doingThey like to colorThey like to play on their phone for HOURS on end.They have small baggies, or pieces of plastic that appears to have been burnt at some point.They’re late a lot or they take too long to leave when it’s time to go. No sense of urgency for the sake of keeping good time.They’re moody and when very upset want to be alone. They can disappear or keep to themselves for days
Can somebody become addicted to doctors?
My elderly aunt (86) seems to be in amazing health. She is very active and more or less well. However, she is obsessed with her health, taking all sorts of medication and checking her vital signs several times a day. She has doctor appointments with various doctors at least three to five days a week. If she has the slightest headache, pain or dizziness, she either calls me or an ambulance to take her to the emergency room at the hospital. If any doctor gives the slightest suggestion that observation might be in order, she gets signed in to the hospital. Since July, she has run me ragged taking her to doctors and hospitals and has spent at least 45 days in the hospital or rehabilitation facility. Except for a short bout of possible pneumonia, there has never been anything wrong with her this year. I don't know if the doctors and hospital have been exploiting her by treating her for conditions that are mostly imaginary just because she has good insurance, or if their care has been necessary. I fear that she is simply addicted to medical care. Sooner or later, some doctor may make a mistake that will really harm her, or she may end up with one of the many super-virus conditions that abound in hospitals. Is this situation common? Is there anything that can be done?