Can You be Addicted to...
Discussion
Can you be addicted to almost anything? In general terms/broad sense of the question.
I watched Rocco on Netflix recently and the man talks about his addiction to sex. I think Michael Douglas went through something similar, and I'm trying to understand how one can become addicted to something that is, to most people, a normal thing. Could you, for example, be addicted to eating?
I watched Rocco on Netflix recently and the man talks about his addiction to sex. I think Michael Douglas went through something similar, and I'm trying to understand how one can become addicted to something that is, to most people, a normal thing. Could you, for example, be addicted to eating?
In my view addiction is a personality trait. If you're that way 8nckined you can get addicted to anything, if you aren't then you don't. Obviously there are certain things that are easier to be addicted to, heroin I guess is a good example, bit in general you're either an addictive personality or not.
One of my oldest friends has, over the years, been addicted to nicotine, drugs, alcohol, and sex, and still has the nicotine and alcohol ones (I suspect the sex one has gone because he's old and the opportunities aren't there).
On the other hand, with basically the same upbringing (I've known him since we were 5, and were 58 now) I haven't and am not addicted to anything.
Not to say I don't have other issues of course!
One of my oldest friends has, over the years, been addicted to nicotine, drugs, alcohol, and sex, and still has the nicotine and alcohol ones (I suspect the sex one has gone because he's old and the opportunities aren't there).
On the other hand, with basically the same upbringing (I've known him since we were 5, and were 58 now) I haven't and am not addicted to anything.
Not to say I don't have other issues of course!
I don't know if you can be addicted to anything but the sphere of things is probably wider than many imagine.
A good friend fo mine was, to all intents and purposes, addicted to pool. When the pub took the table out, he became addicted to darts. Oddly, during this period he hardly drank at all until the pub closed and he started drinking at home and within five years died of alcoholism.
He had a propensity to engage in things beyond the normal levels of something being an interest so was, I guess, wired to be addicted to things.
A good friend fo mine was, to all intents and purposes, addicted to pool. When the pub took the table out, he became addicted to darts. Oddly, during this period he hardly drank at all until the pub closed and he started drinking at home and within five years died of alcoholism.
He had a propensity to engage in things beyond the normal levels of something being an interest so was, I guess, wired to be addicted to things.
In an expanded definition of the word yes, some people seemingly get addicted to a multitude of things.
However I believe the addictive personality thing is more neurological than personality in a psychological sense. There are correlated personality traits with those who present with what we could call/see as addiction but it's more impulsivity and/or sensation-seeking presenting itself in what such persons use and/or do physically in their lives.
Some of us release more dopamine when taking something or doing activities that will encourage more of the same. Whilst a nice hit of dopamine can feel like a reward it's a neural transmitter to get us motivated and seeking. The 'true' reward part of the brain is the opioid system which from a neurological and physiological POV is why - in a nutshell - not many people can take heroin/morphine/opium and its various iterations without becoming addicted.
That said, looking at addiction from a more psychological angle, behavioural addictions and substance addictions of course exist. And a fair few times they double up as the same thing. People using booze/drugs to self-medicate horrible memories, feelings and experiences from childhood. Gambling compulsively to the point of ruin etc. The neurological rewards are still there but with these addictions started with unresolved issues.
These are the addictions/behaviours that are hard to break and fit the word addiction with more aptness. The aforementioned sorts of folk that indulge in a lot of pleasurable food, drugs, sex, booze, thrill-seeking etc usually can pick up and drop differing 'hobbies' as it were.
With sex in general I don't see it as addictive to want a lot of it. Providing someone's actions aren't problematic in the pursuit of the most primal of urges. There's a study with men I'll try to find and link to, it was measuring something along the lines of receptors, signalling molecules or some such... the takeaway was the things they were measuring fired up much more with regards to a potential mate, rather than the receptors etc for food even when the subjects were hungry.
However I believe the addictive personality thing is more neurological than personality in a psychological sense. There are correlated personality traits with those who present with what we could call/see as addiction but it's more impulsivity and/or sensation-seeking presenting itself in what such persons use and/or do physically in their lives.
Some of us release more dopamine when taking something or doing activities that will encourage more of the same. Whilst a nice hit of dopamine can feel like a reward it's a neural transmitter to get us motivated and seeking. The 'true' reward part of the brain is the opioid system which from a neurological and physiological POV is why - in a nutshell - not many people can take heroin/morphine/opium and its various iterations without becoming addicted.
That said, looking at addiction from a more psychological angle, behavioural addictions and substance addictions of course exist. And a fair few times they double up as the same thing. People using booze/drugs to self-medicate horrible memories, feelings and experiences from childhood. Gambling compulsively to the point of ruin etc. The neurological rewards are still there but with these addictions started with unresolved issues.
These are the addictions/behaviours that are hard to break and fit the word addiction with more aptness. The aforementioned sorts of folk that indulge in a lot of pleasurable food, drugs, sex, booze, thrill-seeking etc usually can pick up and drop differing 'hobbies' as it were.
With sex in general I don't see it as addictive to want a lot of it. Providing someone's actions aren't problematic in the pursuit of the most primal of urges. There's a study with men I'll try to find and link to, it was measuring something along the lines of receptors, signalling molecules or some such... the takeaway was the things they were measuring fired up much more with regards to a potential mate, rather than the receptors etc for food even when the subjects were hungry.
As a recovering addict, many years clean, I know I'm obsesseive to the extreme.
I used to play golf but after about 5 years stopped as I genuinely was aiming to be pro standard and therefore disappointed with every round.
I have a home gym, if I skip a day I feel as though the world has ended and whats the point if you can't be arsed with it you useless f
kwit.
I can eat healthy, but know if I crack It could be months before I eat healthy again.
If I'm training, I check my weight 2 times a day.
I have many more traits.........
Gambling is not good as well ...
I'm not addicted to stuff these days but still remain obsessive about anything.
I used to play golf but after about 5 years stopped as I genuinely was aiming to be pro standard and therefore disappointed with every round.
I have a home gym, if I skip a day I feel as though the world has ended and whats the point if you can't be arsed with it you useless f
kwit.I can eat healthy, but know if I crack It could be months before I eat healthy again.
If I'm training, I check my weight 2 times a day.
I have many more traits.........
Gambling is not good as well ...
I'm not addicted to stuff these days but still remain obsessive about anything.
Glassman said:
Very interested in the responses so far.
If there's an underlying issue, I've been lucky. Had my fair share of them over the years and having tried this, that and the other, still stand here not having become dependent on any of them, which in itself does surprise me tbh.
An individual can become addicted to almost anything. There are different kinds of addiction - physical (drugs etc) and behavioural (gambling, sex etc). There doesn't need to be an underlying issue, though there often is.If there's an underlying issue, I've been lucky. Had my fair share of them over the years and having tried this, that and the other, still stand here not having become dependent on any of them, which in itself does surprise me tbh.
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