Is addiction actually normal?


#1

So many good threads and podcasts on addiction and its neurochemical physiological drivers. Fasting, coffee, cravings, sweetness, crunchiness, stressors and responses.

People who become unwell from their addiction(s) can become aware of them. That does help in creating change. But change to what?

Is the greater awareness that addiction is an evolutionary physiological adaptation and norm?

Then it becomes the challenge of knowing available addictions and choosing the better substitute.

Workaholism or exercise become their own traps.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Addiction may be normal in the sense that it is part of what can happen to some people. But I can’t think of a single addiction that is good. In fact, the very definition of addiction is that it is destructive. Some people can drink, and it doesn’t take over their lives, while others lose power over their lives from the first drink they take. Some people can eat sugar and not binge on it, whereas others are enslaved from the first taste.

So I would say that addiction may be normal, but it’s not healthy.


#3

I agree… too many variables to simply say one way or the other for sure. - Yes, some find things such as drinking or smoking more representative of ‘truly’ additive activities due to their overall nature, and being it’s sometimes frowned upon by those who don’t do them. But this can be the same for anything really, including eating, or as mentioned, workaholism or exercise. … Is this sometimes due to simply familiarity, or just a customary function one gets used to over time? Dunno? Agree with Paul, I also can’t think of any single action of addiction that is really a good thing in the overall picture of things.


#4

No. Simple terms addiction of any kind is not normal.

something triggers it.

malnourished or food working against us? yes food issue addiction troubles.

any medical issues that ‘need controlling’ and more can become an addiction behavior and to overcorrect literally what doesn’t take all that much to fix? not normal.

NOW lets talk social issues…omg addictions thru what humans hear, see, desire, wanna be, or thru their childhoods of being mistreated or or or or?? lets not even hit into psycho issues cause that is over the top literally.

Nope addiction in not part of life but in our civilized ways now addiction is SO super rampant it is frightening.

think back, long long ago…simple times. simple needs. All wiped out now. Think of an animal too, dogs addicted to begging and preforming tricks for food, is that normal, nope. Dolphins trained to jump cause they want fish cause the only way to get fed is to perform?

I can say long ago, way back when, addiction wasn’t an issue. But in that one step it all changed to humans now are massively addicted to everything. Alot of addictions can be easily drawn to medical issues that can put a person into addictive mode cause physically they are put there thru science but now alot of addiction is society related.

Giant massive insane overloaded mess of addictions that feed off food, culture, global interactions of cultures and more…we ain’t got a prayer!

ok that is my take :slight_smile: how I see it and NO, addiction now will never go away in any form…rampant in this culture of every human on Earth.
Probably to ONLY get worse across the global population!


(Doug) #5

The nature of addiction is wide-ranging. ‘Workaholism’ - I was thinking that a good bit of addiction stems from having a lot of free time, i.e. in the modern world people often are not as consumed with getting the basics of food, clothing and shelter, leaving them to go down various rabbit holes. I see that @Fangs was thinking along these lines too. My wife teaches Psychology, and it’s common to see people being the happiest when they are busy. That said, I absolutely love and COVET my free time.

Yet if one is addicted to work, then what? :smile:

I think that as individuals we are born with varying capacities for excess that can play out in physical, mental and emotional ways. I have 4 siblings, and of us 5, 3 aren’t really “excessive” while the other 2 are.


(Robin) #6

I think some of us are hardwired for addiction. You name it, drugs, booze, sex, exercise, diet, work, etc… Some of us crave being in the zone, all in. No middle ground. That’s my tribe. Thankfully we can switch some addictions for a healthy one. Or at least one that is not harming us.


(Joey) #7

There are multiple accepted definitions of “addiction” - both as a behavior that is destructive or as any behavior that is difficult to stop regardless of its effects.

But either definition leads me to consider addiction as a learned behavior. And humans are - by nature - learning mammals… with behaviors becoming ingrained both through imitation and fiat experience.

With that said, I’d argue that the tendency toward addiction is entirely normal.

Whether a behavior is destructive or not ought to inform the addict as to whether a behavioral change is warranted. Many of us suck at that part of learning. :wink:


#8

Agree Joey, most are indeed a learned behavior, in one form or the other. And time itself shows us this with one of today’s biggest and most shared addictions worldwide… the internet/social media.

Younger folks tend to forget that this wasn’t the case not that very long ago. And as much as ‘older’ folks try to explain this to them, there is no personal experience for them to look back on. … But this is not only for the young, but middle aged to older, etc. … Some cannot live without it, and it is indeed one massive addiction that has come to pass here in recent times.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #9

It’s part of the psychology of addiction that even the knowledge that the behaviour is destructive is not enough to enable the addict to stop. In some cases, self-destruction is even what is wanted, for various reasons.

As Carl Jung famously told an early member of Alcoholics Anonymous, the only thing that was likely to help him stop drinking was a complete personality change. The man eventually found a means to change his personality and stop drinking, but he had to hit rock bottom first.


(Joey) #10

Having seen teens “freak out” when their social media access is removed illustrates a key point: the need to be accepted by and participate in one’s tribal activities is extremely important to the healthy development of an adolescent.

Social media is simply today’s platform through which they connect.

It used to be other places - backyards, playgrounds, basketball courts, town squares, shopping malls, behind the barn, etc. But the compelling need for it has not changed.

Happily, adolescence is just a stage, after which healthy teens move on to a better balance between the need for tribal membership and an individual sense of self.

Then again, it’s remarkable how many adults still seem to cling to tribal membership … :face_with_monocle:


#11

Exactly… I’ve seen enough ‘Adults’ myself lose their @#&% over something as simple as not being able to get on-lline, or even connect to a single site they frequent. This can be for a day or more, or even just a short period of hours. But they act as if the world will end if they can’t get it back quickly. … Funny how they were once probably one of those you mention, who did find outlets outside of the electronic world of engagement we have today. So did they learn this addiction from their kids, or just society in itself? Doesn’t really matter, if it is an addiction in itself to them. In-person socializing has definitely changed over the years, and I’m sure it will continue to do so to a degree. … Who knows where we might be in just another 10 or 20 years? :slight_smile: