Words matter - time to retire the use of "addiction"?

[MissKitty47]

Compelled

Sent by my cat through pure magic

 

[ScottP]

Hey, I DID say I was compelled...lol

I guess I hadn't refreshed the page to see your post before I typed that. Glad we agree though.

 

[MissKitty47]

Sneeze agree

Sent by my cat through pure magic

 

[supermarket]

I understand addiction has become a dirty word in our society - just like a lot of other words. It is what it is though, and I think we all have our addictions. To what degree, and what substances/things it varies for each person. Some addictions are practically harmless, and some are nearly inescapable paths of death and destruction. Instead of having a doctor, a psychologist, or anyone else determine what addiction is, and which ones are bad for you, it should be up to YOU to figure it out.

We choose our addictions like we choose our battles. Some people run headfirst into every conflict/battle they can...without any thought of repercussion. Others, choose their battles wisely. Same with addictions

 

[EddardinWinter]

This is dependence, not addiction. These are two different things -- you can be addicted to a drug while not dependent, and you can be dependent on a drug but not addicted.



It doesn't matter what the drug is nor how safe or common its use is. You can be addicted to nicotine, and you can be addicted to caffeine.

The issue here is the extreme negative connotation of the words "addiction" and (especially) "addict". When you think of an "addict", most people see the junkie with track marks all over their arms or the tweaker who hasn't slept for three days straight.

Well said. I don't care for the term when applied to vaping, but I don't want to remove any more words from our language. The PC police have already seized too many.

I do not appreciate it when others tell me I am addicted. Is that because there is a grain of truth to it? Perhaps. But I am actually using nicotine and caffeine to avoid the use of Ritalin or Adderal for my ADHD. Therefore, I classify it as a dependence rather than an addiction. I suppose my irritation is when people spout out their diagnosis of my use without ever being paid to do so.

If you aren't getting paid for a diagnosis, its just your opinion and nothing more.

The rationalizations that amateur psychiatrists will make to feel their opinion is worth noting never cease to amaze me. If you took two semesters of psych in college, or read a book about psychiatry, that does not make you qualified. The people doing this for a living can tell you what it takes to be certified and licensed.