And when you decide to quit, it takes quite a while before you stop feeling that strange thirst.
Sure, but one can be dependent on e.g. SSRIs or SNRIs. But they aren't addictive!
Dependence + addiction is a special problem with opiates, I think you can die from withdrawals?
SSRI/SNRIs can be problematic. The difference is that SSRIs tend not to have the other features of dependence:
Seeking the meds when you run low; preoccupation with the meds; continuing to take the meds even though you know they're doing harm.
then, the press secretary in your brain (the thing between your subconscious & conscious mind) goes into hyper-rationalization (denial) mode and you start to defend the amount and type of chemicals you use, even when they are literally killing you and those around you
If you're asking about what physical or psychological withdrawal from a drug feels like, it depends on the person, the chemical, and other variables. The worst opiates (Suboxone / Methadone) have 6 month+ withdrawal symptoms, and the faster ones are ~7 days. Hellish times. However, while abstinence frees you from withdrawal symptoms, unless the underlying mental issues are addressed it's likely you'll go back to the very same substance that got you here.
You might enjoy some of the accounts in The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: https://www.google.com/books/edition/In_the_Realm_of_Hungry_...
I would say that's basically how addiction manifests itself: even if you know that you're dealing with substance abuse, come on, one more time won't matter, will it?
And then there's also the comfort aspect: you're getting back from a hard day's work, you're feeling tired and cranky, you do deserve something nice, don't you?
N.B.: I'm not saying that not being able to drop the book or stop playing that game IS addiction, just that substance addiction might feel the same way.
N.B. 2:And I'm not talking here about the medical aspects of withdrawal, because that's not the thing an addict would usually experience (withdrawal would only happen because you're trying to stop or cannot get access to the substance you need).
Not for me. I used to be a smoker and alcoholic.
For smoking, I just felt uneasy without it, like idk when you're anxiously waiting for something important.
That's the physical dependence and was only the first two weeks and relatively easy to overcome. I got dizzy and other withdrawal symptoms but you can fight through that for a couple of weeks. The other part is the ritual to it. E.g. like most people probably brush their teeth once a day, smoking after eating is just something you do, give in once and you're back to physical dependence.
Alcohol was different for me. Self medication. Once i solved the issues i was medicating (insomnia and stress) i... just stopped drinking and never missed it. The biggest adjustment here was getting used to not being drunk and figuring out what to do with all the time i had now.
Hunger never hurt me, but I used to give into it quickly because it distracted me a lot and I enjoyed cooking and eating. The first time I dieted intensively it took about 5 days but I mostly stopped feeling it. It was more of a notice "probably a good time to eat" than a strong urge anymore. It was easy to reframe in my mind as a positive - this is the feeling of fat evaporating! Getting to that point can be tough though.
For opiates and benzos it might manifest as stress and depression. For uppers, drowsiness and inability to focus.
It's compounded by the fact that the reason you started is usually that you suffered from those things to start with.
Btw, in relation to the article, there was a Reddit user who ar some point wanted to "just try" this heroin thing and his message history depicts very amazingly hiw he spiraled to addiction.
This beverage has no redeeming qualities, and I want to kick off this habit.
However, it triggers some addiction mechanism in my brain, and I must drink it every day. No moderation for me -- it really is an addiction. I don't go to McDonald's: I drink it at home. Diet Coke, so no excess sugar, but I'm pretty sure Diet Coke is unhealthy as well, and I'm not sure those sweeteners are good for you anyway.
It highly depends on the "thing" (it must not really be a thing). I would say "its the desire to plug a hole".
Do you drink tea? Why dont you drink tea without sugar? There are lots of answers to this question. It can be "it tastes better". Thats what your mind is telling you. It probably would be more healthier to drink tea without sugar but you still add sugar to it.
Thats addiction. And there are tons of other examples and its hard to determine it for every case. Addictions are deeply implemented in our brains. Eating, the urge to be close to people, getting complemented for things you do, all this is kind of an addictional behaivour.
Drugs can basically fill this already existing but empty receptors more efficient. Then your brain tells you to do it again. It will find reasons.
That was harder to explain than i thought. I hope it makes sense.
I generally tried to explain what addiction is and what it feels like. It really depends on the matter.
To me, it always felt like there was something like a little pebble be stuck in my brain and there was only one way to get it out. Not physically, but in terms of how it affected me mentally.
I got stinking headaches for a week, but not an overwhelming urge to drink caffeine
When smokers quit, they almost always describe the urge to smoke rather than the physical side effects, often described more like hunger.
This is exactly my experience after not drinking coffee for 1-2 days. Headaches that make the thought of drinking coffee slightly disgusting.
Some people might feel a drive to do something completely non-rational, some might go into depression, some might even feel hungry.
Sounds like pop psychology. There are tons of extremely addictive substances.
Try one and you will get addicted after a while, even if your whole childhood was hugs and roses and ponies.
Maybe, but why would it be due to childhood trauma alone?
I can imagine someone with a happy childhood and a big 20-something or 30-something trauma (loss, divorce, various other issues) falling for drugs/alcohol addiction for the first time just the same.
Veterans who had many Adverse Childhood Experiences (A high ACE score), such as coming from a broken home, or faced neglect and isolation growing up, were much more likely to become addicted to the opioids they were given to treat pain.
Veterans at that stage are also usually young, so if they came from a broken home, or had isolation growing up, they'd still return to something like that.
What about veterans that have build a succesful family and working life in between (aside from having had childhood trauma)?
Do you have any evidence as basis for your theory?
I am often wondering about how addiction "feels". I don't consider myself being addicted to anything, and always wonder how an addiction actually manifests itself. Is it a pain? Is it comparable to being extremely hungry or thirsty?
Slightly related: a few years ago, I overheard a conversation between a fairly large woman and a child. The child said that it was hungry. The woman said: "Oh yes, that hurts". That struck me as odd, because even after eating nothing for 1-2 days, I never actually felt pain when I was hungry. It was surprising to me that some people seem to do, and it would have certainly explained why the woman was so heavy: I, too, would of course eat much more if being hungry was painful.