Habits vs addctions. What's the diff?
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Habits vs addctions. What's the diff?
| Mon, 04-24-2006 - 8:23am |
What do you think?
Curious as always,
Lucky
| Mon, 04-24-2006 - 8:23am |
What do you think?
Curious as always,
Lucky
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INteresting question Lucky!
HI Lucky,
Lucky, you ask a very good question. I consulted this guy Webster and one definition he gives for "addiction" is a habitual practice or devotion. Addiction is usually referred to as a bad habit. I think in the general usage of our language they have about the same meaning. With addiction usually making reference to a bad habit. There are some good habits, like showering daily and brushing our teeth. Since habit is devotion I guess Carol and I are habitual buddies being married for 48 years. It's certainly devotion. We can stand before the world and swear we have never "cheated" on each other. So that would be a good habit. Never breaking our vows. I'm an alcoholic and when I drank that was a bad habit, so bad it would have killed me.
So, Lucky, that's my take on your very good question. I bet I get an A+ from Leslie.
Service in recovery,
Paul
Castaway
A Friend in Recovery
Paul
Interesting, Tracy. I had always understood that nicotine was one of the most addictive drugs out there.
What's weird is that some can use an addictive substance and not be addicted. Others can use a non-addictive substance and become addicted to them. Or is it habit? What comes first, the habit or the addiction?
Ohhh, I am so confused....
Lucky
See, Paul, I've always thought they were the same thing, too. But, it seems that calling something a habit gives us the opportunity to moderate or change the behavior. Calling it addiction indicates that the offending thing must be taken away permenantly.
Still confused but needing more info,
Lucky
Hmm, your tobacco use sounds exactly like my alcohol use. I am quite positive that it is more a habit than addiction, even though it's an addictive substance. I never change my plans to drink. I just drink when I'm home, at a restaurant or bar or party. I never carry a flask with me or pour whisky into my Coke before I go to a movie. It's more habitual. But, I would guess that if I stopped drinking today, I would feel crappy for a few days because of withdrawl.
How long does alcohol take to leave the body? I always thought it was 2 hours per drink (or 1 hour depending on which charts you look at). If it leaves in two hours, how does a person become addicted? And why are there withdrawals?
Questions, questions. Can't help myself. Hopefully I will learn something.
Lucky
Interesting question.
Do bad habits lead to addiction?
Is "habit-forming" actually addiction?
IMHO, if the habit or addiction does not add something to our lives, but, in fact
may harm our mental and phyiscal health, it needs to be addressed.
Peace,
Rose
HI Tracy,
Whomever that "medical professional" was that said smoking is not an addiction is as ignorant as they come. That's the same as saying if I drink enough alcohol to pass out every night and don't drink because I am in a coma I am not addicted. You can educate that person or send him here and I'll do it. Bill Wilson the co-founder of AA died from emphysema because of his addiction to nicotine. So did Jack McNeil, the skinny little Irishman that came off Philadelphia's skid row to help more alcoholics, including me, than anyone I have ever known. Nicotine is one of th most highly addicted substances known.
You don't smoke at work because it is prohibited and you want to keep your job. I never drank at work. By the time my place of employment went smoke free I had quit. In fact I wrote and taught a Quit Smoking Program at my office. That accomplishment did a great deal for me being selected as an Employee Assistance Program Counselor. One of our counselor's, Morris Henderson, died from cancer of the nose and throat. Morris was a recovering alcoholic. He was a chain smoker.
Habit vs addiction, what is the difference? One difference is "habit" is addiction politely put. I think it breeds denial of the real story:Definition addiction.
Service in recovery,
Paul
Castaway
A Friend in Recovery
Paul
I believe there are physical addictions and physchological addictions, I think a lot of the psychological ones are termed bad habits. there is still some form of control over those, our brain wants it, but there is still a choice. In physical addiction the body decides there isnt a choice any longer it has to have it or is physically ill.
Some one who is not able to feed a bad habit does not have nearly the physical or emotional discomfort of someone unable to feed an addiction.
Withdrawls are a whole other interesting issue. I have had withdrawls from alcohol in the sense of shaking hands or hang overs, but I have gone through WORSE withdrawls from caffiene, full fledged withdrawls, who would have thought?
hmmm interesting.
yuh, and smoking is a definite addiction, maybe not to everyone, but to many many people.
just my thoughts,
chaos
Chaoslover
Sometimes you fake it, till you can make it.
Leslie
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