"The fantasy of addiction" - Peter Htichens

[BadFish]

A large number of different things. I'm not qualified to speak on the subject, but saying that it is always to do with having a bad childhood or something is nonsense, plenty of hugely privileged people end up with addictions. If we're talking about drugs, and as Billy the Fish says, you can't label them all under one banner, then the actual addiction is surely to do with a chemical reaction rather than something deep rooted. But I t's what caused people to take the drug the first few times that is the root cause. Sure, some of it must be down to a deep rooted need to escape, but some of it must also be down to curiosity, falling in with the wrong crowd, boredom, any number of things. Not every drug addict is a waster from a broken home and an abused childhood.

agreed.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As a nation the UK is slowly coming around the idea that depression is an illness and not a weakness. Maybe in a few decades the UK will have similar ideas about addiction?

 

[Commander]

As a nation the UK is slowly coming around the idea that depression is an illness and not a weakness. Maybe in a few decades the UK will have similar ideas about addiction?

Maybe, but there IS a difference. Whichever way you look at it, you get yourself into addiction, you don't get yourself into depression. That's not to say it isn't an illness, it could be argued that you get yourself into HIV etc, but I think that's why a lot of people seem to have more sympathy for mental illness than they do for addictions these days.

I also think the word 'addiction' is over used, which dilutes it a bit. Sex addictions, food addictions, etc etc. I struggle to feel too much sympathy for these sorts of things. I'm definitely addicted to the second one, and would be to the first if I was allowed.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Maybe, but there IS a difference. Whichever way you look at it, you get yourself into addiction, you don't get yourself into depression. That's not to say it isn't an illness, it could be argued that you get yourself into HIV etc, but I think that's why a lot of people seem to have more sympathy for mental illness than they do for addictions these days.

I also think the word 'addiction' is over used, which dilutes it a bit. Sex addictions, food addictions, etc etc. I struggle to feel too much sympathy for these sorts of things. I'm definitely addicted to the second one, and would be to the first if I was allowed.

But I do not buy the idea about 'getting yourself' into addiction though. Sure, on a pedantic use of language it is "your choice" but not everyone has complete control over their choices all of the time and poor choices can easily be made in certain circumstances and/or if you are vulnerable. Also, some poeple for whatever reason are self-descructive and crave "poor" decisions. If it was this simple then the world would be an easier place; the abused would just walk out of families or relationships, tourette's suffers would simply stop swearing. But they do not, because for whatever reason, they cannot make the "right" choice. So, I do not feel everyone gets themselves into addiction.

Agree about the term addict. I feel quite strongly about depression being used in the same way. There is a huge difference between Robbie Savage's claims he was depressed and clinically diagnosed depression.