Does the medical community recognize an addiction not being sober? As in, the patient isn’t specifically addicted to alcohol or meth or whatever, he has to be high on something, whatever he can get.
Is there a professional term beyond just “drug addict”?
I think it’s more of an addiction to being high rather than an addiction to not being sober.
Not a medical professional, but I’ve seen a lot of guys who will do anything to get high. Sometimes mixing, alcohol and pills, sometimes with bad results. I worked with a engineer for years, he had what I call death wish drinking. He would talk very little, just drink himself unconscious. He did coke for awhile also. I’m amazed he is still living.
My ex husband was an addict. In one rehab, one of the doctors told us he was a Garbage Head. He’d take anything to not be sober, did not care what. Haven’t heard that before of since, but it was accurate.
If you want to distinguish between seeking a high and avoiding being sober I think psychiatry in those cases are focused on why someone wants to avoid being sober. The term for their behavior is still substance abuse whether they are focused on getting the high, or avoiding the sober, but in the latter case the various possible causes will have their own psychological names.
If there is nothing wrong with your sober life and you still prefer being high to being sober you are addicted to the high.
Is it relevant here that not all non-sober states are “highs”?
It may depend on the underlying condition but many for some conditions it doesn’t.
For some conditions, people are just avoiding being sober and this is often done through disassociation or depression.
Escape artist.
Depressed?
I have this disorder, whatever it is. I don’t want to be high. I always regret being intoxicated but the state of sober is sometimes just too much. I’m hyper-sensitive and dulling that becomes an addiction.
Not being built for sober sucks.
ETA: I am over 3 years sober. So I’m OK, just sharing.
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