# Do you think addiction in of itself is bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394 "2014-10-15T12:52:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/21 "2014-10-16T00:08:00Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Then I wouldn’t call that an addiction at all. That is a physical dependency. The two can overlap but they are distinct concepts. And I think the OP has confused the two concepts. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/22 "2014-10-16T00:27:40Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > No matter how mild the consequences, and addict is less free than a non-addict. Not if the addictive drug is all that lets them function, and they’re bedridden without it. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/23 "2014-10-16T01:31:24Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Not if the addictive drug is all that lets them function, and they’re bedridden without it. Again, dependency, not addiction. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/24 "2014-10-16T13:42:46Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Assume that an addictive drug had minimal bad effects from its administration, was cheap as dirt, and had no negative lifestyle associated with it. > > Studies showed that addicts had the same life expectancy as non addicts. > > Would you still oppose it on principal? > > (yes this is inspired by the ecig threads where people point out nicotine is still addictive, much like caffeine). > > I’m just curious. If the above is then no addiction to chemicals isn’t bad. However it usually doesn’t work like that. I was reading a book about the evolutionary development of emotions and the author talked about how some drugs like opioids affect areas of the brain that are meant to reward social behavior. So someone with a family may abandon them because the drug is now activating those reward centers. A lot of the more addictive drugs affect reward centers. I believe a kilo of highly pure cocaine is only $1000 wholesale in Latin America. So a dose of 50mg would only be a few cents. Drugs can be made cheap so you get your fix for less than a dollar a day. But because they screw with reward mechanisms that is probably going to cause negative lifestyle changes. If a person could quit if they wanted and if the drug didn’t affect personality then go nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/25 "2014-10-16T15:12:38Z")
Oh, please. The biggest addiction problem the USA has is prescription “medication” and people are whining about caffeine. I’d rather be drowing in coffee than supporting big pharma. We are so hypocritical on the matter. As long as a doctor prescribes it, it must be kosher. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/26 "2014-10-16T15:23:45Z")
People that let themselves become so dependent on a substance that it could be considered an addiction, speaks to the character of those individuals. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/27 "2014-10-16T16:18:17Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Assume that an addictive drug had minimal bad effects from its administration, was cheap as dirt, and had no negative lifestyle associated with it. > > Studies showed that addicts had the same life expectancy as non addicts. As long as we’re fantasizing, let’s say it also gives you continuous euphoria with no diminished brain function, doesn’t affect your reaction time or driving ability, you never develop a tolerance, and you can grow it yourself overnight like a Chia Pet. Also makes you incredibly sexually attractive and the world’s best lover. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/28 "2014-10-16T16:28:07Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > People that let themselves become so dependent on a substance that it could be considered an addiction, speaks to the character of those individuals. I use to believe this but now not so much. An addiction can creep up on someone. The ability to recover from an addiction I believe does speak more of the character. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/29 "2014-10-16T17:04:09Z")
Plus, from what I understand, there are differences in physiology and the way people’s brains are wired that make them more or less susceptible to becoming addicted (either in general, or to specific things). So while character does play a role, it’s not the only factor. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/30 "2014-10-16T19:08:03Z")
It’s the loss of autonomy that bothers me. I take a number of drugs and they will–I think–lengthen my life, but I am not addicted in the usual sense. I also get a daily fix of theorbromine, but I don’t think that’s an addiction either. I was never addicted to caffiene and have recently given up even my morning coffee in the hope of sleeping better. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/31 "2014-10-16T19:38:30Z")
See, I don’t think caffeine is even something that can be considered an addiction. It’s something many people are physically dependent on, yes, but _addicted_? I don’t see how. It’s not even like nicotine. It doesn’t kill you by consuming it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/32 "2014-10-16T19:46:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Not if the addictive drug is all that lets them function, and they’re bedridden without it. > [@Ambivalid](#): > > Again, dependency, not addiction. You assume that those are mutually exclusive. They aren’t; there are people dependent on addictive painkillers to function due to chronic pain, for example. And they suffer quite a bit due to the holy war on drugs and addiction. There’s a thread from someone in that position in Great Debates [right now](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737468), in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/33 "2014-10-16T19:51:12Z")
Pretty much everything that’s been discussed is chemical/medical/physical addiction. What about psychological addictions? We have a family member (not close, thankfully) who rides a bike. If they are prevented from getting their daily ride, or if they can’t ride for several days, they get as piss-mean, touchy and disrupted as any java or smoke junkie I’ve known. I’d say they’re addicted to one or more aspects of that ride, and that it has a downside no matter how “healthy” the addiction might be. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/34 "2014-10-16T19:57:31Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Then I wouldn’t call that an addiction at all. That is a physical dependency. The two can overlap but they are distinct concepts. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You assume that those are mutually exclusive. They aren’t; there are people dependent on addictive painkillers to function due to chronic pain, for example. And they suffer quite a bit due to the holy war on drugs and addiction. There’s a thread from someone in that position in Great Debates [right now](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737468), in fact. As you see, I explicitly pointed out that the two concepts often overlap in particular instances; so I do not think by any means that they are mutually exclusive. However, in the specific example you gave, that was drug dependency, not drug addiction. That person may well have also been addicted to that drug as well, but you gave no evidence of that. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/35 "2014-10-16T20:06:19Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Pretty much everything that’s been discussed is chemical/medical/physical addiction. What about psychological addictions? We have a family member (not close, thankfully) who rides a bike. If they are prevented from getting their daily ride, or if they can’t ride for several days, they get as piss-mean, touchy and disrupted as any java or smoke junkie I’ve known. I’d say they’re addicted to one or more aspects of that ride, and that it has a downside no matter how “healthy” the addiction might be. [This does a fairly good job of describing the difference between addiction and physical dependence](http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/there-difference-between-physical-dependence). A person CAN be completely dependent on a substance in order to function and NOT be addicted in the least bit. Also, they can be completely dependent on that substance in order to function and BE addicted. They are not one and the same. Addiction is psychological. Dependence is physical. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/36 "2014-10-16T20:11:56Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > [This does a fairly good job of describing the difference between addiction and physical dependence](http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/there-difference-between-physical-dependence). A person CAN be completely dependent on a substance in order to function and NOT be addicted in the least bit. Also, they can be completely dependent on that substance in order to function and BE addicted. They are not one and the same. Addiction is psychological. Dependence is physical. That makes sense. I’d say that addiction, shorn of any harm to others and without debilitating harm to oneself, is a choice of the individual. I can’t think of a case where addiction would include significant dependence and not be a net negative for the individual. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/37 "2014-10-17T13:12:16Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > See, I don’t think caffeine is even something that can be considered an addiction. It’s something many people are physically dependent on, yes, but _addicted_? I don’t see how. It’s not even like nicotine. It doesn’t kill you by consuming it. A lot of people would disagree with you. I’ve read two books on the subject, Caffeine Blues and one whose title I don’t remember. Basically, the premise is that caffeine is a horribly addictive substance that will kill you. As Robert Benchley said when told that alcohol is a slow poison “I’m in no hurry.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/38 "2014-10-17T13:46:56Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > [This does a fairly good job of describing the difference between addiction and physical dependence](http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/there-difference-between-physical-dependence). A person CAN be completely dependent on a substance in order to function and NOT be addicted in the least bit. Also, they can be completely dependent on that substance in order to function and BE addicted. They are not one and the same. Addiction is psychological. Dependence is physical. Back when I was in school, and they were edumacating us about drugs & stuff, I learned about the distinction between substances being _physically addictive_ vs. _psychologically addictive_. I’m not sure whether that was/is official terminology, but it sounds like the same distinction as what you’re drawing between “physical dependence” (= “physical addiction”) and “addiction” (= “psychological addiction”). ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/39 "2014-10-17T13:59:14Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > People that let themselves become so dependent on a substance that it could be considered an addiction, speaks to the character of those individuals. What does it say? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394/40 "2014-10-17T17:17:25Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > A lot of people would disagree with you. I’ve read two books on the subject, Caffeine Blues and one whose title I don’t remember. Basically, the premise is that caffeine is a horribly addictive substance that will kill you. > > As Robert Benchley said when told that alcohol is a slow poison “I’m in no hurry.” How exactly does caffeine kill you? And how does a caffeine “addiction” cause negative effects on the person’s life, whether it be physical, emotional, personal, financial, or a combination thereof, by continuing the habit of consuming caffeine? Please answer me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-addiction-in-of-itself-is-bad/701394.md?page=3)