Is an addict an addict for life?

@Deckard,

We all are addicted to acquiring happiness. The only difference are our methods of obtaining it. We only call thing things addicting when we are over consuming them. Those who can't control their consumption are called addicts. But we all are addicted to happiness. Where is the support group for getting over that addiction?

@Deckard,

Those who can't control their consumption are called addicts. But we all are addicted to happiness. Where is the support group for getting over that addiction?
A. Phiosophy Forums- obviously
Addiction is a social construct- i beleive it is a lack of true control over ones own decisions and it could be said that we all face that as an issue, are we all addicted to saying such meaningless phrases as how are you? when the listener all most inebitably does not answer the question true to how they actually are.

Maybe some philosophers could be said to be addicted to thinking itself - it shows all the signs of addiction, you can't help yourself doing it, if asked to quit it one would most likely refuse, and it can certainly be detrimental to are purely biological development.

Answering the question it depends on your definition, and the context of the addiction.

@Deckard,

Isn't there a distinction to be made between a clinical definition of the term and a more general and common-language usage that has a much wider range of contexts? Not making such a distinction seems to lead to confusion and false pictures (or too-similar pictures) of both.

@jgweed,

jgweed;126730 wrote:

Isn't there a distinction to be made between a clinical definition of the term and a more general and common-language usage that has a much wider range of contexts? Not making such a distinction seems to lead to confusion and false pictures (or too-similar pictures) of both.

That's a good point, and I think the distinction has been beneficial.

It is strange that one of the known methods of living without the destructiveness of addiction (AA) is to own the addictive personality. Going Sartre on it is contraindicated.

@Deckard,

Yet, from a psychological viewpoint, it seems beneficial to the addict to understand the implications of viewing himself in bad faith. It is one thing to recognise that he will always (potentially, at least) be an addict, and another to see himself as that and nothing else and hence incapable of making better and different choices (Binswanger's Daseinsanalyse).

@jgweed,

jgweed;126741 wrote:

Yet, from a psychological viewpoint, it seems beneficial to the addict to understand the implications of viewing himself in bad faith. It is one thing to recognise that he will always (potentially, at least) be an addict, and another to see himself as that and nothing else and hence incapable of making better and different choices (Binswanger's Daseinsanalyse).

I'm thinking that the 12-step approach focuses on how to contact the part of oneself that is free.

The addict can feel that giving up the drug is giving up life. Choosing to give up the drug isn't something the ego can do. So as you said: "to see himself as that and nothing else and hence incapable of making better and different choices" to do otherwise requires weakening of the control of the ego. This is the significance of "rock bottom" wherein the ego finds that it's own mode of being is suicide.

So we can talk about it psychologically. That's looking at it from the outside. The internal perspective is spiritual.

@Deckard,

'God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can
and wisdom to know the difference.'

I always saw this as a little defeatist.

Accept it. God wont always be able to pay for you all the way.

But for some good reason maybe it is telling you 'you are defeated'.

'So just quit' He says knowing he cant give up.

Adict while practicing counts nothing.
Adict while deferring counts everything.

How is surrender involved?

@sometime sun,

sometime sun;126851 wrote:

'God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
courage to change the things we can
and wisdom to know the difference.'

I always saw this as a little defeatist.

Accept it. God wont always be able to pay for you all the way.

But for some good reason maybe it is telling you 'you are defeated'.

'So just quit' He says knowing he cant give up.

Adict while practicing counts nothing.
Adict while deferring counts everything.

How is surrender involved?

I think the motto arose out of a common occurrence that addicts were exhibiting. A guilt or associated problem would reinforce their addiction and justify it. So this motto is suppose to be a tool to remind you that there are things which might seem out of your ability to fix or control, so don't let them take you back into your old habit of self medication. Instead try to discover if you can fix or alter the problem, if you can't then let it go, move on. The wisdom to know what can be fixed and what can't is the gold nugget here. I don't think god is required at all for the above statement to be useful. If you believe Jesus helped you to sobriety, alright, but I don't think Jesus is necessary. If you can do it within your own means, upon your own self effort and success or failure, it will mean more at the end, especially if you ever discover that Jesus isn't real, what will your addiction do then?

@Deckard,

We might not all understand what addiction feels like, but I do believe all might understand that attempt to reclaim a great feeling.

We might not fully understand what exactly caused the great feeling, or we might not accept that we as human may not be able to recreate the circumstances which helped the feeling take place.

Yet, we all understand the desire to have the feeling again. Often to the point of a multitude of failed results that have little or no effect on our trying once again to regain that feeling.

My conclusion is yes if you've been professionally diagnosed as an addict it is likely you will always be an addict (have the desires that go with being an addict); the good news is you can teach yourself that it's not healthy to continue to try if your attempts are more distructive then constructive.

Lost1

@Lost1 phil,

Addictions stand in the way of other things. For the addict, the goal of getting high or drunk or sitting around watching TV takes precedence over other higher-order goals. I think a lot of addictions are the result of despair that higher-order goals are possible. But then oftentimes it is still possible to pursue higher-order goals while still being an addict. However, one of the higher-order goals is optimum mental and physical health and this goal tends to come into conflict with those lower desires that are classified as addictions. The addict often justifies the satisfying of lower desire by saying "tomorrow I will quit" and "this is the last time". Addiction seems to me to be dependent on this sort of procrastination. The addict ever believes that there is still time to pursue those higher-order goals. Perhaps addiction stems from a failure to recognize ones mortality, a failure to recognize that there is limited time to pursue those higher-order goals. And mortality and growing old is one of the toughest things human beings have to face.

So I think addiction stems from two sources. On the one hand there is despair and sometimes the only cure for despair is hope and faith. On other hand there is the failure to recognize the profundity of morality and growing old and that time lost is time lost forever and the only cure for this is...uh...what is the cure for this? Despair? Perhaps there is a higher-order despair and a lower-order despair.

@Krumple,

Krumple;126693 wrote:

We all are addicted to acquiring happiness. The only difference are our methods of obtaining it. We only call thing things addicting when we are over consuming them. Those who can't control their consumption are called addicts. But we all are addicted to happiness. Where is the support group for getting over that addiction?

Right here on the PhiloSophia-platform. Don't we think because we want to be loving peolple too? Or was Ceasare Augustus nick-named Valentino just because his father was a pope? Who do we celebrate 14/2? Excuse me, 2/14.:whistling:

---------- Post added 02-12-2010 at 08:57 AM ----------

Deckard;127352 wrote:

Addictions stand in the way of other things. I think a lot of addictions are the result of despair that higher-order goals are possible. But then oftentimes it is still possible to pursue higher-order goals while still being an addict. The addict believes that there is still time to reach those higher-order goals. Perhaps addiction stems from a failure to recognize ones mortality, a failure to recognize that there is limited time to pursue those false goals. And mortality and growing old is one of the toughest things human beings have to face.

So I think ...:Glasses:

Despair? Perhaps there is a higher-order despair and a lower-order despair.

I wasn't desparate when I was diagnozed with 2-polair, causing my to take legal medication. Because of my happy moods people thought I was on drugs. Because of my dozing off people thought I had smoked a joint. Because I closed my business because I couldn't be interested in Law & Finance, my problems were becoming more social. I turned around by taking care on day a week for my demented mother.

So turned despair into love, love for the mother giving me life etc.

I am getting more support now. I will sue My father & bank for making my sign papers which made me a pauper for 7 year. I secured the proof. I will sue this bank, coop or not.

You only turn enslaved when you give up hope; Love (1 Corith 13) or so..
:nonooo:

@Deckard,

Deckard;126691 wrote:

Is an addict an addict for life? I've always thought of Bill W. as a bit of a philosophical light-weight. Is addiction something that can be overcome or is it something one must live with the rest of ones life? Is it Bad Faith (in th Sartrean sense) to say I am an alcoholic? Well yes, it is. But was Sartre right? Or was Bill W. right? There are so many things in life that can be thought of as addictions but doesn't overcoming addiction mean that you are no longer an addict? What is addiction?

Addiction is often associated with something that you can't help doing.
Some addictions are harmless, some are very destructive.

Some have so much willpower to get out of it, some has to get help in order to get out of it, but has a big chance to fall back, since their willpower isn't there.

@Deckard,

Deckard;126691 wrote:

Is an addict an addict for life? I've always thought of Bill W. as a bit of a philosophical light-weight. Is addiction something that can be overcome or is it something one must live with the rest of ones life? Is it Bad Faith (in th Sartrean sense) to say I am an alcoholic? Well yes, it is. But was Sartre right? Or was Bill W. right? There are so many things in life that can be thought of as addictions but doesn't overcoming addiction mean that you are no longer an addict? What is addiction?

This might interest you: Rat Park and Other Children's Stories

@Deckard,

I am a recovering addict and alcoholic, my name is Wayne. If I could answer this question I might be cured but probaly not. I struggled for years to achieve any long term sobriety[ 6 years 8 months as of today] I know that my thinking has changed a lot as a result of this sobriety and I know that the minute I take a drink my old way of thinking will return. I cannot explain why this is so but I know it to be true. I also know that it is impossible for a non addict to understand how this is, and yes impossible is the right word. That is something I cannot explain either.
Just as I cannot understand a gambling addict, I can go to the casino, win or lose a little money. go home and not go again for years, simple. But let me take a drink at a dinner party and I'll have to leave early to get to the liquor store before they close. You might not see me again for awhile after that ,if ever, and if you do you'll probly wish you hadn't.
My sobriety depends on a sort of surrender, and trust in a power greater than myself
because I can't stop drinking. That's wierd I know. I get up every day and say ok I don't know whats gonna happen and it could get bad for awhile but I'm gonna trust that theres somethin out there thats lookin out for me and I'm gonna surrender and let it all happen. Thats the best description i can give, and some how it works, don't ask me how I don't even wanna know.

I hope this is helpful to some one out there, I know it doesn't really offer any answers, but it's my experience ,strength and hope just the same..

I'LL PASS

@HexHammer,

HexHammer;140489 wrote:

Addiction is often associated with something that you can't help doing.
Some addictions are harmless, some are very destructive.

Some have so much willpower to get out of it, some has to get help in order to get out of it, but has a big chance to fall back, since their willpower isn't there.

:perplexed: First of all I think you cannot labeladdiction the same; like not all cancaers are the same.
Partly it's difficult to become a happy person clean of drinking or drugs in an unfriendly enviroment.
I smoke very moderately (legal) when my work is done.
I smoked more before and experienced the pre-judgement people have.

PSH 2010#:listening:

@Deckard,

i consider myself an addict and it involves various aspects of life. i am physically unable to drink, fortunately, socially prohibited from smoking, fortunately, but not from overdosing on kit kats and oreos etc. when i smoked it did not give me pleasure, but i was in denial that it could cause any harm or when i knew it caused me harm (like shortness of breath) i would say it was due to something else or it didnt matter, i would just walk slower etc.

i consider something an addiction when i am driven to do it even though i dont enjoy it or benefit from it in anyway and actually often do not want to do it.

so within those parameters, from as hard as i have tried all my life i feel i am never going to not be an addict. i dont know why that is or where it came from, but i begin to suspect that it is not due to any environmental or upbringing issues, no emotional traumas, no lack of self esteem, but most likely some brain chemistry. i wish they would find out what it is because i would pay any amount of money for any kind of pill to be able to not be controlled by something i dont understand, cant locate, and have no ways or means or hope of fighting.

being an addict causes lack of self esteem and influences all areas of life, not only socially. if i was a hermit it would still affect me because i would want to beat the heck out of myself for not being able to do what i intend or not being able to stop doing what i didnt want to do.

i do believe aa is a good thing and it works for some people-it saved my brother's life and he is able to help save other people now, and has become the finest man i know in this earth today. but even he says he knows there is always the possibility of falling back, that the danger is always going to be there. it is a matter of being constantly vigilant.

@Deckard,

Deckard;126691 wrote:

Is an addict an addict for life? I've always thought of Bill W. as a bit of a philosophical light-weight. Is addiction something that can be overcome or is it something one must live with the rest of ones life? Is it Bad Faith (in th Sartrean sense) to say I am an alcoholic? Well yes, it is. But was Sartre right? Or was Bill W. right? There are so many things in life that can be thought of as addictions but doesn't overcoming addiction mean that you are no longer an addict? What is addiction?

Addiction is a complusion to do something even though you know you maybe harming yourself or others and see no other way to do it
:poke-eye: just like this smiley

If you have to live with an addiction for life you were an addict before you started the addiction but in saying that that means that eveything would be fated, that we would have no more choices than to follow our fate:whistling:

Addiction and habit are entwined, why we do something may be different why we continue to do something, I think understanding the habit is the key to stopping the addiction

then you have choices and as long as you have choices you can't truely be an addict

but then again what would I know :brickwall:

@Deckard,

if you break a habit that is hard enough, but not really as compulsive a behavior as an addiction. for instance people say they are addicted to gambling or sex or video games, and i did used to have a tendency to become glued to the tv set, which is why i refuse to own one. but i think substance abuse (which includes food) goes deeper than that, it is like a double curse. understanding situations that can cause you to fail to resist something will help you to avoid them, but none of the tricks i learned are enough. i also believe it is easier to totally give up something like alcohol or tobacco and avoid it, whereas food is necessary to stay alive, and trying to stick to a regimen of how much and what to eat and being surrounded by all the things you have to avoid, not to mention well meaning people who offer them to you is a constant battle. furthermore, the risk of immediate death or social abandonment is far less than for someone who abuses alcohol or drugs, which means there is less incentive to exercise any self control. but the worst thing is the way it chips away at your self esteem and strength of will.

that twelve step program never worked for me because i always couldnt get past the part about surrender. funny to think not surrendering would cause you to lose the battle forever. i agree i am powerless to control my own self, but who or what am i supposed to surrender to? to me, surrender always meant give up. i guess that means i dont have any faith in any other power that is going to help me if i surrender. sorry if i have gone off topic, i realize that may not be any issue that was supposed to come up.

addiction is one of my pet interests-i wish there was an answer, it would make life a lot nicer for the whole human race, i think.

@salima,

salima;140945 wrote:

if you break a habit that is hard enough, but not really as compulsive a behavior as an addiction. for instance people say they are addicted to gambling or sex or video games, and i did used to have a tendency to become glued to the tv set, which is why i refuse to own one. but i think substance abuse (which includes food) goes deeper than that, it is like a double curse. understanding situations that can cause you to fail to resist something will help you to avoid them, but none of the tricks i learned are enough. i also believe it is easier to totally give up something like alcohol or tobacco and avoid it, whereas food is necessary to stay alive, and trying to stick to a regimen of how much and what to eat and being surrounded by all the things you have to avoid, not to mention well meaning people who offer them to you is a constant battle. furthermore, the risk of immediate death or social abandonment is far less than for someone who abuses alcohol or drugs, which means there is less incentive to exercise any self control. but the worst thing is the way it chips away at your self esteem and strength of will.

that twelve step program never worked for me because i always couldnt get past the part about surrender. funny to think not surrendering would cause you to lose the battle forever. i agree i am powerless to control my own self, but who or what am i supposed to surrender to? to me, surrender always meant give up. i guess that means i dont have any faith in any other power that is going to help me if i surrender. sorry if i have gone off topic, i realize that may not be any issue that was supposed to come up.

addiction is one of my pet interests-i wish there was an answer, it would make life a lot nicer for the whole human race, i think.

Philosophy Forum

Is an addict an addict for life?

Quick Links

My Account

able2know