Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Physical vs. Mental addictions the differnces

pje120 · 09-09-2005, 11:36 PM

A physical addiction is a contradiction in itself. An addiction, by definition, occurs in the mind, therefore all addictions are mental.

Perhaps you mean an addiction caused by something physical vs something mental. Do drug addictions come under the category of physical addiction? But are drug addicts addicted to the mental feeling of the drug's effects, or simply taking the drug? Considering that I have never heard of someone being addicted to taking drugs that don't have a positive mental effect, and that there is a pretty clear relationship between how strong the positive mental/emotional effect is on a person and how addictive the drug is, it's the mental feeling that is triggered by the physical act that is addictive.

I've heard people talk about physical addiction as if certain brain cells will die if the addiction is not satisfied. But many people seem to forget that thought occurs in the brain -- perhaps these brain cells are the physical equivalence to the mental addiction and they should die, in the same way there is physical activity in the brain for every mental thought? Even a mental addiction is triggered by a physical cause - activity in the brain. Some may claim a mental addiction is triggered by mental causes - thought - but what is thought? Activity in the brain. Emotion? Activity in the brain. Desire? Activity in the brain.

Using physical addiction in the way psychology seems to use it all mental addiction are physical. This is, again, because every thought has a physical equivalence in the brain. The death of mental addiction thoughts involves a physical change in the brain which causes the pain. (It is usually more comfortable to say the death of the mental addiction causes pain, but that is inseparable to the physical reactions in the brain.)

Using mental addiction in the way psychology seems to use it all physical addictions are mental. This is because the person is only addicted as far as he is mentally aware of what will happen if he goes off the source of the addiction.

And so a mental addiction is a physical addiction because a physical change will occur if he quits the addiction and a physical addiction is a mental addiction as he is only addicted as far as he is mentally aware of any effects the thing he is addicted to causes.

As far as I can see the whole concept of mental vs physical addiction is ridiculous and the only reason I can see as to why it is so popular in psychology is as a childish way to avoid accepting the fact that if someone fell "victim" to an addiction he is generally responsible and to blame for that, not some physical thing outside his control. Excuse my honesty.

09-09-2005, 11:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
pje120 Upright	A physical addiction is a contradiction in itself. An addiction, by definition, occurs in the mind, therefore all addictions are mental. Perhaps you mean an addiction caused by something physical vs something mental. Do drug addictions come under the category of physical addiction? But are drug addicts addicted to the mental feeling of the drug's effects, or simply taking the drug? Considering that I have never heard of someone being addicted to taking drugs that don't have a positive mental effect, and that there is a pretty clear relationship between how strong the positive mental/emotional effect is on a person and how addictive the drug is, it's the mental feeling that is triggered by the physical act that is addictive. I've heard people talk about physical addiction as if certain brain cells will die if the addiction is not satisfied. But many people seem to forget that thought occurs in the brain -- perhaps these brain cells are the physical equivalence to the mental addiction and they should die, in the same way there is physical activity in the brain for every mental thought? Even a mental addiction is triggered by a physical cause - activity in the brain. Some may claim a mental addiction is triggered by mental causes - thought - but what is thought? Activity in the brain. Emotion? Activity in the brain. Desire? Activity in the brain. Using physical addiction in the way psychology seems to use it all mental addiction are physical. This is, again, because every thought has a physical equivalence in the brain. The death of mental addiction thoughts involves a physical change in the brain which causes the pain. (It is usually more comfortable to say the death of the mental addiction causes pain, but that is inseparable to the physical reactions in the brain.) Using mental addiction in the way psychology seems to use it all physical addictions are mental. This is because the person is only addicted as far as he is mentally aware of what will happen if he goes off the source of the addiction. And so a mental addiction is a physical addiction because a physical change will occur if he quits the addiction and a physical addiction is a mental addiction as he is only addicted as far as he is mentally aware of any effects the thing he is addicted to causes. As far as I can see the whole concept of mental vs physical addiction is ridiculous and the only reason I can see as to why it is so popular in psychology is as a childish way to avoid accepting the fact that if someone fell "victim" to an addiction he is generally responsible and to blame for that, not some physical thing outside his control. Excuse my honesty.