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I was reading a thread here on TL, seeing people who don't understand some of the basics of addiction, and I felt sad because the meaning and process behind addictions should be common knowledge. This is an issue that everyone should understand, because this is an issue that anyone can become affected by.
To restate what I said in that thread:
As far as I know (please correct me if I am incorrect), behavioral addictions to activities such as gambling, porn, or even videogames work the same way as substance addictions to smoking, alcohol, or hard drugs such as cocaine. The process that underlies an addiction deals with a chemical in your brain called dopamine. Basically, your brain has stores of dopamine, and whenever they come into contact with specific dopamine receptors, you feel good. However, repeating a pleasurable activity over time numbs you to the pleasure, because over exposure causes dopamine receptors to start shutting down. When this occurs, you build up a tolerance, which means you will need to perform more of the activity in order to experience the same effect. With time, so many receptors will shut down that you begin to feel less pleasure to usual sources of dopamine. This numbs LIFE itself, and the addiction becomes the only activity that matters anymore. The effect will continue to snowball until you either die or withdrawal.
So, you start off with an innocuous activity like playing Starcraft or watching porn. You partake in the activity frequently because you enjoy it, and there's nothing wrong with that. I know plenty of people who play a ton of Starcraft that aren't addicts, and I know a ton of guys who watch plenty of porn, and they aren't addicts either. But if the activity goes on long enough... the possibility of addiction is there. Just be careful, and chances are you'll be fine, as long as you check in with yourself every once in a while to see if you can still say "no."
As for the hard stuff: Cocaine and other such drugs smash your dopamine receptors so hard that it's difficult NOT to become addicted to them. That's why drugs (crack, heroine, purple, you name it) are so fucking dangerous, so stay the fuck away from them kids.
Either way, whether with substance abuse or with videogames, addiction should never be taken lightly, so people shouldn't throw around the word lightly.
I am compelled to play Starcraft, but I am not addicted to it.
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On August 06 2012 04:15 HeavOnEarth wrote:
compulsive playing or watching porn isn't an addiction , it's a sign of underlying problems such as depression, trauma etc and you avoid these feelings by self medicating(with video games and porn, drugs alcohol ETC list is endless)
Unless you've done it and escalated your whole life, in which case anything can be an addiction, including video games.
On August 06 2012 04:38 felisconcolori wrote:
There are two types of addiction - biological and psychological.
Psychological addictions may or may not be formed as a result of brain chemistry centering on dopamine. Biological addictions are all related to brain chemistry, but not all of them are centered on dopamine. Other neurotransmitters, and substances that mimic them or prevent their transmission, also play a factor.
Psychological addictions can be very varied, ranging from truly entrenched "habits" and obsessive behaviors (example - I drive, and want to smoke. I just finished a meal, now I will smoke) all the way up to manic fixation on the desired object. Psychological addiction can apply to anything.
Please also note that according to the Diagnostic Standards Manual, addictions generally have to impair your ability to function normally in some way.
Fun fact - The physiological withdrawal to nicotine peaks within 3 days and rapidly decreases. Afterwards, most of the cravings are a result of psychological processes. (See habits statement above.)
Another fun fact - some drugs are capable of causing addiction with one use.
Very important point I forgot to mention: addiction and types of addiction vary. Even if it's the same sort of process going on, there can be different things that lead into it, whether it's an underlying depression or an unfortunate habit.
 
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United States10467 Posts
On August 06 2012 03:38 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
With time, so many receptors will shut down that you begin to feel less pleasure to usual sources of dopamine. This numbs LIFE itself, and the addiction becomes the only activity that matters anymore. The effect will continue to snowball until you either die or withdrawal.
Source please? I've heard this before but never seen a source. Even a wiki source would suffice.
Ah. here's one.
http://www.talktofrank.com/sites/default/files/cocaine.pdf
lose motivation to do anything other than cocaine
The wiki on cocaine says the same thing in jargon... I think.
Just an addition. I'd say even infrequent use allows an individual to build up a tolerance. It seems everything is about pleasure these days. TV, exercise. These activities just are not as stimulating as video games or porn are.
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United States24761 Posts
Two questions after reading the OP, regarding the quote:
On August 06 2012 03:38 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
That's why drugs are so fucking dangerous, so stay the fuck away from them kids.
1) Which drugs should you stay away from? Which shouldn't you?
2) Why be so condescending and say 'kids'?
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compulsive playing or watching porn isn't an addiction , it's a sign of underlying problems such as depression, trauma etc and you avoid these feelings by self medicating(with video games and porn, drugs alcohol ETC list is endless)
Unless you've done it and escalated your whole life, in which case anything can be an addiction, including video games.
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United States10467 Posts
On August 06 2012 04:13 micronesia wrote:Two questions after reading the OP, regarding the quote: Show nested quote +On August 06 2012 03:38 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
That's why drugs are so fucking dangerous, so stay the fuck away from them kids.
1) Which drugs should you stay away from? Which shouldn't you? 2) Why be so condescending and say 'kids'?
2. I think it's just a common and humorous cliche.
This blog is just to educate us on what an addiction is. There really isn't much to discuss.
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If he wants to educate people on something than he should specify things.
Drugs is a broad term,they are not all physically addictive.
Anyway I remember totalbiscuit having a long rant on one of his podcasts about this(I think it was some old blue please episode),so if someone wants to bother looking it up.He went into far more detail on the subject than the OP.
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There are two types of addiction - biological and psychological.
Psychological addictions may or may not be formed as a result of brain chemistry centering on dopamine. Biological addictions are all related to brain chemistry, but not all of them are centered on dopamine. Other neurotransmitters, and substances that mimic them or prevent their transmission, also play a factor.
Psychological addictions can be very varied, ranging from truly entrenched "habits" and obsessive behaviors (example - I drive, and want to smoke. I just finished a meal, now I will smoke) all the way up to manic fixation on the desired object. Psychological addiction can apply to anything.
Please also note that according to the Diagnostic Standards Manual, addictions generally have to impair your ability to function normally in some way.
Fun fact - The physiological withdrawal to nicotine peaks within 3 days and rapidly decreases. Afterwards, most of the cravings are a result of psychological processes. (See habits statement above.)
Another fun fact - some drugs are capable of causing addiction with one use.
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The thing is, most video game addicts will say that they're just compelled to play games. 
But, if you're unsatisfied by playing less than three hours, then there's clearly a certain "tolerance" in comparison to the average person.
The limit between addiction and what you want is blurry.
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On August 06 2012 04:45 Kukaracha wrote:The thing is, most video game addicts will say that they're just compelled to play games. But, if you're unsatisfied by playing less than three hours, then there's clearly a certain "tolerance" in comparison to the average person. The limit between addiction and what you want is blurry.
The point is,it's not physically addictive.Many people don't understand the separation that the guy above explained.
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On August 06 2012 04:20 TheKefka wrote:
If he wants to educate people on something than he should specify things.
Drugs is a broad term,they are not all physically addictive.
Anyway I remember totalbiscuit having a long rant on one of his podcasts about this(I think it was some old blue please episode),so if someone wants to bother looking it up.He went into far more detail on the subject than the OP.
Well, it's still more than a lot of people I've met know... I think a lot of them probably just haven't had need to give thought to it, but I think it's important.
I'd love to hear the totalbiscuit thing, if anyone can find it. Or to put more specifics in the OP, once you specify something
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On August 06 2012 04:13 micronesia wrote:Two questions after reading the OP, regarding the quote: Show nested quote +On August 06 2012 03:38 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
That's why drugs are so fucking dangerous, so stay the fuck away from them kids.
1) Which drugs should you stay away from? Which shouldn't you? 2) Why be so condescending and say 'kids'?
Didn't he already specify what drugs you should stay away from?
At the beginning of that section, he said "the hard stuff" and gave examples including heroine and crack.
As for the kids thing, that's just a cliche or whatever you call it.
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United States24761 Posts
On August 06 2012 05:24 AnachronisticAnarchy wrote:Show nested quote +On August 06 2012 04:13 micronesia wrote:Two questions after reading the OP, regarding the quote: On August 06 2012 03:38 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
That's why drugs are so fucking dangerous, so stay the fuck away from them kids.
1) Which drugs should you stay away from? Which shouldn't you? 2) Why be so condescending and say 'kids'? Didn't he already specify what drugs you should stay away from? At the beginning of that section, he said "the hard stuff" and gave examples including heroine and crack. As for the kids thing, that's just a cliche or whatever you call it.
He said "smoking, alcohol, or hard drugs such as cocaine." What makes a drug 'hard'? In the context of addiction of course... I'm not actually trying to derail with the question. I'm also assuming that we aren't using "illegal" as an indicator of hard vs not hard.
As for why he said "kids", I don't get why two people came to his defense to justify it instead of letting him give his reasons...
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On August 06 2012 05:03 TheRealPaciFist wrote:Show nested quote +On August 06 2012 04:20 TheKefka wrote:
If he wants to educate people on something than he should specify things.
Drugs is a broad term,they are not all physically addictive.
Anyway I remember totalbiscuit having a long rant on one of his podcasts about this(I think it was some old blue please episode),so if someone wants to bother looking it up.He went into far more detail on the subject than the OP. Well, it's still more than a lot of people I've met know... I think a lot of them probably just haven't had need to give thought to it, but I think it's important. I'd love to hear the totalbiscuit thing, if anyone can find it. Or to put more specifics in the OP, once you specify something
Eh I'm really not sure,only thing I can remember is that it was some of his old blue please podcasts.
I think all of the episodes have a content description so if your willing to dig here's the link and try to find it http://www.cynicalbrit.com/category/blueplz-podcast/.
It was regarding "WoW addiction" I think,but the talk was about the theory of gaming addiction in general.
You could try mailing him or ask him on twitter but I suppose that would be a long shot.
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While it's a nice gesture to educate others, you should say why youre a credible source and cite sources to your own claims. Otherwise youre no different than the posters who "sadden" you with their ignorance.
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On August 06 2012 04:51 TheKefka wrote:Show nested quote +On August 06 2012 04:45 Kukaracha wrote:The thing is, most video game addicts will say that they're just compelled to play games. But, if you're unsatisfied by playing less than three hours, then there's clearly a certain "tolerance" in comparison to the average person. The limit between addiction and what you want is blurry. The point is,it's not physically addictive.Many people don't understand the separation that the guy above explained.
Cocaine, meth (and other amphetamines) aren't physically addictive.
This 'separation' isn't so easy to make.
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On August 06 2012 05:29 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On August 06 2012 05:24 AnachronisticAnarchy wrote:On August 06 2012 04:13 micronesia wrote:Two questions after reading the OP, regarding the quote: On August 06 2012 03:38 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
That's why drugs are so fucking dangerous, so stay the fuck away from them kids.
1) Which drugs should you stay away from? Which shouldn't you? 2) Why be so condescending and say 'kids'? Didn't he already specify what drugs you should stay away from? At the beginning of that section, he said "the hard stuff" and gave examples including heroine and crack. As for the kids thing, that's just a cliche or whatever you call it. He said "smoking, alcohol, or hard drugs such as cocaine." What makes a drug 'hard'? In the context of addiction of course... I'm not actually trying to derail with the question. I'm also assuming that we aren't using "illegal" as an indicator of hard vs not hard. As for why he said "kids", I don't get why two people came to his defense to justify it instead of letting him give his reasons...
Like he said: I was just employing the humorous cliche when saying "kids."
Basically, I'm suggesting that it's a good idea to avoid recreational (as opposed to medicinal) drugs that have a high likelihood of addicting you (and when they're illegal, that doesn't help). If you don't mind being addicted, or don't mind taking those risks, or see other upsides to taking them... well I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just want as many people out there as possible to be wary, or at least more informed, about the dangers of addiction.
Did that answer the questions? (apologies if that sounded rude)
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On August 06 2012 07:56 EpiK wrote:
While it's a nice gesture to educate others, you should say why youre a credible source and cite sources to your own claims. Otherwise youre no different than the posters who "sadden" you with their ignorance.
Good point. I'll look for more sources when I find the time
In case you were wondering, I was getting my info from articles I've read before combined with info from a friend studying biology at my school who basically said the exact same things
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EPT
