What are you doing today?

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Most of my research portfolio was devoted to investigating the neurobiology of chemical dependency. My brother’s death and my father’s alcoholism were driving factors.

Addiction is hereditary as well. My wife's sister was an addict for years before she passed. She stole around 50k from her parents during the course of her addiction. Now both of my wife's sons are addicts, high school drop outs, no GED, no job, no future. One has done very well and wants to help other addicts recover. I commend him for that.

Looking at it from another life, I guess there's a real choice you made. You can follow the family paths, or try to do something about them in your own way, whatever that is. Addiction to booze slaughtered the World War 2 vet older generation of my family, and their kids had some difficult lifestyle decisions to make. Addicts never think about the ripples their decisions send out so widely, and how they can have an impact on people they never even meet.

A lot of people get into our little fish hobby in an attempt to find something other than substances to occupy their energy. I've known a lot of struggling alcohol, and opiate survivors still trying to keep surviving with this hobby. I recently had a guy here to get some fish who had quite a story of cocaine addiction, then religious mania/cult membership, then cocaine again and now rehab, a young family and a brave attempt to get things on track - I hope he makes it. All I can do is listen and support his attempts. I was also recently rocking a baby who was in care after being born addicted and had recently finished his detox. You wonder what happens with addiction when a child like that becomes an adult.

My grandfather on my mom's side was a WW2 vet. I think he was in his 50's or 60's when he checked himself into rehab and went through AA and recovered.
Yes addiction is an illness, but there is also a certain amount of personal choice to not seek help and remain sick.

 

[gwand]

Twin and adoption have shown that about 50% of susceptibility to alcohol dependence is genetic.

 

[gwand]

I found a local fish rehoming site on FB. I posted that I have 15 Apistogramma cacatuoides females to rehome. I have another spawn from September 19 where I increased the tank water temperature, hoping to produce a majority of males this time.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Alcohol and drugs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to addiction.

To my mind, the trickiest addictions to kick are "drugs" that aren't inherently bad: Workaholism, overeating, and online addiction are probably the most common. These are very sneaky, and the addict often doesn't realize they're addicted (though their loved ones probably do). They are extremely easy to justify because the drug of choice isn't inherently a bad thing and can't be quit entirely. Most of us know that we would really be better off without drunkenness and illegal drugs and porn. But you can't just quit eating or working.

They are also extremely easy to justify. How much overeating is ignored because of "positive body image"? How many workoholics are praised as go-getters? How many "Teacher of the Year" awards have I seen given to people whose families are a mess because they're never around? I'm no psychologist, but I would bet that more families have been destroyed by workaholism than by alcohol or drugs...and online addiction is warming up in the bullpen to take a swing at that title.

The hard thing about all addictions is that the only way out is through. Once over the chemical aspect, one has to find good things to fill that void (this is what many of the 12 steps are about). Otherwise it comes back, or gets replaced with something even worse.

 

[gwand]

I’m sitting outside on my daughter’s deck and was paid a visit by this little guy.

 

[gwand]

Alcohol and drugs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to addiction.

To my mind, the trickiest addictions to kick are "drugs" that aren't inherently bad: Workaholism, overeating, and online addiction are probably the most common. These are very sneaky, and the addict often doesn't realize they're addicted (though their loved ones probably do). They are extremely easy to justify because the drug of choice isn't inherently a bad thing and can't be quit entirely. Most of us know that we would really be better off without drunkenness and illegal drugs and porn. But you can't just quit eating or working.

They are also extremely easy to justify. How much overeating is ignored because of "positive body image"? How many workoholics are praised as go-getters? How many "Teacher of the Year" awards have I seen given to people whose families are a mess because they're never around? I'm no psychologist, but I would bet that more families have been destroyed by workaholism than by alcohol or drugs...and online addiction is warming up in the bullpen to take a swing at that title.

The hard thing about all addictions is that the only way out is through. Once over the chemical aspect, one has to find good things to fill that void (this is what many of the 12 steps are about). Otherwise it comes back, or gets replaced with something even worse.

I spent 40 years in academia at the university and medical school level. Every four years I taught a new crop of medical students and young doctors. And while in the past, there was plenty of workaholism, in my final 10 years, it was just the opposite. It was a generation of slouches. The pendulum swung in the opposite direction.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Alcohol and drugs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to addiction.

To my mind, the trickiest addictions to kick are "drugs" that aren't inherently bad: Workaholism, overeating, and online addiction are probably the most common. These are very sneaky, and the addict often doesn't realize they're addicted (though their loved ones probably do). They are extremely easy to justify because the drug of choice isn't inherently a bad thing and can't be quit entirely. Most of us know that we would really be better off without drunkenness and illegal drugs and porn. But you can't just quit eating or working.

They are also extremely easy to justify. How much overeating is ignored because of "positive body image"? How many workoholics are praised as go-getters? How many "Teacher of the Year" awards have I seen given to people whose families are a mess because they're never around? I'm no psychologist, but I would bet that more families have been destroyed by workaholism than by alcohol or drugs...and online addiction is warming up in the bullpen to take a swing at that title.

The hard thing about all addictions is that the only way out is through. Once over the chemical aspect, one has to find good things to fill that void (this is what many of the 12 steps are about). Otherwise it comes back, or gets replaced with something even worse.

Not to mention everyone reading this is an aquaholic.

 

[GaryE]

Alcohol and drugs are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to addiction.

To my mind, the trickiest addictions to kick are "drugs" that aren't inherently bad: Workaholism, overeating, and online addiction are probably the most common.

This is really thought provoking, but is also a very slippery problem to define. I loved my work. Was it addiction? Judging by how I dropped it when I retired, likely not. But we veer into areas no one likes to discuss when we look at behavioural addictions. Where does it begin and end with religion? Politics? Overeating? Work? Wealth? Online activity? Shopping? Stage performance?

Some of these things are sacred cows to some and legit targets to others. I doubt we'll ever be able to sort those out, given the problems we have with defining substances alone. What gets those feel good chemicals flowing in our bodies?

 

[gwand]

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition characterized by a compulsive desire to engage in a behavior despite harmful consequences.

 

[Lanpenn]

Curious thing... today I have received that. It seems that for some way, they finally terminated my bank account. So... no more mercenaries trying to fraud my card?

Today was the day of going to the yoga group class. It was interesting. I was the only man going to the yoga. Since my knees are not so good, I did only a few exercises. Later, we had breakfast. I was lucky enough to be drawn, getting a 15-minute massage session. The only man who went to yoga and received a massage.