[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Following on from a discussion on the sugar tax thread ( that I was derailing sorry DR)

How much alcohol or how often pushes someone into alcohol dependency I never thought about it before, is one glass daily too much if you need it to unwind...is it a habit or an addiction?

addiction has nothing to do with a particular addictive substance. someone with the disease of addiction will be an addict even if they grew up on an island with no drugs. addiction is a mental disorder like anorexia. (actually anorexia is considered to be on the addiction spectrum)

It's a personality disorder. physical addiction to chemicals is just a possible symptom of the mental disorder.

Addiction is more like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder if you had to compare it to anything. and many Addicts also suffer from OCD like tendencies too.

alcohol for an addict is like a medication. alcohol is not the problem, addiction is the problem, alcohol is the solution to the problem.

addiction makes you feel like you are helpless, desperate, paranoid, anxious, and addicts seek out ways to stop those feelings, like alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, food, danger, risks, anything that will cause our brains to be stimulated and distract us from the horrible feelings underneath.

but there is no cure for the horrible feelings underneath, just self-medication. just whatever we can do to try to not feel the horrible feelings of addiction.

that is addiction.