[Benjamin]

I'm talking big problems, like an alcohol, gambling, drug addiction? It's all good talking about what you would do, but do you feel as if you would know if you started to sink into this kind of problem?

[thesheriff443]

you saying i got a problem!

[Kizzy]

No I don't think you would, especially a drink problem as it is so socially acceptable, it's almost a cultural norm to have a drink problem now.

[Niamh.]

It's hard to say really unless you're in that situation. I would imagine you probably would start to recognize it at some point but the problem is if you say it out loud you have to try and do something about it I guess, so people try to pretend they're fine

I think recognising it is fairly easy. Being honest with yourself about it is the difficult bit.

I had an issue with withdrawing from pain killers after my accident and they completely kicked my arse. I'd broken the bag of withdrawal, but couldn't shake them completely. I still miss that feeling of haziness that clouds your head initially and then spreads slowly through your body.

In the end, I had to tell my sister what was up and go and stay at hers for a couple of weeks, just so I would be forced to go through the sweating and sleepless nights without having the easy way out. I was the master of telling myself that I'd do it tomorrow, then Friday would come and I'd promise that I'd definitely sort it on Monday.

People know what is going on, it just requires something extra to deal with it.

[joeysteele]

No, in all honesty I don't think I would.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

I think recognising it is fairly easy. Being honest with yourself about it is the difficult bit.

I had an issue with withdrawing from pain killers after my accident and they completely kicked my arse. I'd broken the bag of withdrawal, but couldn't shake them completely. I still miss that feeling of haziness that clouds your head initially and then spreads slowly through your body.

In the end, I had to tell my sister what was up and go and stay at hers for a couple of weeks, just so I would be forced to go through the sweating and sleepless nights without having the easy way out. I was the master of telling myself that I'd do it tomorrow, then Friday would come and I'd promise that I'd definitely sort it on Monday.

People know what is going on, it just requires something extra to deal with it.

It can happen so easily with pain killers I think. I swear I had a codeine addiction too. They actually changed how pain killers with codeine are sold over here now so it must be a common thing, you can still buy them over the counter at a chemist but they're not allowed to display them, you have to ask for them and then you have to have a chat with the chemist about why you want them, how often you take them and then he/she gives you a bit of a lecture.

[Withano]

I used to socially smoke but I haven't smoked since the first time I wanted one unsocially

[LemonJam]

I'm a very self-aware person, so honestly I think I would.

[AnnieK]

Its a really tough question to be honest Ben and I don't think anyone can truly answer until they are in that position. I used to go clubbing every weekend to a particular club, this was a 90s rave club so the chemicals were not in short supply, I got into the vicious cycle of going out every weekend, taking the full week to recover and then going back and the whole thing repeated every week for 2 years...I was having such a ball, I didn't notice that a lot of my friends including my best friend had taken a serious back step from me...I was either off my head or ratty because of the weekend and had turned into someone they didn't recognise. I thought they were boring and anyway I had all new friends so it didn't matter.

Until one night and I was in the club and at the end there was a bit of commotion leaving and there was a guy on the floor having a seizure....and everyone in the club, me included, stepped over him (he actually died that night). I got to the door, looked back and thought even though I know virtually everyone in this club, if that had been me on the floor everyone would have stepped over me too to get to the next place / fix.

I never went back after that, it was tough though....and made up with my friends who told me they had been worried about the slippery slide i was on but had hoped I would come back myself and I did....I guess that's the closest i've got to the problems you are talking about.

[Kazanne]

I used to smoke quite a lot,more than 20+ a day,one day I just realised I was being stupid as I had just had a child and wanted to be in the best of health for her,so one day I said no more and that is exactly what I did,I had no help I just stopped ,so I think I have a strong will power and now I am very careful of my health ,I don't drink as such,just on special occasions,I watch what I eat,exercise and feel good.so Yes I think I would recognise if I was overdoing something,I hope so anyway.

[GypsyGoth]

Originally Posted by LemonJam

I'm a very self-aware person, so honestly I think I would.

Me too.

I think at some level people must understand what affect their repetitive actions are having on their mind and body. It's not like all this information isn't out there already. Everyone knows that smoking, drinking, drugs damages health. So everyone partaking in those, must be happy with that. Living isn't easy, and it isn't for everyone, if some people want less time on this planet or with their loved ones, I'm fine with that.

If they chose nicotine, alcohol or narcotics, it's their choice. The enjoyment factor they get from the substances might seem like it's worth toll it takes on them, or at the least it might make the trade of their health for a likeable experience seem like good value.

As for gambling, it's widely known that it cause surges of adrenalin, endorphins get released, it apparently can be very thrilling. So it acts just like some sorta drug.

Having said all that, for these addictions to become a problem, the person stops functioning, or their ability to function becomes impeded. I'm not sure if there is much self awareness then, maybe they're just like a passenger, and their tale of woe gets played out just like so many other addicts.

I feel that people with addictive personalities have to be ever vigilant, almost like the way haemophiliacs are, as once they chose to start with a substance, their self awareness goes. And it takes some moment of clarity to see themselves truly in the dire situation they have allowed themselves to get into.

The only thing I'm addicted to is coffee, I get really bad headaches when I don't have it regularly, and I've researched the side effects and potential damage I'm doing to myself. Also another thing, I'm pretty sure I've got that addictive gene or whatever, so because of that, I avoid addictive stuff.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by anniek76

Its a really tough question to be honest Ben and I don't think anyone can truly answer until they are in that position. I used to go clubbing every weekend to a particular club, this was a 90s rave club so the chemicals were not in short supply, I got into the vicious cycle of going out every weekend, taking the full week to recover and then going back and the whole thing repeated every week for 2 years...I was having such a ball, I didn't notice that a lot of my friends including my best friend had taken a serious back step from me...I was either off my head or ratty because of the weekend and had turned into someone they didn't recognise. I thought they were boring and anyway I had all new friends so it didn't matter.

Until one night and I was in the club and at the end there was a bit of commotion leaving and there was a guy on the floor having a seizure....and everyone in the club, me included, stepped over him (he actually died that night). I got to the door, looked back and thought even though I know virtually everyone in this club, if that had been me on the floor everyone would have stepped over me too to get to the next place / fix.

I never went back after that, it was tough though....and made up with my friends who told me they had been worried about the slippery slide i was on but had hoped I would come back myself and I did....I guess that's the closest i've got to the problems you are talking about.

Wow annie, to suddenly have an epiphany like that was what possibly saved your life, I'm so glad you did
In my circle of friends there was one really good friend who like you had 2 distinctive sets of friends in the late 90's early 2000's.
I was a drinker but never took recreational drugs, I would hate it if I knew a night out was planned and certain people would be going as I knew she would go with them at some point in the evening.

[MTVN]

I think with gambling it's a bit different because you have less of an actual physical dependence and you also don't necessary have to be losing tons of money to have a gambling problem. One of my friends got really into online poker for a while and would just play it for hours at a time really late into the night, he was actually really good at it and made quite a lot of money but because of that he thought it wasn't really a problem, when really he would barely get any sleep at nights and it started messing up his studies loads so he was doing a lot worse than he was capable of. I don't know if it was an addiction exactly but it definitely wasn't healthy how much he was playing

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I think with gambling it's a bit different because you have less of an actual physical dependence and you also don't necessary have to be losing tons of money to have a gambling problem. One of my friends got really into online poker for a while and would just play it for hours at a time really late into the night, he was actually really good at it and made quite a lot of money but because of that he thought it wasn't really a problem, when really he would barely get any sleep at nights and it started messing up his studies loads so he was doing a lot worse than he was capable of. I don't know if it was an addiction exactly but it definitely wasn't healthy how much he was playing

I think it's hard to separate one addiction from another and say one is worse than the other as they are all a psychological dependence, some fulfill a physical need some an emotional and some both.
Like this guy he may not have thought of himself as having a problem, but if your addiction is impacting on your life to an extent that you are unable to function in your day to day life with or without the substance/activity then it's time to get help. How is he now matt?

[MTVN]

Not worse just different, I think a gambling problem can sometimes be harder to recognise and less obvious. His parents found out about it in the end and went mental and made him withdraw all the money lol, after that he did manage to stop playing for about a year, I don't have as much contact with him now but I think he does still play sometimes but not as seriously as before. I guess in the end he did actually end up coming out of it pretty well and with a healthy bank balance but yeah, it was still a problem I think

[Vanessa]

I think it's easy to see which problems we have. The hardest part is to have the courage to do something about it. I'm slowly doing that.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

I think recognising it is fairly easy. Being honest with yourself about it is the difficult bit.

I had an issue with withdrawing from pain killers after my accident and they completely kicked my arse. I'd broken the bag of withdrawal, but couldn't shake them completely. I still miss that feeling of haziness that clouds your head initially and then spreads slowly through your body.

In the end, I had to tell my sister what was up and go and stay at hers for a couple of weeks, just so I would be forced to go through the sweating and sleepless nights without having the easy way out. I was the master of telling myself that I'd do it tomorrow, then Friday would come and I'd promise that I'd definitely sort it on Monday.

People know what is going on, it just requires something extra to deal with it.

...hmm, I think for me it's that 'haziness' that made me stop taking them..I can't understand getting addicted to that feeling or not feeling in control...it makes you feel like you're not you...and I would never want to feel that...I did take a few again recently to control the pain but I set myself a 'limit' of how many days I would take etc and kind of set those days aside to be pain free but spaced out....but I don't think I could ever 'lose sight' or lose focus of the fact that it was a temporary thing or 'enjoy' how they make you feel...

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Not worse just different, I think a gambling problem can sometimes be harder to recognise and less obvious. His parents found out about it in the end and went mental and made him withdraw all the money lol, after that he did manage to stop playing for about a year, I don't have as much contact with him now but I think he does still play sometimes but not as seriously as before. I guess in the end he did actually end up coming out of it pretty well and with a healthy bank balance but yeah, it was still a problem I think

Less obvious? see I would say it would be harder at least to deny... as it's something you are physically doing, and people can see you doing it.
With other addictions the signs are not so obvious or apparent to loved ones or those around you.
The problems jesus described for instance, nobody could for definite say he was on painkillers or he was just having a good day if they haden't seen him take them?
He was very lucky in one respect usually I would have thought that a gambling addiction would lead to a mountain of debt haha.

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Less obvious? see I would say it would be harder at least to deny... as it's something you are physically doing, and people can see you doing it.
With other addictions the signs are not so obvious or apparent to loved ones or those around you.
The problems jesus described for instance, nobody could for definite say he was on painkillers or he was just having a good day if they haden't seen him take them?
He was very lucky in one respect usually I would have thought that a gambling addiction would lead to a mountain of debt haha.

I disagree a little as people don't necessarily see you gambling. A close family friend had a serious gambling problem with the horses. He went to work every day as far as everyone was concerned and did a hard days graft....although during the day he went to the bookies, ended up up to his eyeballs in debt, hiding things etc until eventually they lost their house, cars etc etc. there are no physical signs of a gambling addiction, no smell of smoke or booze, no apparent highs or lows...just deceit and debts...he didn't know where to turn. A quick flutter and a few wins quickly escalated into an everyday addiction that tore them all apart.

[MTVN]

^ Yeah exactly, plus so much is done online now that no one but you has to know unless someone is monitoring it, and it's also such a common and accepted thing to do that even if someone did see you having a bet or going into a casino there'd be no reason to think anything of it a lot of the time