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Definition of Addiction and passivity as an addiction?
by CPol, Feb 11, 2001 12:00AM
Hi,
I've got two questions for you;
First of is there a generally approved definition of 'addiction'? I've tried to find one but it seems that the definitions vary widely from source to source.
The second one is tougher; can one classify passivity, if taken to an extreme, as an addiction?
By passivity I mean what, for example, unemployed people can suffer from. After loosing their job (and purpose, status etc) some people are prone to sink into a pathological passivity where they no longer seen to be able to act purposefully or care about what happens to them. Instead they spend all their time doing passive, non threatening, non self-actualizing activities, like watching television/ spending time on the internet/in the mall/staring at the ceiling.
After a while this lifestyle become so dominant that the person can no longer break the pattern, even should they realize the negative impact their lifestyle has upon themselves. This, from my point of view, constitutes a major part of addiction, to be unable to break a habit.
In addition to that, people who suffer from passivity (perhaps complacency would be a better term) can show “withdrawal” symptoms when trying to change their usual routines. Such symptoms might be (from what I garner) extreme anxiety, insomnia, compulsive thoughts of their passive pastimes (such as someone who spent all their time watching Soaps on TV being unable to stop thinking about what is happening in them) and depression.
There is also a risk of relapse, when the person stops acting and returns to his/her passive lifestyle without outside motivation to do so. In such cases people lose any social contacts/jobs/other they have acquired while “active”.
A final clarification; I am not talking about passivity that has been caused by other mental problems, such as for example depression, but passivity that has become habitual in its own right. So that someone who starts to watch a certain soap opera, then starts to follow another and another gradually loosing control and becoming unable to perform their regular duties, or even becoming unable to take care of themselves.
Thanks in advance
Fil
I've got two questions for you;
First of is there a generally approved definition of 'addiction'? I've tried to find one but it seems that the definitions vary widely from source to source.
The second one is tougher; can one classify passivity, if taken to an extreme, as an addiction?
By passivity I mean what, for example, unemployed people can suffer from. After loosing their job (and purpose, status etc) some people are prone to sink into a pathological passivity where they no longer seen to be able to act purposefully or care about what happens to them. Instead they spend all their time doing passive, non threatening, non self-actualizing activities, like watching television/ spending time on the internet/in the mall/staring at the ceiling.
After a while this lifestyle become so dominant that the person can no longer break the pattern, even should they realize the negative impact their lifestyle has upon themselves. This, from my point of view, constitutes a major part of addiction, to be unable to break a habit.
In addition to that, people who suffer from passivity (perhaps complacency would be a better term) can show “withdrawal” symptoms when trying to change their usual routines. Such symptoms might be (from what I garner) extreme anxiety, insomnia, compulsive thoughts of their passive pastimes (such as someone who spent all their time watching Soaps on TV being unable to stop thinking about what is happening in them) and depression.
There is also a risk of relapse, when the person stops acting and returns to his/her passive lifestyle without outside motivation to do so. In such cases people lose any social contacts/jobs/other they have acquired while “active”.
A final clarification; I am not talking about passivity that has been caused by other mental problems, such as for example depression, but passivity that has become habitual in its own right. So that someone who starts to watch a certain soap opera, then starts to follow another and another gradually loosing control and becoming unable to perform their regular duties, or even becoming unable to take care of themselves.
Thanks in advance
Fil
It's annoying to be confronted with hypotheticals when everyone knows your's talking about your self.
Revise it accordingly and then we'll discuss it.
Pat
"Like Brian, I fear I have been using this forum as a substitute for working a real program. The only short term solution I can see is to at least temporarily resign from the forum until I feel I have established a real-world program of meetings and sponsors. Every weekend and weeknight I spend online is simply another night I could be attending a meeting, which I desperately need to do. I have already strayed from my tapering schedule and realize that I am powerless to accomplish any of this alone.
If anyone in the Laguna Beach area of South Orange County, California reads this, and knows of some solid AA and NA meetings I could be attending in the area, including daytime meetings for the next few weeks (before I begin a new full time job sometime after the 20th), please contact me at this forum, which I will still monitor but not participate in, or by e-mail at:
***@**** with meeting times, addresses and possible sponsors. I am a married man, heterosexual, but am not homophobic (an issue that crops up here in Laguna Beach, I'm sorry to say), so don't let that influence your suggestions. However, there are AA/NA meetings heavily oriented to the needs of the gay community, and properly so, so those particular meetings might not be the ones I should initially be establishing myself in. Some of my best friends are members of the gay community, so please don't misinterpret my comments in this regard.
I thank all of you, J.B., Partrice, Brian, Charlie, Mariah, Chad, Brighty, Tara, Maryanne (I think), Joe, Annie, Dan --- I know I'm forgetting a bunch of other important people - please forgive me if I've left out your name, you certainly know who you are - and who you aren't - but I really don't think I have any genuine value to contribute to the forum simply because I'm not doing the steps or any if the things I'm so glib about mentioning to others in trouble. I am a fraud and I know it. I will return when I think I have any "credentials" to dispense advice.
Until then, I will read the posts since I genuinely care about the welfare of all of you, especially those such as J.B. who is on a liver donor list while his dear wife battles cancer. I want you all to recovery from this disease of ours but I'm not the person for anyone to be looking to for answers, since I have failed so miserably in helping my own situation. I love you all. Live long a prosper,
Peace,
tom"
Chad
Cindy and I don't don't like be spammed any more than you do. What we ARE trying to do is prevent people from spamming our forums and people posting inappropriate information.
Regards,
Phil
Med Help
tom
You will do well and emerge from all this misery of addiction to help us again! J.B.
(there are to many for me to list,you know who you are)peace to all,have a great day!
I wrote and article about this (yepp, in first person) and got it published in the local newspaper. I recieved a surprisingly large response from people recognizing themselves. This made me think that I'm not alone, or even in a minority. Therefore I ask why there is no help available for people who can not 'activate themselves'?
When I was at my worst (and believe me it was bad, I'd have to brush my feet so I didn't drag to much dirt into my bed and I pretty much withdrew from the world) I tried to get help. I wasn't ready to talk to my family about it (I have since and that was my smartest move I've ever done, they've helped me more by being there for me than a whole army of shrinks) so I sought professional help. Not having the financial means to hire a private councilor I had to do with one provided by the state. After three months of waiting I got to se a psychologist and his contribution to my wellbeing was to ask me wheter I intended to commit suicide, which I didn't, and tell me to come back in a month if I didn't feel better. I do understand that the hospital is short on resources and it's staff overworked but I thought that they'd at least be able to point me in the direction of a support group. But no go, I had to drag myself without help (well, ok, this was what drove me to seek my familys help so indirectly not getting help helped me out).
Going back to the original question, would it be possible to view passivity as an addiction and treat it by similar means? After all, gambling addiction has become recognized and people suffering from it can get help so why not passivity?
To use the words as structures to manipulate or control is useful also in an objective sense.in the case of defining addiction it utilizes both constructs and becomes a tool,in this case to substantiate the prohibition of euphorigenic substances,a means to an ends and a way of subverting humans to materialism.
In the case of a Hoarder(psychiatric disorder,a type of addiction)you could say they are addicted to collected materials,if it does not harm them or society why bother with the diagnosis(its not labeled yet)
Anyway its 2001 now and the powers that be do not want people creating a chemical lifestyle,you must not be PASSIVE you must contibute to society,you take from it, you should give back to it. Drugs that produce euphoria abolish drive mediated behaviour,they produce tolerance and dependence(physical and psychological)and the word addiction could possibly be left out of the equation except as mentioned it is an emotionally labelled word,with negative connotations.I do not think anybody has realized just how far of the track all humans have become,and only an ignorant person would opinionate to suggest their is a track.The DSM3rdED may define addiction for Psychiatrists to utilize,but who taught them what they know or believe
If you can live without drug addiction you are doing well,if not you should not be made to suffer even more by labelling,we all want to feel good right,so first we must do good.I try.But basically I am a passivist.I found materialism to be just to addictive and chemicals the same,so somewhere I thing a "Track" a middle path exsists.
Our societies do not condone the use of plants/extracts/synthetic chemicals for the purpose of altering ones true feelings about themselves and their reality(environment).It is for this reason that I pass a motion to have Alcohol listed as a Schedule 1 drug along with tobacco.
Until such time no respect shall be endowed upon those that purport to uphold the DRUG LAWS of our lands(DEA),no forgiveness of Hypocrisy shall be honoured againced our LAW MAKERS(politicians).And may the millions of DEAD victims of these times of ingnorance REST IN PEACE.
Oh and by the way,well read between the lines Brighty.
I was thinking Amotivational Syndrome(AS) sounds better than Lazy,I would hate to get diagnosed by a Psychiatrist as "Lazy".
Clue,Cannabis causes (AS).Loss of short term memory could mimic ADHD,depressive/anxiety as OCD,poss borderline personality disorder as prerequisite to self med