Is chocolate mentally addictive?
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Is chocolate mentally addictive?
there is no study on the "MENTAL" addiction of weed. Every person i know who smokes weed on a regular basis is in some way mentally addicted.. some more than others. I'll tell u right now I, LIKE MOST DAILY WEED SMOKERS AM EXTREMELY MENTALLY ADDICTED TO WEED (more to weed than anything else). Why else would people use the drug MORE AND MORE AND MORE... because they like the feeling that it brings.. they are "mentally addicted to the drug" now lying to yourself saying "EVERYTHING ABOUT WEED IS GOOD FOR U AND THERE IS NO MENTAL ADDICTION FROM WEED" is just denial.Quote:
Originally Posted by psteve
Spot on, my friend. Like I had mentioned before, it's a very fundamental supply and reward system at a neurochemical level. I don't necessarily believe chocolate's psychologically pleasing attributes constitute an addiction or dependence close to that or cannabis, but the reward centers are set up in similar ways. Most people get tired of eating chocolate before they begin to develop a dependence on the slighter chemical activity that is much more pronounced in cannabis use.Quote:
Originally Posted by denial102
Denial is spot about the strong psychological dependence in certain people. Marijuana can be abused, to the point where a person MUST have it before being able to carry on with daily activities. Otherwise the activities may seem dull, uneventful, and boring. Many people also use it to try and "escape" from the cruel realities they're surrounded with day after day. Stress or anxiety got you down? Get high and mellow out. Loved one pass away? Get high and take the edge off.
What's the difference between this person and you? Maybe you can handle these occurrences without the need to "mellow out". But other people can't, and would probably go mad (or worse) without something to calm them down. But just because you can tolerate your addiction a little better does not mean you can claim to be immune from it. The person who says they've been using it for 39 years, yet they're not in the least bit addicted, is the kind of person I'm referring to. No, it's not a physical addiction like those gained from chemicals like heroin, alcohol, and nicotine...but, it can be just as habit forming. And for anyone who's ever given up cigarettes, you know how hard just the habit alone can be to shake.
Here's a clip from just one of the 77,300 Google results under "Marijuana, psychological addiction":
"But the fact is, addiction experts today no longer distinguish between psychological and physical dependence. What matters is whether or not a drug causes uncontrollable, compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. This "drug hunger" at the core of all addiction is much more difficult to control than physical symptoms, many of which can be medically managed."
Facts on Tap: prevention and intervention program for high school and college students
Don't get me wrong, I love this plant too, and am one of the biggest advocates you'll ever meet (well...read). I love it enough, in fact, that I'm willing to risk my freedom just to make sure there's plenty of it around when I want it. Luckily, the addiction to marijuana is much easier to beat than addictions to harder substances. Still though, that doesn't mean it's not there. And for those with a long history of chemical dependence, there's probably a good chance that the person will end up suffering from withdrawal-like symptoms when they decide to quit; insomnia, irritability, mood swings, etc. Regardless of how you look at it, marijuana is a DRUG...and should be treated with respect and understanding. Not blind faith and selective reasoning stemming from repeated use and inherent enjoyment of the drug.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadscale
An edited 2 cents worth.:twocents:
This is pretty much what I was going to respond with. It carries no physical addiction.Quote:
Originally Posted by jasher
But when it comes right down to it, anything can be addicting to the right person. It all boils down to a persons will power, and state of mind.
I smoke from the moment I wake up til whenever I go to bed, and I could quit tomorrow. But for the next few days I would be more irritable, as I have to deal with the stressors of modern life in a less-than-euphoric state of mind, to say the least. But it wouldnt affect my performance or personality to any notable degree. Some people rely on the self-medicating qualities a little more than others, but the bottom line is: addiction varies from person to person; it is relative, not definitive.
my situation is really weird. I have smoked almost every day for about the past 5 months and thought it was great. but then when i stopped in about 2 weeks i got really bad panic attacks, depression, lack of appetite, insomnia, vivid dreams, fatigue---all of the symptoms of withdrawal. I thought, there is no way this can be withdrawal, pot isn't addictive. Well its been 24 days since the symptoms came on and the worst is over. I'm not anti-pot but all i'm saying is that something definitely happened, so i guess i'm part of the small majority that can get withdrawal. By the way i've never had any of those symptoms before i started smoking so it's not like the pot treated it and then it came back. I would like to think that weed isn't addictive but there is some legitimate research out there about withdrawal.
In all honesty after 14 years of smoking weed I know these things to be true. I have not smoked every day of that 14 years and at some points didn't smoke one bowl for months. I currently smoke between about 0.5g to 1g per day on average.
After this many years I know:
1. Tobacco is really addictive - Holy Crap quitting was harsh
2. Weed does have a psychological addiction "profile" - I can 'feel' when I'm slipping into it.
3. Any effects of dependance are GONE after about 3 days
So basically I'm saying that I can feel when I'm slipping into a dependancy 'profile' where I am increasing my smoke intake, my tolerance is going up and I'm spending more time "musing" about weed in general. Sometimes it just plain 'bugs' me at the back of my mind and I begin to think of weed - smoking it mostly ;)
However, after a few days of quitting (a bit like a detox) everything is back to normal again.
I would guess (a BIG guess) that this would be Seratonin/Dopamine related ~ it is definately along those lines for me anyway.
Each to his own, but that's my take and I think 14 years is long term enough to know about my body and the way it reacts to cannabis.
Marijuana is quite addicting for many people. Most stoners know this and if they don't they're in denial. Usually it's only the newbie smokers that claim weed isn't addictive at all.
Some people don't experience withdrawal symptoms because thc is fat soluble so it's eliminated from your body very slowly. But for skinny people with a high metabolism like me there's not a lot of room for it to be stored and it seems to go out of my system faster. I become very irritated when I quit smoking after smoking every day for a while. I also get headaches, insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, and whatever else I'm forgetting right now. Sometimes these effects can be quite severe. I realize they're nothing in comparison with heroin or whatever, but they still effect me significantly. Not everyone may experience effects as significant as mine, and many people may experience no effects at all, but to say cannabis isn't addictive is just absurd.
There's been plenty of studies done about the withdrawal effects of cannabis, here's one of them: Marijuana Withdrawal Reported By Teens Seeking Treatment
Even though many people claim marijuana causes no physical addiction I have my doubts. I can eat crackers every day for a year and then quit without becoming an angry insomniac.
lmao. yes it is, now surrender the remainder of your stash to me
I can't agree with you more. I've been struggling for years to kick the habit, and still can't help but fall back on it when times dictate. For instance, my wife's grandmother just passed away a little over a week ago. I hadn't had a cigarette for months before we found out the news of her impending fate, but as soon as I started going to the hospital/hospice every day (so we could dutifully wait for her to die), I started smoking again. I've been smoking a pack a day for almost a week.:mad: And, in all likelihood, I'll quit again next week... only to start smoking again when another hardcore stressor enters my life. It's a vicious cycle. If you don't mind me asking... what did it take for you to finally give it up?Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta9 UK
I think most of us can. More of a playful temptation than an addiction, but it's still there for many of us. Those who say they are immune to it are most likely in denial.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta9 UK
the one thing I always reflect on after taking a three month or more break is...."I started acting more 'serious'. ......whew!"
Thanks guys, this is really inspiring, I actually thought I was in a much smaller minority, however reading the threads, it looks like a lot of people are familiar with "cannabis addiction" mental or otherwise, :thumbsup:
psteve says there is "no such thing" as mental addiction, I say, hmm not so sure :-)
One day we'll know! What we learnt from this thread is that cannabis, like most drugs are predictable in a general way, however, much like us beings ourselves - there is a great variety in interactions, and the unexpected happens all the time! This is great and I think it is all I live for.. "Unexpected".
Yes, so cannabis addictive or not we learnt to respect all drugs, herbs and medicines much like we should respect ourselves, and our usage with it. Even if it is to excess, I think that is fine, as long as he or she is aware of the side effects (one thing that does exist - don't care who you are or what you say - objectively side effects DO exist) :-)
I don't usually make "don't care who you are or what you say" comments, but regarding sife effects, hell yeah.. everything has a side effect - it is called causality ;-]
Thanks! I definately learnt something from this thread.. not to be too hasty with what I say about "addiction" - not to get too tangled up on the definition, etc
Peace Out,
Denial
I've known a lot of alcohol & tobacco addicts. I know a lot of MJ users. Alcohol & tobacco destroyed my parents & many of their friends. Also, effected our family finacially & caused dysfunctionalty. Other than being criminalized by the system, I've never known MJ to cause addiction. I know a lot of people who used only MJ & readily quit. Few of these people were destructive. Most of the MJ smokers that I have known never used stronger substances. Their have been some who graduated only because they were exposed to hard core drugs by hard core criminals. If we had decriminalization of MJ, most people would not meet this dangerous element & the link would be broken. Crime would go down, along with profits. I for one would rather have people using quality MJ than the legal drugs, alcohol & tobacco. This is the curse of our previous generations still being foisted on new generations. How come our wrong-headed legislators can't see this? But, prohibition is not the answer. In comparison, MJ is relatively benign. There will always be abusers. The answer is treatment. Which is 1/10th the cost of prison & way more effective. Holland's example is the way to go. They see less addiction there & treat addicts as people who need help & compassion. :thumbsup:
cannabis is as addictive as the user wants it to be. if you have an addictive personality you can become addicted to it. and same goes if you dont have an addictive personality you probibly wont become addicted.
I know I get bummed out if I know I'm about to run out of smoke, but I don't think that's stemming from an addiction. More like knowing that I'll need some more before I can truly enjoy some of my favorite video games again. Most of them suck when played sober. GTA & Blizzard battle.net games are an addiction, cannabis is just what fuels that addiction. :jointsmile:
partnership for a drug free America made weed addictive in the 90's
Ronald Regan started it, he was gonna rid households of drugs
cannot fathom whats going to happen in the future for or
grandchildren. They wont even, have the privicy we have, they'll be cams in every room mandantory from the government This friggin gov is money hungry. That tax check thats supposedly comin' for what??
milk and bread, gas our biggest bill is Shell oil
whats up with the stinking ripoff gas prices WTF?
Im happy I smoke tomatoes, I will never quit my tomatoes
If tomatoes was free, it would b legal
Birdgirl - thanks for putting that out in the open.
In my mind, cannabis addiction is like alcohol addiction - it can be partially physical, but it's also mental, and it's very uncommon compared to the generally moderate use that is accepted among the general population.
Responsible use is possible of a potentially addictive drug (alcohol, cannabis, caffeine).
Responsible use is not possible of a definitely addictive drug (tobacco, meth, heroin).
I think it behoves us to pay attention to the side effects and potential downsides of cannabis use. While these things should not prevent its legalization, they are things we, as responsible users, must be vigilant of avoiding.
good to see you people haven't forgotten about this thread :D
Peace,
Denial
this is my 3rd day without due to supply problems and man im suffering
irritable, bored and depressed
i have been going to bed early, cant watch tv, or play ps3
i think it's addictive mentally
but so are alot off legal stuff like coke (not the powder)
This is another older recycled thread... Just interested now that we have more newer members- what are your thoughts and experiences on cannabis dependency, both physical and psychological?
I think it depends on the user. I know people who toke every day for years and are fine. I also know someone who uses MJ every day and is depressed, anti social, and lacks much motivation to do anything. Then you have people like me who switched from toking to vaporizing because of medical issues. I vaporize every day. Can I go without? Yes but I won't be the happiest camper and I'll be in pain. Many years ago I had a real cocaine addiction so I know the feeling. It took a LOT of strength to kick the habit after I nearly had an OD. These days I won't go anywhere near it and don't associate with anyone who does. I think it's really a case by case basis because many factors can dictate addictive behavior. :hippy:
I hope they're not gonna conclude that this proves the gateway theory as you suggested?Quote:
Originally Posted by birdgirl73
What this means (IF true!) is that weed could help rid you of addiction to alcohol or tobacco. Since it eventually creates a general effect on the reward system, it can help feed the reward you would usually get from nicotine for example. Why would you need to do another drug to get the reward when would would be doing it itself?
That's the dumbest thing I've heard in this thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSmokingMonkey
Lots of people smoke tobacco (I'm going to replace 'responsibly' with 'occasionally' since you can be responsibly addicted to something, for example it's not really irresponsible to be addicted to Heroin if you are using it for severe pain relief)
All the drugs you mentioned and thus every drug known is only "potentially addictive". You do not get addicted to Heroin after one hit (as per popular belief). I believe most experts agree you could be high for two days straight before you get any sort of withdrawal. Also tobacco is not "definitely addictive" because millions of people only try smoking once and then never do again if they don't like it. Meth takes ages to get addicted to.
I see you've done none of your own research, well done. Just because it's not about Cannabis, doesn't mean it isn't propaganda.
Basically I believe you can get addicted to the feeling weed gives you. IT makes you feel happy and as some other smart person here said, it takes the edge off things. If you can cope easily with the BS in life without weed, you probably won't get irritated and depressed when you quit.
It's just obvious to you because it is a sudden change from the norm (if you're high constantly). I know from like if I take Xanax for example, for a few days (not long enough for any addiction) on the fourth day I will suddenly notice that I am anxious. It's not that I'm withdrawing it's just that I'm always like that but have never noticed because it's just what I'm used to. But then when I can feel that relaxation I realise how anxious I really am all the time when that relaxation stops.
Also things are addictive mostly because they give you dopamine. There is this chemical I forgot what it's called that actually destroys the excess of dopamine. When you stop taking the drug you don't have as much of the dopamine production but the dopamine destroying chemical stays at the same level which completely depletes dopamine and causes withdrawals. At least that's as much as they know, there might be and probably is more things that contribute to it. However Weed only gives you serotonin, which is what makes you happy and therefore want to be happy again. But there is no dopamine involved.
A lot of this discussion has been regarding mental/psychological addiction and withdrawal, however few physical symptoms of withdrawal have been discussed.
In my experience I have consistently experienced the following symptoms (inclusively) whenever I have ceased smoking:
Excessive sweating/hyperhydrosis
Constipation
Insomnia
Bruxia (teeth grinding in sleep) when finally asleep
Suppression of appetite
Aversion to sweet and sugary foods
I have a number of smoker friends who have experienced some or all of these issues, and some who experience none. I do have some addictive tendencies, and tend to be anxious at times, but regardless of my mindset I do experience the same symptoms. I believe they are related to physical habituation to dehydration and increase in appetite caused by smoking.
There are pharmacological treatments, therapeutic treatment facilities and programs for those wanting to stop smoking. The designing and funding for this certainly suggests many believe marijuana is an addictive substance.
On another note, if there are ANY SUGGESTIONS AT ALL about how to reduce the unpleasantness of withdrawal, PLEASE TELL ME! I've been feeling awful since I ran out!
Like many others in the thread have already said, the drug is mentally addictive, not physcially
yes, mental addixtion
thats because it's not the drug it's the person.does one have a weak mind or a strong one.really that simple.Quote:
Originally Posted by FourTwenty4Life
or am i the only one in the world that does'nt have an addictive behavior?
and you should have said it like this.many years ago cocaine had a real "me"addiction.
people are the cause of there own addiction not the drug.
naw the person already had the mental probs b4 the drug.Quote:
Originally Posted by evilcloudst
It absolutely is addictive mentally. anything that releases serotonin in the brain is addicting. Salt is a good example. You may not think you crave it but you do. It's the reason why processed food contain so much sodium. caffeine is another one often overlooked. If you ever have a headache and can't figure out why... think about the last time you had caffeine. It happens to me all the time.
So while you don't NEED MJ to function, you definitely want it right? Yeah you do. Otherwise you'd never spend 50 bucks for 3.5 grams of a dried up plant.
Never heard of this polydrug abuse axis before (if it could be called that? sorry if the terminology is inaccurate) - thanks for posting.Quote:
Originally Posted by birdgirl73
Also: several studies have shown withdrawal symptoms in SOME users (notably, very heavy users or users who started using mj at a young age), but none (that I'm aware of) have posited a credible explanation for them.