The Nature of Addiction

My friend Paul posted about his addiction to smoking. While this wasn't the poitn of the article, (his was coping strategies) I didn't agree with his assertion that cigarettes are evil with my understanding of tobacoo use in indigenous Native American cultures and their use of it. But also because drug use and human beings has been a relationship going on since we've had access to plants. The zgreeks used to use opium in a form of wine.  The first Pilsner Style beers used a psychotropic substance, kava root Piper methysticum, was chewed by island peoples near South East Asia. The Native American's smoked tobacco. The Africans began Coffee drinking in Ethiopia. All around the world from people in our society to indigenous society have used drugs for many different purposes from medicinal, to ceremonial, to the pleasurable effects. Only people living in areas typically cold weather did not have these substances  From this traditional use, I see drugs have a place in humans interactions with nature. To call something evil may be convenient for the addict but it's certainly not good to condemn the thing itself, and pointless really. If you can't handle the stuff in moderation than maybe you should look at the nature of addiction.

What is the nature of addiction? This is hard to define. I talked to my wife and Paul on several instances and quantifying something came up.

 If you define what is addictive on the basis of what is more addictive to more people than you get even more debate. I think this is how Paul defines it but I am not sure.

If you define it as something you develop a need for for I lack of something else, then we are in agreement.

In my own experience their is a certain predispotion to certain feelings I want if I find a lack of them in my life for biological or pschological reasons.  This is an emotional and psyschological response. If I'm bored or unstimulated I do like the adrenaline rush of coffee.

Bit  I usually drink more coffee until I get the stimulation I crave. Recently, I've almost stopped drinking coffee altogether when I've started exercising more and eating more meat. This is a biological component of my want of coffee.

I am happy for this. Over a challenging personal time in the winter, I was drinking 5 cups of coffee a day. I had been sick in the summer and unable to sleep so coffee was a necessary aid for me. I stopped drinking 5 cups a day when my health improved and my sleep patterns normalized. However, I gradually reincorporated this bad habit during a challenging time in the winter when I needed something that gave me a certain feeling of excitement.

I think people put too much stock on what is addictive based on a quantifiable scale. Some

Their are two strong  reason for this. One is cultural. What is more addictive in one culture is more addictive in another culture. True be told that there is a good basis of this reason which is based availability of one and not the other. But the drug of choice of people seems to be  situation. Overworked people like to drink coffee. Emotionally sensitive fat people like food. Socially dissaffected 20 somethings used ecstasy to feel a connection to other people. The 70s was an era for cocaine use in a time when power and style was importance and the drug cocaine gave people confidence. These are not quantifiable and that's the point. There is a distinctly qualifiable stories of use based on eras and trends I mentioned but also things based on what people feel they need at a time.

So on a case by case basis some people indulge on chocolate, sweets, alcohol, cigarettes and harder fix me ups.

I want to talk more about the biological psyschological connection. There is compelling evidence that alcoholism has a biological component linked to diet. A psychologist Julie Ross treating alcoholics with nutritional supplements and meal plan was able to curb their want of drinking. Incorporating meat and fish into a diet of people to provide more tryptophen a key component in making the happy feeling serotonin moleculres something they were lacking were able to curb their cravings for alcohol. It also worked for people with other addictions. There were other biological substances used for other people with addictions and the focus was on treating the mood and feeling rather than resorting to medical treatment.

Julie Ross has done work through case studies of her patience and was led by evidence that certain people with hereditary links to seacoastal people were more pre-disposed to alcoholism. The evidence pointed that these people were predisposed carnivores when the addition of fish into their diet changed their mood so that their cravings for alcohol went away.

Compelling stuff certainly.But not quanitifiable yet. I think we should start examining our own predispositions and think about our boilogiy and be able to try different things and techniques until we find a cure. Nutrition can be one strategy. Exercise another. Maybe even alternative medicine. There are many other strategies to find a positive readjustments.Ultimately, the responsiblities on us.