On 30/07/2010 9:47 PM, Patrick Elliott wrote:
> Which makes a huge difference. Mind, one of the things that makes it
> easy to withdraw from **is** the fact that it doesn't have an effect so
> massive that it permanently changes brain chemistry. Maybe we need a
> different definition. Addictive means - you would have some level of
> withdrawal from it. ??? means - You can't ever completely withdraw from
> it at all, and your attempt to do so will be long, painful, and incomplete.
>

Is there anything that you can’t withdraw from> I know that if you take 
excess alcohol for a long enough period it does alter your brain and 
organs permanently.

> Part of the problem in many of these things is that we end up using the
> same word to describe things that, while they make work similarly, can
> have **drastically** different impacts. Its like someone with MS. I had
> a teacher with that, and up until a few months before it killed him, he
> *seemed* completely normal. There was a friend of the family who had a
> kid with it too, and he was semi-normal, up until about 10-12, then, by
> the time he was 15 or so he was in a wheel chair, barely able to speak,
> etc. Same condition, completely different results. Addiction is like
> that. All addiction works much the same, but *some* forms of it are
> severely debilitating, and leave lasting scares, which someone opting to
> drink soda pop, instead of taking crack, **doesn't have to worry
> about**, even if, in principle, the result uses the same word to
> describe it.

True and as you said earlier drugs have different effects on different 
people. I’m prescribed dihydrocodine which is addictive. But when I stop 
taking it the only effect I get is that my skin itches, which is quite 
easy for me to cope with. Other people get more severe symptoms. Having 
said that, I don’t know if it is because I have built up a tolerance to 
it. The first time I took 15 mg I was away with the fairies. Now I can 
take 60 mg and all I feel is a bit buzzy and I talk a lot. I’m certainly 
not dependant on it. Different strokes for different folks. :-D

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

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