If a behavior or set of behaviors become compulsive or out of your control, chances are you're addicted. This is usually the point when said behaviors start impacting your life in a negative way, e.g. missing work to watch porn/drink/gamble/etc. Just reacting to the title... I'm certainly not addicted to my phone, like most are, though I get the appeal. Porn is practical for me as masturbation is good for one's state of mind and probably helps keep me sane (though I can see how overuse of porn can negatively affect one's sex life or perception of sex and how humans relate to one another on a sexual level).

I'm definitely not addicted to McDonald's fries. I can stop whenever I want.

"Umm, yes... a large fry with that, please."

Everything can become an addiction. There are some things that are easy to get addicted on and some of them depend on your personality. It really doesn t matter if there is a substance in something that makes it addictive, there is a thing called psychologycal addiction in whic your brain rewards something that is good for you with dopamine. It does the same thing over and over again until this activity of yours becomes an behavior, if it is harmful you would call it an addiction if it is not you would call it a habit .

I was addicted to nicotine. Nothing else in my life has come close to that problem. I play YAR on my phone when I have dead air, or read Kindle. Addiction is just a buzz word these days.

I'm trying to shake that nicotine shit off too, it isn't working so well.

(February 8, 2019 at 5:57 pm)notimportant1234 Wrote: I'm trying to shake that nicotine shit off too, it isn't working so well.

Each day you're off that shit is a win. If you relapse you have to through that withdrawal AGAIN. Fuck that shit.

(February 8, 2019 at 6:22 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote:

(February 8, 2019 at 5:57 pm)notimportant1234 Wrote: I'm trying to shake that nicotine shit off too, it isn't working so well.

Each day you're off that shit is a win. If you relapse you have to through that withdrawal AGAIN. Fuck that shit.

I managed to quit for 3 months while I was on a ship, I was surprised that I didn't had a whitdrawal but I was salivating for a cigarette even after 3 months. Than I got home, the environment changed and I relapsed

(January 25, 2019 at 3:08 pm)tackattack Wrote: IDK, I think I define addiction a little differently. I'd define it as the repeated undesired involvement with a substance or activity, despite the substantial harm it can cause, because of dopamine responces.

I maybe see it as like a threshold thing, like the difference between fear and phobia. Enjoying something is fine when you are in control of it, the second it controls you it could be deemed an addiction, IMO.

I can say that old books of mythology and holy people don't cure addictions. At best they act as crutches, diversions. I've seen plenty of people in my life get sober, only to try to beat someone else up over the head with their "cure". 

Don't get me wrong, if someone wants to get sober, and they stop that destructive behavior and get themselves out of trouble, that is a good thing. But the real reason is that they got tired of it to the point of wanting to do something about it, and they got support. You wont find the word "dopamine" in any ancient book of mythology of any religion.

(February 8, 2019 at 6:54 pm)notimportant1234 Wrote:

(February 8, 2019 at 6:22 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Each day you're off that shit is a win. If you relapse you have to through that withdrawal AGAIN. Fuck that shit.

I managed to quit for 3 months while I was on a ship, I was surprised that I didn't had a whitdrawal but I was salivating for a cigarette even after 3 months. Than I got home, the environment changed and I relapsed

I quit cold turkey and fought the monkey for a few months. Every day I told myself that it was one more day away from being a pre-cancer patient.

Well. . . quitting cold turkey isn't that hard. I mean. . . it's kind of gross and slimy. But quitting hamburgers-- now THAT is an accomplishment!

(February 11, 2019 at 8:21 pm)bennyboy Wrote: Well. . . quitting cold turkey isn't that hard.  I mean. . . it's kind of gross and slimy.  But quitting hamburgers-- now THAT is an accomplishment!

I quit eating hamburgers and started eating steak instead. True story! When my GP started bagging on me about my high cholesterol level, I reduced my red meat to twice a month, like a good little boy. If I can only have red meat twice a month, it's gonna be a T-Bone, not lips and ears in a bun.