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On 2016-03-21 19:39, William Flynn Wallace wrote:<br>
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<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">General question
about addiction: just what constitutes addiction? <br>
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<br>
The modern psychological definition would stress that it is a
behavior that limits your ability to live your life in your society.
Just taking a substance or even being dependent on it is not enough.
<br>
<br>
Typically, it is list based. If you do the drug or behavior more
than indented, you want to cut down on it but are unable to do it,
you spend a lot of time getting it, repeatedly are unable to carry
out major obligations at work, school or home due to it, it causes
social or interpersonal problems but you continue to use it, you
stop or reduce important social, occupational or recreational
activities due to the use, or you use it when it is risky - then you
may have a disorder. If only 2-3 of these criteria are fulfilled,
then it might be a mild case. 4-5: moderate, and more than 6 severe.
<br>
<br>
That is the psychiatrist approach. From a neurobehavioral
perspective it is all about a persistent behavior pattern that
becomes maladaptively dominant, typically because of messing with
the reward system. The problem is not the enjoyment of gambling,
books or meth, but if it crowds out too much of the rest of life,
long-term life goals, and functioning in society. <br>
<br>
Most common addiction talk use it as a metaphor. But it is loose
talk, not necessarily talking about the important thing at the core
of the discussion here. <br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University</pre>
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