MyJoey

Ok I got a question.

Some drugs are not considered addictive, but habit forming. So what's the difference? Besides the physical withdraw symptoms from addictive drugs, is there any difference? If someone is hooked on a habit forming drug is he/she still an addict? I know it sounds kind of stupid but I don't understand what the difference between a addictive drug and a habit forming drug is, it seems to me it is the same thing.....

k1a2t3h4r5y6n7

I don't know. I've heard that pot is not chemically addictive. It's more that you get addicted to the habit of smoking it. As opposed to meth, which people can get addicted to just by being in the room with it, not using it. It's a chemically addictive drug.
But, by definition, habit forming basically means the same thing as addiction...

winnie12

i'm sure others could enlighten more on this but my understanding is that one creates a physical addiction and one you could begin to mentally rely on. if you stop something that has a physical addiction then you are going to have physical side effects.

cece1960

In my experience, I've come across a few "habit forming" scenarios with OTC drugs.

I have trouble sleeping but would prefer to not take a script.
I've become accustomed to taking OTC sleep aids as directed.

But what can happen if I depend on them too long, too often is my body "forgets" how to sleep on its own. This has happened to me, and takes a week or so to readjust. Its a bear of a week in regards to tossing and turning but there are no traumatic side effects from not taking them.

Another case would be a heavy reliance on anacids and such. If your tummy stops knowing how to react naturally because its accustomed to getting help, it can stop producing natural digestive aids.

Many have claimed pain relievers can loose their effectiveness if taken too regularly.

I have to agree with Anvil in that "habit forming" is a dangerous catch all term that can imply no problems...not always the case.

Freedom1990

The following opinion is brought to you by the mind of an addict, albeit a recovering addict:

This addict mind doesn't know the difference between addictive and habit-forming, that is, if it has the potential for abuse, I'll abuse it. This addict mind sees the label 'habit-forming' and says "Ohhhhh, obviously that does have some sort of mood-altering property to it!"

As an addict, I have addictive tendencies in many areas of my life. When I first got clean/sober, I dug into my program of recovery full force. However (yep, there's the catch phrase), one area of my life I was not willing to take an honest look at was sex/relationships, both of which were other addictions of mine. So the sex/relationships climbed higher and higher on the ladder of priorities, whilst the recovery went lower and lower on the ladder of priorities

The end result? I relapsed on drugs/alcohol after 4 years clean/sober over....(drumroll please)...sex/relationships!

So for this addict mind, addictive and habit-forming are just a matter of semantics.

*You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming*

Timebuster

Addictive drug you buy in the street and a habit forming drug you buy in a pharmacy.

JustAYak

Speed is addictive. LSD is not, and does not have any physical withdrawl symptoms. However I do both.

I think the habit-forming drugs (like LSD) are more mentally "addictive." You just like the way it feels so you keep going back, unlike addictive drugs where you may like the way it feels but there is also the physical tie-in where if you were to leave it you'd feel like you were dying.

But really, to an addict like me, there isn't much of a difference at all.

MyJoey

Jason,

Help me out here if your still around tonight. My son was put on house arrest today till his court date of April 6, if he starts withdrawing and acting nuts is there anything I can do to help him? Also, I worry he will go into a deep depression anything I can do or should watch out for. He told the PO today, this week his DOC was weed, mushroom, speed not sure of the spelling (Aderall), and he was taking a downer but I forget the name....the PO gave him a hard time about taking ups and downers at the same time. So these are the latest things he will be giving up hopefully, unless he sneaks some in from school which I am sure he will try, but he knows he will go right to detention until the court hearing if he gets caught doing anything else. I haven't had time lately to read your post, I hope you are doing well and adjusting to living with your mother.........I wish only good things for you. Julie

Thanks everyone for the post, they are great and very helpful. A few of you are nuts you know I don't want to do any name dropping Freedom and Anvil ............LOL

justanothrdrunk

I'm of the opinion they mean the same thing. I think the term, "habit forming" is simply a softer term than "addictive."

Television commercials, I've noticed, for things like OTC sleep aids and whatnot will say they are not "habit forming" (which is total bull, by the way) because it sounds nicer.

Freedom1990

Remember...you're still a hot babe, but now it comes in flashes!

Freedom1990

I'll have you know I was very prim, proper, straight-laced and serious till I joined SR and Anvil influenced me.

Freedom1990

May I say you are a really lousy liar, dear?

Dancing banana, anyone?

Freedom1990

I just had coffee come out my nose!

Wow, did we derail this thread or what?

Sorry, MyJoey! I'm going to behave from here on out!

MyJoey

OOO no please, as long as I am not the one being picked on.....I LOVE IT. LOL

Freedom1990

Oh no, I'd never pick on you. Anvil has a big old target painted right on her keester!

Freedom1990

Oh great, now she's throwing in the $2.00 words.

MyJoey, she's got a small target on her teeny tiny gluteus maximus, okay?

Freedom1990

I snatch them from a very large greyhound owners forum I frequent, then sneak over to my photobucket account and upload them!

Freedom1990

MyJoey, did you want your thread back?

Quick, someone tie my hands down!

k1a2t3h4r5y6n7

^^^^^^^^ to make a short story long...

NoelleR

I do agree with justanotherdrunk.........: "...I'm of the opinion they mean the same thing. I think the term, "habit forming" is simply a softer term than "addictive."..."

I will add something here though, which may or may not really add to this discussion....but what the heck, it won't totally take this thread down a rabbit hole.....lol

Although, IMHO, there's NO difference between the terms 'habit forming' or 'addictive,' I DO believe there IS a difference between a person's body being 'physically addicted to' or physically dependent on' a drug and a person being 'an addict' (at least NOT the kind of 'addict' I was).

As an example, the folks in hospital cancer wards are often given morphine or fentanyl (80 times stronger than morphine), and these folks' bodies become physically addicted to/physically dependent on the morphine/fentanyl (their bodies would go into withdrawal if they were taken off these meds abruptly....HOWEVER, I would certainly NOT consider them to be addicts (at least NOT addicts of my caliber.....

Okey-Dokey now..........I'm done; said enough....I hope I didn't put anybody off, and perhaps I might even have helped someone.....

Here's to HOPE, everybody.................. (o:


NoelleR