I Want More: The Addiction Conspiracy

Hello all,

Its seems like nature or god, which ever you believe, has dealt some of us a cruel hand and left us at a disadvantage to the majority of the population.

Ever met an alcoholic, maybe a compulsive gambler or just someone who when they start something they simply cannot stop? Yes, I'm talking about addiction.

By my own admittance and from the observations of those close to me I have an addictive personality. If I develop or discover a new hobby then it will consume me so to speak and I'll put 110% effort into it, take reading books for an example.

I haven't read a book in quite a while now but when I was reading I was doing so everyday, going through perhaps 5 or 6 300 page books a week.

After that I stopped reading but started going to the gym and working out, again I was in the gym 4 times a week on top of running 3 times a week and boxing training 3 times a week.

I'm not really the sort of person who can go to a pub and have one alcoholic drink, it sounds wrong but I don't really see the point, I can't talk for the rest of you but I know many people who say the same thing.

Why am I telling you all this and why is it a conspiracy?

Well I was thinking along the lines of alcoholics, gamblers and people with OCD, doesn't it seem unfair that some people are genetically programmed to be of an obsessive nature and this can, in some cases, lead ultimately to self destruction?

I'm not really thinking about this from a medical perspective although replies in that nature are still more than welcome. I would like to hear from people who believe in religion and how they can explain that a God would create life where some people have an inherent flaw that could lead to total devastation?

I've heard it said that God created man with the ability to sin or with the choice not too but surely this doesn't apply as not everyone has an addictive personality?

It could be argued that being born with an addictive nature is a blessing in disguise because, when channeled and focused, it gives a person an advantage over others through the superior focus it brings.

Either way I'd like to hear your thoughts, I'm off write another thread...

[edit on 5/3/10 by Death_Kron]

Addiction can be really fun and driving, just like everything in life anything can be a good or bad thing. My idea of a god, and I barely have one, is there was no particular idea in mind when/if he/she/it created life. Just completely random.

Maybe this god was just experimenting and had a general hypothesis on the results but hey, things are as they are. Maybe for a reason maybe not.

Conspiracy theories are a good addiction in my opinion, but by your post I'd say that you'll be over it soon enough.

Originally posted by blerk
Addiction can be really fun and driving, just like everything in life anything can be a good or bad thing. My idea of a god, and I barely have one, is there was no particular idea in mind when/if he/she/it created life. Just completely random.

Maybe this god was just experimenting and had a general hypothesis on the results but hey, things are as they are. Maybe for a reason maybe not.

Conspiracy theories are a good addiction in my opinion, but by your post I'd say that you'll be over it soon enough.

That's an interesting theory about life being completely random but I wouldn't agree because large groups of people display similiar characteristic traits and not all of them can be attributed to race, religion or location.

There is a common denominator amongst us as human beings.

With regards to my interest in conspiracy theories, well I'm not addicted to them, I don't lose interests to be honest. If anything I'm probably more settled in my life at the moment than ever before, I'll admit I haven't been on this site for a while but thats because of the quality of recent material hasn't been up to scratch in my opinion.

There's no such thing as addiction man, at least in every single one of the commonly cited 'addictions'. Cigarettes coffee chocolate sex alcohol coc aine gambling...

Its LITERALLY all psychological. I myself was very casual smoker and hit hard times. I kept upping and upping until I was at 5-10 a day for a long time then a pack a day for a couple months. One day I had a good epiphany about it and then just quit, first couple weeks I went down to 3 a day MAX right off of 20+ and it drove me NUTS, but in the end of it was entirely willpower, and I have then only contempt for people who say they cant quit. This was around Halloween 2008, I made a news years resolution not to smoke cigarettes any more (as well as drink pop spefically coke, not eat mcdonalds anymore, etc). I have not smoked since then.

I realised with smoking the only thing psychologically addictive is the SENSE OF PURPOSE. I would still go on late night walks like I used to to my favourite places and to think, but didnt feel the same. Smoking gave the REASON to be out and it feels directionless, pointless, without it. It gives you something to do, literally, it plays the role of the purpose in your life. It is a sad reflection on humanity of our lack of drive, really. We are replacing real needs with a product.

To put it in perspective think of the girls in your life. Traditionally I only have a few in my life at a time. ANd I always get really attached to them. Is it because they're somehow addictive? Nei, its merely because they're the only ones. This is why we make decisions we dont want to. Why we fall in to the same 'patterns'. I have a terrible habit of dating girls who are very wrong for me just because they're the only one 'in my life' so to speak. This relates to addiction: it serves as a replacement for a void. I feel like I need a purpose to fill a gap (ie love life) which does not come along. So I then attach myself to something more tangible.

Smokers often feel like their life is missing something. Notice the main groups of smokers: stressed people, restaurant employees, soldiers, high school students... I noticed a HUGE drop in smokers from high school to university. A lot of it is 'dead-end' and thought people often love their jobs/life in general they often feel they are just kind of floating through life, its static, unchanging. Smoking becomes an easy out an easy sense of purpose, because you suddenly have something to strive for, whens my next break, I need to go out for a smoke, etc.

Really its just down to the Human Condition, wanting instantaneous gratification for deep rooted issues, and usually because they dont recognise it as so. I always say a phrase: putting a band aid on cancer.

Smoking is a quick temporary fix, like alcohol, gambling, etc. There is an obvious reward. But it doesnt solve anything in the long run.

Another analogy I use is crime. Lets spend more money on cameras and police! Oh yay... it would be better spent on the root of crime: poverty. Aim the water at the base of the flame...

reply to post by Ridhya


Thats a good post there and I actually agree with the majority of it apart from two points:

1.) Addictions aren't entirely psychological; cigarettes, alcohol and certain drugs all have physical addictive properties.

Unless your saying its possible to overcome these via will power? However, suddenly stopping a substance that has been used for a long period of time can cause health problems, even death.

2.) I have smoked since I was a teenager and I still do, I don't think cigarettes give me a sense of purpose. More over I smoke because I got into a bad habbit although I have to admit unlike the majority of the smokers I know I actually enjoy smoking.

There are ADDICTIVE type personalities. THAT is a fact!

I am one, when something gets under my skin so to speak, I delve into it like a tic from HELL.

Put becoming a member here as an example. I cannot go without coming here if I have anytime spare. Of course, I hear things here, several days and sometimes weeks in advance of any release in the MSM.

That to me is AWESOME. I have had family members ask me if I have heard of something and my usual response is, "what do you want to know"!

That makes me so HAPPY. Not that I know things before them, but that they are starting to listen for info anyway they can.

I would like everyone to know, that people are beginning to wake up to the info that is out there.

Further to the OP, where the hell is that cigarette pack I KNOW is somewhere around here!



[edit on 3/5/2010 by endisnighe]

reply to post by endisnighe


One thing I've always been surprised about this site is the speed at which content here is delivered! I read or hear something on the news and then sure enough its already on here happens all the time I attempt to write threads about news stories.

I'm definately have an addictive personality, my mother and girlfriend both joke that I have OCD because I have certain ways of doing things and if they aren't done I can't sit still until I corret them.

reply to post by Death_Kron


Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for those that do not know what Death_Kron meant for OCD.

Oh yes, OCD is prevalent in my family.

It can become a debilitating mental disorder. It can also be used to further your career. I am a construction specialist as of late. Use to get projects done way under schedule and always below budget.

The thing is(I love that beginning of a sentence), when you become unemployed like me, my God do we become strange. My house is so....fixed up, it is ridiculous.


edit to ask-do you make lists, I make lists of things that HAVE to be done

and I do know that things can ONLY be done a certain way, I have tryed to curb that behavior being a manager. It gets in the way of me allowing others to do their jobs. Oh how I want to show people how to do things RIGHT!

Thanks for the thread, the OCD have to....obsess together.

[edit on 3/5/2010 by endisnighe]

reply to post by endisnighe


My pleasure!

I don't have OCD as far as I'm aware, I live my life quite easily. With me its more little things like I have a certain way of doing the dishes, like a certain order etc

As I said my girlfriend just laughs at me

Glad to hear you can use your addictive personality in a productive way though

you have no idea how close this hits home for me. i am currently in my 3rd month tobacco free and a month old alcohol free.

unlike most people i know, i've noticed my extreme tendencies. when i smoke, i'm like a train. when i drink, i don't know when to stop.

hope some find some enlightening answers from this thread. S & F.

death-kron, reading a lot for a few months or going to the gym fairly often aren't addictions!! you feel compelled to do those things because you enjoy them. a compulsion is not the same as an addiction.

the self-obsessed pseudo-psychology industry has watered down addiction and tried to confuse it with compulsion so they can sell more books, more seminars, more courses of treatment.

an addiction is the chronic over-riding compulsion to consume a substance regardless of desire and at the cost of all other things. the addict will invariably suffer physical withdrawal symptoms.

the quacks saw a good way to make a few sheckels and decided to come up with the psychological addiction crap, which boils down to "man that was fun, lets do it again", but it's not an addiction.

the reason we can become addicted to stuff is because our bodies are amazing. if we steadily consume a small quantity of poison, our bodies actually adapt to accommodate it and the toxicity of that poison goes down.

part of the way we do this is to stop producing chemicals that increase the toxicity of the substance. if the substance + our hormones are too much to handle, our bodies stop producing any hormones similar to the substance. addiction is the deficiency of the hormones in the absence of the substance.

it's probably an evolutionary trait that has allowed us to eat poisonous leaves and berries with gradual exposure and plays a large part in our massive success as a species. the drawback seems slight.

god allowed it because it was a good idea.

[edit on 5/3/10 by pieman]

Originally posted by ohmajojo
you have no idea how close this hits home for me. i am currently in my 3rd month tobacco free and a month old alcohol free.

unlike most people i know, i've noticed my extreme tendencies. when i smoke, i'm like a train. when i drink, i don't know when to stop.

hope some find some enlightening answers from this thread. S & F.

Okay, I delve in a little bit of personal detail, I smoke, usually around 20 cigarettes everyday and at present I know I'm drinking definately more than I should be doing.

Like I've said I'm an addictive person and thats partly what motivated me to create this thread.

As someone who drinks and smokes too much and wants to cut down the first thing I will say to you is congratulations on quitting the fags and the booze, I probably understand more than anyone how important encouragment is when kicking any bad habbit.

My personal advice (although I have yet to implement it myself...) is to change your habbits, I have noticed that I smoke a cigarette at certain times of the day when I do certain things.

For example, I'll smoke a cigarette when I wake up before I shower, another one before I get into my car, one when I arrive at work etc

The trick is to change this pattern and substitute the cigarette with something else, instead of having a cigarette upon waking before the shower go straight into the shower when you wake up and make yourself eat breakfast.

It helps to change your routine when breaking a habbit.

reply to post by pieman


Thats a good post from a medical and scientifc point of view

Yes, I understand that going to the gym or reading books aren't addictions.

I ment more from the point that I'm an addictive type of person, I move from one hobby to another and going out out to the max with each one.

I don't think addiction is a conspiracy.
But I'm pretty sure its possible to become addicted to conspiracy.

...0r at least to certain high-quality conspiracy-themed websites that will go unnamed.

Originally posted by silent thunder
I don't think addiction is a conspiracy.
But I'm pretty sure its possible to become addicted to conspiracy.

...0r at least to certain high-quality conspiracy-themed websites that will go unnamed.

Haha, good one.

The conspiracy angle I wanted answering was how can "God" allow some of us to be addictive people who probably have a greater chance of self destruction in comparison to the rest of us.

But at the same time if this thread can delve into the nature of addiction and possibly offer help to others then great!

reply to post by Death_Kron


so you're focused and driven? personality is a fairly flexible thing, you can't have an addictive personality. it psycho-babble.

you can have a body that is really quick to adapt to toxins, people who don't suffer with a hang-over for instance. this might lead to becoming addicted to something easily, but that has nothing to do with personality.

from a conspiracy point of view, to say that focused and driven people have an "addictive personality" suggests it is a good idea to become less focused and driven, who would want to encourage focused and driven people to change?

reply to post by pieman


I would disagree with you there regarding the personality because I know I'm an addictive type of person.

Being focused and driven would be a constant factor in someones personality where as I have had several hobbies and interests in the past that have been my sole focus of attention and I've put 110% effort into them.

Then after a while I would change hobby and do the same thing, you could almost say at the time I was "addicted" to whatever it was I was doing however I know not in the medical sense.

Edit: There is addictive personality disorder, I know your view is that this is a term coined by psychologists but I can assure you its very real.

[edit on 5/3/10 by Death_Kron]

reply to post by Ridhya


Excellent post!

I see you, to speak in avatar terms.

I started smoking when i was in the army and smoked one pack per day in average. Then it went down to one pack a week when i got out. When i met my gf it stayed the same, except that we always split a cig, so in effect halving my smoking. When she passed away i started to smoke again, now half a pack a day.

I also started drinking heavily. Not to say that i had been absolutely sober before, but now when the month turned to march, it suddenly struck me that i have downed 15 liters of vodka in these two months.


So the question is why did i start smoking nearly 10x more and drinking myself to death? I cannot give you a straight answer, but here are some of the candidates i tumble around in my head and try to figure out:

to relieve stress and general feeling of hopelessness
to punsih myself - for not being able to help her
to do "passive suicide" - so i can be with her sooner
but most of all, just like already said:
to give myself some reason to do anything

(No, i am not going to commit suicide. I don't know what i believe in anymore, but one thing i know is that we are here for some reason, and it is not up to us to decide when we leave)

[edit on 3/5/2010 by above]

I am in the same boat as the OP on this one but I can also relate to what the others in this thread are saying.

When I find something I enjoy doing I tend to go at it with everything I have..
For example I decided to get healthy a while back and completely changed my diet from crappy fastfood a few times a week to a mostly raw fruit and veggie diet and chicken/fish. I made the transition overnight and started working out 6 days a week.

I can honestly say that I am "addicted" to working out. If I miss one of my routine workouts or eat unhealthy foods I feel like crap.

Before I changed my lifestyle I drank way too much and smoked. I was easily able to cut out the drinking but I just couldn't shake the smoking. A friend of mine asked me what the point of changing the way I ate and exercised was if I continued to smoke. The only thing I could really say was that I was addicted but it has become clear to me for some time that smoking is just a crutch in my life I'm not ready to give up.

I don't think that what one of the previous posters could have been closer to the truth by saying the action of smoking gives purpose of some sort. I think for me it is a much needed distraction to break up my day and I'm sure there are people with other reasons for smoking.

Overall I think addiction is a hard thing to figure out in certain situations. I still don't understand why I could give up drinking so easily but not the smoking considering I enjoyed doing both.

reply to post by Death_Kron


okay, so you're focused, driven and have a short attention span. if it was addiction, you wouldn't be able to stop doing these things, never mind suddenly losing interest and not bothering.

i've no issue with psychologists.

what i'm trying to say is that there is a pseudo-mental health industry out there that invents a problem, convinces you that you have it, prescribes a cure, convinces you that you are cured and claims a success in return for large sums of money.

the "addictive personality" is one such invented problem.