Comments on: As addictive as cupcakes

By: Diz Pareunia

Diz Pareunia — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:06:11 +0000

What THERE is…

By: Diz Pareunia

Diz Pareunia — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:39:47 +0000

There are no addictive drugs, games, foods, or experiences.
What these is, is addictive people.

By: crusty

crusty — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:41:41 +0000

my best friend is getting addicted to housecleaning….doesn’t quite show as still cluttered, but makes him feel better….

By: James

James — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:44:50 +0000

Cupcakes can be highly addictive. But only if you’re addicted to food.
To become addicted to anything requires a genetic predisposition, a source of emotional trauma, and a substance or behaviour that is available in the local environment. Personal preference is important too, it’s hard to get addicted to something you don’t like. My personal addiction is to alcohol, though at present I am six years clean and sober. I was very lucky in that I got to spend a year in rehab, recovering from the very unpleasant physical and mental side effects. While I was in there, I met many other addicts, of various persuasions and came to the conclusion that food, ( such as cupcakes ) is the hardest addiction to beat. Alcohol and drugs are easier to stop, because you can just stop. Food is harder, because you have to eat in moderation, and people with an addictive personality find it very hard to do anything in moderation. Including moderation.

By: Bill Bell

Bill Bell — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:53:28 +0000

John, I dunno if that exactly characterises me but I can understand your anger. I can only offer my apology.

I’m not used to having people take me seriously (seriously), and I lose track of context, perhaps especially (but not only) on the ‘net.

Turn my abrasive comments around. Nowadays everything is ‘addictive.’ But we seem to rely more on moral judgments or anecdotes to decide the truth. How many things are really addictive? What’s addictive?

By: John M.

John M. — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:56:31 +0000

…and by the way, my struggles with cocaine, nicotine and marijuana were difficult and no joke. This is a real life observation, not theoretical or in a book. Can anyone say, “insensitive loudmouth”?

By: John M.

John M. — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:41:40 +0000

I guess I should have stated “In my experience”, but thanks for the snarky comment, nonetheless. >unsubscribe<

By: Maia Szalavitz

Maia Szalavitz — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:21:23 +0000

You’re welcome! When you start to think carefully about these things, it becomes extremely complicated, especially because the terms themselves are contested.

By: amelie

amelie — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:17:09 +0000

@Maia okay, that make sense. I had not considered obsessive compulsive disorders and gut signals in all that. Interesting. Thanks for the information.

By: Maia Szalavitz

Maia Szalavitz — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:13:37 +0000

The basis of compulsive eating is pretty much the same as the basis of any compulsive or addictive behavior, though appetite regulation is more complex than the regulation of drug-related behaviors because it involves things like signals of the fullness of the gut and other chemical signals that are absent in drug addictions and gambling addictions.

On the surface, obsessive compulsive disorder, food addictions and substance addictions look different, but the same self-control, desire and pleasure producing systems are involved. Food addictions just include additional regulatory complexity.