Drug Addiction vs. Chocolate Addiction?

Question by greglovern: Drug Addiction vs. Chocolate Addiction?
My wife says that addition to hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin are qualitatively the same thing as addition to anything else, no matter how mild, such as chocolate, and differ ONLY in the degree of their effects.

Is that true?

Can you point me to any helpful links on this?

Best answer:

Answer by Eliot K
That is like saying that a gun and a pillow are the same thing, but in different degrees.

An addiction, by definition, interferes with your leading the life you want to lead. It reduces your power to want and get what is best for you. Addictions usually keep the addict from having honest emotional relationships.

If you have lost your job and beat your children because of chocolate, then it is likely an addiction.

How often does chocolate cause you to spend money you don’t have, beat your children, or lose a job?

Answer by Been There
Your wife is wrong.
“Addiction” refers to physiological addiction .. when you stop using a substance your body has become addicted to, you have withdrawal symptoms.
Heroin withdrawal creates intense stomach cramps, sweating, the shakes, nausea, cramping, vomiting, etc.
Barbiturate withdrawal creates many of the same symptoms .. except that you can actually die if you aren’t careful in HOW you withdraw from it.

Chocolate on the other hand, isn’t going to kill you if you stop eating it.

Crime in Canaan
The Upper Valley town of Canaan New Hampshire struggles to fight off a severe drug problem. More. R.D Ford has lived in Canaan for over 25 years. He is one of many residents stunned by how quickly drugs have taken hold of the small town and the people …
Read more on WPTZ The Champlain Valley

BPR Interview: Ethan Nadelmann
Roughly a third of our work focuses on marijuana law reform, another third focuses on reducing mass incarceration and the racial injustice of all this, and the last third focuses on treating drug use and addiction as health issues. For us drug policy …
Read more on Brown Political Review

Parkinson's Awareness Month: 30 Days-30 Stories/ Day Eight-Symptoms, Meds …
My personal favorites are the development of compulsive behavior. Name an addiction and it's there. Gambling, drugs, alcohol and sex. I'm really intrigued by the sexual side effect. Having Parkinson's lowers your sex drive. Plus some of the symptoms …
Read more on ChicagoNow (blog)