@samsome I can only tell you - good for you bro, I'm so glad for you, keep it up.

About addictions, I could write a book about it. I don't think it would be wise of me to write too much now. Just maybe that addictive behaviour has many faces and they're all more or less vicious, and the society condones some, whilst condemns others. I like to philosophise and like to look at the core of the problem and then try to see and take into the consideration all of the aspects that lead to a certain behaviour. I sometimes have breakdowns just thinking about the society. It is a kind of an addiction too, possibly. Being a philosopher is deadly. Asking for an advice from one is a journey into complexity. No computer or AI could devise stuff like a good human philosopher.

Speaking of philosophy, reading books is a great way of educating yourself and diverting your thoughts from addictions. Speaking from experience. Most of the people here know I smoke, drink a lot of red wine, and use marijuana from time to time. One shouldn't even speak of addictions if one hasn't experienced some oneself, but especially when somebody who's addicted to cocaine is condemning people who are smoking... things like that. Sheer bigotry. I hate it.

There are no people on this Earth not addicted to something deteriorating to their psychological or physical health. Maybe a dozen in 7 billion. There are some really educated people who claim we are wired [in our brains] for addictions. One cretin called Goebels knew something about that shite.

Hmm.. I tried to say as less as I can and I said too much already.

Point is: the society as it is is constituted in a way to make you addictive to something. We're all addicts and not free. I shall ask you to think about it.

That's all. I shall reply to some interesting posts. But be ready for long posts.

Cheers people, I love you all! Yes, even those. Black doesn't exist without white and they both doesn't exist without the gray!

 

Bloke, I love your post but how did coffee and especially tea gotten into it?? Tea is healthy for ya. Coffee, well two to three cups are also healthy. Other stuff, nicely put.

btw. I'm a really heavy drinker... I drink about 1l of tea, half a litre of coffe, and every couple of days about 1-2 bottle of wine, depending of how downed by my complex thoughts I am [that's also called anxiety ].

Oh, speaking of drugs I've tried about 90% of it and nothing stack. Weird, huh? I only like marijuana nowadays, and sometimes. I' don't feel bad when there's no spliff around. Marijuana is good.

 

@Graf Bloke, you have to understand one thing: addiction to everything/anything is a really complex subject. Gatherings of like-minded are not always the answer. I hate gatherings! But I have my father who is still alive and wise. He helped me so much to at least cut down on alcohol. I'd say that you don't need a bunch of people, or sometimes do, but rather need someone close who understands, empathises with you.

Yo, my father was an alcoholic, but only for a few years. However, I was in my teens then so it made an impact on me. Bad one. No he's my greenest and most beautiful tree I'm clinging on whenever I feel I'm over the edge.

Your loved ones are really important, and you only need one that really cares about you.

 

Consider this phrase very carefully - Addiction by Design

Slot machines were once referred to as Addiction by Design.
But even while still debilitating, Addiction by Design in a Slot Machine context was just the dress rehearsal.

Today the label Addiction by Design has been adopted wholesale by Social Media Corporations instead.
The difference between Slot Machines and Social Media is that Social Media Designers have really figured out (quite literally) how to hack your brain in ways that Slot Machine designers could only dream of.

Check out any links from Tristan Harris that you can find.
He appeared before congress to provide testimony on various aspects,
including Social Media's explicit 'mind altering' research and design agenda.

For example(s)

Tristan Harris Congress Testimony: Technological Deception in the Social Media Age - 2020

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUNErhONqCY

TED Talk 2014

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT5rRh9AZf4

If you see only the above videos, you risk missing the techie cognitive psychology details.
The brain hacking design is far more subtle than you might think.

 

Wait, you guys got money to gamble?

 

This song was written for an ex band member who killed himself due to gambling debts. Buy Now, Pay Later. I was at this show singing along. Such an emotional experience.

 

Charlie you're not my Charlie anymore
You're screwing it up
You're killing your soul with an audience looking on
If I hadn't left early last night
I would have made a speech to you
How you're not the only one you're going to hurt
If you don't believe me I don't believe in you
Makes it all feel better does it?
Makes you feel like heaven does it?
You loved it and you spent accordingly
You can't afford it now
You'll try and you'll fail
And love it like a little dog
And feed it on the scraps you find
And kiss it while you're still asleep
You buy now and pay later
So where's the problem you can ask if you keep your head up
But the road is long and you're falling asleep at the wheel
Here's a girl going crazy about you and I'm not far behind
Can you care about your friends anymore?
If you don't believe me I don't believe in you
Makes it all feel better does it?
Makes you feel like heaven does it?
You loved it and you spent accordingly
You can't afford it now
You'll try and you'll fail
And love it like a little dog
And feed it on the scraps you find
And kiss it while you're still asleep
You buy now and pay later

 

Gambling is addiction by design indeed (cf. post by @Ad Heesive). Its mechanics is identified by psychology as a variable ratio reinforcement schedule, which in studies with rats has been shown to be most addictive:

"A variable ratio schedule (VR) is a type of operant conditioning reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is given after an unpredictable (variable) number of responses are made by the organism. This is almost identical to a Fixed-Ratio Schedule but the reinforcements are given on a variable or changing schedule. Although the schedule changes, there is a pattern - reinforcement is given every "N"th response, where N is the average number of operant responses. Let's give an example. You conduct a study in which a rat is put on a VR 10 schedule (the operant response is pressing a lever). This means that the rat will get reinforced when it presses the lever, on average (and this "on average) is the key), every 10 times. However, because it is an average, the rat may have to press the lever 55 times one trial, then only 2 times the next, 30 the next 50 the next, 1 time the next, and so on....just as long as it all averages out to reinforcement being delivered every 10 lever presses."

What is not mentioned here is that rats usually get a shot of sugar water (or cocaine) and they totally go bonkers on the lever when on this variable ratio schedule. Slots are like an EXACT replica of this experiment, but designed for humans.

Bad behaviour dogs also are a result of applying VR as an owner, for example: if you have diner and sometimes you give your dog a piece of meat and other times you don't, you train it to become an annoying addicted beggar every time you dine. It's a mistake that many dog owners make.

Anyway, addiction is difficult and it's everywhere: gambling, drugs, alcohol, food, porn/sex, there's addiction lurking everywhere in society. If you have a personality prone to addiction it's going to be a hard life. I've had my share of addictions, luckily I'm done with them with not too much damage done

 

Last edited: Nov 7, 2021

been there done that. the best way is to understand you never can make up for your losses and that its you that needs just to stop .
give off all your creditcards and bankaccounts to your parents or someone who you trust. and let them deal with your finances.
lay down in the sofa for a few days and shake it off. Try to think of what you could buy with all the money you throw in the bin .

 

Everyone only wants one thing, your money.

Every addict flushes the money into the coffers of the gambling industry. We have a lottery, 6 out of 49, people are promised winnings and the state pays along with gambling. A huge entertainment industry that only has one thing on its mind, your money. The alcohol and tobacco industries that make people addicted. Why don't we get rid of these addicts when they are so harmful?

 

thank you guys, alot of good (and not so good) experiences here. @SineWave , i think i would read that book. i think i've heard of Mr Harris before, but yeah social media is the pink elephant in the room, isn't it.
and i hate to say it but you guys should have taken @Lois Lane 's bet

 

Thanks @Lenny Belardo II, for the text. Looking back, I can say that I have lost too many nice, dear people to heroin, to suicide and traffic accidents.

 

"Race to the bottom of the brain stem"
yeah that's pretty much what happened when forum culture slowly got replaced with social media. They are vile by design, but they don't have to be that way.

 

Give your money to me. No money no gamble. Quick let’s do this!

 

It's incredibly difficult, but possible. My uncle was addicted to games, he worked with a psychotherapist for a very long time.

 

I even don't have better knowledge of how you can stop gambling. But the better thing is you can keep yourself busy with another type of games. In this way, you can stop gambling. I read a similar article online a few days ago how can a gambling sponsorship ban effect english clubs https://fanbanter.co.uk/how-can-a-gambling-sponsorship-ban-affect-english-clubs/ You can take an idea from here. I hope that helps!

 

probably do something else, i guess?

 

Gambling bait is always money. And money is a thing that vaporizes easily. And so do your days and nights.

 

Check out the book "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts". I think addiction is a way to cope with unresolved trauma, at its core.

 

Run out of Money.