Posted by SLS on September 26, 2006, at 12:53:08
In reply to Re: Am I already addicted to Effexor after 3 month, posted by linkadge on September 26, 2006, at 10:53:42
> >Addiction is now narrowly defined >as "uncontrolled, compulsive use"; if there is >no harm being suffered by, or damage done to, >the patient or another party, then clinically it >may be considered compulsive, but to the >definition of some it is not categorized >as "addiction".
> So, if effexor is not classified as addictive, then "uncontrolled", must really be the key to the term addictive, since clearly using the medication is compulsory once you start, you literally need to continue taking in order to avoid painful withdrawl.Yes. This is true. I wish I knew what the percentage was of people for whom the withdrawal syndrome was intense. Clearly, not everyone suffers this.
> So, if we very narrowly define addictive as simply "uncontrolled use"...
The medical community does not define it "simply" that way. Let's not act too cleverly with words here.
> ...for the sake of the maintainance of any form of inegrity in the medical comunity, then all of a sudden, nicotine is not addictive, nor is heroin, benzodiazapines, marajuanna etc, so long as they are used in a controlled manner.
> > In practice, the two kinds of addiction are not >always easy to distinguish. Addictions often >have both physical and psychological components."
> It was a lot easier to tell if something was addictive before effexor came on the market.Cute.
MAOIs are no picnic to come off of abruptly. Prednisone either.
> > Physical dependency occurs when a drug has been >used habitually and the body has become >accustomed to its effects. The person must then >continue to use the drug in order to feel
> >normal> Thats sounds like effexor to me.
Feel free to select any portion of a definition you like.
> >or its absence will trigger the symptoms of >withdrawal.
> Bingo.Yup. You choose well.
> >Psychological dependency occurs when a drug has >been used habitually and the mind has become >emotionally reliant on its effects, either to >elicit pleasure or relieve pain, and does not >feel capable of functioning without it.
> Effexor relieves emotional, and physical pain. Once you start, you are reliant on its presence to maintain a normal mood. Most effexor users do not feel capable of funtioning without it.Here, you have to make a judgment regarding the intended use and the end result. Here, the intended use is as a medical remedy of a recognized malady. The end result is, hopefully, normothymia - normal affective and cognitive function.
> > Its absence produces intense cravings, which are >often brought on or magnified by stress. A >dependent person may have either aspects of >dependency, but often has both."> Cravings are also hard to define. When on effexor, I would crave the drug if I didn't get it. If I missed a dose, thats all I thought about was how to get home and obtain the effexor. I craved the sence of well being it created, the warmth. Who knows what I may have done to obtain the drug if it were illegal. Robbed a bank ?
You are right. Again, this might be a judgment call. Cravings might be judged to be such if they occur while someone is in a normal baseline state. This is in contrast to someone feeling an intense desire for a drug while they are in an ill state.
Normal desire -> craving
Ill desire -> need> But lets break it down into just some of the descriptive words used in the definition.
>
> habit-forming: Yes, taking it you form a habit.
> withdrawal: Yes,
> compulsive use: Yes, taking the drug becomes
> manditory.Again:
NEED during state of ILLNESS
versus
COMPULSION during state of WELLNESS.
Do people crave aspirin when they have a headache?
Do people have compulsions for nitroglycerin when they have angina pectoris?
Is it habit forming to take insulin if you are a diabetic?Sorry, I don't get it.
Effexor is what it is: A very effective drug for depression and anxiety disorders that can be difficult to discontinue due to withdrawal syndrome.People usually do not become psychologically dependent on Effexor, and there is no development of cravings or compulsions.
Effexor is not addictive as is heroin.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:689186
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060919/msgs/689384.html