Comments on: Running Similar To Drug Addiction http://dailyrunningtips.com/running-humour/running-similar-to-drug-addiction/ Marathon Running Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:32:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Patrick Binienda http://dailyrunningtips.com/running-humour/running-similar-to-drug-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-1399 Patrick Binienda Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:08:20 +0000 http://dailyrunningtips.com/?p=830#comment-1399 Interesting article though I think you need to do more research either on running and/or on addiction. There are lots of ultramarathoners that are not addicted to running based on the criteria above. Not all distance runners are addicted. There is no such thing as a positive addiction. That is an oxymoron like intelligent George W Bush. Sounds cute but the very nature of addiction is that it is a negative dependence. I am dependent on breathing air. I am not addicted to air. Due to people overusing the word addiction, it is inappropriately applied to many things people have no understanding about. Since most people don't run, when nonrunning people see someone put a lot of time and effort into something as difficult as a marathon or longer, an assumption is made that there is something other than desire and discipline happenning. Addiction is an easy explanation but not good one. Dig deeper. The DSM criteria was developed for nonaddicts to identify addiction. But they had such are hard time with it because of groups like NA that they backed off the word addiction. You will not find it anywhere in the DSM. They took the safe road and focused on dependence. They also did not get into anything beyond substance dependence. Just food for thought (but don't think about it too much or you might get addicted to your thinking). <strong>FROM CONSTANTINE </strong>: Thanks for your clarification. Interesting article though I think you need to do more research either on running and/or on addiction.
There are lots of ultramarathoners that are not addicted to running based on the criteria above. Not all distance runners are addicted.
There is no such thing as a positive addiction. That is an oxymoron like intelligent George W Bush. Sounds cute but the very nature of addiction is that it is a negative dependence. I am dependent on breathing air. I am not addicted to air.
Due to people overusing the word addiction, it is inappropriately applied to many things people have no understanding about. Since most people don’t run, when nonrunning people see someone put a lot of time and effort into something as difficult as a marathon or longer, an assumption is made that there is something other than desire and discipline happenning. Addiction is an easy explanation but not good one.
Dig deeper. The DSM criteria was developed for nonaddicts to identify addiction. But they had such are hard time with it because of groups like NA that they backed off the word addiction. You will not find it anywhere in the DSM. They took the safe road and focused on dependence. They also did not get into anything beyond substance dependence.
Just food for thought (but don’t think about it too much or you might get addicted to your thinking).

FROM CONSTANTINE : Thanks for your clarification.

]]> By: mialena http://dailyrunningtips.com/running-humour/running-similar-to-drug-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-481 mialena Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:33:48 +0000 http://dailyrunningtips.com/?p=830#comment-481 And (we) runners even do a bit of LSD on a regular basis :) I get really cranky if I don't run, other half often sends me out if I've not run for a while to get the "normal" me back... And (we) runners even do a bit of LSD on a regular basis :)
I get really cranky if I don’t run, other half often sends me out if I’ve not run for a while to get the “normal” me back…

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