Addicted to Music Itself

Is Music a Drug

This article is of the few attempts on the web that tries to connect music itself with addiction.  To explain that music is like a drug and consequently addictive, the article uses the argument that feelings generated from music are, however strong and influential, false.  How does one react to music and are some reactions similar or identical to that of drugs?   If these reactions are similar, does that make music addicting?  What defines a "real" drug and therefore a "real" addiction?

Do you listen to music to purposefully alter your state of mind? If you do, in what situations and do you rely on its effects? This leads to another interesting topic the article discusses--tolerance.  After you listen to your favorite song countless times, does it become "boring" and therefore ineffective?  If one relies on music, are they an addict?

Music and Addiction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPVSuq5Kacw

This is the music video to Semi-charmed Life by Third Eye Blind. Lyrics are below the video. I recommend reading the lyrics with the music and then watching the video.

It won't give anything away to say that this song is about being addicted to crystal meth.

The questions, however, are how does this song balance the elation of being high with the despair of being addicted? What does the video itself lend to the topic of addiction? Is it ironic that such a light-hearted pop song is explicitly about amphetamine addiciton, yet blends in to the musical landscape of the late 90s? I bet most of us have heard this songs numerous times and never realized it was about addiction.

We listen to songs with drug references everyday, from Amy Winehouse to Willy Nelson and a plethora of artist between. A lot of us would probably agree that music is a pretty important part of our lives.  Considering the sometimes clandestine nature of song meanings, what are some of your favorite songs about addiction? Does considering the meaning change your mind about that song in any way?

Workaholics

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51425

This article states that there’s a difference between working hard and being a workaholic.

Do you think being a workaholic should be considered an addiction? And if so what qualities

make it so addicting? What makes the difference between working hard and being a workaholic?

Is it as the article says that hard workers generally have some balance in their lives and they

sit at their desks and think about skiing whereas the workaholic is on the ski slopes thinking

about work? Why would someone deem this as a “respectable addiction”? Is there some type of

chemical satisfaction the abuser feels? How

Designer Drugs

http://www.everythingaddiction.com/drugs-addiction/stimulants/bath-salts-growing-drug-abuse-problem/

This article talks about a particular “Designer drug”, but raises some important questions about addiction. One of the things about designer drugs is that they switch formulas so much, and states have a hard time keeping up with law making and enforcement. In your opinion, would it be better to leave certain drugs legal so that they don’t switch formulas very often, allowing us to develop better ways to combat addiction to one specific drug, or is it better to keep outlawing “bath salts” as well as similar designer drugs? Also, what constitutes a drug, and therefore an addiction? Is it a certain chemical component, or is it the way that these products are used?

Food Addiction

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/food-addiction-could-it-e_b_764863.html

The article states that “industrial processed food that is made in a plant rather than grown on a plant is biologically addictive.” What do you think it is about industrial processed food that can be addictive and why don’t people binge eat on the healthy snacks, such as carrots? Does this mean that all obese people are addicted to food? What kinds of things are influencing food addictions, and what are some steps we can take to prevent it?

The Thin Line Between Social Drinkers and Alcoholics

 http://blog.challenges-program.com/2011/09/the-thin-line-between-social-drinkers-and-alcoholics/

You're out with your friends drinking and having a good time. You may have had a little too much that night, but no harm done, right? Just because you had one too many doesn't make you an alcoholic. But then you notice youre drinking everyday, and not just with your friends. You drink a little more everyday. A glass of wine with dinner, a beer during the football game. Your drinking starts to get excessive, but you don't see a problem, but do the people around you see a problem? Is your drinking starting to affect your relationships and your life? Thats when most people say there is a problem. When your drinking starts to affect other aspects of your life in negative ways. So, when do you cross the line from being a social drinker to being and alcoholic? When do you know you have a problem? Did the problem begin when your relationships where affected, or when you took that first sip of your new companion, alcohol?

Top Ten Addictive Behaviors

http://blog.growingleaders.com/parenting/top-ten-addictive-behaviors-of-adolescents/

This article is a take on why our generation as a whole shows more addictive behavior than generations in the past.

Do you agree that addiction is more prevalent today? Is our society accepting more types of addictions than in the past? If so is this because there is a negative view towards the advanced technology that people are becoming "addicted" to? Is addiction no longer considered a medical illness but instead a term used more lightly? Is our society obsessed with the idea of addiction?

Is there a correlation between the amount of media we our exposed to and our more addictive behaviors? Are there just more things to become addicted to now than in the past (cellphones, Facebook, twitter, video games, iPods exc)?

Dior Addict

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is1O35TZCHM

This commercial is advertising a product called Dior Addict. Dior Addict is a brand of perfume. How does this commercial, and the product name in particular effect societies’ mentality towards addiction? Are there other places in society that take “addiction” or “addict” out of context? Could this be undermining the serious problem of addiction?

Is terminology such as shopaholics and workaholics undermining addiction? Where is the line between actual addiction and obsessiveness? Are people turning more things into addictions to have an excuse for their behavior?

Is society becoming too used to or comfortable with addiction as a concept and/or as a word?