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I'm an addict

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Re: I'm an addict

#121

Post by moolcool »

AussieWog93 wrote: post #98
kanonieer wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Religious scholars have actually been the best psychologists Any sources that will back this claim? Oh wait, you don't need facts. Do you give this sort of unsolicited religious advice to everyone or do you specifically choose people who are troubled?

>Any sources that will back this claim? Oh wait, you don't need facts. Do you give this sort of unsolicited religious advice to everyone or do you specifically choose people who are troubled? I mean, there's a fairly strong Darwinistic argument for the validity of certain religions. Very few belief systems have survived a hostile environment for anywhere near as long as the big religions. If religious belief systems…

> I mean, there's a fairly strong Darwinistic argument for the validity of certain religions

I always find it ironic when the "Facts and Reason" branch of atheism pretends that we would all be driving flying cars in a peaceful utopia if it weren't for pesky religion.

Re: I'm an addict

#122

Post by nonameiguess »

artemonster wrote: post #9

This hits hard. I recently counted hours watched on YT (via history export) and OH MY GD, it averaged around 3 hours daily throught the year, for several years. I just imagined WHAT IF I have spent this amount of effort and time on ANYTHING else: playing an instrument, learning a new language, coding a side-project. The thought scared me so much, aka the difference between current me and "potential" me that I have ab…

Not to say it's a great use of your time, but watching YouTube videos is a fairly passive activity. You can do it when you're otherwise out of energy and barely able to pay attention, so it isn't necessarily competing with blocks of time in which you can do something like code up side projects and learn to play new instruments.

Also, again maybe not for you, but a lot of people's numbers if they're just looking at watch history are going to be totally out of whack if they're using YouTube as a music streaming service. My wife's account is the one logged into our television and this would constitute the vast bulk of watch hours, having music on in the background while cleaning the house, cooking dinner, and doing a whole lot of other things. You definitely can't practice tuba in the background while also cooking and cleaning.

Re: I'm an addict

#123

Post by Jaruzel »

SnowHill9902 wrote: post #23

Knowing that HN is generally against it, I say it anyway: I recommend religion and religious teachings which address this and many other daily worldly issues perfectly. Christianity and Judaism both have excellent resources. Religious scholars have actually been the best psychologists but are generally dismissed by non-believers. Edit: for those asking for specific recommendations. It’s always best to find your own p…

> I recommend religion and religious teachings which address this and many other daily worldly issues perfectly.

This advice simply doesn't work if the recipient is an atheist.

To me, Religious texts are made up fiction that hold no more meaning in my world view than Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. If you read enough fiction on a shared topic, you'll be able to pull the same number of 'enlightening' quotes from those books as religious people can from their own sacred tomes.

However, IF you are a religious person, and find meaning in your religious books, then take the win, and enjoy that path. It's just that it's not a path everyone can take.

Re: I'm an addict

#125

Post by tonyarkles »

projektfu wrote: post #67
cassepipe wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting take. Is it from experience or an ego boost by comparing yourself to those who have relapsed ?

Can you ask more politely or are you dissing me intentionally?

Coming at this as both someone who’s addicted to tobacco and has ADHD, I’ve spent a good chunk of my life having people naively (at best) or condescendingly (at worst) tell me things like:

- you just need to quit cold turkey, how hard can it possibly be to not do something?

- have you tried focusing?

- you should try making todo lists!

- if you would just sit still and listen, you could do better on your homework!

While I do agree that the parent wasn’t the most polite, comments like yours definitely fall somewhere in the naive-condescending spectrum and I read the parent’s comment as trying to figure which end of that spectrum it came from.

Re: I'm an addict

#126

Post by projektfu »

spoiler wrote: post #87
projektfu wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My issue with AA is that people can seek attention by relapsing. Going cold turkey and never drinking again is the simple solution and it doesn't require all the drama.

This is actually dangerous advice for a lot of forms of addiction... You MUSTN'T quit certain substances cold turkey, especially after prolonged abuse, because the intake of them are part of the body's homeostasis. It's also very inconsiderate... Addiction generally has much deeper roots than just "craving the high" since it can be maladaptive coping mechanisms people develop due to traumatic childhoods (or later lif…

You are reading a lot more into my comment that isn't there. I am specifically talking about alcohol as the comment is about AA. AA generally recommends stopping cold turkey, so you are also contradicting AA.

I was an alcoholic and now I am not. I don't think it is easy but it is relatively simple. A lot of stuff that is glommed onto recovery from alcoholism obscures the fact that you have to stop using the drug, that is fundamental. Anything that unintentionally encourages relapse is not useful.

Re: I'm an addict

#128

Post by bengale »

My desire to read the comments sections on reddit and increasingly on here completely baffle me. If I was sat in a room and the people in there were saying things as stupid as I see on reddit I would leave that room and wonder how the hell I ended up in it. What possible reason do I have to be wasting time reading the barely formed thoughts of what must be predominantly teenagers. Yet ... I find myself back there.

Re: I'm an addict

#129

Post by phdelightful »

I know cold turkey works for some people, but I’d never recommend it unless it’s truly an emergency (immediate danger of harm) and you have a support system around you to hold you to it.

The truth is, people are obstinate about change and also infinitely adaptable. So, make the changes small so you can get over the hump, and then stick with it ferociously. In 2 weeks it’ll be second nature.

You gotta have something fulfilling in your life away from a screen. Cooking, pets, exercise, relationships, kids. It may seem impossible to get there from where you are, I’d start with exercise. Great thing about exercise is it’s entirely fungible and each incremental increase is good. Start with anything and do it /before/ you do technology. Then don’t worry about it again until tomorrow.

Re: I'm an addict

#130

Post by javchz »

I used to waste a lot of time (I still do, but less and in a more functional way) sounds cliche, but something that helped me a lot was the book atomic habits, focusing on systems rather than in pure force of will.

Related to this point, it's to make it harder to access your bad habits and easier to access the ones you want to develop.

A DNS blocker it's great for things like this. I even have 2 dual booted systems one with custom DNS restrictions, and another one for play and relax.

I don't think YouTube, games or Netflix it's bad. The key part it's intentionality, schedule and self awareness of why are you doing the thing your doing, and don't fall into autopilot

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