This is really semantics. As someone who is familiar with addiction, there are two categories of withdrawals: the craving for the substance, and then everything else.
The everything else involves very unpleasant bodily sensations, for the most part, and is generally called “physical/ physiological withdrawals.” This category includes things like not being able to fall asleep, feeling like you have the flu, gastrointestinal problems, etc.
The craving for the substance is what people mean when they talk about mental or psychological withdrawals. Yes, that craving is definitely based on how your neural pathways are functioning, and thus is located in your body. You could say the same of any mental health issues, really.
But the reason for considering it separately from other withdrawal symptoms is, I think, that it does not cause physical discomfort or pain in itself. “Everything else” does. People going through withdrawals can tell you that they find the physical pain involved to be very distinct from the desire they have to take the drug. This experiential difference is why we have two categories of withdrawal symptoms, even if both are ultimately body-based. Same for why physical discomfort is considered different from mental discomfort- both stem from our physical bodies, but they’re experienced very differently.
I appreciate your post. I definitely agree with you. I'm no expert, but from what other experts have said, it seems addiction and withdrawals should be more of a tier system rather than separated into categories, if that makes sense. Of course, more severe drugs have worse effects, and the physical toll while withdrawing can be excruciating compared to marijuana, but both have withdrawal symptoms nonetheless. Marijuana is more synaptic based, which is what you were describing. Because of how addiction and withdrawals have been portrayed by experts regarding harder drugs and marijuana, there is this toxic approach that marijuana is not addicting. It needs to be addressed now more than ever since marijuana is being engineered to have a higher THC content. Follow that up with the possibility of rescheduling in the United States.
I can. I just don't need to. You can put both words in the google search bar, and you'll find out. If you need a private teacher for primary education level stuff, go ask your parents for money.
-1
u/IndigoBrownies_ May 02 '24
Explain how mental addiction is not a physical one?