Can weekly use of hydrocodone be considered addiction?

[weekender2]

A fella I know likes a few HC's on the weekend. It's in his honor that I've taken the monniker "weekender." He and I were talking the other day and he said some interesting things about his habit I thought I'd share.

The fact that he only dives in once a week, and is fairly disciplined about this, prevents him from ever getting dope-sick in the conventional sense of the word. No sweats/shits/pain/depression or anything like that. He's frightened to death of both getting hooked and the prospect of withdrawing from something that would make him so miserable. Plus it would interfere with his cushy phoney-baloney corporate world job.

But, see, here's the thing: he's REALLY starting to look forward to the weekend. He starts thinking about Saturday earlier and earlier in the week, when he can hit the couch and rest safe and warm in the arms of Morpheus for another few hours. Maintaining an adequate stash is occupying more and more of his attention. And, at the risk of discussing sourcing, figuring out an alternative source or sources is looming larger and larger in his mind.

He is starting to think that the amount of time and energy that he's devoting to his habit, albeit once a week, is starting to get a little ridiculous. But when his inner voice whispers that it may be best to drop the habit, at least for a while, he gets indignant and defensive, maintaining (yes, to himself) that he can quit any time; he just doesn't WANT to. He can't imagine a life without that three hours of bliss in it, and brooks no discussion of stopping.

There may be no body aches or anything like that, but there's a word for what he describes: addiction. How can it be anything else? The beast got him, when he wasn't looking, just from being so god-damned good.

Should he care? After all, he smokes reefer and has done so since he was 15...he can't imagine a life without it and that doesn't give him nearly as much pause as his current infatuation with Momma Opium.

Is this the 800-lb gorilla in the room of those who aren't the other lads and lasses in this forum? Does everyone who hasn't built up a physical tolerance feel this way? Or is it just that it's friggin' Tuesday and Saturday seems so far away...

Pax,
Weekender

[Nicaine]

SWIM's not sure it's right to call it addiction until loss of control rears its head. And in his opinion, that one really sort of overtakes the others as a key aspect of addiction. I mean, so what if this guy's looking forward to Saturday more than he ever has... is it hurting his job performance? Interfering with his life in *any* meaningful way?

Of course, "addiction" is just another concept and everyone gives it a slightly different meaning. What your friend is experiencing may well be someone else's conception of addiction.

maintaining (yes, to himself) that he can quit any time; he just doesn't WANT to.

FWIW it does in fact sound to SWIM like he's still at that stage, although it could very possibly turn into a full blown addiction. Incidentally, there's something incredibly presumptuous about deciding when someone else is addicted -- not that you're guilty of that (only you know), but just sayin'...

[~lostgurl~]

Sounds a bit like the movie "Human Traffic" With all the XTC fiends in their boring jobs planning the weekend of rolling from Tuesday. And Ex aint even physically addictive like morph.

[ProteinBlast]

SWIM knows exactly where your friend is coming from...SWIM has been off the yayo for over a month now and the mental battles are damn hard - especially because SWIM thinks he's "all-set" since it's been so long without going out and picking up. "It's only done once, twice a month - you have control!". Does he? Does your friend? Despite not doing it more than 1-2 times a month, or in your friends case, on weekends, it dominates his thoughts. He's found himself focusing more on planning the upcoming weekend, or "event" than anything else. SWIM isn't sure that part ever goes away, despite how long it's been. He can only hope the voice just get's quieter. He can def. relate to what your friend is going through.

Nicaine you are correct I suppose that everyone has a slightlly different interpretation of "addiction". I don't think it has to make you lose your job or steal from your friends - I think that it's a lot more complex and internal. I don't think that when the 800lb gorilla leaves the room he's gone, I think he just shrinks himself and takes up resident inside your head. I'd like to evict him but can't seem to get around to it.