Jimmy Wales wrote:
terminology. I cite the following from the eminent Dr. Charles Moser, "Addiction is a physiological dependence. When alcoholics stop drinking, they get the sweats, their heart rate goes up, their reflexes increase, etc. They can even develop the DT's. Heroin addicts have their own withdrawal syndrom, but again it involves physiological changes (I do not mean to imply that there are not psychological changes as well.). If sex "addicts" are denied sex, they may have all sorts of psychological problems, but they do not go into a physiological withdrawal. FYI,addiction is not listed in the DSM-IV, it is called dependence."
Please eliminate this category and stop perpetuating a false condition.
Perhaps you are unaware of the long-held acceptance among medical practitioners and researchers that there are two major types of addictions, physiological and psychological? This is neither a new nor a fringe development. Perhaps "sexologists" do not recognize it, but the majority of doctors do.
-Mark
What the complainer is asking us to do is to conform to the latest DSM-IV which is a catalog of mental disorders which the psychiatric community have determined actually exist and for which they have designated certain descriptive names. The content of this catalog changes over time, for example, not too long ago homosexuality was removed from the list. It is hazardous to ignore DSM-IV since the psychiatric community is in touch with the symptoms people present and consequently speak with some authority.
However dependence and addiction seem pretty synonymous to a layperson.
Fred