Weird Possibly Dumb Question?

[Gameface]

So I was thinking about addiction the other day and I wondered:

If you were studying someone without their knowledge and had pretty much complete control over their environment and slowly got them addicted to heroin by adding it to various items they consumed, sometimes their coffee, sometimes their salad, sometimes their chewing gum, etc. how would the addiction affect them? They wouldn't be able to identify the source of the addictive substance, so what would they crave? If you slowly weaned them off would they be as likely as your average heroin addict to start using again? I mean, they wouldn't even know it was heroin they were addicted to. Would it be something that could easily be triggered, like if they got some lortab after a dentist visit or something they would go full blown nuts for the stuff immediately?

Maybe it's a dumb question. I don't know. Was just curious.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Sinister.

Actually good question that I wouldn't mind babe answering. haha (only serious)

 

[[size/HUGE] fixed [/size]]

Interesting thought experiment. I have one wrench to throw in before further comment: there is no singular "source" of addiction; a drug is always implicated in a culture of use (which includes dangers of acquisition, purity of materials, methods of consumption, etc. -- all of which feeds into the form addiction takes).

Now, on a biochemical level, this person who is habituated to heroin would certainly undergo withdrawal symptoms and attempt to self-medicate. I'd wager that even though he/she isn't imbricated in a culture of use, he/she would find his/her way to the sea of prescription pain pills to deal with the aches and pains. Those ****ers are ubiquitous.

 

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In other words: high probability of pain med abuse....

 

[Dr. Jones]

Interesting, size. But would those pain meds satisfy the physical dependency of the heroine itself? I assume not. Would that lead to either seeking help (most likely psychological to start?) or to addiction to many drugs and eventual overdose experimenting toward the 'fix?'

 

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I think high quantities of oxy or Vicodin would satisfy the biochemical habits attained with heroin. They're all opiates.

Now, heroin users caught up in the culture of use that surrounds heroin... they'd be less satisfied. We're speaking probablistically, of course.

 

[Dr. Jones]

of course.

 

[bigb]

Like has been mentioned, I would think the person would be more likely to become addicted to something. Subconsciously they would be craving something. Anything could fill that void.

 

[UGLI baby]

These are the types of things I never think about.


This post brought to you by UGLI baby

 

[scootsy]

physical dependency of the heroine itself?

don't need to be dependent on her bro, your hand will satisfy just fine

 

[Dr. Jones]

don't need to be dependent on her bro, your hand will satisfy just fine

Lol.. good catch.

 

[Deleted member 848]

As has been said, the biochemical and physiological repercussions of these actions would probably lead the person to seek medical assistance for the adverse symptoms he/she seemed to be showing-- some of which could potentially be opiates.