Would an addiction mean that you experience withdrawal if you do decide to quit?

The more I think about this, the more I agree with you. I think I've probably met a lot of people who could be classified as "heavy users" that didn't show it and, therefore, I never knew it. I think the group I'm thinking of tends to conform to the myth, itself, and actively play the part.

Physical withdrawals, not psychological compulsive discomfort... the two have nothing to do with each other.

That is like saying someone is "addicted" to Nintendo or YouTube because they use it as an escape and tension release. It is not a physical addiction.

Correct, it's not a physical addiction. There is, I believe validity in the concept of psychological addiction/dependancy.

new study says alcohol and tobacco are worse than drugs:

Study used "three factors to determine the harm associated with any drug: the physical harm to the user, the drug's potential for addiction, and the impact on society of drug use."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...032300284.html

Certainly, and they are as destructive, but the treatments are different and reasoning for continued use is different.
No one is physically addicted to gambling or stealing either but no one sane argues that they are valid addictions.
Marijuana cannot be classed with schedule 1 drugs or treated like them by anyone with half a brain. It is just politics and nothing more.

There is no physical withdrawal from crack, but I assure you that you can be addicted to it.

You can be physically addicted to cocane. Duh.

What the fuck difference does it make if it's a physical or psychological addiction? Both types are destructive and both require treatment.

Is there a suggestion that one type of addiction deserves less compassion?

How did you read that into my posts?

I didn't read anything into it. I just asked a question.

They are so different that I don't think they should be classed together.
Someone who has an addictive personality and chooses to get addicted to working out, playstation, pot, religion, etc, etc, etc... and someone who becomes addicted to a substance that their body needs without their wanting it to cannot be compared on any level.

Sure, some of the first choose substances that are physically addictive, but that is only a coincidence and nothing more.

While I understand your point rkz, and also respect your right to hold the opinion you do, research would indicate that it's not as simple as you'd like to suggest.

The links between physical and psychological addictions has been widely documented and is quite contrary to the view you're expressing here.

I believe anyone with any addiction whether it's physical or psychological, or a combination of both deserves the same level of compassion.

Could I see the research?

Sure you can. I'll give you a few links to look at. Obviously because these sites are free online they're not necessarily recognized as clinical references or the whole article is not available however, if you care to step into any university library you'll find more scientific references which will tell you the same things.

The first one I have here is from Addiction at Allexperts

The medical community now makes a careful theoretical distinction between physical dependence (characterized by symptoms of withdrawal) and psychological dependence (or simply addiction). Addiction is now narrowly defined as "uncontrolled, compulsive use"; if there is no harm being suffered by, or damage done to, the patient or another party, then clinically it may be considered compulsive, but to the definition of some it is not categorized as "addiction". In practice, however, the two kinds of addiction are not always easy to distinguish. Addictions often have both physical and psychological components.

Another one

A general theory of addictions is proposed, using the compulsive gambler as the prototype. Addiction is defined as a dependent state acquired over time to relieve stress. Two interrelated sets of factors predispose persons to addictions: an abnormal physiological resting state, and childhood experiences producing a deep sense of inadequacy. All addictions are hypothesized to follow a similar three-stage course. A matrix strategy is outlined to collect similar information from different kinds of addicts and normals. The ultimate objective is to identify high risk youth and prevent the development of addictions.

One more

The concepts of dependence, addiction and abuse comprise overlapping clinical phenomena. The earlier anxiolytic drugs, in particular the barbiturates, were prone to abuse, i.e., non-medical use, and to high-dose misuse. Their modern counterparts, the benzodiazepines, are abused in a patchy way and are sometimes taken in regularly high doses. However, the main problem is physical dependence as manifested by a withdrawal syndrome on discontinuation of the drug. The withdrawal syndrome has been carefully described and comprises physical and psychological features.

The resources for these types of studies are not great online, but they're available if you care to do the research through more traditional means.