Can there be positive sides of addiction?

[Hatchy]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive? Generally, society imagines an addict as someone whose life has been ruined and who has become a liability to their family and community. But if the compulsion leads to success and stability, what do we call that? Can an addiction truly be considered positive if the outcome is beneficial?

[alani123]

Positive sides?

Addicted gamblers can learn to live very slim lifestyles. Minimum spend, minimum time wasted etc. Some learn to conceal it but others are at a near state of ruin anytime you meet them. So it's a very fine line. I don't know if this skill can be extrapolated into something useful outside of addiction.

But I've at least heard from recovered addicts that their life past addiction feels like a blessing because even the little things can drive incredible feelings. So I'd say if you want to experience any real positivity, try not being addicted to begin with.

[_act_]

What you think is not real.

Compulsive gambling do not have any good side effects than bad side effects which is the urge to always gamble but followed with loss of money but still not stop gambling but still continue to gamble and losing money. If such person do not stop gambling the addiction, it can lead to something very bad which can even be about committing suicide.

[Mia Chloe]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.

Well consider profitability as a cloak for strategy. What this means is if a person spends a lot of time gambling and is making profit he's naturally viewed as a smart and strategic analyser that just so happens to invest that skill in gambling e.g Mikki mase. Point here is you will not be seen as an addict if you are profitable.

Addiction is what people generally use to describe a failed gambler that keeps investing money and losing it to gambling. It is what it is and I can't really see how this idea would turn positive for an addict.

[Sandra_hakeem]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life.

How does this even make sense to you to begin with??

Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive?

That you're successful at whatever habits doesn't beat or erase the fact that you're an addict-- more/less a slave to it. Secondly, if addiction ever had a positive side, then the consequences wouldn't yield with strong potency; infact, there wouldn't be any need to stop getting more invested in the gambling

[Hispo]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive? Generally, society imagines an addict as someone whose life has been ruined and who has become a liability to their family and community. But if the compulsion leads to success and stability, what do we call that? Can an addiction truly be considered positive if the outcome is beneficial?

The term addiction itself is a synonym or implication of negative or unwanted consequences to the person who suffers from it, so I don't think I could say with the straight face there is actually something positive in being addicted to anything.
If you are addicted to women, you are in trouble.
If you are addicted to substances, you are in trouble.
If you are addicted to gambling, you are in trouble.
If you are addicted to pornography, then you are also in trouble.

[Orpichukwu]

I don't think it's possible to see an addicted gambler as well-behaved and using their winnings in a good way unless the addictions have not gone deep into them, as I know, and the addicted ones whom I have seen, even when they win money, are never satisfied; they aim for a higher one and allocate a higher percentage of their winnings to gambling and leave the rest for other things, and they usually lose it, but if someone is winning and putting it to good use and gambling frequently, I don't even think the person can still be considered addicted; we are quick to see the ruined ones because it's a signature of addiction.

[nelson4lov]

What you think is not real.

Compulsive gambling do not have any good side effects than bad side effects which is the urge to always gamble but followed with loss of money but still not stop gambling but still continue to gamble and losing money. If such person do not stop gambling the addiction, it can lead to something very bad which can even be about committing suicide.

Even if it is real, it is extremely rare. There are good sides to being a gambling addict even though the bad sides easily outweighs the good side. But I think OP was talking about a situation where someone is obsessed and addicted to gambling and then, they are very good at it with some nice amount of luck that ensures they win more than they lose.

Typing this now, It really sounds like a fairy tale. Like I said, it might be real but would be extremely rare.

[qwertyup23]

Hmmm I really do not think that there’s a positive side in addiction other than the satisfaction it gives to the addict in the process.

Addiction can be generally defined as a chemical imbalance in the brain that compels the person to do certain acts repeatedly without thinking of its consequences. When a person gets addicted on a certain thing or activity, they tend to ignore all the negative consequences of the act with prejudice to your well-being.

While addiction is viewed negatively, on the perspective of the addict, it is definitely positive that they feel this way. Every time they do that act, they know that they’re doing something that makes them feel great at the cost of sacrificing all of the factors (e.g. money, time, relationships, health, etc).

[o48o]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive? Generally, society imagines an addict as someone whose life has been ruined and who has become a liability to their family and community. But if the compulsion leads to success and stability, what do we call that? Can an addiction truly be considered positive if the outcome is beneficial?

Mastered the art? When has that happened in the history of gambling? I mean there might be some successful poker players, but reading other players in real life could be an actual skill, so it's gambling against other players, not the statistical edge of a casino.

So when someone thinks they have mastered the art in gambling, or will master, is see it more like delusions of grandeur.

And addiction by definition is compulsive disorder that's harmful to someone. When someone gets hooked on running, it's not an "addiction" until it becomes a problem that harms the person running or other people around them.

[7juju]

In regards to gambling, the word addict are mostly used for people that are unsuccessful in gambling. People who ain’t doing well in life and can’t do without gambling. People that have become a liability to their family and society at large. But if you are successful in life and somehow you are addicted to gambling, and you are well to do, people won’t call you an addict, rather they will consider it as a lifestyle, or they will say you have passion for gambling.

 Whatever you are doing in this life, provided you are successful in it, and you ain’t a liability to anyone, you won’t be considered as an addict. It’s either they say you are a professional in what you do, or they will say it’s your lifestyle and many people will want to copy from you.

[Joy- maker]

Frankly speaking this is a thoughtful question, but despite it looks good on the surface, people don't usually consider it as true positive, remember addiction is harmful, because it's all about losing control. In fact the thing is very complicating, because what started as addiction can be redirected into a healthier pattern. But if we are specifically talking about gambling addiction or drug addiction or alcohol addiction, there is no positive side in getting addicted to this things I just mentioned.

[Cryptomultiplier]

If gambling activities is often cited as a negative addiction, then it is certain that it would affect the gambler in the long run, either health wise or financial wise or relationship wise.
However, if it is a positive addiction because some earn and live lavishly on the profits from their consistent and now addicted effort towards gambling activities, then it is an investment that yields interest in form of clarity, good profit and a spirit of resilience.

According to Glasser in the 1970s, certain repetitive behaviors that may include gambling activities can actually strengthen a person's mental and physical well being in a positive way and this is a positive addiction, because one could gamble for hours non stop, and because there's good profit from it, they don't see it as a burden but a yardstick to self improvement.

[uchegod-21]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive? Generally, society imagines an addict as someone whose life has been ruined and who has become a liability to their family and community. But if the compulsion leads to success and stability, what do we call that? Can an addiction truly be considered positive if the outcome is beneficial?

...In this case, the gambler who is addicted may have lots of money from his heavy gambling lifestyle, but observe his personal life very well, he lacks love from family and friends. Check his relationship with his wife or girlfriend; there may be some strain on it because he pays so much attention to his gambling games than to her. Nothing justifies gambling to be good or have a positive side; the negative effects will always outweigh the positive side.

[Asiska02]

Your facts are based on assumptions, so there is no way it can be quantified that if such happens really. Addicted gamblers are mostly, generally of the same thing, they don’t get to win consistently and their addiction makes them want to live a lifestyle through gambling which is not realistic. If a gambler can be so consistent through gambling and wants to have a consistent lifestyle through it, then such gambler will not depend on gambling as his major source of income to find that lifestyle, rather they’ll seek for other means to fund such lifestyles as they also know that gambling is based on luck and they cannot be lucky all the time to fund that lifestyle which they imagine to live off from gambling.

[rachael9385]

No there cannot be a positive side of an addiction, even when you are addicted to something that's good it can end up becoming bad to you as a person. Gambling addiction has no positive side and so does any other type of addiction. People who even get addicted to eating also face a lot of consequences but one might say food isn't supposed to be a negative thing but when taken in excess can cause problems

[AmoreJaz]

No there cannot be a positive side of an addiction, even when you are addicted to something that's good it can end up becoming bad to you as a person. Gambling addiction has no positive side and so does any other type of addiction. People who even get addicted to eating also face a lot of consequences but one might say food isn't supposed to be a negative thing but when taken in excess can cause problems

Do remember the famous line - "Too much of anything is bad" or "Excess—even of something good—can lead to negative outcomes." So yes, I don't think any positive outcome will emerge from addiction. So on my end, I haven't encountered any positive result out of any addiction. One way or another, it will give you anxiety if it is already too much. Let us say, you are very industrious, still too much of it will give you some mental and physical stress.
But we can always find a way how not to get addicted if we want to. Self-discipline is very important in battling your inner demon. And you will find out that if you overcome such phase, it will be easier for you to set goals and have targets to achieve.

[Cantsay]

The thing with addiction is that, even if you’re not in the right state or mind to gamble you’ll still want to gamble, and we all know what happens when you rush into gambling without doing a proper analysis. So what you mentioned in your post about winning consistently despite being addicted to gambling is going to to be extremely difficult to attain. Even someone who isn’t addicted and know how to control their emotions and think logically when it comes to gambling still finds it difficult to have consistent winnings.

Theoretically it might look possible but in reality it’s not.

[jossiel]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive? Generally, society imagines an addict as someone whose life has been ruined and who has become a liability to their family and community. But if the compulsion leads to success and stability, what do we call that? Can an addiction truly be considered positive if the outcome is beneficial?

The example you cited is actually the positive side of it. So if an addicted gambler is able to fund his lifestyle and by that means, I think they're professional gamblers.

Because people will define them as addicted gamblers if that's what they do in their lives.

But to be honest, majority of the side effects of gambling addiction are all terrible. We know that and there's no sugarcoating even if there are few who has a good lifestyle with that kind of setup.

[rbynxx]

While writing a reply to a thread, a thought about addiction crossed my mind. We usually describe addiction as something that ruins a person, whether through gambling or other destructive behaviors. However, I started wondering if it is possible for an addiction to have a positive impact on someone's life. Consider a gambler who is addicted but has mastered the craft so well that their winnings consistently fund their entire lifestyle. Even though they cannot stop gambling, their success supports them financially.
In this scenario, should we still view such a lifestyle as an addiction, or is it something positive? Generally, society imagines an addict as someone whose life has been ruined and who has become a liability to their family and community. But if the compulsion leads to success and stability, what do we call that? Can an addiction truly be considered positive if the outcome is beneficial?

Only if if it gets good results I guess. Well, if they're supporting their lifestyle or fat beyond that then I'd guess that addiction wasn't all for nothing considering it gives him/her the best life possible. The thing with the society is they are impulsive on the unnatural and we can't deny the fact that their thoughts on addiction will be uncommon too and that's fine they have their own perceptions.