Behavioral addictions generally aren’t related even in a tenuous conceptual manner to terminal illness because behaviors can be unlearned and in many cases forcibly stopped (e.g. can’t play with fire if you don’t have access to fire).
I get that, but I’ve also known terminal alcoholics. The psychological dynamics of that intensify as the physical ones do. I had patients dying of liver cirrhosis scream at me because I refused to sneak them whiskey, saying I’m failing to do the basic job of a nurse. It’s that specific kind of dynamic I’m trying to capture in comparing the two.
Why are you saying this as though alcoholism is merely a behavioral addiction when you know better than I do that it isn’t? And how do you propose a gambling addict gets gamba cirrhosis?
Behavioral addictions generally aren’t related even in a tenuous conceptual manner to terminal illness because behaviors can be unlearned and in many cases forcibly stopped (e.g. can’t play with fire if you don’t have access to fire).
I get that, but I’ve also known terminal alcoholics. The psychological dynamics of that intensify as the physical ones do. I had patients dying of liver cirrhosis scream at me because I refused to sneak them whiskey, saying I’m failing to do the basic job of a nurse. It’s that specific kind of dynamic I’m trying to capture in comparing the two.
Why are you saying this as though alcoholism is merely a behavioral addiction when you know better than I do that it isn’t? And how do you propose a gambling addict gets gamba cirrhosis?