Where does addiction lie in natural evolution?

Emotions such as anger or hate keeping what is seemingly bad for us away, love keeping us together for whatever good reasons seem to make sense.

Stress is very good for us as it helps achive tasks.

But addiction?

Is the debate on how addiction is helpful just revolving around things like there is no evoultion, and it was just with us and wasn't a problem?

Considering around 2 million or so meth users live in the USA, i'm sure a high percent (85%+) are addicted.

Is addiction something new because most things to be addicted to are synthetic? (Caffine is found in coffee, and other more naturally occuring things)

What's your opinion on this? How does addiction help with survival? Or is it just there to rule out the weak humans from the strong? (Techincally speaking, not personally)

reply to post by Anttyk47


repition in action.
its a part of evolution i think

reply to post by UniverSoul


Taking me a second to figure out how this is beneficial. Do you have an example?

Are you talking about, hit a coconut on a rock to get juice type of deal? Addiction = memory?

reply to post by Anttyk47


A good analysis of Addiction is given in the first section of Zietgeits moving forward which I just happen to be watching now .
Addiction and genes determining actions ...NOT . Enviroment does .
www.youtube.com...

Ordinarily, the seek pleasure/avoid pain thing helps in our survival. Addiction occurs when the pleasure receptors in the brain are activated to a crazy level in a normal person, or activated at all in a depressed person. At least, that's the way I was told.

Basically, addiction occurs because of an abuse of the system that, in nature, is useful in keeping us alive.

breathing and eating were the first addictions...(along with procreation and hydration)

it's just that we have created substances that react on the same biological principals

when you start to go through withdrawls, it can feel worse than starving or gasping for air...

Adrenaline? Ever seen a couple of moose fight over a female? Hormones? Instinct is the first form of addiction.

I had a cat that was totally addicted to Wiska's crunchies, and would attact me if I didn't give it him! I hear that the saliva of that person you're attracted to, contains an addictive hormone.

It's not addiction that I question so much in the human condition, but the urge for self destruction.

According to THIS site it's down to the reptillian brain within us.
It erroneously equates addiction with a fundamental requirement for survival.

Quite logical, really.