You do not die or get addicted to ANY drug if you do not abuse it.

[contrail]

I believe the word "abuse" must be re-defined to know what "addicted" means. So broad it needs to be narrowed down.

[LZA]

I believe the word "abuse" must be re-defined to know what "addicted" means. So broad it needs to be narrowed down.

I think abuse can simply mean taking/doing something other than its intended purpose... Compulsively taking something excessively to get a different result (EX: instead of 1 pain pill to stop the pain, 6 to go on a trip).

Addiction probably would be doing something to the point where your body/mind thinks it needs it, and stopping/trying to stop will cause negative effects.

Again, the physical formula for addiction is different for each person, and you don't have to be an addict to abuse something, but if you are an addict, abuse is highly likely.

[joew771]

Point of order, opiate withdrawal is very uncomfortable but not deadly.  The only withdrawals that will kill you are alcohol and benzos.

That statement is ridiculous. No withdrawals will kill you. And the alchohol ones are simple and if you aren't a pussy, you can survive them easily. The benzos are harder, but you won't die from it, lol. You need to shut the fuck up.

Stop speaking out of your leaking asshole.

[LZA]

That statement is ridiculous. No withdrawals will kill you. And the alchohol ones are simple and if you aren't a pussy, you can survive them easily. The benzos are harder, but you won't die from it,

I have to disagree. IF you drink and use benzos and alcohol, and its not heavy, you can come off it without dying. You can abuse these as long as your body does not change for the addiction, BUT if you use a lot of it (you have to be a hardcore abuser), you can't come off of it without treatment as you can die. You can get seizures and if your body is used to it, it fucks with your central nervous system in a way that can be fatal. I also have read it fucks with your heart after getting used to a lot of alcohol then taking it away.  Your body can't go back to normal on its own after you hit a point of no return.

I just googled for more specifics, and came up with this article (which explains it better than I can)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/...t-kill-you

[ill88eagle]

In Ghana the general drug abuse is serious. The cheap local alcohol, akpeteshie, is fermented with rusty metal for maximum impact, and no one knows how strong it is exactly, but its stronger than vodka. Guys will show up at drinking spots at 6am to take a doubble shot for one cedi. Another big thing is "tramol" (tramadol), cheap and strong opiate pill, and "blue blue" (quaaludes) which is usually dissolved into akpeteshie. It is also possible to get akpeteshie with marijuana in it at most drinking spots if you know the owner well. And the weed here, its cheap and strong. Like seriously strong. Then theres cheap cocaine laced with I dont know what. My last GF took anything she could get her hands on. I sometimes had to carry her home in my arms cause she was too fucked up to walk. Or hold her wrapped in blankets while she was shaking for hours. Ive seen people go full kamikaze on shit they took on several occasions. Or pass out and piss themselves. And the street kids are taking this shit too.

On the subject of kicking, the psycological dependencies are easy. I kicked a severe coke habbit merely by changing location. I kept having dreams about it for a year or so, but I had no incentive to find some as I wasnt with the people I used to snort with. I'm stuck with alcohol and cigarettes. I doubt Ill ever kick those. If I spend 5 hours without drinking I get the jitterbugs and gags. If I dont have cigs on me I panic. Like anxiety attacks. Statistically speaking more people kick heroin than cigs. Something to ponder about...

[RobertX]

Is it true that you can't die from withdrawal, and that's it's just a mental thing?

Cold turkey does work, does it?

[waregim]

Benzos are probably one of the worst drugs to kick. They can cause severe, and even fatal convulsions. Physical addiction is very real, and actually related to psychological addiction.

The problem with weed these days are that the current strains lack to natural antipsychotics found in the heritage varieties that kept the old hippie potheads so mellow. The new shit can drive you nuts.

The most dangerous drug, is of course, alcohol. It is by nature a nerve poison, and can destroy any and every organ system in the body.

Opiates, long used as medicine, are certainly addictive, especially when taken in somewhat large amounts, but appear to be one of the safest, if perhaps the most unpleasant to 'kick'. In the 19th century is was common for people to take laudanum (opium in alcohol) as a 'nerve tonic', and was even used on children. For the general public it was benign, but there was a core element of abusers who overdosed, and it was tossed in with the unconstitutional 1906 FDA regs taking pharmaceuticals out of the reach on individuals, and handing it over to the medical profession. It was the prelude to Prohibition which remained, after the latter act was repealed.

[dueda]

Is it true that you can't die from withdrawal, and that's it's just a mental thing?
Cold turkey does work, does it?

One can die out of drug over dosage and the lack of it, both being very individual matters as humans aren't all exact same specifications. There've been studies on those issues for a long time. 
As said, it's not just a "mental thing" as it will affect the biochemistry of one's brain, which in turn controls the body, but also some organs directly; thus, strongly pushing behavior So yes, it can kill, if not directly but by the accidents and incidents that can come from it. The sudden interruption in the drug supply (aka cold turkey) may work or not and is also very individual, depending on both will power and physicals, but chances aren't good. 

But this is all very known as any AA/NA can tell. Plenty of stories and we all have a friend who was there. I suppose the only way to end this is to send all drug users (or abusers, as you wish) to proper reeducation facilities in Syberia or the Sahara, where they'll be brainwashed (or wiped clean) of it, and the dealers to slow bake inside a big metal thermal glass cow, like in ancient times, the producing countries being massively cluster bombed back to ice age and the consumer nexuses raided by the most radical state polices and reurbanized into socialist training and community forced work departments. That includes everything from NY to Bangkok.