This is a realization ive had a billion times over. Im in a sort of unique predicament (unique for the times in total very common right now) where I used drugs before and after getting addicted to my phone. My first drug of choice like many was LSD but after exploring that quite a lot I settled on adderall and/or meth as well as cocaine basically just any stimulant + alcohol for the comedown (like most stim heads). When I first was trialing these things I had an incredible time and could hardly even be called an addict by anyone who was actually an addict (im sure normal people would have said I was). Something I noticed though was at some point id take these things and almost immediately be irritated, irritated about switching tasks random sudden irritation. Often ive heard people pseudoscientifically call this "dopamine depletion", and its a natural thing that happens for most after too much usage of one drug. But what was weird for me is that betrayal from my favorite substances was what kicked off my addiction for reals, not what led to its end. And it coincided with my favorite new activity on stims being masturbating via porn on phone, writing posts like this, writing pages for books id one day compile etc. Ive been addicted to several different things since and my way of kickstarting kicking them is a very simple one, Im not allowed to use my phone when I feel that irritation. Not so surprisingly this made that "dopamine depletion" irritation go away and yet somehow also would always lead to me quitting if I could just stick with it.
It made me realize how while I have a lot of holes in me im not someone with a big enough hole to be horifically addicted to just one substance on its own. Or I am, but that substance is my phone. Not saying this is true for all drug addicts, but I guess consider this a PSA and also a place for testimonials for those who feel similar: that would you without your phone or video games or other tech be able to be an addict for as long as you have. when you kick something, is it the tech first or the drugs first, what remains. Later on I had an opiate addiction and while initially it totally captivated me no phone needed, as I reached the later stages of not getting energy from it anymore and just getting sleepy and feeling warm mostly the phone became necessary to sustain it again. Basically every time for me I would become too overwhelmed or anxious or bored if my phone and social media and youtube and apps and text exchanges werent present for my high, and that was true to a lesser degree when I wasn't high, they are definitely codependent addictions but while my phone addiction exists without amphetamines my amphetamine addiction could not exist without phone. And yet its so odd because the presence of the phone ruins the high in a way, yet that also makes it all the more alluring to try again.
Again if you are an actual just drugs addict hold on the "my phone has nothing to do with it", im not debating that at all. Obviously drug addiction has existed since we first fermented some berries or whatever else and I see people all the time nodding off on the street with nothing and have met people who lived that in recovery groups. This post is mainly just for those it resonates with, and for those who havent thought about it to ask themselves the question if maybe a more banal common addiction lies at the engine of their more extreme ones. And that even if they arent interested in quitting if it really even serves their high well, if it might be a good idea to try your substance of choice without touching the phone a couple of times.