Reef Addiction: Observations And Analysis

[rookie07]

OK, first..I have had a few addictions in my day, and I have had friends with serious addictions...I assure you that this hobby is NOT more costly then other addictions.
I have a friend who, when he was a crack addict, would disappear for days, his mom would call the police but they wouldnt help...the guy woke up one day and didnt know where he was. He bought a local paper to find out and he was in virginia(he lived in NYC) and had missed 5 days of his life...he has no idea what happened. What is the price of that?
Ever go into a casino and see some of the big time players, they lose $100,000's and keep going back.
On the other side, my brother and a common friend of ours had dinner with me recently, and after I sat down....they said "we didnt bring you here to have dinner"....
After I heard that, I started looking around for my friends/parents b/c I assumed it was an intervention...it was a joke, but I thought they were serious, I was pissed...

And as far as justifing the cost of fish, etc.... a $100 dinner is gone within 4 hours...a $100 fish should live for years, thats only pennies a day.....and the fish retains most of its value(unless it dies) so you can always get your money back(or most of it)

 

[JLAudio]

OK, first..I have had a few addictions in my day, and I have had friends with serious addictions...I assure you that this hobby is NOT more costly then other addictions.
I have a friend who, when he was a crack addict, would disappear for days, his mom would call the police but they wouldnt help...the guy woke up one day and didnt know where he was. He bought a local paper to find out and he was in virginia(he lived in NYC) and had missed 5 days of his life...he has no idea what happened. What is the price of that?
Ever go into a casino and see some of the big time players, they lose $100,000's and keep going back.
On the other side, my brother and a common friend of ours had dinner with me recently, and after I sat down....they said "we didnt bring you here to have dinner"....
After I heard that, I started looking around for my friends/parents b/c I assumed it was an intervention...it was a joke, but I thought they were serious, I was pissed...

And as far as justifing the cost of fish, etc.... a $100 dinner is gone within 4 hours...a $100 fish should live for years, thats only pennies a day.....and the fish retains most of its value(unless it dies) so you can always get your money back(or most of it)

First off, the comparison to crack is not literal, it is merely used in the comparison because it is an extremely well known, extremely addictive substance that adds to the effect and intensity of this discussion. Of course gambling, drugs etc are worse for alot of reasons, but I just found it odd that alot of the characteristics of the behaviors associated with this hobby fit the criteria of having a truly addictive nature. Impulsivity, excessive time occupancy, negative consequences (regardless of how bad they are), obsessive thinking, there are all here.

As for the $100 dinner quote, just an example, $100 sneakers, $100 school book.....You get the point

 

[rookie07]

JL audio......OK, you are 100% correct....Ive thought that since I became an addicted reefer.....

 

[Paul B]

I make sure that when I have to go somewhere, I take the route that goes past a fish store. Luckily for me there are probably 6 of them within a couple of miles from my home. I have seen many stores come and go and I am sure I spent many hours in all of them. Imagine the cash I spent on this hobby since I got into it in the late fiftees. Of course it was my parents money then, I diden't start working so I could buy this stuff until I was at least 12
I would collect empty bottles for the 2 cent deposit and when I had a couple of bucks I would buy a fancy guppy or gourami. Then when salt came out in 1971, it was all over. :biglaugh:
There were no more fifty cent fish.

 

[bueller]

Hello.....My Name is Bueller.....And I am a REEF ADDICT.............................And Love Beer

 

[JLAudio]

Caad3, I went back and looked at this old thread I wrote and it seems we seem to be in the same boat lol