physical versus psychological dependency

I don't think I really understood the distinction, which I learned of long ago in a junior-high health class, between physical and psychological addiction. To me, these two dependencies seemed like two sides of the same coin—conceptually inseparable.

But when Sperwer gave me those two cans of magic Herbalife powder this past weekend, he made a claim that I jokingly styled a challenge: he said that, in principle, once I had the meal-replacement shake, I shouldn't be hungry for hours. I looked at him skeptically, knowing myself and my gluttony all too well.

So here's the thing: I used the Herbalife products more or less properly at lunch today, mixing the shake powder and the protein powder with milk, and found myself in that strange limbo in which I was indeed physically sated, as Sperwer said would happen, but still wanting to eat something, probably out of force of habit. No hunger, but a desire to eat: the difference between a physical versus a psychological craving.

And with that realization came my Eureka! moment. Now, I understand perfectly the difference between physical and psychological addiction.

Thank you, Herbalife.


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