Posted by alan on April 18, 1999, at 2:40:38
In reply to Loxapine for anxiety, posted by Dawn on April 7, 1999, at 16:50:05
> Pleeze help someone. My doctor won't perscribe anything 'addicting' for my panic attacks!!! I'm now takin Carbamazepin, Ranitidine and Celexa. But nothing for panic execept loxapine(because it's not addictive). Is there another non-addicting anti-anxiety besides Buspar that will calm me?
> ThanksLogic 101--The fallacy of ambiguity
"Addictive" is used to mean either 1) something that must be given up very slowly to avoid a fair amount of misery, or 2) a substance that makes some or many or most or all who try it once or twice or many times develop an irresistable (perhaps barring divine intervention from a Higher Power) compulsion to use it in ever increasing quantities while it destroys their lives and eventually kills them. The fallacy is to argue: 'This is addictive; therefore, if you use it, it will destroy your life'; the premise is true, using the first meaning; the fallacy occurs when inferring the conclusion using the second meaning.
(Of course, there are some dangerous substances out there, and clinicians need to use their heads when prescribing them; many clinicians find the use of intelligence tedious and resort to the fallacy.)
poster:alan
thread:4525
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990401/msgs/5012.html