I have a question about addicts. I have been addicted to nicotine but I quit smoking 3 years ago. It was really hard to quit and it took me lots of tries and I suffered many 'relapses' before I was successful kicking my addiction. I tried all kinds of quit smoking aids but the only thing that worked was "cold turkey" and determination.

I like to believe I quit smoking with my own free will, it is true. I wanted to avoid the health problems that smokers eventually develop so I quit.

I have read that nicotine, besides being a potent poison, is also one of the most addictive substances we know about. If nicotine is very very addictive, can it be said that smokers have the disease of addiction, same as drug addiction or alcoholism?
Do they have smokers anonymous meetings?

Do you think drug/alcohol addiction is worse (harder to kick) than nicotine addiction?

What do you think causes some addicts to be able to withstand withdrawal and never go back and others not to succeed in quitting something they want to quit?

I don't think all addictions take equal amounts of time to quit. I heard that people can be addicted to heroine the first time they inject it and it's hard for them to stop.

Yes, it seems very hard for them to stop. I'd like to figure out why that is. It was very hard to stop smoking too.

Some drugs are physically addicting and others are psychologically addicting
Withdrawing depends on the person and MOSTLY their desire to quit.
There really isn't any type of time line on quiting any addiction.
They do say cigarettes are the hardest to quit

`They do say cigarettes are the hardest to quit

They do say that. Maybe ex smokers could help drug addicts. They say addiction is a disease but that's confusing because active addiction is really a choice. The person using has to make a choice every day *to use or not to use. The clean person likewise makes a choice every day *to not use or to use. The same could probably be said about any addict?


I'm not sure anymore how I feel about drug addicts. Thanks for your reply!

I don't judge smokers sabrewolfe. I know that a smoker has it at least as tough as a drug addict does quitting. I wonder why there aren't treatment centers for smokers. Or maybe there are and I just never heard of them before. It seems to me that other addicts get more help and support and maybe sympathy than smokers do.

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Originally Posted by Sunflowers

I have a question about addicts. I have been addicted to nicotine but I quit smoking 3 years ago. It was really hard to quit and it took me lots of tries and I suffered many 'relapses' before I was successful kicking my addiction. I tried all kinds of quit smoking aids but the only thing that worked was "cold turkey" and determination.

I like to believe I quit smoking with my own free will, it is true. I wanted to avoid the health problems that smokers eventually develop so I quit.

I have read that nicotine, besides being a potent poison, is also one of the most addictive substances we know about. If nicotine is very very addictive, can it be said that smokers have the disease of addiction, same as drug addiction or alcoholism?
Do they have smokers anonymous meetings?

Do you think drug/alcohol addiction is worse (harder to kick) than nicotine addiction?

What do you think causes some addicts to be able to withstand withdrawal and never go back and others not to succeed in quitting something they want to quit?

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I smoke too. Cigarettes are one of the 'legal' ways that Governments can talk out of both sides of their mouths.

On the one hand you are bombarded with being labeled a 'smoker', as opposed to a person who smokes, which creates and encapsulates an entire group of people, as less than human.

On the other hand, the very government that pushes legislation to make people who smoke as second hand citizens, also survives on the taxes that they collect from people who smoke.

And while that is going on, somehow, for example, an addiction to gambling gets all the green lights, as the concessions and local economy boost from the money spent, also suppots local governments.

Why is it that people who smoke are singled out, and people who gamble are not criticized the same way. An addiction is an addiction right? But who helps to feed the habit, and why.

We have a propensity to categorize people according to how their addictions affect us personally. And while the venom is targeted at people who smoke, that lets governments off the hook as the dealers and benefactors of their habits.

Same thing with gambling in my opinion.

The gambling food chain is all about the money, it is far more than a person's desire to quit an addiction.

No, I don't feel that all addictions are the same. As a former smoker , alcoholic, and addict, I feel I have experience enough to help with this one . I am one of the few who successfully quit smoking with very little assistance. I took Zyban for one week, and that's all. You see, I was READY to quit. You'll never succeed unless you really WANT to quit. It was when my first son was 18 months old, and he brought me a cigarette butt, and said "daddy". It broke my heart that he knew that this trash came from my mouth. I was a two pack a day smoker, and was absolutely sick of being winded whenever I did anything. It was hard in the beginning, especially still drinking back then. But I made up my hard headed mind that I was going to stop and I did. As far as the alcohol and painkillers , that's different story. It took two stays at rehab, almost losing my family, and the drug Suboxone to get me clean and sober. And today, I'm happy to say that I'm still smoke, drink , and painkiller free. But I'm not one of those people who complain about smoker's smoke. I truly feel that some people NEED to smoke , I know one guy I work with that is like a chihuaha, and can't image him smoke free . We'll probably need a tranquilizer gun at the job for him. Good luck to all with your addictions, and GOD bless.

Addiction of any kind is not good for health be it smoking, alcohol or drugs. Once a person gets addicted to such things then it's very tough to get over it because of the addictive nature of these things. It takes immense will power and dedication to get over such habits. I quit smoking on chantix though I have tried to do cold turkey on two occasions, but of no use. I have smoked for around 5 yrs with pack a day. Thanks to chantix and the support my family provided me. It really helped me to get over my nicotine addiction and I don’t feel craving anymore. Best luck to all those who want to give up there habits.