-
Welcome
to BookAndReader! We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!
Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.
Smoking is addictive - yay or nay?
- Thread starter Martin
- Start date
Geenh
New Member
Actually Stewart, the pang does NOT go "within seconds". Read earlier posts about how deep the addiction runs in different situations.
Holier than thou ex-smokers... grrr!
Every experience is different. If I must get you proof on the withdrawal symptoms, I will have to ask my cohorts for their exact studies, as I have read them and then turfed them.
Holier than thou ex-smokers... grrr!
Every experience is different. If I must get you proof on the withdrawal symptoms, I will have to ask my cohorts for their exact studies, as I have read them and then turfed them.
Geenh
New Member
"Side Effects of Quitting
Nicotine affects the brain with seconds of inhaling cigarette smoke. It increases the heart rate and blood pressure, constricts the small blood vessels under your skin, causes changes in blood composition and metabolism, and increases the production of hormones. Nicotine can also affect your mood and behaviour.
Withdrawal from nicotine can cause (within 24 hours):
depressed mood,
difficulty in sleeping,
irritability,
frustration or anger,
anxiety,
difficulty with concentration,
restlessness,
decreased heart rate,
dizziness,
and increased appetite.
As soon as you stop your body starts to clear itself of the toxins in tobacco smoke.
Your blood pressure and pulse rate will quickly drop (within an hour of stopping).
Carbon monoxide levels will return to normal (within 2 days).
Your sense of taste and smell will improve (within a couple of days).
Your circulation (the movement of blood around your body) will improve (within a few weeks)." NHS Direct
This is one opinion. I do find your take holier-than-thou. You're taking your experience and pushing it onto others. There is no medical backup to your statement is there?
Nicotine affects the brain with seconds of inhaling cigarette smoke. It increases the heart rate and blood pressure, constricts the small blood vessels under your skin, causes changes in blood composition and metabolism, and increases the production of hormones. Nicotine can also affect your mood and behaviour.
Withdrawal from nicotine can cause (within 24 hours):
depressed mood,
difficulty in sleeping,
irritability,
frustration or anger,
anxiety,
difficulty with concentration,
restlessness,
decreased heart rate,
dizziness,
and increased appetite.
As soon as you stop your body starts to clear itself of the toxins in tobacco smoke.
Your blood pressure and pulse rate will quickly drop (within an hour of stopping).
Carbon monoxide levels will return to normal (within 2 days).
Your sense of taste and smell will improve (within a couple of days).
Your circulation (the movement of blood around your body) will improve (within a few weeks)." NHS Direct
This is one opinion. I do find your take holier-than-thou. You're taking your experience and pushing it onto others. There is no medical backup to your statement is there?
Geenh
New Member
YOU stated that "withdrawal symptoms are painless". That seems global to me. I am being defensive because you're stating your facts from a personal view rather than a medical (or let's just think about the popular and normal) view.
As far as 'can' or 'will', why do you think there are so many replacement therapies? Because the physical needs to be replaced whilst the psychological/social elements can be healed.
How do you know what happens to others since you are taking a stance that is yours (and maybe some people you know)?
As far as 'can' or 'will', why do you think there are so many replacement therapies? Because the physical needs to be replaced whilst the psychological/social elements can be healed.
How do you know what happens to others since you are taking a stance that is yours (and maybe some people you know)?
Martin
Active Member
I must agree with Geenh here - I have two parents who have smoked the better parts of their lives, until they decided to quit some time ago. They both had a hard time, but in the end they managed. However, my mom can still almost taste the cigarette at predetermined times, such as after work, and after dinner, and my dad became depressed after stopping smoking. He's smoking again, and doing just fine.
So withdrawel symptoms are fact - sure, they differ per person, because every person will have a different state of mind and a different smoking-pattern to get rid off, but withdrawel symptoms will pop up, to some degree.
Nicotine is a drug. Period. Drugs are addictive. You take it, you like it, your body wants more, and after a certain period of time, and a certain amount of nicotine-intake, the body will need it.
Cheers
So withdrawel symptoms are fact - sure, they differ per person, because every person will have a different state of mind and a different smoking-pattern to get rid off, but withdrawel symptoms will pop up, to some degree.
Nicotine is a drug. Period. Drugs are addictive. You take it, you like it, your body wants more, and after a certain period of time, and a certain amount of nicotine-intake, the body will need it.
Cheers
Motokid
New Member
There's addiction, and there's habit. I smoked for a number of years in my early to late twenties. A pack a day for a few years. When I made the decision to stop I stopped. No violent mood swings and night sweats or any of that crap. For me the hardest part was breaking the habit of lighting up after a meal. Lighting up when driving, or escaping to inhale one during moments of increased stress. I played in a band full time for a few years so I was in bars a lot. During set breaks the desire to light up was hardest because that was part of "the ritual". Get a beer, light one up and relax. Great for the singing voice too. Any way, the act of smoking is just as hard to break as the physical need for nicotine. That's why many people that quit gain weight. They are transfering the need to put a butt in their mouth by putting some kind of food in there instead. A pack a day is 20 cigs. Imagine putting food in your mouth 20 more times a day than you normally do? 
There's no doubt it's addictive, but there are certainly levels of addiction. Some people can quit, and some need help with patches and so on. Your friend could probably quit with little problem, but that does not change the fact that huge numbers of studies, and people prove that in general, nicotine is very addictive. She's just lucky....and kinda nieve if you don't mind me saying so.
There's no doubt it's addictive, but there are certainly levels of addiction. Some people can quit, and some need help with patches and so on. Your friend could probably quit with little problem, but that does not change the fact that huge numbers of studies, and people prove that in general, nicotine is very addictive. She's just lucky....and kinda nieve if you don't mind me saying so.
honeydevil
Active Member
i think that it is addicting!! and i think to quit is not as easy as to say, i want to stop, it is not only a question of you will power!! i think the cause, why you started smoking has a big influence on your quitting!!
Miss Shelf
New Member
well, the last time I quit, I told my doctor I was going to, and she asked me what the first thing I thought of in the morning. She said that if my first thought wasn't of cigarettes I had a good chance of quitting without too much trouble. It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it'd be. I got some patches but when I read the possible side effects, etc. I decided to try to go cold turkey. With the help of some Jolly Rancher candies I did it and stayed clean for a few years then started again. I'm gonna quit soon, cigs are getting ridiculously expensive and smokers are becoming pariahs.
I quit 2 months ago. Cold turkey. It wasn't easy by any means, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I think because there was no influence at all around me it made it that much more easy. When you're craving a smoke really bad and your buddy right beside you is just lighting up, it doesn't take much to bum a smoke from him. I think like motokid I had a harder time kicking the habit. I found there was nothing better than to light up with a beer, or a coffee or after a meal. But there's no doubt that smoking is addictive. Anyone who's quit knows the feeling you get after a few days of not having a smoke.
I think that anyone who says they could quit when they want are using that as an excuse not to quit.
I think that anyone who says they could quit when they want are using that as an excuse not to quit.
starchild42
New Member
Is it addictive? Hell yes.
I've smoked for years, since I was in my early/mid teens (awful, I know). I quit for 3 months last year and it was damned hard work. Took it up again after a moment of stupidity and have been "serial quitting" ever since. Quitting, relapsing, quitting, relapsing, repeat ad-infinitum. (Things I have learned this year: you can never have just one). Currently back into a quit and hoping that this will be the last one.
Yes, there are physical withdrawal symptoms. Some people feel them more than others, I know I did.
That said, I also agree with Stewart in that alot of it *is* psychological. It's not easy to give up, but it is very simple. Learning to break the skewed association between smoking and pleasure is probably the hardest, and most important part of any quit. I say skewed, because most smokers think they enjoy smoking - but actually, it's more that they don't enjoy not smoking. The "pleasure" aspect comes purely from the relief of withdrawal symptoms (physical, or psychological, whatever) that occurs when you light up. That was a big revelation to me when I quit.
Once you've got the pleasure association part licked, you're alot more in control of it. I hate medications as a rule, but NRT can be pretty handy in this respect - learning to break the habit element while not feeling too many physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. *Then* you handle the weaning-yourself-off bit once the habits are broken, by which time hopefully the psychological desire to smoke is less. Makes it a bit less rough.
One of the hardest parts, and I'm speaking from experience here, is being on your guard against relapsing. Knowing what your triggers are, and making plans to deal with them in advance, is essential. That's usually where I fall down. And this definitely *isn't* physical.
I've smoked for years, since I was in my early/mid teens (awful, I know). I quit for 3 months last year and it was damned hard work. Took it up again after a moment of stupidity and have been "serial quitting" ever since. Quitting, relapsing, quitting, relapsing, repeat ad-infinitum. (Things I have learned this year: you can never have just one). Currently back into a quit and hoping that this will be the last one.
Yes, there are physical withdrawal symptoms. Some people feel them more than others, I know I did.
That said, I also agree with Stewart in that alot of it *is* psychological. It's not easy to give up, but it is very simple. Learning to break the skewed association between smoking and pleasure is probably the hardest, and most important part of any quit. I say skewed, because most smokers think they enjoy smoking - but actually, it's more that they don't enjoy not smoking. The "pleasure" aspect comes purely from the relief of withdrawal symptoms (physical, or psychological, whatever) that occurs when you light up. That was a big revelation to me when I quit.
Once you've got the pleasure association part licked, you're alot more in control of it. I hate medications as a rule, but NRT can be pretty handy in this respect - learning to break the habit element while not feeling too many physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. *Then* you handle the weaning-yourself-off bit once the habits are broken, by which time hopefully the psychological desire to smoke is less. Makes it a bit less rough.
One of the hardest parts, and I'm speaking from experience here, is being on your guard against relapsing. Knowing what your triggers are, and making plans to deal with them in advance, is essential. That's usually where I fall down. And this definitely *isn't* physical.
phil_t
New Member
Heh!! I was never any good at smoking ... tried it a couple of times and each time my lungs informed me that this was a terrible idea and that I wouldnt be doing it again - so I didnt Best move I ever made, probably - my sisters both smoke heavily and it costs them a bomb.
Of course its addictive, I think the only people who tell you its not these days are the tobacco companies (oh, and the Government, but then thats practically saying the same thing ).
Phil
Best move I ever made, probably - my sisters both smoke heavily and it costs them a bomb.Of course its addictive, I think the only people who tell you its not these days are the tobacco companies (oh, and the Government, but then thats practically saying the same thing
).Phil
I don't know about other people, but I certainly don't feel the need to stop smoking. (Not yet, at least.) I am not exactly disgusted with cigarettes either. That may be pretty dumb and I may end up regretting it later on, but that's not how I feel about it at this point.Stewart said:
In my opinion, smoking is a habit. You said yourself that "Stewart said:
Also, at which point does one become an addict? Is the person who's having his or her first cigarette an addict? Can't someone have a nice, relaxing cigarette just for the hell of it, like they would have a nice cold beer? Does having a beer at the pub on Friday nights make you an alcoholic, or is it different? Is alcohol not addictive, perhaps? Or is it just less addictive than nicotine, so different rules should apply?
I am not saying smoking can't be addictive (because I know it can), but I believe there's a difference between casual smokers and full blown nicotine addicts, just like there's a difference between casual users (who aren't necessarily addicted) and real junkies (regardless of whether the drug of their choice is alcohol, cocaine, heroin, etc.)
Yup, smoking is addictive but I think the companies that are making a fortune from replacement treatments would like to make us think its worse than it actually is (it needn't be hell with etc etc).
I smoked for about 15 years before giving up and for the last 5 years I HATED smoking, it disgusted me: the way i smelt, the smokers breath, the cig butts in the garden, everything about it. but I couldn't give up because I dreaded the withdrawals. then when I finally did I found it wasn't as bad as I feared. the fact was, if I could take my mind off it, with food, exercise etc I hardly even noticed it.
I only ever really felt the need at certain times, the usual ones; after food, after getting up, after sex etc, which proved to me it was mainly a psychological habit, and not that difficult to break.
Also, the point about addiction coming through frequency of use is important when considering Martins friend, I've used Cocaine and other drugs in the past occasionally but had no trouble giving it up (when I became a dad!)
I smoked for about 15 years before giving up and for the last 5 years I HATED smoking, it disgusted me: the way i smelt, the smokers breath, the cig butts in the garden, everything about it. but I couldn't give up because I dreaded the withdrawals. then when I finally did I found it wasn't as bad as I feared. the fact was, if I could take my mind off it, with food, exercise etc I hardly even noticed it.
I only ever really felt the need at certain times, the usual ones; after food, after getting up, after sex etc, which proved to me it was mainly a psychological habit, and not that difficult to break.
Also, the point about addiction coming through frequency of use is important when considering Martins friend, I've used Cocaine and other drugs in the past occasionally but had no trouble giving it up (when I became a dad!)
mehastings
Active Member
1) Smoking is addictive.
2) Even if it wasn't, who cares. Eating dog poo may not be addictive, but it is still gross!
3) In response to the comment about Healthcare Workers smoking, I totally agree. About 1/3 of the people who work for my company smoke. Interestingly enough, the ones that do seem to be the miserable jerks.
2) Even if it wasn't, who cares. Eating dog poo may not be addictive, but it is still gross!
3) In response to the comment about Healthcare Workers smoking, I totally agree. About 1/3 of the people who work for my company smoke. Interestingly enough, the ones that do seem to be the miserable jerks.
