The Just One - lie

[NicFirth]

OK time for a discussion about the addiction.

Lets start with a statement I believe to be true,

Nicotine is not physically a very addictive drug, and staying quit relies upon you changing the way you think about smoking.

So why is it that you can change the way you think about smoking as in its not something I do any more and not a great loss, but if, as I did in the past, I tried to view smoking as something I would like to do every so often but not every day, it does not work.

In other words it appears that one can change ones mindset to total abstinence but with very few exceptions being a social smoker is not possible!

My logic tells me that it should be possible, practical experience of myself and many others tells me that it is not.

Before anyone thinks I'm trying to formulate a strategy to become a social smoker I am not, am am now free of this nasty drug and will not risk getting caught by it again.

Just interested in your thoughts.

[nsd_user663_3633]

An interesting theory Nic, I subscribe to a different one though. The one that says Nicotine is the most addictive substance known to man - more so than any other known narcotic.

That theory explains why, even after 20 years, 1 puff nearly always sends you back to square 1. It also explains why 70% of nicotine users are addicted as apposed to 30% for Cocaine.

%ages thanks to a programme I saw on BBC last week.

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

Excellent,

Therein lies one of the issue, is it the most addictive because of the probability of becoming addicted or because of its chemical make up?

IMHO its because of of the former due to psychological conditioning!

[nsd_user663_3638]

interesting... i intended to be a social smoker when i started again after my two year quit, obviously it didn't work!!! i do know people who can do it, they smoke like chimneys on a night out but then won't have one for weeks one end and be totally fine with it....i guess i would suggest that while nicotine is addictive, i think its the person that either has an addictive personality and will struggle with addiction (not just cigarettes, but addiction in general)or does not have an addictive personality and is not Susceptible to nicotine or any other addiction, we are all different and deal with things in different ways but i feel that addiction is mainly psychological and is part of our genetic make-up...you either will be an addict if you try something or you won't so i don't think it's something you can decide (whether you will be addicted or not) you can only decide never to allow yourself to be in the situation where you let yourself have "just1" you can only decide never to take another puff xx

[nsd_user663_3633]

Excellent,

Therein lies one of the issue, is it the most addictive because of the probability of becoming addicted or because of its chemical make up?

IMHO its because of of the former due to psychological conditioning!

Mental conditioning does not explain why, after so many years, you would go back.

Mental conditioning works both ways, and after 20 years quit - your conditioning would say "nicotines bad, mmmkay".

IMO, the fact that you almost certainly go back in the same way a heroin addict or alcoholic would, means it's a fairly strong chemical addiction - albeit one with mild physical withdrawal symptoms.

I have no doubt that the hardest part to overcome when quitting is psycological - but the chemical plays it's part, usually in getting you back where you started after you give in psycologically to "just one".

Helen's "addictive personality" theory must play a part too and explains why some drinkers can binge all their life but not become alcoholics... again, IMO.

[austinlegro 11 Years Smoke Free]

Nicotine is not physically a very addictive drug, and staying quit relies upon you changing the way you think about smoking.

Just interested in your thoughts.

As I’ve got further and further into my quit I’ve learnt a lot of new things and I too now subscribe to a totally different theory.

Nicotine is not a drug it is simply a poison that we’ve taught ourselves to tolerate.

Nicotine addiction is a myth that many of us choose to accept.

Stopping smoking starts when we get our mind right and no amount of lotions or potions will change that.

The sooner we stop listening to those with their own agenda and listen to what our bodies are saying the sooner we can eradicate smoking..

That's MY opinion.... :eek:

[nsd_user663_3641]

interesting... i intended to be a social smoker when i started again after my two year quit, obviously it didn't work!!! i do know people who can do it, they smoke like chimneys on a night out but then won't have one for weeks one end and be totally fine with it....i guess i would suggest that while nicotine is addictive, i think its the person that either has an addictive personality and will struggle with addiction (not just cigarettes, but addiction in general)or does not have an addictive personality and is not Susceptible to nicotine or any other addiction, we are all different and deal with things in different ways but i feel that addiction is mainly psychological and is part of our genetic make-up...you either will be an addict if you try something or you won't so i don't think it's something you can decide (whether you will be addicted or not) you can only decide never to allow yourself to be in the situation where you let yourself have "just1" you can only decide never to take another puff xx

I also know a few folk like this but tend to find them less content than regular smokers during the week as they long for their next social event to get back to the fags. Their main problem is that they don't want to be perceived as 'smokers' and can't accept that a smoker is a smoker regardless of how often or how little their intake is.

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

Interesting hearing the various perspectives on this, keep 'em coming.

[nsd_user663_2497]

Lets start with a statement I believe to be true,

Nicotine is not physically a very addictive drug, and staying quit relies upon you changing the way you think about smoking.

This statement is true indeed. It'd be nice if that was all you needed to quit. But just wrapping your head around that can prove difficult for some if not all of us.