I saw a post by C-SK and it mentioned other addictions. I got me thinking about how nicotine addiction compares to others and wanted to share mine.
I wont go into details, but over the years I have dealt with a number of other addictions of 'harder' substances. For me personally, quitting nicotine has been the hardest by a mile. Other drugs are more difficult in the immediate - the days following stopping - but after a week or so, it became much easier quit quickly. Nicotine is hard at the start and of course does get easier, but it has a tendency to linger and stay for longer. What is also does, which I have not experienced with other substances, is pop up at random times much further down the line, seemingly out of the blue. I quit in Jan and still get urges, although these now don't last long. I'm fully prepared for the fact they will probably always happen for the rest of my life.
I guess what I want to say to you all who are quitting is DON'T BE PUT OFF that its hard - I think its the hardest of all (that I know of) so it will be a battle. You're in the 'Premier League' of addictions and the fact you're not smoking each day is amazing! One day at a time. Keep it up, focus your mind and it will get easier. I promise. And keep coming here!
Sorry this is not a particularly jolly Xmas post but, hey, giving up smoking doesn't stop for Christmas
Written by
Kissingbodia
2 Years Smoke Free
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You can wake up one morning and stop smoking if you wish to and the withdrawal can sometimes be unpleasant. As smokers we eventually learn to tolerate its presence in our bodies and when we stop consuming it we take a week or two to acclimatise to its absence.
Smokers smoke because of cravings, but cravings are nothing to do with nicotine or any other part of the smoke. Cravings disappear when the smoker lights up, but that is because a craving is simply a mental prompt to repeat the habitual behaviour, triggered by the brain, not by falling nicotine levels, but experienced as a physical compulsive urge that seems to the smoker like a real bodily need.
The reason that triggers to smoke pop up six months down the line is because that's what they are - triggers. Holiday triggers, Christmas triggers, beach triggers etc. The daily triggers are the first and easiest to deal with, the Christmas ones less frequent.
Quitting is a journey of understanding and education not resilience and struggle.
austinlegro yes I agree with that, my post perhaps could cause a misunderstanding. Of course nicotine itself is of no importance after a couple of days, then it becomes a habitual thing. My point is that, in my experience, dealing with stopping smoking (the habitual) is harder that stopping other substances (the habitual)
This is likely to be because people tend to smoke more often per day that engage other substances per day thus habit is stronger, but I think it’s a useful comparison to people who only have smoked and have not dealt with addiction to anything else.
You're 100% right that it is about education and understanding - the understanding here is that it’s not easy and you need to be prepared for that
EDIT - your's is a great post though and habit v physical addiction is an excellent concept to understand properly when quitting. Vital in fact!
austinlegro.... I really don't think nicotine addiction is a myth..???? It is so real and millions of people is suffering to get rid of this addiction.... There is Theses written on this subject and some professors earned their doctorates on this subject...It is true.... Nobody that ever smoked, smoked because he/she craved the over 400 bad chemicals that destroys our lungs and bodies....We craved nicotine whom hijacked our happy chemical (Dopamine and Serotonin) receptors and made us believe we must smoke to be happy... and surely it is not nicotine that damaged our lungs...So... why did we smoke and continue to smoke for 38 years ?
The word "Addiction" comes from the Latin word "Enslaved by"and that is exactly what nicotine do... It becomes your boss.....
Great post Kissingbodia and excellent points raised from both yourself and austinlegro - I have to agree that nicotine is the worst addiction to overcome and worse than heroin, perhaps that you are on your own when quitting smoking but usually in rehabilitation for heroin and on a support programme to recover
As both of ye said, knowledge and strength is key...
In addition to smoking more often per day than other addictions, it is still more socially acceptable to smoke tobacco. It doesn't greatly interfere in our daily functioning in the medium term. So overall it seems more normal, and part of our daily life. I think that makes it harder to stop. But everyone's addiction and quit is different.
Agree with most of the above. After a few days the physical withdrawal to nicotine is gone, but the psychological withdrawal can take a long time.
A neighbour was addicted to smoking heroin (just once a day) and if he went without it for more than 24 hours he was restless, coughing and looked like he had the 'flu. I suggest this is worse than the physical withdrawals of nicotine, but, as CocoaXchange says, one smokes more cigarettes a day than heroin, which makes the withdrawals come after a couple of hours rather than 24 hours, as in the case of heroin (which I've never tried personally, I hasten to add).
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Day 7 
1 month!
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6 Months and counting