Tobacco companies had to own up to the fact that smoking is harmful in the 1960s when undeniable evidence came out. People struggled to quit because it is somewhat addictive, but mainly because they enjoyed it.
Those companies then encouraged the rhetoric about it being more addictive than heroin. It isn’t. In my experience it’s less addictive than caffeine.
Here’s my history with nicotine:
- Smoked cigarettes from 15 - 26.
- Quit totally for 14 months
- My friend who smoked moved back to town and I smoked when I was with them.
- Switched to vaping 8 years ago.
- Quit vaping in January this year (2024).
I bought 30 cigars at the start of last month (April 2024) and have smoked 9 of them so far. I normally just have 1 a week if I’m having a beer at home but I went out drinking 2 nights in a row at the start of this month and smoked 6 over that weekend.
Am I addicted? Maybe, but I haven’t had any nicotine this week and don’t plan on having any next week either.
Counter point: Smoked over half their life with 2-3 breaks, but claims it’s not that addictive.
Fair point. Maybe I’m just justifying my addiction.
The amount of self delusion in this post is pretty normal for an addict.
Personally I was always told quitting was worse than quitting heroin. And when I quit because I wanted to “feel better”, I just did without any of the crazy symptoms they told me about. I think what he is trying to say is craving cigarettes/smoking is not the same as Nicotine addiction.
I thought I would have to crave cigarettes for the rest of my life, and that simply isn’t true. (I was a very heavy smoker).
I thought I would have to crave cigarettes for the rest of my life, and that simply isn’t true.
This is what I was trying to get at.
I also smoked weed most days for about 15 years then quit due to starting a job that drug tests and had no ill effects. I thought this would be more common but reading what people are saying here there are a lot of individuals who have problems quitting even weed which is far less habit forming than nicotine.
The problem with weed is it absolutely wrecks sleep for people. Without the high, people don’t fall into deep sleep and end up having vivid nightmares. It can take weeks or months for your brain to adjust.
Lots of people have trouble quitting cigarettes, but they aren’t having nicotine symptoms.
The only effect I noticed when quitting was that I could remember my dreams more often.
Yeah, anytime I quit weed I have the craziest vivid dreams, not nightmares just weird ass dreams
This is extremely ironic.
From the several “quittings” to what is at most a few weeks of going without nicotine.
“It’s less addictive than caffeine”, it isn’t, you just have a poor understanding of it. Nicotine is way morr addicting than caffeine. That’s a scientific fact.
I hear excuses like yours from smokers all the time. Myself included.
After years of no smoking I still dream of it, I certainly can go months without thinking of cigarettes now, but it’s like being on a diet forever
Cigars and beer? Eugh. That’s like a really nice, high percentage dark chocolate and marshmallows. Or a big, beefy red wine paired with chicken breast. A cigar needs something equally strong and complex to punch back against it.
I mean, maybe like a really good stout at room temp or something might be decent with a mild cigar. Really though, I’d want an oak-ey liquor of some sort.
Yea when I said beer I meant “alcoholic drink”. Normally it’s Guinness or a whisky based cocktail. Most recently a “Jack Torrance” (bourbon, advocat and bitters).
I find addictions are very routine dependent.
Totally with you on that.
It is not a binary subject and different personalities have a range of experiences. The resolution of a person’s self awareness is likely a large factor. Some people really struggle to recognize and shape their own habits and routines. Humans tend to be less in control of their inner animal than the mind leads them to believe. It is why humans are not fully sentient. Even when we recognize a habit as harmful, we still do not act in our personal or collective best interest.
I know its an old post but years ago I saw a therapist who advertised “Quit smoking therapy” where he just encouraged you and talked about the thought processes involved in quitting. Sounded like hokey bullshit but my then girlfriend now wife booked me an appointment after I failed to quit again and this was a topic we covered.
Im heavily paraphrasing but “They say quitting smoking is really hard, but let me ask you ‘Who benefits the most out of you thinking its really hard?’ The only people who want you to think quitting is really hard is the people selling you cigarettes, because who wants to go do really hard unpleasant shit? I sure as hell dont. So take that “Really hard” mindset and put it aside, its still unpleasant. But we do unpleasant every day, we get up and go to work and thats all quitting smoking is… its work.”
Well put
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