Addictions

I had hypnotherapy to stop smoking 10yrs ago, best thing I ever did. The practitioner asked me why I smoked and I said 'Because I'm addicted.' Do you wake up throughout the night to smoke cigarettes she asked, to which I answered no. Then you are not addicted - you have a habit, she said. I had smoked for 40yrs to that point but I've not had one since

I'm another nicotine addict ..... a vile compulsive habit! I've 'given up' on several occasions .... And as one poster rightly said, the 3 month point spells danger for me.

I shall continue to strive to be a non-smoker.

To the poster whose daughters have banned her from contact with her grandchildren ..... I feel that is just mean and would have me reaching for the deadly weed. Obviously one wouldn't smoke in the children's presence so I'm guessing the Ds have said 'no contact' as a means to force you to quit. I'm sure your health is their primary concern but it's a very heavy handed approach.

Good Luck with quitting to all gransnetters out there because it's such a struggle for some.

I'm addicted to Mahjong

"Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.
Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission."

American Journal of Psychology

I think that's what an addiction is York ...taking over your life, otherwise it's just something you like eating, doing or drinking

Do not worry about getting addicted unless it is taking over your life.

Did you know that you can become addicted to exercise because of the adrenalin rush?

I would worry about drugs; alcohol; nicotine; coffee/tea and sugar, but I would not worry too much about fruit.

I used to work with someone who used to sniff tipex (before it was thinned with water) and toothpaste! Another was addicted to rice! It seems you can get addicted to anything if you have/do too much of it.

That is why I absolutely am against porn on tv and porn magazines in shops. I know some will say 'each to his/her own' but it leads to other things, that is a proven fact.

Had a friend who was alcoholic. She died a couple of years ago. In her fifties. Very sad.

I think some people have an addictive personality and this makes them more prone to become addicted to things more easily than others would. Then I think some people give in too easily to their addictive cravings. Some people are emotionally stronger than others and can resist their addictive cravings. Most of the time I can resist but if i am feeling unhappy or unwell i cannot resist.

I think real addictions can ruin your health, and the quality of your and others life and are not really the same as loving cheese and biscuits

I don't smoke anymore. I was trying to explain how smoking is more than just the nicotine addiction.

I agree, Anya, it's all about control. Alcoholics might go weeks without a drink but once they start they can't have just one (or two).

Marnie have you tried hypnosis?

Yes, all addictions are 'bad' IMO.

My reason for this stance is that you are not in control of your life if you have a true addiction, be it to alcohol, drugs or GN. If you can't go without something without having some kind of withdrawal symptoms, 'not good' (to borrow a phrase from 'so-called' President Trump ?)

But smoking is definitely an addicition, and most people don't feel 'horribly unwell' when they try to give up...they may feel irritable etc. but withdrawal symptoms are nothing like those of giving up heroin or alcohol if the person has been dependent on either for a long time.

I think of addiction as something that makes you feel horribly unwell if you try to give a thing up, and that alters your behaviour in a damaging way. I'm guilty of using the word too lightly sometimes.
I've 'leant' on a gin and tonic or three to relax me after a difficult working day and now I'm retired I don't touch the stuff. I used to say I was becoming addicted to them,( and cigarettes as a stress buster) but when the particular stress was removed I just stopped indulging, so I wouldn't count them as a real addiction. I didn't notice any physical reactions when I gave up, and the smoking was kicked cold turkey. The money I saved was a great motivator.

vampirequeen GIving up smoking is very hard. I smoked from age 16 until 31. Have not smoked since, but fell off the wagon the first month, then I was OK. I really feel for you and remember well trying to quit. My dad had quit when I was a toddler having smoked all through WWII as all did then. He said even into his late 80s that smoke drifting his way brought on the urge to smoke. Wow.

I was lucky as it was not so much a nicotine addiction as a ritual and hands thing. Luckily after quitting I went to work in a smoke-free office per company policy and that reinforced things for me. Plus I then had a non-smoking boyfriend.

It is very very very difficult. I wish they had Vapes back then. My stepson is doing better with those than with the patches. He felt silly at first as they are not very 'macho' in his opinion. But he's doing so much better and is using the Vape less and less.

My heart goes out to anyone fighting addiction, whether to alcohol, food, cigarettes or anything that takes over their life.

I am addicted to Sainsbury's brand of Chocolate & Nut Ice Cream Cones. It has chocolate and vanilla ice cream topped with hazelnuts and the cone is lined with chocolate at the bottom. OMG they are so lush. 184 calories isn't bad. Morrisons, Tesco and Aldi have a similar product. They are only £1 box at Sains.

When they run out, I cannot stand Cornetto as they are too sweet and they are smaller. It takes a couple of days to get over it, but it's my only real sin.

Addictions can be psychological or physical leading to withdrawal symptoms when substance stopped

I think the shaking in the morning would only apply to someone who was drinking an awful lot during the day/evening - it's a physical withdrawal symptom.

You can be an alcoholic even if you only drink at certain times of the week, it's all to do with your relationship with alcohol, how much you look forward to it and depend on having it in your life.

I think ALL addictions are bad. I define an addiction as something that controls you rather than the reverse. This covers something as simple as time wasters like say.........Candy crush to the real physically harmful ones that end up resulting in lifetime horrors. I'm daily grateful that we in this country still have freedom to choose. I feel that any addiction limits that freedom. Methinks anything we can easily give up for days (or longer) is NOT an addiction.

Surely addiction is a physical symptom? Drinking a lot is one thing, but shaking in the morning until your first drink is addiction. I think some people do have addictive personalities and also believe in the addictive gene in families. I fought hard to give up smoking 24 years ago and have never had another and think it is perhaps easier to give up( or not start) than it used to be. Not knocking anyone who cant give up. of course, but when I was a smoker, you could smoke in the office so my routine was to light up every time I picked up the 'phone. If I had to go outside to have a cigarette as you do now, I would certainly be smoking less. But, I would never, ever knock anyone with addictions, nobody chooses to be in thrall of a substance.

I can confess to having a problem with alcohol, I've always enjoyed a drink & unfortunately at times this has led to difficulties. I now however rarely drink, occasional glass of wine when I go out or beer with a certain friend.

I smoke, have done on & off from age 14 (now 61), I have given up for long periods, longest 7 years, I only started again after my H walked out on me & my 5 year old DD. I am now down to 2/3 a day so I'm hoping the desire to smoke will gradually cease

I'm a cheese lover but I can have my favourite cheese in the fridge for days & not touch it - that's not an addict

Smoking is so difficult to give up. People who have never smoked simply don't understand how strong nicotine addiction is. I read somewhere that it's harder to give up than heroin.

Smoking addiction isn't just about the nicotine. I didn't realise how many rituals are involved until I stopped. The whole process of opening the packet, the tobacco smell that reaches you as it opens, selecting the cigarette, drawing it out of the packet, closing the packet, placing it between your lips, flicking the lighter or striking the match (again with the smell and this time a sound too) then finally lighting and the first inhalation.

Also smoking tends to happen at set times in the day e.g. after meals or with a cuppa so it's hard to change that behaviour too.

How many a day do you smoke? Why can't you see your DGC? I don't see the problem as long as you don't smoke when you're with her. Have you tried the patches etc? I used nicotine gum for about the first 10 days but tbh it was the habitual behaviours and triggers that were harder to get over. Also the danger times at 6 weeks and 3 months when you think you might get away with having just one. You can't let that happen or you're hooked again.

My family is very addictive. My father used to laugh about his great-uncles being decanted out of gutters most days. He told us he wasn't an alcoholic, but he was. He could barely survive a day without. He would be OK if he knew when his next "fix" would be. Three of his seven siblings were alcoholics, and many of my cousins on his side are also addicts of various sorts. with that history, I am very wary of all stuff like that - I managed to get off nicotine and coffee, never drank much [I am a really cheap drunk], and never, ever taken any drugs of any sort.
So yes, addictions are real - to nicotine, alcohol, drugs, caffeine...
But I think that cheese and flapjacks are more a habit. If they are there, you really enjoy them; but you don't crave them like a cigarette or that first cup of coffee. I drink de-caff incidentally.