One tool I learned as far as cigerrette’s and alcahol.
When your body builds a tollerance to any drug, your body has physically adapted (brain chemistry first, and digestive/ circultory system secondarily), you begin to physically depend on the drug to feel normal.
When you quit, you sub-conciously make up reasons to do the drug. It turns out to be a bit more then a battle of will power. (and they said marijuana wasn’t physically addictive,… hippies)
I think the idea of when you want to quit cigerrette’s rings truest,… you should do something else every time you get the urge. I mean people binge drink or do drugs, because they are unsaticfied with life without drugs. And to depend on a drug to add something to life is the quickest way to addiction. For if you cannot do these things without drugs, then you should change things. Even coffee addicts just need to change things to become coffee addicts. Yet once your addicted to coffee, you cannot wake up without it.
As an addict (cigarettes, bit of beer, and coffee) I come from a family on both sides that lean towards easy addiction. We have folks that are druggies, boozers, smokers, and also addicted to people around them. Most of us recognize our vunerability and control our addictibilities with Iron fists. For me smoking is the hardest even though I can go days with out even weeks, I still fall back to it. Coffee is a must in the morning only. 4 sibs in my immediate family, 2 are very heavy drinkers and smokers, I am very much a light weight, and one is clean totally never touched any addiction except for a few beers a year.
I think a lot of people lean towards addictions more because of genetics then mental weakness perhaps. I know what I am so I control it harshly, but, I refuse to give any of it up, It brings pleasure during relaxation or stressing out. It is enhancement and crutch. Those two are probably the biggest reasons for addiction, your need for enhancement or crutch.
I’m an occasional drinker ( a few times a year I can drink a beer ) and I smoke hash in social circles and when I feel like spoiling myself. Neither of the two is a problem (anymore).
I also smoke cigarettes in much the same way that Kriswest does, a can go days yet am not comitted to stopping altogether.
I think it’s more the case of removing certain things from ones character why people smoke pot etc… People feel that it removes awkardness, insecurities (not to say it does) and the like…
I think they can be used in a productive way…based on what ends you want to achieve by using them. I know for a fact that I’m much more atttentive when slightly stoned, things are more apparent and creatively, it may not actually be the case, but ideas seem much more novel when im intoxicated.
The key to quiting an addiction is to want it first of all. If you aren’t wholy commited to the idea, you might cause yourself more harm than good if you try to force it. Secondly, pre-occupy yourself with something else, until the urge passes.
I have seen a sad addiction one time, I worked in a nursing home in an area where elder people could rent apt. if they needed only part time care. Alcohaul was allowed for these residents. A 99yr. old lady resided there. Well at the time the lady drank one doubleshot screwdriver every evening at 5. It had been her habit for decades. It was the highlight of her day, the cocktail hour. A new manager came in, she forbid alcohaul to be on the premises. This old lady plus a few others began to go down hill fast after that. A number of us argued to allow residents that had daily consumption to resume, the owner stood behind the manager and kept the injunction. Within 4 months this dear lady was dead. The single highlight was gone. She gave up. An elderly man soon followed. 3 more passed on within the year. Removing the slight happiness of daily coctail hour and the removal of adult dignity and personal choice killed her, I am convinced. Explain how taking this away from them helped. If someone has had an addiction or habit for so long removing it suddenly can do serious harm.
I don’t condone addiction but, if someone (adults)needs it and can be productive and happy, leave them alone. It enhances an otherwise hard life or it can be a much needed crutch.