Addiction or Dependence?

[aftercafe]

Hey guys, I've been smoking (cigarettes) for a while now.
I can get by without cigarettes and not have any physical side-effects from withdrawal show, like shaking hands, cold sweat or so.

But I do feel a bit uneasy and maybe a bit nervous when I don't smoke one every once in a while, and I need something to get my mind off it.

Am I addicted(physical) or do I just depend(mental) on them?

 

[swedishfish]

How long have you smoked?

 

[FreeFire]

Welcome to addiction...yes, we've all been there to varying degrees. We at times take it to higher levels and can't seem to go for an hour without a cig....as we get older, we tone it down some and can go for a few hours....except when drinking..LOL.

You are addicted to not only the substance but also the physical "act" of smoking....as we all are. This is what makes vaping so unique in our ability to finally forgo tobacco altogether. vaping allows us the inhale, hold, exhale, plumes of vapor that looks just like smoke.......relaxing, tasteful, replentishing the nicotine our body has grown accustomed to. That is why most of us here regard the e-cig concept as one of the greatest inventions ever.....the device not only works but satisfies us of our immediate need to continue our habit.

 

[TonyTT]

Hey guys, I've been smoking (cigarettes) for a while now.
I can get by without cigarettes and not have any physical side-effects from withdrawal show, like shaking hands, cold sweat or so.

But I do feel a bit uneasy and maybe a bit nervous when I don't smoke one every once in a while, and I need something to get my mind off it.

Am I addicted(physical) or do I just depend(mental) on them?

I feel like you started out as a social smoker. Now you still want to tell yourself you're a social smoker, when you're actually a smoker. It's a phase a lot of my friends went through. Every time I would meet them, it would start off with a story of how they haven't had a smoke for 3 days, then 2, days, then they're proud if they make it to lunch.

 

[TonyTT]

Withdrawal isn't that long of a process, before your body has processed the nicotine. All of us when we were smokers could probably go any amount of time without smoking, but it would require mental effort to fight our mind telling we crave the physical regulation. If you're feeling uneasy about not having a smoke, then you like many of us before you, have formed the connection, that thought-path that when you're stressed, you should have a smoke. As soon as you have a rough day, and decide to have a smoke to feel better, your in the club.

 

[TonyTT]

If you aren't a smoker, and you really don't need it...please don't do it. I regret ever becoming a smoker. Only for the simple fact that when something wrong happened to a non-smoker friend of mine. They could cope with it, and smoking didn't ever once cross their minds as a way to alleviate the stress...There will always be some low points in your life, and once you latch onto that phrase of "Oh gawd, I need a smoke", it is so hard to reverse. Essentially it makes you give up on everything in life so much more quickly, because you put the responsability on something else to fix it for you...

 

[aftercafe]

How long have you smoked?

I've started smoking a lot since last year.

Welcome to addiction...yes, we've all been there to varying degrees. We at times take it to higher levels and can't seem to go for an hour without a cig....as we get older, we tone it down some and can go for a few hours....except when drinking..LOL.

You are addicted to not only the substance but also the physical "act" of smoking....as we all are. This is what makes vaping so unique in our ability to finally forgo tobacco altogether. Vaping allows us the inhale, hold, exhale, plumes of vapor that looks just like smoke.......relaxing, tasteful, replentishing the nicotine our body has grown accustomed to. That is why most of us here regard the e-cig concept as one of the greatest inventions ever.....the device not only works but satisfies us of our immediate need to continue our habit.

Haha thanks for the introduction to vaping

I feel like you started out as a social smoker. Now you still want to tell yourself you're a social smoker, when you're actually a smoker. It's a phase a lot of my friends went through. Every time I would meet them, it would start off with a story of how they haven't had a smoke for 3 days, then 2, days, then they're proud if they make it to lunch.

Yes, I started smoking and still smoke because of social pressure.
Just until a month or two ago, I wouldn't feel the need to smoke unless I was with a friend >_<
But now, I started buying my own packs.
At least I can go through a day without a problem lol

Withdrawal isn't that long of a process, before your body has processed the nicotine. All of us when we were smokers could probably go any amount of time without smoking, but it would require mental effort to fight our mind telling we crave the physical regulation. If you're feeling uneasy about not having a smoke, then you like many of us before you, have formed the connection, that thought-path that when you're stressed, you should have a smoke. As soon as you have a rough day, and decide to have a smoke to feel better, your in the club.

When I feel stressed, I go boxing or take a hike
Am I still in the club?

 

[TonyTT]

But seriously, if you can, walk away, but I also understand that if all your friends do it, and it makes meeting new people easier, When they go out for a smoke, you can always go out for a vape.

 

[throatkick]

If you can go a whole day without smoking, I think you are still at the stage where you can turn your back on it completely. Run (don't walk) as far as you can!! At least now you have a choice. Continuing will make it harder and harder until there will be no choice left.

 

[FeelMyRoth]

Yeah I agree with just dropping the habbit completely if you can. While vaping is a good alternative, if you are still much more of a social smoker then vaping might make your addiction stronger. Most people who vape vape much more than they smoke, so if its nicotine your craving, the bad thing that could happen is you could get a nicotine that is too high for your habbit and what if you start to not like or your unit breaks? Frustration mounts and maybe you give up on vaping altogether, (some have, some come back), if this happens you could end up smoking as much as you vaped, which due to the good flavors to sample and such, could become a much more than "smoke break" kind of activity. Not sure if that makes sense but you don't want to do anything that could turn up your addiction to nicotine. I was a pack a day smoker, and while I vape much more than I smoked I can't imagine smoking more than my usual pack a day if I ever trashed the vape habit, which won't happen for me.

If you do decide to vape, start out with non-nicotine and see how that treats you, go with something light and small, and perhaps VG based in order to generate more vapor to appear more like smoking. If friends ask you why you are using an e-cig with no nicotine or "whats the point?" just tell them its a portable hookah or its like drinking a vaporized soda.

 

[azzaman]

From what you have said, you would be classified as having substance dependence. This definition is different to the two you have proposed.