Use of nicotine is a choice, just like anything else, but, like, for instance alcohol, habitual use of nicotine can cause one to become addicted.
Addicts have an amazing ability to deny and rationalize their addiction.
Words matter - time to retire the use of "addiction"?
- Thread starter CabinetGuyScott
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Addicts have an amazing ability to deny and rationalize their addiction.
Perhaps those who have been addicted to hard drugs and/or alcohol have a vested interest in incorporating more innocuous substances and behaviors under the same umbrella. Yes, some addicts, in recovery or not, DO have an amazing ability to deny and rationalize... period.
I'm also addicted to chocolate and caramel, but I can substitute other things to satisfy that. Alcohol and drugs ... not so much. Alcoholics can't say, "Today, I'm only going to have one beer". Smokers may not be able to say, "From now on, I'm only going to smoke one cigarette a day."
Nicotine is an addiction but many here, myself included, have dropped our daily usage from high to low or none without any noticeable effects. The key is that you can buy just about any nic level in the juice or cut it with PG/VG and flavorings and reach your own levels at your own pace. With cigarettes, you are destined to smoke whatever is in the pack you buy. Ultra lights just make you smoke more. They are still full of designer enhancements to support addiction.
I see addiction as being related to the substance and the mental state of the individual. Anyone who can quit has a right to rationalize. If your method doesn't work, then you are just going through motions and making excuses for your inability to achieve. Then, outside help is needed.
Last edited:
The problem is that the word addiction is a very emotional word but it is flung around with out many people knowing the true definition.
I think the DSM has the best and most definitive definition of addiction and is located here:
http://www.danya.com/dlc/bup/pdf/Dependence_DSM.PDF
According to the American Psychiatric Association, substance dependence and addiction are the same thing.
It MIGHT not make you happy, but according to the DSM, if you have three of the markers surrounding your "habit" you are addicted.
And I know that on my "other" personal addiction, I had 6 of the 7 markers. As for my "smoking" addiction I had 4.
I think the DSM has the best and most definitive definition of addiction and is located here:
http://www.danya.com/dlc/bup/pdf/Dependence_DSM.PDF
According to the American Psychiatric Association, substance dependence and addiction are the same thing.
It MIGHT not make you happy, but according to the DSM, if you have three of the markers surrounding your "habit" you are addicted.
And I know that on my "other" personal addiction, I had 6 of the 7 markers. As for my "smoking" addiction I had 4.
IMHO, I am addicted to nicotine since I "jones" for it when I can't have it. I also consider myself addicted to caffeine although it is easier to skip than nicotine is.
These are my personal opinions, although I agree that the DSM V is the place to go for the best definition.
These are my personal opinions, although I agree that the DSM V is the place to go for the best definition.
I can see where the medicinal or physically consumed "substance" can apply to sex-addiction for instance in which there is no substance taken internally. My understanding of it is the endorphines, etc., created during the "chase" phase are what makes it "addictive" and not the culmination. Even excessive excersizing can create the internal substance addiction. So, the chemicals manufactured by one's own body can be an addictive substance then. Its only a small leap to include anyone obsessively enjoying anything or getting a "rush" from it. When either money (insurance) or social engineering is the agenda even the expert definition can change... as it already has in my lifetime.
Edit: Just saying: There's a huge (pun intended) difference between a person who enjoys and consumes a bit too many potato chips and a person who reaches 600 pounds overeating. One is an obvious addict, the other is not in my view. If they were, everyone would have to stop doing anything they enjoy... no denial or rationalizing there... just plain old common sense. Either that or continue doing what they do and be at the whim of the greedy or controlling when they get (re)classified as addicts.
Edit: Just saying: There's a huge (pun intended) difference between a person who enjoys and consumes a bit too many potato chips and a person who reaches 600 pounds overeating. One is an obvious addict, the other is not in my view. If they were, everyone would have to stop doing anything they enjoy... no denial or rationalizing there... just plain old common sense. Either that or continue doing what they do and be at the whim of the greedy or controlling when they get (re)classified as addicts.
Last edited:
I can't read all your long freaking responses. Some of the longest responses I've seen to a philosophical thread outside of the OUTSIDE... And I just don't have what it takes to read them thoroughly tonight. But I'm picking up that the word "ADDICTION" is different for everyone. This is bad news for the addicts, because the majority populace is basically labeling them whatever the hell they want.
Heres how I see it:
DRUG: A substance is a drug if it has mind-altering properties. I don't care if it's a liquid you put up your ...., a powder you sniff up your nose, a tablet you hold under your tongue, a mushroom you eat, or something you light up and smoke. If it has the ability to change your brain chemistry, then it is a drug. This is what drug therapists say, & this is what I believe as well. Caffeine is a drug. Sugar is a drug. We're entering an age in our humanity where we are taking a look at the garbage we're eating & we're realizing its... garbage. The ridiculously refined, bleached, super potentiated sugars we're using to make food is now being categorized as a DRUG by many biochemists and scientists in general. Dark Chocolate is certainly a drug. Dark Chocolate greatly triggers the release of natural endorphins in our central nervous systems. Its one of the strongest "drug" foods that humans consume today. If you think chocolate isn't a drug, your sadly mistaken. You DO receive a light "high" from eating cocoa. It's that simple. Chocolate/Cocoa is a refined product of the cocoa plant just like any other drug is a refined product of it's respectful precursor plant. Cocoa is 2nd only to Caffeine, which is in chocolate and also in coffee, which is also a drug in and of itself. Not only can you become habituated to drinking coffee, you can literally become physically and mentally dependent of caffeine. You can withdraw from quitting your coffee habit.
Habit- A habit is something you've become habituated to using. Something you use on a regular basis. This is something that has become a pretty big part of your day to day life. A habit can include coffee drinking, chocolate eating, eating a specific food at lunch each day... If you have a HABIT, your doing something habitually.
Dependence- Dependence is when your body become physically, and/or mentally dependent of an external substance or stimuli to function normally. If you break your back in a car accident, and you begin taking narcotic pain medication for 1 year's time... When you try to quit this narcotic pain medication, you will quickly realize your not yourself without it. This is because your now physically dependent of the narcotic pain reliever to feel normal. Your "normal" or "baseline" is dependent of an external substance. Without it, your brain's happiness center runs like a broken down engine. This is because narcotics do something called "Down regulation" which basically means that they tell your brain to stop creating natural happiness. They say "We have this person's happiness covered, no need for you to continue manufacturing it yourself MR. Brain!" and this is how one gets dependent of external drugs. This is why it is sad to see ignorant people saying "well if he REALLY cared about his family and his life, he'd QUIT using that stuff!" Well, now you know it isn't that simple. You quit a substance your dependent on, and you enter into a period of NO HAPPINESS. NO pleasure. It's called "withdrawal" and its a period where you have to live your life in emotional hell on earth while you wait for your brain to start making it's own happiness again. Which can take 2 months for nicotine addicts, or 2-3 years with narcotics addicts. (in cases of severe Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) Really makes you think huh?
If you drink coffee or browse facebook once per 24 hour period, your habituated to these things. Your addicted to them. If you stop drinking coffee, you'll feel a slight withdrawal. If you stop browsing facebook, you'll feel like you've lost a part of your routine, your life. Your addicted to coffee, your addicted to facebook. If you only browse facebook once or twice a week, it isn't a habit. It's a use. Your USING facebook once or twice per week. You're not habituated to using facebook regularly.
It's my opinion that if your habituated to using something more than 1-2x per week, your basically addicted to it. Once a week is regular use. Twice per week is pushing into habit. If you use something 3+ times per week, your officially habituated, or addicted. For example: Your addicted to, and dependent of, food and water. Your probably addicted to using your vehicle to get around & to drive to work and home. Your probably addicted to the TV, and addicted to using the computer. You might even be addicted to using e-cigarette-forum.
Heres how I see it:
DRUG: A substance is a drug if it has mind-altering properties. I don't care if it's a liquid you put up your ...., a powder you sniff up your nose, a tablet you hold under your tongue, a mushroom you eat, or something you light up and smoke. If it has the ability to change your brain chemistry, then it is a drug. This is what drug therapists say, & this is what I believe as well. Caffeine is a drug. Sugar is a drug. We're entering an age in our humanity where we are taking a look at the garbage we're eating & we're realizing its... garbage. The ridiculously refined, bleached, super potentiated sugars we're using to make food is now being categorized as a DRUG by many biochemists and scientists in general. Dark Chocolate is certainly a drug. Dark Chocolate greatly triggers the release of natural endorphins in our central nervous systems. Its one of the strongest "drug" foods that humans consume today. If you think chocolate isn't a drug, your sadly mistaken. You DO receive a light "high" from eating cocoa. It's that simple. Chocolate/Cocoa is a refined product of the cocoa plant just like any other drug is a refined product of it's respectful precursor plant. Cocoa is 2nd only to Caffeine, which is in chocolate and also in coffee, which is also a drug in and of itself. Not only can you become habituated to drinking coffee, you can literally become physically and mentally dependent of caffeine. You can withdraw from quitting your coffee habit.
Habit- A habit is something you've become habituated to using. Something you use on a regular basis. This is something that has become a pretty big part of your day to day life. A habit can include coffee drinking, chocolate eating, eating a specific food at lunch each day... If you have a HABIT, your doing something habitually.
Dependence- Dependence is when your body become physically, and/or mentally dependent of an external substance or stimuli to function normally. If you break your back in a car accident, and you begin taking narcotic pain medication for 1 year's time... When you try to quit this narcotic pain medication, you will quickly realize your not yourself without it. This is because your now physically dependent of the narcotic pain reliever to feel normal. Your "normal" or "baseline" is dependent of an external substance. Without it, your brain's happiness center runs like a broken down engine. This is because narcotics do something called "Down regulation" which basically means that they tell your brain to stop creating natural happiness. They say "We have this person's happiness covered, no need for you to continue manufacturing it yourself MR. Brain!" and this is how one gets dependent of external drugs. This is why it is sad to see ignorant people saying "well if he REALLY cared about his family and his life, he'd QUIT using that stuff!" Well, now you know it isn't that simple. You quit a substance your dependent on, and you enter into a period of NO HAPPINESS. NO pleasure. It's called "withdrawal" and its a period where you have to live your life in emotional hell on earth while you wait for your brain to start making it's own happiness again. Which can take 2 months for nicotine addicts, or 2-3 years with narcotics addicts. (in cases of severe Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) Really makes you think huh?
If you drink coffee or browse facebook once per 24 hour period, your habituated to these things. Your addicted to them. If you stop drinking coffee, you'll feel a slight withdrawal. If you stop browsing facebook, you'll feel like you've lost a part of your routine, your life. Your addicted to coffee, your addicted to facebook. If you only browse facebook once or twice a week, it isn't a habit. It's a use. Your USING facebook once or twice per week. You're not habituated to using facebook regularly.
It's my opinion that if your habituated to using something more than 1-2x per week, your basically addicted to it. Once a week is regular use. Twice per week is pushing into habit. If you use something 3+ times per week, your officially habituated, or addicted. For example: Your addicted to, and dependent of, food and water. Your probably addicted to using your vehicle to get around & to drive to work and home. Your probably addicted to the TV, and addicted to using the computer. You might even be addicted to using e-cigarette-forum.
I'm sorry but I could not read your long freaking response to all the other long freaking responses that you could not read. Just kidding
I read the whole freaking thing and think you said some really great stuff. Thanks for not making it too freaking long
I just wanted to say that I'm in denial, I am not addicted to nicotine and it is easy to quit smoking, Ive done it 100 times.
While reading this thread, Its Time to fighter fire with fire, it struck me that the word addiction was used in almost every other sentence (at least it seemed that way).
The thread was about communications, messaging & fighting back the lies with memorable & impactful 'taglines' and more.
But the word addiction just kept coming back over & over.
Carl Phillips has written about the word and whole concept of addiction, and laid out a challenge for someone to define it. Intriguing proposition, and fascinating exchanges in the comments!
I personally do not feel that I have an "addiction" to anything related to vaping, including nicotine.
I may have a helluva habit, and possibly a 'dependency'. But when I look in the mirror, I do not see a drug addict - just someone who happens to enjoy a mighty fine vape with a fine cup of after dinner coffee, (but only 24/7!)
The word addict is a very emotionally powerful word - but - does it truly represent the reality of our relationship with nicotine?
So when someone says that I have traded one addiction for another, I try and defuse the emotional rhetoric with, 'nope, not addicted to anything, but sure enjoy my habit of vaping along with my caffeine / coffee, especially in the company of fellow non-smokers!'
I may not win them over, but to other listeners, I hope to establish that I do not need to resort to emotional hyperbole / rhetoric, and put nicotine on par with caffeine.
By the way, if I'm addicted to anything, it's going to be my Barbershop Quartet singing!!
Are you addicted??
Retire the word addiction? No thanks.
I'm not all for the politically correct, passifying of America (or elsewhere). Things are what they are, and trying to sugar coat them doesn't change that fact.
If YOU personally dislike using the word, you by no means have to use it.....but you still have an addiction nonetheless. It is what it is.
nicotine causes physical addiction, and that is a fact.
Sure, e-cigs are less harmful than cigarettes. Most of us can agree on that....but most of us still use nicotine in our e-liquid, and therefore haven't alluded addiction.
This is dependence, not addiction. These are two different things -- you can be addicted to a drug while not dependent, and you can be dependent on a drug but not addicted.
It doesn't matter what the drug is nor how safe or common its use is. You can be addicted to nicotine, and you can be addicted to caffeine.
The issue here is the extreme negative connotation of the words "addiction" and (especially) "addict". When you think of an "addict", most people see the junkie with track marks all over their arms or the tweaker who hasn't slept for three days straight.
Last edited:
Society prefers to see them that way because the reality of how many addicts are out there, that are not obvious, is a damn scary realization for your average murican
sent from the s4 of DOOOM
sent from the s4 of DOOOM
My intake of nicotine is negligible these days as I dilute each tank with just plain base but I'm compelled to keep vaping.
I doubt it's an addiction for me at this point.
I doubt it's an addiction for me at this point.
She never mention the erupted addiction in. britain company
Sent by my cat through pure magic
Sent by my cat through pure magic
Im at the crossroads, im down to 18 most the time, but my nicotine dependcy is definatly there, its just not a monkey on my back anymore. Now before, I was an addict, no question. You did not want to be near.me.if.I hadnt had a smoke recently
sent from the s4 of DOOOM
sent from the s4 of DOOOM
All this talk of words and meanings and no one has mentioned the word compulsion yet. Yeah I think it's a compulsion.
All this talk of words and meanings and no one has mentioned the word compulsion yet. Yeah I think it's a compulsion.
I view the compulsion aspect in the physical act of.smoking, now vapeing
sent from the s4 of DOOOM
Hey, I DID say I was compelled...lolAll this talk of words and meanings and no one has mentioned the word compulsion yet. Yeah I think it's a compulsion.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
