Why Is Nicotine Addiction So Difficult To Quit?

One of the most difficult addictions to quit is nicotine or smoking. Smoking is taken up easily and equally difficult to quit. Many of you must have tried to reason it out with your father, fiancé, brother, husband etc. and would have got common answers like “I will, eventually” or “It is difficult”. How many of these people have actually tried quitting, before answering? I am sure barring a few; others have not and will not even give it a try.

What starts off as a fad among young people grows into an addiction later, which is so difficult to quit. A lot of people have tried to quit but cannot stay quitters for long. They do go back to their old habit and then try to convince themselves that they will try to reduce and eventually quit, but the day never comes. Smoking leads to depression, breathing problems, sometimes acute cases of asthma, bronchitis etc., blood pressure problems, heart problems etc. Many pregnant ladies, who cannot get rid of this addiction, put their baby’s lives in danger. If such babies survive, they develop problems later.

Not many know that people who are highly addicted to cigars, cigarettes, tobacco etc. die a premature death. Statistics have proved that these numbers are rising every year. The government has tried in its own way, by requesting people to think before they puff away a packet.  But is it enough? As long as smoking is not banned, it will continue in one way or the other. Apart from that, people have to be educated about the ill effects of smoking. You cannot stay ignorant about the dangers of smoking for long. It will depend solely on the will power of the people not to kick on such a habit. Remember, smoking is injurious to your health.

Types Of Addictions

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Alcohol addiction – Alcohol addiction is different from social drinking wherein two or more drinks are acceptable. An alcoholic will drink more than average, always looks for excuses for drinking. Such excessive drinking leads to physical, social and mental deterioration. The person has no control over himself, he becomes a nuisance to his family, friends and eventually to the society in which he leaves. Drinking too much causes damage to liver, heart, brain and in most cases, if this addiction is not checked in time, it leads to death.

Drug addiction – Consuming narcotics like cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and crystal meth is drug addiction. It also refers to dependency on certain prescription medicines. Commonly occurs among college going teenagers who get addicted to narcotics because of peer pressure or because it is the coolest thing to. Through drug abuse, an addict experiences feelings of power, relaxed state of mind, calmness etc. Such a person becomes restless, irritable, drawn and starts craving for more and more. To satisfy their cravings, they may beg, borrow or steal, in extreme cases, even murder. They have no control and get hysterical if their cravings are not met. Addicts are sent to drug rehabilitation for treatment but there is no guarantee that they will not wander into the path of drug addiction again.

Internet addiction – Types of internet addiction can be pornography, online gambling, internet addiction itself. Pornography leads to cyber-crimes, cyber-bullying and lot of young are victims of these. Parental guidance is required when children surf the internet. Similarly, video game addiction and internet addictions are also bad; they hinder the natural progression of a child. The child stops socializing and playing with other children. Online gambling is another major addiction where people gamble, more than what they have, thus losing out on everything. People have no clue when to stop; they often get greedy and tempted.

Nicotine addiction – Excessive smoking damages lungs, heart, can cause cancer etc. Lot of will determination is required to stop smoking. Many people find it difficult to quit smoking. Smoking is equally injurious to passive smokers.

Support Resources for Those That are Friends or Family Members of an Addict

Addiction isn’t just about the person who is suffering from the drug and alcohol addiction. Many times friends and family members suffer the same problems and issues that an addict has but in different ways. This is why it is important that those that are close to a drug or alcohol addict seek help for themselves even if the addict doesn’t get help for themselves.

Here are some resources that the support system of an addict can use to get the support that they need.

Al-Anon. Al-Anon is a great support group. It is made up of other friends and family members of former or current addicts. No one knows better then others who are in your shoes what you are going through. These groups offer emotional support and friendship from people who can really understand what you are going through.

Pastor/Minister. Spiritual help is a great way to help you through the issues that you are facing. Every church or religious institute has a pastor or minister who is willing to offer spiritual guidance and even counseling. Many supporters of addicts find this very comforting to talk to a spiritual figurer.

Professional Counselor. Depending upon how far you are into the relationship with the drug or alcohol abuser you could benefit from professional counseling. These sessions will help you understand what is going on with yourself emotionally as well as understanding the addict better.

Online Forums/Chats. There are thousands of online forums and chats that offer a great support system for those that are a support system to addicts. Many of these people are people who are in similar situations as you are and can offer advice and support during these trying times. Online forums and chats are a great way for those that are technologically advanced to get the support and advice that they need during these times.

Good Addictions Verse Bad Addictions

One of the things that determines whether an addiction is a good or bad one is understanding how it affects your life. Just the sound of the word initially has negative connotations. However, that does not mean it is bad. In fact, there are some that may save your life.

What are Bad Addictions?

These are the destructive types. They include anything you continually feel you have to do that ends up as a negative in your life. They may be physical, psychological or emotional.

Some of these include the obvious culprits: alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc. Others may not be so obvious, yet just as harmful. These include codependency, overeating, and sexual addiction.

With the exception of overeating, these are not as directly damaging physically, and the body does not become dependent upon them to function properly, as in the case of drugs and alcohol.

What are Good Addictions?

These are those that will help you with the quality of your life. They may include something like a dependency upon exercise. Addiction to exercise is not just mental, especially if it is aerobic. Studies are constantly being released that tout “runners high” and similar experiences. Exercise releases endorphins into the body that makes the body feel good.

There are also those that are not necessarily true dependencies, but are called addictions because they have become a habit. Something of this nature might be a nutritional way of eating. It might be said that someone has an addiction to healthy eating, or to yoga or meditation.

If you are one of those fortunate enough and smart enough to have good, positive addictions: congratulations. Spread the word about how you did it. If you have destructive dependencies, you should get immediate help. Once you deal with and become free of those, you can start working on developing the positive ones.

Encouraging Loved Ones To Get Help

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Although our family is very close and we do everything we can for each other, there are instances in which it becomes necessary to consider the well-being of a loved one. I recently learned that a family member was not doing well and was struggling with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. It was crushing to learn of this, not because of shame, but because of the lost opportunities. However, our family decided to work together to find a solution for our loved one.

It is understood that getting someone to agree to get help is difficult to do. Most people who are dealing with an addiction are unable to get through the ins and outs of the day, much less have to make decisions like this. Knowing the affection our family has for him, though, we were successful in reaching out to him. We were able to convince him that he needed help.

Although this is something that is difficult for anyone who is dealing with addiction, it is simply a matter of life and death. Without treatment, any type of addiction can lead you down a path to illness and disease. It also destroys your quality of life. This is why we reached out so quickly.

Our loved one will be participating in the services provided through LaPalomaTreatment.com. I found this company’s services through their website and was happy to see just how many benefits it has to offer. The goal here is not just to stop the addiction but to build a successful and healthy body and life. This is something everyone in our family wants to see our loved one achieve.

I encourage anyone that may be struggling to find ways to improve your health and life’s opportunities by getting the help you need for your addiction sooner rather than later. It will change your life.

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Addiction Recovery is a Lifetime Process

Whatever your poison of choice was, if you are in addiction recovery you are neither an ‘ex’ nor a ‘recovered’ addict; you are always recovering and you always will be doing so. As patients are told in rehabilitation programs, it is an ongoing, never-ending process of abstinence and growth.

Probably not many feel that is a deserved title. After all, if a patient has quit the abuse and is now back in the playing field, shouldn’t he or she have the right to declare him or herself to no longer be an alcoholic? Or, a drug addict?

It is important to understand the mentality of rehabilitation groups when they use the term that implies that rehabilitation is ongoing. The fact is, if a patient doesn’t believe it is, then the patient is only a step away from falling off the wagon.

Anytime that possibility exists, the patient is not recovered; and for a true addict, it will always exist. All it takes to start again is for a smoker to have one cigarette, for an alcoholic to take one drink, or for a junkie to get one fix.

It is critical that a patient understands this. As hard is it may be to think along these lines, it must be done. Dreaming that the day may come again when it will be safe to indulge is deadly.

The next time you get tempted to fall back into your abusive habit or start taking your drug of choice again, try to remember that addiction recovery is not just something you are going through today, but for the rest of your life.

Think about this: There is no reason to think that something like a dependency, which didn’t work out before, will work out this time. That has been said to be the definition of insanity.

Addiction Counseling for Chemical Dependency

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There are a few common sayings you might here in substance abuse support groups, such as: “It works,” and “Keep coming back.” These are not just for the benefit of the cheerleaders in the group, but because the statements are true. The nature of chemical dependency is that it cannot be self-managed, but requires group support and addiction counseling for full and life-long recovery.

Addiction counseling can speed up the recovery process by light-years. Counselors are normally trained and certified, and are sometimes recovering addicts, as well. A patient has the benefit of all the counselor’s instruction and experience. Counselors can teach patients things about substance abuse and chemical dependency that the abusers may never learn on their own.

There is no question that once an addict goes through detoxification, the next step is ongoing rehabilitation. The question is, though, is the patient ready to open up, talk, listen and learn. That makes all the difference, because without the desire and willingness to do those things, the counseling is just a waste of time and words. The patient will soon be back to using.

Why Would a Patient Not Respond to Addiction Counseling?

There has probably never been a substance abuser or sufferer of chemical dependency born that didn’t have a lot of pride. Sometime, that is what brought the dependency on in the first place. Quite often, that same pride stops an addict from seeking help, or talking with someone about treatment.

However, it is important to recovery that the abuser understand that. To get help, a patient must be willing to get addiction counseling. Moreover, the patient must be willing to apply what is learned herself, the substance, and the addiction. This is the only way to make it down that long road to recovery without wavering; or running head on into a train.

Living with Addictive Behavior

Some people may not realize it when they are younger, but as they get older and put things together, they may realize that they suffer from having an addictive behavior. Certainly, that behavior can make life difficult, but the most important thing is that when a person discovers they have it, they are half way down the road to controlling it.

People who have an addictive personality can’t seem to get enough of anything they enjoy. Their addictions can be many, and they can happen in parallel or the person may bounce from one to the next.

Addictive behavior can be destructive for the sufferer. On the other hand, if the person realizes he is that way, there are ways he can learn to control it. It doesn’t have to be something that destroys his life.

People who live with this kind of problem have a variety of things that can become their targets. Some of those things are good and some are bad.

For example, a destructive person may find they have a food addiction. Normally you wouldn’t think of food as something to which a person can be addicted, but it is. The person can get a mental dependence on it. He wouldn’t have physical withdrawals from not eating, but it wouldn’t be pleasant for him.

Tobacco, alcohol, drugs and sex are all things that someone with an addictive behavior might turn to. Normally, addictions like this go hand in hand. That’s not to say that all smokers are drinkers, etc. Each addictive personality has his own list of things that turns him on.

On the other hand, a person can get addicted to positive things. Exercise is a good thing and can sometimes replace negative addictions. However, even exercise can be taken too far. It’s important to use an element of control and moderation in all things.

Helping Smokers Address Physical and Psychological Addictions

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Tobacco is often one of the hardest drugs for addicts to stop using. Tobacco not only contains chemicals that are highly addictive, the drug is easy to purchase at any corner store. This combination makes it difficult for most people to quit using cigarettes. Those who do not learn effective ways to cope without cigarettes often find that they cannot resist the temptation to buy a pack when they run into life problems. Once they start using tobacco again, they have to start quitting all over again.

The best ways to quit using tobacco permanently address the addict’s physical and psychological dependencies on cigarettes. Addiction often involves much more than a craving for chemicals. Smokers trying to quit often find that they suffer from psychological withdrawal symptoms too simply because their brains crave the action of smoking a cigarette.

It is fairly easy to address an addict’s physical dependency on tobacco. Nicotine replacement therapies give the smoker small amounts of nicotine to help them withstand withdrawal symptoms. Instead of smoking a cigarette, the person simply chews a stick of nicotine gun or uses an electronic cigarette.

Replacing the psychological dependency on tobacco, however, is often quite difficult. There are, however, several strategies that smokers can use to overcome their urges.

The most effective strategy is to find a smoking cessation coach that can give you pointers along the way. These coaches have been trained to help smokers address their problems and learn how to quit using tobacco. It is much easier for most people to quit when they have support from another person.

You can also try to replace smoking with other activities that you enjoy. Over time, this can reprogram your brain so that you stop craving the behaviors associated with smoking. Instead of using cigarettes, you might take a short walk or chew a stick of gum.

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Avoiding Relapse on the Road to Recovery

Taking the first steps toward seeking treatment for drug and alcohol abuse is not easy; continuing down the path and staying on track can be even more difficult. It is critical for people seeking treatment to utilize resources offered by their counselor or treatment center, and learn as much as possible about the recovery process by doing their own research. Rehab-International.org provides ongoing support through updated information and articles to help people in recovery stay in recovery.

Besides seeking knowledge, there are other ways to avoid relapse in the first few weeks and months following rehabilitation.

Start by sharing. Don’t hold feelings in; whether its anger, frustration, sadness, or even happiness, let it out. Go to a support group and talk with people who can relate to exactly what you’re going through. Talk to loved ones and friends, and be sure they know what you’re struggling with.

Find healthy friends. One of the hardest parts about rehab can be the necessity of finding a whole new set of friends; hanging out with other users will most likely send you into a relapse. Seek friends from support groups and find new hobbies and friends who share your new, healthy interests.

Distraction through doing. There’s a lot to be said about keeping busy, with healthy habits. Look into free community education classes, start an exercise program, learn a new hobby, volunteer, or learn a new language. Occupying free time will help avoid using substances out of boredom.

Avoid tempting activities. This includes going to places you once hung out at, as well as emotional circumstances that might throw you off track in your recovery.

Mistakes don’t matter. Don’t sweat the small stuff, a mistake does not mean complete failure. Start again, and keep moving forward, learning from the mistake.

Remember, it’s not an easy journey, but the benefits of staying sober are well-worth the effort.

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