addiction question

In another post someone mentioned being addicted to cigarettes so they know they are capable of addiction... this got me to thinking. There are many people who think there are certain people who are pre determined by genes or differences in the brain or whatever that will get addicted and others will only ever be dependent on the drug. That there is something completely different about an addict's brain... the never being able to control it, the high chance of transferring their addiction to another substance or habit... that kind of difference. So I am wondering if by that logic does it means that everyone who is a smoker has that addict gene/ brain chemistry thing?

[NorcoQueenoftheUniverse]

Not sure about how to answer this question as I am a smoker... but have 99 clean off of an 8-10 Norco habit a day x's 3 years (for 2 back surgeries, spinal stenosis, DDD and now Fibro)  ...I NEVER planned on becoming an 'addict' &./or 'chemically dependent'.. It just kinda happened...

My GOAL is to give up the cigs as I KNOW they are killing me... But for right now,,, I'm just taking it ONE DAY AT A TIME...plus.. the WORST part about it is that I enjoy smoking...BUT I know that I NEED to quit....  

Of note: my Dad was a smoker.. my Mom was not... My older sister smokes..my younger sister DID but no longer does ... Not sure if that has anything to do with it so if anyone has any insight regarding this it would be appreciated.

[worried878]

If you ask around...many alcoholics and addicts also smoke or smoked....i did...cigarrettes affect more receptor sites than narcs or alcohol cauing them to be very addictive...when my dad tried to quit//a heavy smoker for 40 yrs...he had physical wd symptoms such as the runs etc and he was a bear to live with!  people smoke to relax..to relieve stress, for nrg....i am not sure if it is a direct indicator for addiction..but it would make sense as it is a substance//affects the sensorium and receptor sites so it would make sense to associate it with increased chance of drug or alcohol/substance abuse

[NorcoQueenoftheUniverse]

Thanks worried...Your response was has good info.. and I appreciate it..

Gotta QUIT the CIGS!

[notgoingdown]

My thoughts on this... me and hubby both are past smokers. I quit a few times and each time I went back I smoked more. I have been a non smoker now for over a year and know now not to let myself believe that I can smoke just a couple and I recognize that as 'addict' thinking. AH on the other hand has quit several times but each time he ended up replacing smoking with skoal. He considers himself a success case by quitting smoking and doesnt consider the skoal as the same thing. I have taken opiates in the past... as prescribed and never even finished a prescription, just never felt the desire to keep taking them. I absolutely think I have the addict thing in my brain since I was addicted to smoking for so many years and relapsed so many times to that. So why didnt any of the other things I did back in my younger days ever zoom into that part of my brain or whenever I had taken opiates? Is the fact that AH never really gave up nicotine just the smoking part of it a clue to why he was more susceptible to addiction of opiates.  

Was I just lucky or is there a difference between those who stop something addictive and then later relapse compared to those who just stop one addictive thing by replacing it with another?

[TroubledDude]

This is an interesting question that many before us and many after us will try to crack. Is there really a difference between addicted & dependent? We are all human and opiods affect our brains the same way. The only difference I see is why do some people abuse alcohol or drugs or both and some don't? The latest findings seem to be linking depression with abuse, continually trying to get away from something by numbing the pain. As for smoking cigarettes I think it's just as simple as whether you were lucky (or smart) enough to never start.

[WDsRawful]

This is a strange one.  I come from mom and dad who both smoked.  Mom still does (heavily) my dad has quit.  There are 5 siblings and only one of us (not me) smoke.  I'm obviously an opiod addict but have never done other drugs, never smoked and do not drink (not even 1).  So, it's hard to say why some get addicted to stuff and others don't.  I told someone this earlier - I even knew enough to say NO to stronger opiods (as my DOC was Vicodin 7.5 - even when offered here and there by a "helpful" person)  I knew that stronger ones were harder to get off of.  I have never displayed addictive behavior to anything before the opiods.  I don't even play the lottery!  It makes no sense to me.