So, you smoke cigarettes, as many others do. You may fall under three classifications of addiction. (1) The smoker who is addicted to nicotine only. (2) The smoker who drinks socially and smokes more when they do. Or (3) someone addicted to another tormenting substance, be it alcohol or other drugs (prescribed or recreational). Nonetheless, all have one thing in common: CIGARETTE smokers and are all without exception, ADDICTS.
CIGARETTES ALONE
Well, cigarettes are a silent killer. So silent that the devastation caused goes socially unnoticed and until a possible point in the smoker’s life, with unawareness to their own selves. Although it is mildly a mood changer it is not often too obvious and does not change one’s mental state beyond reason. Not like alcohol and other drugs. Nevertheless, for the smoker, it is still an addictive substance that they are controlled by.
SMOKERS & SOCIAL DRINKING
Most smokers are likely to fall within this category as most people are social and/or light drinkers. Why not? It is legal and socially acceptable to go out for a drink or to unwind to some alcohol at home. A smoker often attaches their habit to stress, physical withdrawal and socialising, with or without alcohol. In the latter case, being whilst drinking, their cigarette consumption (more often than not) increases vastly compared to that of their daily habitual routine.
SMOKERS & SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Whether prescription or illicit recreational drugs, or alcohol abuse (alcohol use disorders), it is obvious that, being mind-altering, these are more dangerous addictions than simply smoking cigarettes. Nevertheless, cigarettes can have an interesting correlation to these and can become apparent when an individual struggling with addiction decides to break the habit. It is often even encouraged that a user in recovery allows themselves to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes as much as they want so as not to relapse. But is that not just holding on to less detrimental addictions… essentially, still leaning on dependencies that offer a higher chance of possibly relapsing into old habits? I’m not saying it’s wrong or doesn’t work for some. Nevertheless, the smoker and caffein seeker is still in any case, an addict.
SUMMARY
This article is not to educate you about whether you have a problematic addiction, need help or how to get clean. It simply aims to highlight that being a smoker means having a dependency like any other and it may be wise to consider breaking that habit whilst breaking others and should one be lucky enough that smoking is their only addiction, to be aware of it enough so as not to replace it with another. And lastly, so as not to pass it on to their children.
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