Originally Posted by tracy1963

From what I've seen/know, alcoholics aren't able to drink in moderation. I've never heard of one who could, no matter how long they've stopped drinking for. I've also heard that many started out drinking in moderation and then one day find they can no longer do that. Some have told me that they have never been able to drink in moderation.
I am addicted to cigarettes. I've stopped smoking many times, sometimes for years. I always think I can have just one. That is how I always get hooked again. Because I can't have just one. I wish I could. But I can't. Even if that first one is completely awful, I will keep smoking until I like it again. When I first started smoking, I thought I would just have that one, so I would know what it was like. I don't even remember if I liked it or not, but I immediately picked up the habit. I know many people who can have one or two smokes every few months or so, and have never acquired the habit. I wish I could be like that. But I can't. That is the closest I've ever come to truly understanding addiction. I don't know if it is actually a disease or an allergy or merely something to do with thought processes. Maybe it is a choice at some point in the process.