dwtbd

Noc
Perhaps a better mindset is to see 'addiction' as an abstraction, it's a term that references all states and instances of someone being 'addicted' to 'someting'. It's not a thing in and of itself that you 'have'. In that sense you/we can not get rid of addiction, but it is possible to stop using the substance you are addicted to. Analogous to I could get a divorce and end my marriage, but I am not ending 'marriage', if ending my marriage meant getting rid of 'marriage' I would fail everytime and constantly be married.

jdooner

dwtbd - I think you are onto something here but I am not sure I see it exactly as you do. In a way I agree, addiction cannot be stopped bc that would implied being cured. I do believe was can recover though but through abstinance. Becoming aware and mindful of the addiction is actually how you stop it. Over time I would imagine by firing impulses productively that the pull that the negative behaviors and habits diminish, whihc is why those with LT sobrity often say drinking is no longer an option.

The key in my opinion is to not trade addictionm, which is easy to do even subtly. I see this with religion all the time. Someone finds God and becomes an evanglist in recovery or needs to villify alcohol. None of thses actions while lesser in degree are suggestive of being recovered in m experience.

Aellyce

I started smoking at 13 yo and smoked for about 20 years on and off, mostly on. My cigarette consumption varied between a couple per day and about 1-1.5 pack. I stopped many times for weeks and never had a problem, but would usually restart in social situations. I definitely smoked much more while socializing than alone - it was the opposite of my drinking pattern. Finally quit smoking for good about 7 years ago and did not have a problem with it at all. No cravings whatsoever.

With alcohol, I had an extremely hard time: for years I wanted to quit but could not go more than 2-3 days without drinking, before this January. Also, my worst drinking period was after quitting smoking. When I got sober, I had frequent monster cravings for alcohol till ~the 4 months mark, it was absolutely a horrible experience.

I also had eating disorders back in my teens and early 20's and that wasn't nearly as hard to beat as alcohol for me in the end.

Boleo

Same here. Quitting smoking was hard at first but got easier each day. Quitting drinking was easier at first but got harder each day.

Those that say a drug is a drug... have no clue what the ISM of alcohol-ISM is.

mpr

I agree with this. When I quit drinking 7 years ago I turned to exercise/fitness, eating good, keeping busy etc.. And I quit smoking even before I quit drinking.

I also did both cold turkey solo style.

Ghostly

I used to be an occasional smoker. The annoying guy constantly bumming friends cigarettes. Never really took for me though. Although I do miss those clove cigarettes (even have those anymore?)

Now I'll tell ya, smokeless tobacco, man oh man do I miss that. Still stick my tongue down by my gums when I think bout it. Over five years clean from that.

I'd say it was harder quitting the tobacco then the alcohol. Though I really miss both at times.

alwayssober1

I was a full time smoker for 3 to 4 years, quit multiple times, then occasionally smoked after I had a drink(s) in the evening.

Every single time, after 3 months clean from tobacco, I felt like I'd never even smoked before!...completely forget about it. Alcohol on the other hand! Coming up to 9 months sober, I have very little cravings usually, but in times of stress/depression, thoughts of drinking again are very strong!

I used alcohol to "cope" with life's stressors more than I did tobacco.

miamifella

When I first asked someone in AA to be my sponsor, he had his sponsor do the interview. His sponsor was great and I always remember that he asked me if I smoked. When I said no, he told me that would make things easier for me. I was a crack addict and he told me that smoking makes it hard to get off of that (and also drinking).

I have no idea where he got this from...maybe just experience. I got turned down as a sponsee, but that interview was one of the best things that happened in early sobriety for me.

jdooner

I am shocked at what awful experiences you had with AA MF. I too would have run from that program if I had experienced the same things. I am sorry! You should be proud of what you have accomplished in spite of the challenges!

miamifella

jdooner--I hope that this does not sound "awful." I may not have gotten a sponsor, but this interview was really helpful and encouraging. If I had been braver, I would have asked the guy who interviewed me to be my sponsor.

dsmaxis10

I can get strings of sobriety but I can't quit smoking

jdooner

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jsprplc2006

I had never considered that, but given my personal opinion that all addictions are created equal (as far as the addicted person experiences them), my heart definitely goes out to any food addicts. They say that alcohol is the only drug where you have to explain yourself for NOT using it, but food addicts are required to achieve moderation - something which us alcohol addicts have found nearly impossible.

fini

this has me confused....you've just had a few people express here that we DON'T/DIDN'T experience them equally, yet you maintain that we all do? what, then, was the point of this thread if not to hear and take in others' experiences?

AliceTW

It is an interesting question...

I think, for me in outback Australia, the notion of quitting smoking is very acceptable, whereas quitting alcohol really isn't a message that is promoted (we have "Drink Responsibly" as a message here, and my 'goal' for many years was to be able to drink, but just not do anything stupid or get 'too drunk).

So in that sense I knew "every cigarette is doing you damage" and I quit smoking well before quitting drinking (though drinking was a problem before the smoking). In that sense, you could say quitting cigarettes was easier.

I also found it easier and less final to relapse on the smokes. If I was quitting smokes and had a random cigarette here or there it didn't spark a week(month/year)-long smoking fest that culminated in missing work or alienating those around me. This made it easier to be more consistent with the smoking, and to keep on trying instead of giving up and trying later.

All that said, I couldn't quit cigarettes until I tried the meds from the doctor (I'm not a cold turkey person), and I couldn't quit alcohol until I did it with medical help.