CRhymes

Nicotine & caffeine are mood-altering chemicals... yet it's commonly accepted that they will not "lead us back" to our DOC in the same way that drugs like alcohol or pot will.

Why the distinction? I definitely enjoy smoking & drinking coffee...and would definitely consider myself addicted to nicotine. Is it because these drugs don't have the capacity to make my life truly unmanageable? Let's say I was sober from ALL drugs and "relapsed" by chugging an energy drink and smoking a cig. I would definitely feel great and get "buzzed." Where is that line between mood-altering chemicals that exempts nicotine and caffeine?

I know I'm playing devils advocate here but it's something I've wondered from day one.

SelfSeeking

ACK don't talk about it!!!!!! lol

It's an elephant in the room for me, too, CR. I have just been like cause I do not want to face a roomful of alcoholics going through caffeine and nicotine withdrawal. It would be ugly.

Vintersemestre

Generally I think it's because they're refuges; they still give us something to look forward to but don't destroy our lives and mind. While I've chosen to deny myself caffeine as well (it only seems to add to my anxiety), you couldn't pry my cigarettes away from me at this point. While I plan to give them up as well, now is definitely NOT the time.

I've had a strange relationship with caffeine, I estimate that I was ingesting anywhere between 400-800mg a day, which isn't exactly a healthy amount. However, I never experienced any of the jitters that certain people got, etc. In essence it's very hard to kill yourself with coffee and energy drinks and very difficult to overdose on nicotine.

emmer

Basically, people who come off the streets badly addicted or anyone for that matter.
Shouldn't be expected to, not only drop there doc but smoking and coffee too.

it's just asking too much. One more smoke or cup of java probably isn't going to cause someone to drop dead but one more go with one's doc might very well end up this way.

True, smoking does kill thousands everyday and caffine probably does more harm than good and we should all be encouraged to drop both but again it's probably just too much to expect someone who's having enough of a hard time detoxing to include smoking/caffine also.

CRhymes

Vintersemestre: Not if you're chewing.

I chew tobacco off-and-on. Recently I put a wad in my mouth that was a little too big and got SICK! I almost vomited. Ugh. I felt really messed up too.

Vintersemestre

I tried chewing tobacco one time and it was by far the most DISGUSTING thing I've ever put in my mouth. It felt like the taste wouldn't go away for days.

CRhymes

Yeah it took me awhile to get used to the burning sensation from the nicotine. But I like the time-release property of it - I can get a continual nicotine fix without having to stop what I'm doing to go outside and smoke.

Swallowing saliva when you're dipping is awful though. Feels like your throat is being corroded by battery acid.

SelfSeeking

I binge-smoked myself into a panic attack being sociable after an AA meeting a few weeks ago. A true addictive personality can abuse anything if s/he tries hard enough

Timebuster

I never lost anything that was important to me from smoking cigs nico-tine and coffee.

Now drugs and alcohol, I lost everything, that was important to me.

Energy drinks have a large amount of caf-feine in them.

Ivan

espresso

Interesting replies. No definitive answer really to your question and someone has said addicts/addictive personalities can abuse anything if they want to, so I'll just add
People don't get done for coffee/nicotine driving - DUI I think it is state side
Coffee has never given me a blackout
I have never hallucinated from drinking coffee/regular cigarettes

CRhymes

I remember how messed up I got the first time I smoked tobacco. I probably could have gotten a DUI if I was behind the wheel at the time!

HarryB

I know American drug classifications are different but I read in the paper not long ago that if caffeine and tobacco were introduced to the UK today then tobacco would be Class A (same as heroin, cocaine, E) and caffeine Class C (same as steroids and ephedrine now is).
The UK rates drugs in a peculiar way, however. Sometimes the ratings are based on addictiveness and other times on harm.

Anyway, I think nicotine and caffeine are exempt because of their widespread use and that use leading to very few people messing up their lives.
Of course smoking can cause cancer but so can eating too many chips. Everything gives you cancer nowadays. Apparently my deoderant can give me male breat cancer!

Having said that...I missed a meeting yesterday because of a mixture of Red Bull and chain smoking. I could've gotten a DUI from the way I was shaking and I ended up vomiting down myself whilst still in the car. It was embarrassing.

espresso

What??? regular tobacco you know like Golden Virginia or Marlboro???

SelfSeeking

I still get a buzz from cigs. Its brief but I definitely get dizzy and stuff for a few minutes.

hairgirl

I have great issues with this one myself.I never had anything bad happen to me as a result of alcohol consumption, but I would make sure I had cigarette money before paying a bill- so is that affecting my life? YES.But -that's OK. I am being honest, even though it sounds sarcastic.

windysan

I really, really, really want to quit smoking.

mike13

for me, my cigarettes are my biggest crutch right now. probably should quit or at least cut back, but i figure i have more life-threatening issues to deal with. and besides, me without nictotine is....just not nice

Lily

I have never lost anything over coffee. I have never missed a day of work because of coffee, I have never caused myself or my family harm over coffee and I have never manipulated, lied or had to conspire because of my coffee. I have never had to cover up my coffee use, or sneaked to drink it.

I have always been able to maintain a contact with my HP when on coffee and I am responsible and dependable on coffee. Finally, I have never been jailed, institutionalized or pulled over because of being on coffee.

I don't smoke, nor energy drink, so this only relates to my 2 cup of coffee a day use.

lostbutterfly

If I thought I'd have had to give up caffeine, I wouldn't even have bothered trying to give up the stuff that was causing me real problems. It would have been too much.

I gave up smoking years ago, but I wish I smoked now! I haven't craved cigs this bad in years!

SelfSeeking

I have been C R A N K Y without coffee!!