You know how people say they are alcoholics even if they never drink again? Why does that not apply to smokers?
@dauphin87 You can fall back into any addiction. I don't think defining one's self permanently by their addiction feels healthy, anyway.
Anyone should be wary of relapse or new addictions, if they've ever become addicted to anything.
But I'm not going to wander around beating myself with a hair shirt going "I'm an alcoholic! I have a permanent disease!" Please. I'm a person who has dealt with substance problems, and takes care not to repeat that, and will hopefully continue to do so.
@dauphin87 alcoholic is more an allergy. Both have the same mental addiction symptoms/ personality defects etc as with food and all other things people can do too much that affects life negatively.
In my experience, the fall-back potential of both is very strong. So one drink, one smoke, and you can be back to zero again.
But I find it helpful to re-define myself as a non-smoker/non-drinker rather than as someone who defines themselves by what they are denying themselves.
@dauphin87 It kind of does.. I gave up 24 years ago. But I know in heart that if I had ONE now, I might get away with that one, but if I had two, that's it, I'd be hooked. So it's NONE!
@dauphin87 I think people say that because Alcoholics Anonymous (and other 12-step programs) say it.
Problem is, Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-step programs in general aren't based on any real science/research (instead, a bunch of religious nuts just made all that crap up), and they don't actually work... so I wouldn't take anything they say seriously.