Are you more addicted to nicotine if you start very young?

[mcclung]

I am 54 years old and have been smoking since I was 12. My numerous attempts to quit have failed. I have read up on this process countless times and I have never run across anything that says you are more addicted the earlier in life you start. The reason I even ask this question is because I know a number of folks that did not start smoking until they were about 18 or 19 in college or in the military that quit at their first attempt, and on the other hand a know a few folks like myself who started smoking at a very early stage in life and are still smoking today even after a heart attack, heart disease, COPD, and high blood pressure. I also think that drugs and alcohol started at a very young age produces the same result as far as truly addicted. What are your thoughts?

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

I don't believe you are more addicted to nicotine, but the psychological part of the addition, the triggers and associations over so many years,  might add a bit to the difficulty.  But - we can help you relearn them and help you over that hump!

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort.  I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

[elvan]

I don't think you are more addicted but I do believe you stop growing emotionally when you start smoking, drinking, or using any addictive substance.  Instead of learning to deal with emotions the way other people do, you AND I ran for our cigarettes and puffed away while we avoided dealing with whatever was making us uncomfortable.  I started at age 17, I did quit for pregnancies because the smell made me vomit, I also had some failed short term quits that I tried on my own.  Once I came here and I did the reading, the homework, I developed a Quit Plan following the directions at the top left on the home page.  I tracked cigarettes and triggers and I was somewhat surprised at some of my triggers.  I KNEW that sadness and stress were triggers and I knew that chronic pain was a trigger although I have no idea what I really expected a cigarette to do for me.  Once I knew what my triggers were and which ones were the strongest, I made plans for what to do INSTEAD of smoking when the triggers came after I quit.  Triggers are always going to come and go...that's life, just like we will always have good days and bad days.  I smoked for 47 years.  I have COPD, I denied that to myself and kept smoking because quitting IS work and I was scared until I came here and I did the reading, I participated every single day and I took the advice that was given and I promised MYSELF that I would stop smoking and start trying to take better care of myself.  I realized pretty quickly that the reasons I used to smoke were the same as any other addict using their drug of choice.  This IS an addiction and recovery is one day at a time, one hour, one minute, one second.  You will have support and love here and you will have the opportunity to discover who you really are, one of the benefits of quitting is emotional growth.

Welcome to EX

Ellen

[mcclung]

Thank You so much for taking the time to respond. This is truly an addiction, but one I can work on one day at a time. I am on DAY3 today and finally had the courage to drink a cup of coffee this morning. My usual routine was a cup first thing when I woke up along with 3 cigarettes then drive to work with my second cup and 3 more cigarettes (45 min drive), then at least 1 more cup when I got to the office with several more cigarettes with that cup. Today I had a cup at my desk and drank it very slowly and was surprised that the craving for a cig was not worse. I have been monitoring this site and reading a lot of the blogs and have found this very helpful.

[elvan]

mcclung‌ Congratulations on day three.  I think you might find that you are more sensitive to caffeine now that the nicotine is basically out of your system.  I sure did.  I used to drink a pot of coffee every morning and Diet Coke or energy drinks throughout the day.  I never have more than one cup of coffee a day now, never drink energy drinks and I only "allow" myself one Diet Coke a day, often I drink none.  I do drink lots of water, I have a water bottle that I carried with me like a pacifier at the beginning of my quit, I would suck on the straw and sip ice cold water and it distracted me from the craves.  I also sucked on sour candies because they helped but the thing that helped the most was this site, I came here every morning and every evening.

I can promise you that if you keep on going, it WILL get easier but there will be bad days along with the good days...there are whether we smoke or not.  Smoking doesn't fix anything, it just keeps us tethered to our addiction.

I am so proud of you, seriously, and so happy FOR you.  Keep on going...this is a journey.

Ellen

[mcclung]

Thank You for your

[bonniebee]

I think once you reach day 3 the craves do not get any worse the first three days for me were the most difficult . It does not get worse but the days ahead can be difficult for a few weeks just face that fact and make the commitment to hang tough and the days after that will get easier .I have no proof but i began smoking at 12 years old then i stopped because i was afraid of getting caught and i was not hooked yet ....began smoking and was hooked fast at the age of 14 . I do think a young age may make a difference both of my parents and all grandparents were smokers i grew up breathing second hand smoke and maybe this makes it harder too . It took me years to quit and i thank god for this site now at 68 years i am finally free ! You are doing great believe in yourself say positive things to yourself and coe to EX daily at least for the first few months .

[Tabbiekat]

Fully agree with what Nancy said.Years ago I found a picture of me when I was 1-2yrs old sitting on a family friends lap with 5-6 adults all smoking, even the picture showed the thick smoke around me. So I have been exposed all my life.  I lit my first at the age of 10, and became a regular smoker at 16.

I had plenty of attempts at quit, but even though I am only on day three, I know this is my final quit. I have spent the last month mentally preparing, reading, reading, posting, reading and setting up plans on what and how to handle different triggers. My initial quit date was set for Oct, 30th. I started Chantix on the 13th, it worked to kill off the physical desire so when I did smoke I got no physical sensations. I had my last smoke on the evening of the 16th and by the afternoon of the 17th I said I was done, told my husband then came here and changed my quit date. Now I am working on handling the individual triggers.

A lot of people can handle the social aspect with just one puff, or just one drink. Addicts are the ones who have the one puff and finish off the pack before they realize it. The one beer leads to the 12 pack gone by nights end etc. Of course their are all of the rest of us who fall somewhere between. Nicotine is addictive and I believe the addiction starts in the way were were wired before birth and it truly is different for everyone. I have found the knowledge and support I needed when I joined EX and I truly hope you can find the quit within you and sick with it. Welcome to EX

[Barbara145]

Hello McClung.  I am glad you are here.  I started smoking at 14 and smoked for 52 years.  I was finally able to quit with 2 forms of nicotine (Patch and gum for me.) and the support and education from this site.  If I finally did it, you can too.  It is truly never too late.

[mcclung]

That is so good to hear, THANKS!