How do I know if I have an addiction or if smoking is just a bad habit? Many people say to me: "It's just a nasty habit, you could quit if you really wanted to quit." Yet, you try to quit and you feel terrible. All you can think about is smoking. You're angry at the drop of a hat, you feel anxious and restless, you can't concentrate, and you're eating everything in site. You're doctor keeps telling you that you must quit smoking, but you just can't do it!!! Chances are you're addicted.
Nicotine is the component in all tobacco products that keeps people using these products despite the consequences to themselves and others. Nicotine can control rational thought. Nicotine is highly addictive. In a 1972 internal memo a Philip Morris executive notes, "no one has ever become a cigarette smoker by smoking without nicotine". The addiction to nicotine is more than just a physical one. It's also psychological, behavioral and social.
Tobacco use undoubtedly meet the criteria established by the World Health Organization, Surgeon General, and the DSM-IV for drug dependence. Below is a list of these criteria.
Primary Criteria: Highly controlled or compulsive use (i.e.-smoking outside in the cold/heat
Psychoactive effects (mood-altering effects, i.e.- anger, frustration, stress)
Drug-reinforced behavior (the above effects strengthen behavior leading to further use)Additional Criteria:
Stereotypic patterns of use (after meals, driving, coffee, etc.)
Use despite harmful effects (continued smoking after a diagnosis of a smoking related illness)
Relapse after quitting
Recurrent drug cravingsThese dependence-producing drugs can often produce:
Tolerance
Physical dependence
Pleasant effects (euphoria)
To determine if you're addicted, take our self-tests. (link to self-tests) If you've ever tried to quit, you may have experienced physical withdrawal. Some common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are listed below.
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Nicotine craving
Anxiety
Restlessness
Difficulty Concentrating
Anger
Increased Appetite
Frustration