I don't believe it when someone tells me that they are destined to always be an addict. I believe people use addiction as a device of escapism. To be addicted to something is to do something habitual. Many people take their addictions into the negative, especially when it becomes abusive. I have an habit of pushing my glasses up on my nose even when I don't have glasses on my face. It becomes an addiction when I can't operate in a normal day without doing the addictive thing then my body and mind goes through changes.
I think people become addicted to things that help them cope with daily life. There is a feeling or rush that people create within themselves that makes a normal day worth living. People can become addicted to anything. Anything that helps them get through the day will be used as the addict's focus. Examples are shopping, drinking, eating, exercising, stealing, and smoking are the common ones. Uncommon examples from around the world are eating hair (your own or others), swallowing metal objects, cutting scars in the skin, eating dirt, and pushing small nails in the tips of your toes. All of the addictive habits do the same thing. It helps relieve stress, creates an euphoric feeling, creates a calming action, or reduce inhibitions.
I asked my father, "why do you smoke?" He said it calmed him down. That's clearly not true because cigarettes are stimulants. A stimulant revs you up. He started smoking for one reason and kept going for another. He began smoking when he was 15. He clearly didn't start smoking because of its calming effect. It makes you look cool and fit into a peer group when you're young. Now that he's 70, the placebo effect has taken place. Now that daily stress has been built over the years, his old habit has new meaning. Why not take a long walk or a long bath, drink hot tea, or read a book to calm down? Why create a falsehood? People do what they know. My father read to get informed. He took baths to get clean and long walks were with destinations in mind. Doing those things for a calming affect were unfamiliar to him. What he knew to do was smoke. He smoked when he was nervous, excited, relaxed, or full from a good meal.
Fear has a tight hold on everyone's life in some type of situation. It's a natural emotion to have and you need it for your survival. Fear is a protective mechanism when used correctly. But fear can destroy lives if used incorrectly. "I'm scared to stop drinking because I don't know how to deal with my family." "I'm scared to stop smoking because I'll get fat." "I'm scared of not having sex with everybody because I don't want to be alone."
The only way to stop one habit is to start another one. To stop your abusive addiction, understand why you need your addiction. What is its purpose? Create a more constructive addiction, one more helpful than hurtful.
My favorite quote is from CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL.
"If you keep doing what you always did, you'll always get what you've always got."
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