What is an addiction?

[Blessed2]

I've been addicted to nicotine for a long time. Don't really have a plan to quit, and don't feel like trying, just kinda letting the addiction be. I'm kinda "reading" (very slowly, might take a long long time) the Allen Carrs Easy Way To Stop Smoking and it's and interesting book.

 

Anyway, not sure why I mentioned that, it's not really the point of the thread. I'm just wondering what an addiction really is.

 

The usual story about addiction is that a substance / activity feels good, and then someone starts to compulsively use that thing to feel better.

 

Though is it really so? Does good feeling really come from the substance or the activity?

 

I randomly read about Elton John on Wikipedia yesterday and it said that he suffered from many addictions, including drugs, but has managed to quit everything except shopping. It says he's still a shopping addict.

 

But does shopping really in itself feel good? How could that be? Really all shopping is, is just sights, sounds, sensations, thoughts isn't it?

 

Is what "feels good" about shopping that focus is directed away from discordant thoughts? Is it the same for nicotine, alcohol, heroin, sex? Focus away from discordant thoughts: seems like the thing feels good, but it's actually letting go the discordant thoughts that feels better.

 

But why is it that so so many people are addicted to smoking, drugs etc, but are not meditating? Why is it that meditation is "uncomfortable", but shopping is fun? Is it easier to direct focus away from discordant thoughts by shopping than it is by meditation?

 

There's also another interesting difference between addiction and meditation. Addictions seem to always generate some sort of problems. Health problems, financial problems, social problems etc. Meditation, not so much. Weird.

 

 

[Someone here]

Don´t understimate cigarettes. My father used to have a smoking habit for +25 years on and off . He also told me that at one nicotine detox house he was. . he was having a panic attack not because wanting to go out to go score some heroin but to smoke a fucking cigarette! So know you are dealing with a tough fucker...not to scare you.. just to let you know the fight will be sneaky.

I myself quit cigarettes some months ago and I remember the cravings and seduction of going back would go in flashes. I would have 1 week super good without not even remembering it and then I would crave it. It went like this for some time. I would say (in my experience) at the 2 Month the cravings completely went away and I didn't wanted to smoke ever again... 

I did smoke from time to time afterwards at parties.. and very special occasions though, I must be a weird case...eventually it would give such crazy anxiety and bad mood even smoking 1 cig that I just completely got disgusted by it and don't see the point at all in taking something that makes me anxious and tastes bad.... Bad yeah it's nice you don't want to smoke ever again...just remember quitting is sometimes not linear. 

Also don't be scared to be close to smokers, you will eventually have to resist that craving sooner or later (you being near a smoker a wanting a cig too) so becoming comfortable with it until you don't want it. 

As for the comparison between addiction and meditation.  .meditation itself can be an addiction..it puts you in a state of relaxation free from all the mental noise and bullshit that surrounded us everywhere..but some addictions are actually good for you  .like if you become addicted to reading books ..that might be a good addiction. 

Yes ..indulging in pleasure blocks away the discord felt from overthinking and that's why they are addictive in the first place .

But no excuses man . Smoking causes cancer .this is some serious shit  you must do all you can in order to quit  

Good luck  👍