OOT: Help me settle a dispute between physical and mental addictions.

[h_ven]

Me and my friend are always doing some sort of bet, whether it's a small prop bet while playing quarters or a bet against each other on the game. Our other older friend, who's not a gambler at all, thinks that our gambling 'addiction' would be harder to quit than a physically addicting drug.

I'm guessing poll will be a landslide.

My thoughts:
<font color="white">Physically addicting drugs are hard to come down from. You literally have to 'kick' the habit, while quitting online poker, sports betting, and prop betting would be emotionally 'not fun' for awhile, but would be way easier to quit than smoking, chewing, or much harder drug than niccotine.</font>

[mbillie1]

Smoking is much more of a psychological addiction than a physical one after a while. The problem is that there are almost no things that are purely physically addictive, so it's a difficult line to draw. I'll say that I've gone months without smoking and had no physical "cravings" and still found it very difficult not to light up if I see someone smoking on tv, etc. And now I still smoke.

[TiK]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll say that I've gone months without smoking and had no physical "cravings" and still found it very difficult not to light up if I see someone smoking on tv, etc. And now I still smoke.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have had a similar experience with you with regards to smoking. I was perfectly fine getting over the physical addiction, but the mental addiction was, and still is extremely hard to get over. In fact for me, cigarettes are nearlly 100% a mental addiction.

Many times, I've heard from others that when they were trying to quit, they would get agitated and cranky due to nicotine withdrawl. For me, I had none of those symptoms. It was just when I would see it on TV/movies, or if I was around others who were smoking, or after a large meal, it would be extremely difficult not to have one. If I wasn't tempted, or reminded of it though, I don't need it at all.

I used to chew on straws as a substitute, which worked to an extent, but there's something about the actual act of exhaling the smoke that cannot be replicated by chewing on straws. For me, it was more the act of smoking that calmed and relaxed me, more than the nicotine.

[tarheeljks]

if you aren't suffering from withdrawal, are you truly addicted?

[mbillie1]

[ QUOTE ]
if you aren't suffering from withdrawal, are you truly addicted?

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, yes? I'm pretty sure it's fairly well documented that the psychological aspects of addiction are more difficult to overcome than the physical aspects.

[Blarg]

Being physically addicted to drugs can be deeply tied in with all kinds of emotional things, so I don't think you're making a distinction that is worth making.

[mbillie1]

[ QUOTE ]
Being physically addicted to drugs can be deeply tied in with all kinds of emotional things, so I don't think you're making a distinction that is worth making.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what I was trying and failing to say, thank you

[guids]

Me personally, I can quit physically addicting things much much easier than psychologically addicting things because of how hard I know I can/and do push my body. unfortunately imo, nothing si really either/or as blarg said.

[Klompy]

This is kind or ridiculous. It's possible to die from withdrawal from certain drugs. I don't think I've ever heard of someone dying as a direct result of not being able to gamble.

[mbillie1]

[ QUOTE ]
This is kind or ridiculous. It's possible to die from withdrawal from certain drugs. I don't think I've ever heard of someone dying as a direct result of not being able to gamble.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're an infant, yeah