If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Take a look around and enjoy reading the discussions. If you'd like to join in, it's really easy to register and then you'll be able to post. If you'd like to learn what this place is all about, head here.
Comments
Aye, in this thread.
Everytime a thread of this nature is started the same arguments arise and why I commented was because cruel wrote something I can totally relate to.
I get that a lot, i'm going into the Co-Op and 12 year olds will ask me to buy them ciggarettes, fools, don't they realise i work there!?
It wasn't just that.
There's an attitude from some people that implies that if you can't give up you obviously havn't tried - which is bollocks - and coming from people who have never experienced an addiction to anything (let alone a substance that's often regarded as more addictive then heroin it) it just seem a bit wrong.
Nobody here has said it's impossible to give up anyway.
Yeah, can sound very patronising saying that, unless you have suffered yourself trying to give up smoking, etc. My dad has always wanted to quit smoking, but just can't and to be honest in this case I'm glad as I would not be able to cope with his mood swings haha... my mum was bad enough. Was worse living with her int he early days of her giving up smoking, than when she was going through menopause.
She was given a $600 fine and he got something around $200
This is in Australia so i dont know what the laws are like for u guys..... but its a lot of money to waste just cos u feel bad saying no to a bunch of kids!
See, this in itself is patronising in the other direction, but you guys don't seem to care about that. It's ridiculous to assume that just because someone is writing that people can give up smoking that they have never experienced either giving it up, or a similar thing.
That suggests to me that he is of the attitude that he wont be able to give up, which is exactly the sort of thing that I was talking about. With that attitude he wont be able to give up, no.
Anyone who approaches giving up smoking thinking "oh well I know I can't give up but I will try" is doomed to fail in their attempt, it's that very reasoning that I have heard before from smokers who, not surprisingly, are still smokers.
I'm talking about those that have never suffered a nicotine addiction. I havn't assumed anything about anyone. I think it's fair to say there is no substitute for experience.
How did you overcome you aclohol addiction - I'm intrested?
Now you're the one assuming things about people you don't even know.
Just because people say they can't give up doesn't mean they havn't tried.
And for others to just say 'well, they just havn't tried hard enough' is very patronising.
aye. way to make an assumption.
just because people don't list their past addictions and problems in their profiles doesn't mean they don't exist.
It's not really relevant, but I would say I did over time. I started to recognise that it was not right and lost the interest that was the hook.
Not really, it's the truth, as I have said before.
You might not like the fact that someone not being able to give up means that they haven't tried hard enough, but it's true. if someone "cannot give up" then they have a choice. They can either carry on with their addiction, or they can try harder to stop it. It's not patronising to say that, it's the truth.
Okay so they might need external help to assist them with trying harder, but the plain facts are that you either try to stop, or you don't stop at all.
hmmm :chin:
If i asked someone for a cigarette i wouldn't call them a name just because they wouldn't give me one, that's a bit pathetic.
i gave up for 2 months after my dads death,then started again like a twat!
people who have never done anything just dont understand.
I don't beliece you know anything about alcohol addiction. Drinking too much does not automatically equal an alcohol addiction. I suppose you managed to overcome this alcohol addiction all by yourself?
I said that just because someone has put in the effort but not succeded doesn't mean that they have tried. You disagree with taht?
Frankly what you believe is of no importance to me.
No, but I still think that it means that they need to try harder.
Well that goes without saying.
Apparently not as some people seem to think it's insulting to say it.
:yes: Spot on.
And it seems especially patronising when coming from people who have never had a nicotine addiction.
There's always that element of "it's your own fault" there, however. Not meaning to dig but it does give non-smokers a sense of high and mightyness, whether it's justified or not.
It's one of those things. I sympathise with you because I hate smoking and anyone who's going to the effort to give up should be given all the support possible. Maybe it's just meant as friendly encouragement in the sense "don't give up, it is possible" since they don't want you to give up giving up. Having said that, lots of people try to give up 3 or 4 times then manage it on their 5th.