example: a drug addict alcoholic who discovers god and turns a teetotaler gay bashing abortion hating new born Christian.

Is replacing addictions the rule or the exception?

  • lurch (he/him)@sh.itjust.works
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    7 months ago

    it’s not true. i was a heavy smoker and quit and didn’t replace it. it was tough. the temptation for a smoke took like 5 to 10 years to disappear.

    i never drank much alcohol, but decided to quit that too, after i realized i hadn’t had a drink in several months and wanted to see where it’s going.

    i know several others who quit one thing or another and didn’t replace it. replacing can be a coping mechanism though. if you replace with something that’s more easy to quit, it’s a good way out.

    • db2@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      You are not an addict. This is right up there with “why don’t homeless people just buy a house”.

      e: eternal september started early it looks like

            • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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              7 months ago

              Bro, why don’t you just like stop?

              (Said with heavy sarcasm and love from someone with ADHD who has endured being told to “Why don’t you just focus” countless times - also, addiction is a common comorbidity with ADHD, woo)

              • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
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                7 months ago

                Hello sibling, I love you as well.

                Shall we go look at squirrels?

                Also, just remember, we have shiny Pokémon in real life, if nothing else we have albino specimens.

                We can combine our love of squirrels and shiny if we can find it albino squirrel!!

                I’m not even being facetious or anything. I really wanna find an albino squirrel in the wild now

            • db2@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              I doubt you’re being genuine here, but I’ll try.

              Cigarettes are a good example of an addictive substance, it messes with your brain chemistry after a while making it harder to quit. That’s an addiction, it works that way for pretty much everyone. I used to smoke too, the difference between me and an addict is I could have one cigarette today and never have one again easily, whereas an addict would not be able to stop at one and would have to work a long time to quit again if they ever even could.

              I hope some day you can gather up enough empathy to get that. But I doubt that too given your reply above.

              • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
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                7 months ago

                Bro, I’ve been a polydrug addict for 16+ years now and regularly teach others about harm reduction.

                I’m not gonna say I’m the most knowledgeable person you’re going to find on this subject, But I reckon I’ve got my fair share of knowledge.

                So tell me about this empathy I don’t have, for you know, addicts.

                Please feel free to type as much as you need and I will read it.

              • Ioughttamow@kbin.run
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                7 months ago

                I’m not sure if the distinction is what you think it is?

                I think I could have a cigarette right now and then not have another. But at the peak of my smoking I think I would have to have another. I think normal people can become addicts if they become dependent on a substance, and I think addicts can cease to be so, though it is very difficult, more so for some substances than others. Unless I’m misunderstanding you

              • HatchetHaro
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                7 months ago

                So you’re saying that addicts fall back into addictions more easily than the general populace does?

                • db2@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Usually way more easily, and usually just being aware of it isn’t enough.

          • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            You’re definitely splitting hairs with the definition here. You might be correct, but there’s also a good chance that OP didn’t use the terminology correctly either and that the answer given is exactly what they are asking about.