Love help: Do Drug Addiction Hotlines work? - Help.com

wow.. sorry Mas… I’m not sure if I can be of any help. I’ve usually referred these folk to AA or some other helpful 12 step. Basically, (in my opinion) I think addiction is dealt with substitutions. If smoking is a problem another hand to mouth habit can replace the smoking. It’s one reason so many gain weight after quiting. But instead of any kind of food, they could have carrot sticks handy, or I used flavored toothpicks the first time I quit. It takes 28 days to make a new habit, so it cannot happen overnight. I think addiction is a control issue. Those addicted feel out of control in some external way, so they pick up their habit as a way to control things. So, if they can change their mindset to know that they can be in control more than they think, and then change habits… The addiction can be beat. Oh… also, the motivation to quit the addiction can be very powerful. I have 3 very powerful, intelligent and beautiful reasons never to smoke again.

I’d go the helpline direction too. I don’t do drugs anymore… and I never did many anyway. Many on the drug helplines have beat the monkey. They say weed is not addictive… like I believe that. Smoking crack would be a completely different story. I don’t know if I can agree about addictive personalities or not. True the substance of addiction can be less or worse, for example drugs have a chemical component that some addictions do not have. I wish you luck and
Bright blessings ~ Richard

sounds a little like my ex. She says she’s allergic to weed. Me… I NEVER liked the way it make me feel. I was mellow enough already without weed; it just put me to sleep (who wants to sleep at a party?). In my younger days, speed was the way to go for me. I couldn’t tell you if I was ever an addict. I was able to quit them all relatively easily. hmmmmm I’m sure I’ll be learning more about addictions soon.

Nature vs Nurture; it’s an ancient battle.

I recently watched a film where they took rhesus monkeys and swapped the babies to different moms. One baby appeared to have the genes that make them very nervous and clinging (same as his mom). They gave that baby to a calmer more confident mother. Only have a few months that baby was exhibiting more confident behavior. BUT when it was very stressed it reverted back to it’s nervous clinging ways. So, will someone with the “addict” gene become an addict? I think environment will play a huge part in that.

I think you would have went in search of them to some extent… they’d probably end up being different demons though.

I don’t know if talking about smoking stuff on a hotline will help. Maybe getting a refferal to an addiction treatment facility might though. I have a problem with alcohol myself, and the only way I finally got it under control was to check myself in for treatment. I guess it really depends on how far the addiction has progressed.

The only problem with regard to this discussion is knowing that the real horror started when words like addiction and recovery appear. There is one and only one reason any of us drink, drug, behave immoderately. We all do it for precisely the same reason. We want to. Please, stop the madness. I drank alcohol for 25 years or more and I didn’t do it because I had a machine on my back that made me do it, or I was mistreated, or, God forbid, I have a gene that made it impossible for me to know I would simply fall apart if life didn’t unfold as “it should.” I did it because I wanted to. And I grew to realize that I would die because of that kind of thinking. I nearly did more than once. I reached a point where I no longer wanted what my own, willful ignorance had supported. I had to learn to live all over again. I am disappointed that people will defend their wrongs with more vigor than their rights. I am lust to disclose that anyone who thinks they can ‘help’ anyone else overcome their self chosen responses to life, is the kind of individual who has yet to face his own demons. Are we Amercans or American’ts. My cat sometimes chases her tail furiously for a few moments, while I have seen her more often, simply reach back and grasp it. We all slip in and out of mental illness.

Awwww, how sweet, our first fight! : )

Whether they work or not, it doesn’t hurt to try. Smoking really sucks, you don’t think you’re getting addicted but you really are. I stopped because I hated the smell, but your friend needs to find the thing that makes her want to quit… i.e. motivation. Does she have kids? pets? These factors can sometimes make a person want to stop smoking.

I quit four times and unsuccessful. What helps me while I’m quiting is going to the gym and fellow recovering people. What makes me laugh are the ones that cheat and ask for my silence. If another quits, it only takes “one puff” to put you right back. I know that too well. There is a new drug that’s suppose to work now and it’s not ziban. Ziban worked for some, not me though. I will get it done soon though..lol. Lying to myself.

it takes only strong minded individuals to quit any addiction i have over come alot all at once and it wasnt easy. you have to remove not only the drug but everything that is associated with that drug. smoking was the worst but i found that if i wanted to quit i would. send her/him lots of good jobs and stay with her/him

try and get them to chew gum instead thats how my parents done it
btw i wasnt lieing in my post im being seriouse

Mas1st wrote:
Anon I’ve replied to your post and invited 14 of mtheir thoughts too. I’m someone’s Mum so I can only give you my point of view - that is why I invited the guys. Some of them will be offline right now but they will all turn up eventually - Regards Mas

i helped :)

if they are really serious about helping themselfs try a therapist, or a councling group with other ppl w/ the same problem.

Based on personal experience, the person has to want to quit. Hotlines will not help you quit, it is the individual against the drug and a strong will that will prevail. Rehab, therapy, etc., can help ease thru initial withdrawal, but in the end, it is behavioral modification & an individual battle against whatever substance. In my case, I am not powerless. After the physical addiction passes, which can be rather quickly, the individual’s behavior has to change. It does come down to personal choice in my case. I wanted to quit, sought help, received help & then back on the streets to fend for myself. That’s when it is you vs. the drug. Your support should help…but it is the individual that will wage the fight.

well- we have the smokefree line here in kiwi land

But she’s not here in nz rite?

Why don’t u ask wot country, it differs per country

An understanding of “set” and “setting” can be helpful. Read Drug, Set, and Setting: The Basis for Controlled Intoxicant Use, Norman E. Zinberg M.D. Basically, identify the components of addiction - the social setting, and the set (individual, tools, and substance).
Most people cut weed with tobacco. Therefore two substances are involved. THC and nicotine. Nicotine is well proven as a physiologically addictive substance, the addictive properties of THC is still debated.
Isolate and identify the primary addictive substance by ceasing simultaneous THC and nicotine consumption, then work on each separately. I would suggest continuing tobacco consumption and addressing the weed first. In the rare case where people smoke weed alone some have suggested cutting this with tobacco, the weaning onto tobacco. I would not recommend this. Begin to reduce THC intake by reducing the strength, method, and or volume of weed smoked. Drinking can also be an issue.
Identify internal reasons, personal reasons, why the user uses. Depression, for example, or family problems, or study stress, or medical pain, there are many. Try to address and deal with these separately from the addiction. Do not see the addiction as causing these, nor deny that it may have. Just identify that they exist and address them. The drug may very well be reducing or alleviating such problems, and to say that it is the cause when this is simply unknown can be harmful, and so can believing otherwise. Just address the problems on there own where possible.
Dealing with the individual, substance, and methodology as above largely addresses the “set”, in addition a reduced dependency on the setting is required. Construct the foundation for an alternative social network and begin a transition. This may not mean that someone stops smoking week. Just don’t do it with the same people (or in some cases for a user who regularly consumes alone they can try consuming less but only in a group), change the social way the drug is used to one that is less dependent. Remove and disrupt the social dependence, replace it. I worked for two years in a center that provided (under great controversy at the time) a place where injecting drug users could “safely” inject drugs they had bought on the street - thus changing the setting and providing many benefits to society.
There is no hard and fast way, but sometimes people have a bad trip and go cold turkey, others just suddenly stop getting any pleasure, others don’t change and live a more productive life as they adapt to the substance (an evolved dependence?), others turn to other substances, others die… be a friend.
Hope this helps.

I don’t know about drug addiction hotlines, but try them and see!

I don’t know if you are still looking for help since i am new to the site and just started reading some of the posts. Addiction hotlines do help to a degree and with some questions i am sure that your friend might have that you can not answer if you never had the experience but they are voices that are impartial and unknown to your friend so also he/she should call them you can be the biggest help and support and often that is what is needed someone close that is noticing the progress and gives cheer to any little step that has been accomplished and it sounds from your post that you been doing this and i believe that is a very important part and also knowing when your friend might have a tough time and to help with positive words or distraction and addvice .. your friend will win

Drug addiction helplines and methods used for breaking free of narcotics could easily apply to tobacco. Nicotine in inhaled cigarette smoke goes to the brain faster then mainlined (injected) heroin! The brain uptake time is under four seconds.

Having quit smoking cigarettes three seperate times (18 months, 10 months, 6 months) and currently smoking again my best advice is a lifestyle change. With cigarettes it is not only the nicotine that is addictive, but also the hand-to-mouth habit. Some people have found chewing gum to help combat this. For others rigorous exercise along with its natural endorphin boost can help curb cravings.

I tried a simple form of aversion therapy by snapping rubberbands on my wrist when I would smoke or have intense cravings and that worked for about 6 months. I was using the aversion therapy for other bad habits at the same time and eventually it stopped being painful when I snapped the bands.

For me a tongue piercing was most effective. It took care of the mouth habit for me the best. However it also ended up chipping teeth and I eventually took it out. Now there are plastic barbells out that don’t chip teeth and some are even UV reactive. I have been contemplating ordering some and trying again. This could seem a little extreme to some people but I attribute the 18 months I was quit almost solely to having the piercing.

Another factor with cigarette smoking is when it is part of a person’s routine. Some examples: I have worked jobs where you did not get a break unless you were a smoker. Some people have a smoke and a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Some people smoke when they drink alcohol, while others smoke after every meal. Changing routines and making new healthy habits in their place can do wonders for combating cravings and the old “smoking” routine.

I believe Azimuth hit the main point thou in the post just above this one, and that is that a person needs to desire to quit first. If they do not want to truly quit but try because of pressure by friends, family, etc. they will most likely fail or unduly struggle.

-Drew Sin