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Posted July 22, 2014 

Sometimes I do charity work for a homeless shelter. A really good friend of mine runs it and I help her out whenever she needs it. In the last 2 weeks, she has called me in twice. Seems she is getting an influx of abscesses from IV drug abuse. The first one I saw was from heroin abuse. 23 years old with a 4 year old little boy that she doesn't have custody of any more. The second one I saw last night. She has already lost one arm in an infection from an infected meth injection and now has another abscess in her remaining arm from the same thing. And she has an 8 year old little boy that she does have custody of. And this morning, I get another call from her. She has another one in there that I will see tonight.

I've been thinking, more in awe, at how much people will put their poor bodies through to get that next fix. I have listened patiently and not said anything as people have announced on here and other places calling themselves nicotine addicts. I haven't ever agreed with that term. To me, these people are addicts. Me, personally, have always felt that I have developed a habit that's really hard to break. I have never thought of myself as an addict.

Which has led me to think.......are we doing this much damage to our bodies and it's just not as evident. I would NEVER EVER let anything come before my children. I don't understand that. But one day, I made my son go to the neighbors and get me cigarettes. She knew I was trying to quit and I knew she wouldn't not give them to my son if he asked. Is that manipulation or addiction talking ? It's a fine line there.

And then I thought about Doreen's husband and about all the patients I see that are on borrowed time and how they sneak smoking. Knowing that is what got them there in the first place. Does that define addiction ? One loses an arm and I call it addiction. One loses his life and I call it a habit.

I have a really hard time with the word "addict".....but seeing these people and knowing what I would have done for a cigarette at times has got me wondering. What if cigarettes, today, became immediately illegal ? What lengths people would go to to smoke.....would I have been one of those people ? What is the only form nicotine could be taken was IV ? Would people still do it to the extent they do today in inhalation form ?

Just me wondering and being angry. Angry that someone could actually want to hurt themselves and their kids by just getting a good feeling. There are so many good things about life and they just seem to be short changing themselves. It's sad. And wondering if I'm the same as them. I don't want to be.

Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2043-addiction-or-habit/