true or not true

[Kira-Kira]

Well has anyone quit i used to be addicted and ppl always say once an addict always and addict i dont believe this i quit and yes i do have my temptations i have my slip ups but i believe if u try u can quit whats ur opinon

[01love]

I've had an addiction and I've quit completely. It was a negative behaviour, and not a drug use though so maybe it was easier in comparison. My dad quit smoking after 11 years or something ages ago because my mom gave him an ultimatum: quit smoking or he doesn't get to hold me & my brother (third-hand smoking is extremely harmful to babies). It's a matter of willpower (:

[originalcyn]

Originally Posted by 01love

It's a matter of willpower (:

^agreed.
if you have your mind set to it, then you can do it.

[sassygurlone]

It's always going to be part of your past that's not going to go away and there is always a chance of relapse but not everyone does relapse. You are always going to have that chemical addiction but that doesn't mean that you have to give in to that addiction.

[Kira-Kira]

well i think its possible to quit all together i have seenppl do it b4

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

I'm referring to "hard drugs" such as cocaine, amphetamines, oxycodone, etc... in saying this. Studies in rats and humans have shown those who are addicted have an altered neurochemical response. However, after quitting, around 1 month afterward, taking some of that same drug produces such an enormous neurochemical response far greater than someone who just took it for the first time in their life. The statement of "once an addict always an addict" isn't necessarily true because given substantial time away from the drugs, such as years, the neurochemical response will less exaggerated or not exaggerated at all. I think people say that statement because of abstinent addicts relapsing, so it's viewed that they keep going back no matter what.

For example, for cigarette smokers, those who quit for, say, years, if they're given a cigarette, they'll say it smells and tastes awful. It's a reaction akin to those who try their first cigarette.

Unfortunately, I think another aspect for why people support the statement is abusing a drug(s) for a while will cause noticable changes not only in brain function but also in brain structure. Without going into excess detail, one of my research papers was on the effects of chronic alcoholism vs acute alcoholism and how it affects parts of the brain (specifically the NMDA receptors in the hippocampal-dentate gyrus complex). Those who take alcohol on rare occassions don't have any noticable change in brain structure but those who take it very often have noticable changes. As anyone who has taken high-school biology will tell you, changes in brain structure often leads to changes in brain function and vice-verca. Other areas of the brain are affected by chronic alcoholism as well.

So, overall, the statement is incorrect because many addicts are eventually able to quit and not return. It may take several attempts but many manage.

[Tara.]

Once an addict, always an addict. I firmly believe that. It's what I've seen. So far no one's proved me wrong.

[Twisted]

It takes a lot of mental strength and a want to quit to actually kick the habit. If a person doesn't truly want to stop what ever it is they're doing then theres a large chance that they will relapse because their heart and head simply isn't in it.

I think it's definitely possible to kick an addiction but it's never a case of just stopping (at least not for a lot of people). The person has to genuinely want to stop, they have to realise the damage their doing to their body and understand that giving it up is not going to be easy. It is a challenge.

My nan smoked for a good 20 years before quitting. Since she quit about 3 years ago she's never gone back. So I do believe it is possible to kick an addiction and never go back to it, it's just a case of the person actually wanting to do it.

[Kira-Kira]

I agree with you twisted because ppl can quit if they put their mind to it and have that mind set some it may be easy depending on the drug but it is possible to quit altogether

[Legen..wait for it..DARY!]

i smoked all through my first year of high school and quit over the summer. I started again last month though. I want to stop. NEED to stop. But , as with school, I have NO motivation....

[Thirteen]

I believe people CAN quit drugs all together, they just need to have the willpower, essentially. You have to want to quit in order to be able to, right?

[01love]

Oh, I understand the question better now, haha. I believe it is extremely difficult to quit an addiction, but it is possible. My dad was a chain-smoker in his youths and early 20s, he's been smoke-free for about 24 years now (: However, I've also heard that addiction is the byproduct of an addiction-prone personality. There are people with certain personality traits that get easily sucked into addictions. Food for thought (:

[Kira-Kira]

oh i just saw my mistake i cut it off at the end i didnt finish i just asked i prob got distracted so ya i see where u prob got confused so if you try to quit you can and it is a matter of wanting if you dont want to then u prob wont

[firecracker]

I believe that once you have been seriously addicted to something, you will have general temptations and/or tendencies toward addiction, probably for the rest of your life.

Some people may give in and go back to what they were addicted to, or become addicted to something new, or they may learn how to deal with it and never be addicted to anything again.

[Nicole!]

I know people who have been able to quit and never go back, so it is possible.