Re: ADHD and Smoking

Bjorn from Norway — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 03:48:27 -0000

I smoke.

I'm so lucky as to have gotten ADD-traits from both sides of my family, allthough my mother quit smoking when she was pregnant.

I some times think that I'm fortunate to not have the hyperactive part of the diagnosis, but the attention disorder is enough for me.

Now, I got I got married this summer, and (yay!) it's been half a year. Already, everything is crumbling and even though I know ADD has a lot to do with it, I can't bring it up. My wife thinks it is running away from my responsibilities if I mention ADD whenever I've forgotten something or make a promise I couldn't keep.

So I've got a problem that I've had my entire life, I smoke to alleviate the symptoms and she says I have to quit. I understand that. It's just that I can't. I'm not on any ADHD-medication (my previous psychiatrist actually gave up on me because I was unable to take the pills every three hours. I forgot. Imagine that.) and every time I get stressed or too unfocused I have a cigarette to calm me down.

It's funny how the Alan Carr's easy-way-to-stop-smoking seems to work for everyone else. Is it just a placebo effect, or does smoking really help? Is there any way of defending that I smoke? Should I even be defending it...? I really wish I didn't smoke, and I've wanted to quit since the time I discovered I was addicted.

Yeah, I'm going to quit smoking.
Tomorrow.

Because right now I really need a cigarette, again.

I'm never going to give up though. Life is hard with ADD/ADHD, but there are more people in the world having a tough time without it than with it. Every time I feel like throwing in the towel and retiring to the next world, I try to keep that in mind. At least I live in a country where I'm pretty much guaranteed to have a place to live and something to eat.

That's something, at least.

(Oh, and sorry for complaining. I was just so full of it right now...)

-Bjørn

Re: ADHD and Smoking

drumsnwhistles — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 03:21:03 -0000

Thanks, Doc. I do know what to do -- it's a matter of actually getting up and doing it. :)

So it's not just overcoming addiction -- it's also overcoming procrastination.

(How lame did THAT just sound?...sometimes seeing it in black and white just drives it home...)

Re: ADHD and Smoking

Doc Searls — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:30:23 -0000

There was nothing called ADHD when I was a kid, but I knew my father self-medicated by smoking. That's one reason I never took it up.

He died at 70 of his 5th heart attack. His first came when he 59 -- a year younger than I am now.

His mother lived to 107 and never smoked. His sister is 94 and never smoked.

My mother lived to 90 and never smoked, but had severe macular degeneration, possibly caused or exacerbated by passive smoking.

You know what to do. We're cheering the effort from the sidelines.

Best,

Doc

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