Category Archives for "Alcoholism"

Smoking and Drinking

Smoking and drinking are associated in many people’s minds, but most people who drink are not alcoholics – they can take it or leave it. Smoking is different, in that virtually all smokers are addicted to nicotine – that’s why they smoke.

What if you’re an alcoholic who smokes? Some such unfortunate people, who may have been helped by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), try to use the same approach to quitting smoking. This is a unnecessary. Stopping smoking is much easier than for someone suffering from alcoholism to stop drinking.

In a number of blog posts under this heading I try to show the differences between alcohol and nicotine addiction and clear up some misunderstandings.

In particular, the common advice to avoid alcohol if you want to stop smoking, because it can act as a ‘trigger’ to smoke, is unhelpful. It merely reinforces the idea of sacrifice – you should stop drinking, cut down on coffee, avoid friends who smoke and generally turn your life upside down while you’re ‘trying’ to quit smoking!

With the Symonds Method, except for ceasing to smoke you don’t have to change anything else in your life.