I had a vascular bypass they told me to quit smoking so I did. That's just the way it is. Whatever name for it might make it sound better but truthfully if you have to quit then you have to.
Do I have a disease being hooked on cigarettes?
yes.
in some ways the inability to comprehend may also be a disease... but we can discuss that later.
to point...
its about chemistry... not just substances you put in your body... but behaviors, cause your natural systems to produce various chemicals... hormones, enzymes, endorphins, etc....
so you get a feeling...an experience...and alteration... not just from the nicotine you enhale when hitting a smoke... but from the actual act of raising the cig to your lips...the drawing in of the smoke.... the burning sensation in the back of your throat...the feeling of your lungs filling with heated smoke...
every single part of the process alters your body chemistry. Different people get addicted to various parts of the experience. Its not just the nicotine.
Myself, I have an acute oral fixation... my girlfriends loved it back in the day....
but truth is, I quit smoking nearly twenty years ago.... but I chew gum constantly...I go through about 2 boxes a week...
not the box on the shelf at the store for $1.50... but the box that has six of those,,, basically I got me a $50 a week chewing gum habit.
...and in the end Im still stuck on nicotine...I dont smoke any longer... but I use nicotine pouches daily...
the physiological effects of spontaneous cessation (going cold turkey)...actually gives me a fever, causes delirium, cold sweats. tremors, nausea, headache,...generally feeling like crap...
if you do not suffer these types of withdrawals kudos to you brother...you were fortunate...I also have some things I can use without fear of addiction... nicotine just wasnt one of them.
basic truth is...addiction is real. It is not only mental, but has a serious physical affect as well as emotional components.
The hardest part about dealing with them is the simple fact that they treat every single human differently...
I used to do mass quantities of a powder called cocaine back in the eighties...MASS quantities.
It is highly addictive and has destroyed thousands of lives.
I got a job, ...they didnt allow you to be on cocaine while you worked.....and for me it was just, "what?? I cant do coke no more?? Aw damn, that suxx ass!"
...and you know I gave away the last gram I had...and I have only ever done a single little bump since then. No big deal... inconvenient. so what.
Made it really easy for me to be judgmental against others regarding addictions....wasnt until years later when I found myself at the mercy of a chemical...that I finally started respecting what it really means.
and in soooooo many cases,..the psychological addiction is exponentially stronger than the physical addiction.