Nicotine - When does dependence set in?

[DHCuser]

I'm sorry about having a thread on nicotine which may be a bit out of place but I couldn't really find a nicotine thread on on this topic and wasn't sure where to put it.
I realise this is a very subjective question so I'm hoping to get some input from those that smoke occassionally and those who are full-blown nicotine dependents.

So I bought some cigarettes at work the other day as a way of sort of bonding with a few of the fellas at my new job who are smokers, stupid reason I guess, (who knew peer pressure still existed into adulthood? lol). Obviously I've smoked occassionally before when drunk and sometimes when on dihydrocodeine or tramadol. But I smoked 2 last Tuesday, 2 Wednesday, 2 Thursday, 3 Friday and 6 today (Saturday). I'm not sure why. I had been having mild withdrawals from tramadol (mostly mental, depression, boredom that sort of thing). Anyway I vowed that the cigarette I smoked at midnight today will be my last for a while. I just want to know will this have been enough to produce a mild nicotine dependence and can I expect some withdrawal?

To those that have/do smoke how many/long did it take for you to start noticing a dependence?
It will be a real inconvenience to have the "foggy brain" feeling if I do get mild withdrawal since I've got a load of coursework and revision to do next week so just looking for a bit of info.
Thanks in advance.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Your not going to have withdrawal symptoms after smoking 6 cigarettes and a couple the days before. Dependency sets in once you start feeling the "need" to smoke in certain situations and I guess when you start to crave them. Have you started to feel like you "need" to smoke cigarettes whenever your with friends? It took me just a couple years before I became dependent. I felt like I had to have a pack of cigarettes wherever I went and always a place to stop and smoke. I can't go more than a couple hours without a cigarette or I start craving really bad.

 

[DHCuser]

Yea I was hoping a few smokers could put it in perspective. It's just it's so highly addictive that some web sourche were quoting 28% addiction rate after 3-5 and 42% after 6-9! And others that mild dependency signs are apparant after the first 5 cigarettes even if smoked erratically and not daily.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

Nicotine is extremely addictive. Many people get addicted after three or four cigarettes.

 

[regfairfield]

i would say true addiction to cigs takes anywhere from 6 months-year

 

[kace]

For me it set in after about 6 months. I started off by just having a couple out when drinking, then at home when I was bored and chilling with friends, then one or two a day, thenn I learnt how to roll them and got into the habit of chain smoking. Just don't get into the habit of it.

 

[K12]

I smoke about 2-3 cigs a day. I have gone up to 6-7 cigs a day. It has been this way for about 4 months. I feel the slightest addiction to them. I do not have any cravings, but when I go a day or two w/o one and I smoke, after the first or second puff I begin to "feel" like my old self. I would call this a mild dependency. I am stopping this nicotine recreation before it gets out of control.

 

[KeepingThingsReal]

I smoked about 7 cigs in total yesterday, not even a full 24-hour period (like 5 or 6 between 2am-4am along with a J and a few bowls), then like 1 or 2 around with 5 or so bong hits around 5pm yesterday.

 

[K12]

I smoked about 7 cigs in total yesterday, not even a full 24-hour period (like 5 or 6 between 2am-4am along with a J and a few bowls), then like 1 or 2 around with 5 or so bong hits around 5pm yesterday.

That's great. Now what is your point?

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

I smoke 13-15 cigarettes a day. A smoke every 1-2 hours. I'm addicted. 5 packs a week. Its an expensive habit.