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Addiction to the smell of petrol?

Discussion in 'Other Substances' started by Hiraeth, May 5, 2015.

  1. kgord

    kgord Community Champion

    I don't mind the smell of gas, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to smell it. Anything with that many chemicals in it couldn't be healthy, and it is one of those things that people would be better off not doing. I think unless you are sniffing it every day, and making sure you have it, calling it addiction might be a bit of a misnomer.
  2. Novelangel

    Novelangel Active Contributor

    I can remember a few years back, when I had an addiction to the smell of paint fumes. It seemed like at the time, there was something weird going on with my body chemistry and I suddenly loved the smell of anything chemical in nature. I didn't have any unusual fondness for floral scents or 'pretty' scents of any kind, but oddly enough, I was attracted to the smell of paint, and the stronger, the better. I would inhale it every chance I got, though I never felt like I was getting high from doing so. I don't recall being fond of gas fumes at the time, but since they are chemical, I probably noticed them more than I usually do.
  3. lurking

    lurking Member

    I definitely have an affinity for it. I can't help it and I never paid attention to it until later in life. When I'm out and about, if I catch a whiff of gasoline, it smells so good to me. I would prefer that smell over perfumes or flowers or baked goodies. I also love the smell of racing gas, too and jet fuel. All are my favorite.
  4. I think it is disgraceful and completely misleading to call liking or having an affinity for the smells of gasoline or glue or markers "an addiction." It meets not one of the criteria for addiction and does not ever develop into a dependency so we can all drop the "addiction" label and talk in this regard. Absolutely absurd. Likening the smell and when it's there such as gasoline at a gas station while refueling as needed and sticking your finger into the gas nozzle to catch a few smells is NOT an addiction. An addiction is a compulsion to do something despite repeated negative consequences, such as going to jail and then getting out and drinking and driving again immediately after or within the first year. When people happen upon such smells as gasoline at a gas station, they engage in inhaling... the smell of the gas fumes and when they are through with the task at hand, filling up their cars, they leave. Even if they sneak a little into their fingers to take the smell with them a bit....then arrive at home and go about their business. When a marker is present and they pick it up and sniff a whiff cuz it smells good. It doesn't give a high off of a smell or five. And a person doesn't go out of their way to go to a gas station to fill their already full car just to catch a whiff or drive around all day so their car will need gas just to go to the gas station to catch a few smells or wet their finger to smell a little longer. That is in absolutely no way an addiction. And can we please not insult true addicts who are suffering and unable to lead any kind of productive life and who are killing themselves and wish they could stop and for their families living in agony???? Such as those with an opioid addiction or addiction to crack cocaine. likening the smell of hydrocarbons in petro and catching an extra deep whiff or five when in the vicinity of them but not seeking them out for any other reason is the farthest thing in the world from an addiction and this blog that likens these examples to addiction is completely dishing out appallingly misleading and false information. As well, insulting addicts and families and loved ones of addicts whose lives are completely ruined and still, they cannot stop and spend every second in bondage thinking of getting more and doing more at any and all costs including dying and destroying the lives of their children and those who they do love and know who love them; losing their children and still not being able to stop. Complete and utter suffering and in bondage to substances... such as heroin and crack cocaine. real addicts. Please get this straight. Btw, I'm an LMSW, CAADC and RN as well as a former addict 30 years clean who continues to work in the field. the misunderstanding in this blog of what an addiction is is truely insulting. Please look up the definitions in the DSM before spewing careless words such as "addiction" around that carry true and real meaning. This word when used words correctly carries the meaning of devastating consequences and heavy prices for so many. Let's choose our words carefully and get the context correct. Thank you.
  5. Agreed! If you find your nose in a full or even a half full red tank of portable gasoline and inhaling a few times or even more than one time.... then you have a major problem! One whiff that close would completely burn and destroy those sensitive nerve endings... would have to be destroyed in order to repeat his! Then you know you have a problem. Otherwise we just love the smell ciz itsbso incredibely wonderful... still, I don't find myself at Home Depot buying very needed kill oil based (truely wonderful stuff) to paint the mess on my ceiling of wax from an exploded candle! And still find myself running out of gas due to pushing limits of not stopping at a gas station to fill up in time! Embarrassingly so. So while it smells wonderful, there is no real compulsion and therefore, absolutely NO addiction! Not even close! But no one loves that wonderful smell more then me!