 [ Symptoms ] should you smack or forcefully put a finger in someones chest to wake the up from fainting  my 14 year old grand daughter passed out on my son in law and i got in an argument over this he said this is what paramedics did to him i believe this is to judge the level of consciousness not to wake some one up who has fainted doing this could actually cause more damage than good i used a cold compress and supported her until she came around which was just like a couple of minutes am i on the right track [ Disease ] the term addictive disease or addiction describes a persistent habit that is harmful to the person thus addiction is a chronic disease with reliance on the substance causing the addiction the addictive substance also causes the accompanying deterioration of a person is physical and psychological health psychologically an individual is behavior pattern establishes how the addictive substance is used one type of behavior is compulsive behavior which is an overwhelming and irresistible interest in use of the substance for example the compulsive addict makes sure that the substance is always available another type of behavior is habitual behavior which is using the substance regularly or occasionally for the desirable effects physically continuous use of the substance leads to dependence on the drug by the body this dependence means that when the drug is discontinued symptoms of withdrawal or distress occur nicotine is the component of cigarettes that addicts almost immediately upon inhalation the body responds to the nicotine an individual feels relaxed calmer and happier than before the inhalation these pleasant feelings reflect the physical side of addiction but then doing without cigarettes causes craving for more cigarettes irritability impatience anxiety and other unpleasant symptoms indeed these symptoms are the symptoms of withdrawal from cigarettes what is more over time more and more nicotine is desired to produce the favorable effects and to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal