19.03.2024

Smoking: habit or addiction?

Describing it, they mention words like irritability, anxiety, discontent, stress. At some point, these States become so strong that the smoker is not thinking about your health and buy cigarettes.

Since 1988, may 31 is world no tobacco day. Actively and visibly in the fight against Smoking Russia was involved with 2013, when it was adopted the law “On protection of health of citizens from impact of ambient tobacco smoke and consequences of tobacco consumption”. According to the health Ministry, then the number of smokers decreased by about 10%. But, even if we consider these figures, Smoking part of society is more than 30 million people. Why do they all smoke? Understand together with a clinical psychologist, writer and presenter of TV channel “the Doctor” by Michael Khors.

It is well known that inhaling smoke (any, not just tobacco) is harmful to human health. Obviously, from the daily smoke inhalation deteriorating physical condition. And here it is incorrect to say that smokers are so stupid that do not understand the dangers of Smoking – among them many intellectually developed people. It is incorrect to call smokers weak-willed – many of these people are strong willed and exhibiting nature in other spheres of life.

If you ask smokers themselves, it turns out that they are more concerned with not health problems during Smoking and worsening psychological condition without cigarettes.

Why are smokers so bad without cigarettes?

They answer: “I feel frustration and dissatisfaction because I am not allowed to do what I want.” But if a man suffers, if he is forbidden to do what he wants? So much suffering, that they forget about logic and responsibility to their health? Forgets that he gives his children a bad example? Of course not!

This situation does seem strange, if we continue to treat Smoking as a bad habit. “People used to bring to the mouth of white paper tube, impregnated and Packed with all sorts of chemicals. It is his little weakness. And the fact that he bad breath, yellow fingers, black lungs – it is his own choice,” we think.

However, it is clear that the approach to Smoking as a bad habit that is fundamentally wrong. Habits are behavioral automatisms, which change quite often, easily, without a strong anxiety and irritation! Suffice it to recall how you hopped on a new car, changed the place of work or residence… Yes, out of habit, our body tries to behave in the old way: we can go to a different metro station or try to find a clutch pedal in a car with automatic transmission, automatically assuming that we were going to previous car “mechanics”.

But all this does not cause strong emotions. Max – a slight dissatisfaction. After a few days we create new automatisms-habits and stop using the old one.

Why Smoking is not a habit?

For clues to this mystery, you can refer to the definition of the word “Smoking” in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. What we see there? “Smoking is a drug”. It turns out that smokers are is addicts. And the addict is the person who is experiencing a drug without his “breaking” is a painful condition, which is scientifically called the withdrawal syndrome. And it forces the addict to use the drug, even if it is obvious harm.

You will be surprised, but heroin addicts describe withdrawal is very similar to the smokers. Heroin addicts also feel irritability, anxiety, dissatisfaction and, at some point, an uncontrollable attraction to his drug. Of course, their feeling stronger and more Intrusive, but in fact, the same suffering as that of the smokers.

What this knowledge gives to smokers? What to do with this addiction further?

Armed with this knowledge, any smoker, quitting can fight the addiction, not with his desire to smoke. Realizing and recognizing your addiction, the smoker can also understand that he is forced to smoke, as is his “forces” to do a withdrawal syndrome.

Very hard to beat their desires, almost impossible. For victory over Smoking, you need to understand that in fact, any desire you have! There is withdrawal, a withdrawal of the body from the drug-nicotine. Yes, to be in withdrawal as unpleasant, but if you perceive this condition as a sign of recovery and the body’s fight for independence, and not as a desire to breathe toxic smoke, the withdrawal period is experienced much easier.

Advice to all smokers quit Smoking – stop using the phrase “want to smoke”. Watch your thoughts and your speech. Tell yourself that you want to be healthy, strong, good smelling. It is with these goals you refused from tobacco! And that feeling, which you earlier mistakenly called his “desire to smoke” – not the desire, and the breaking of the addict. It will reduce its intensity for several days, and in a couple of weeks do pass!

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