If smoking is not a 100% physical addiction what is it? Well, you would be more accurate in describing it as a psychological addiction.What is a psychological addiction? It is a mental urge or reminder to do something because of a particular trigger or stimulus. Let me explain. If you ask a smoker
times they normally reach for a cigarette they will list somthing very similar to following :-
1) With a coffee first thing in morning 2) Before breakfast 3) After breakfast 4) In car on way to work 5) Whilst walking from home to bus / tube / train 6) From bus / tube / train to work 7) During regular work breaks ( every hour or 90 minutes or ?) 8) Around meals 9) With an alcoholic drink 10) When I am on telephone 11) When I feel stressed 12) when I am bored
These times or events and many more trigger a response in smoker to smoke. It's a bit like when you think of salt you think of pepper. In other words smoker has made an association between these times and events. An association is something you have just got used to being there or happening. In other words it has become habitual. You do one thing and other comes with it. You eat a meal and then you light up.
Habits are automatic responses that we have to many events and/or stimuli. They are also learnt responses. We are not born with them... they are acquired via repitition.
If you think about about it, one of reasons humans are successful is because of their ability to learn something new and rapidly make it into a habit, second nature, something that can be done without thinking about it. This is really what a habit is. The marvellous thing about smoking mainly being a habit is that you. smoker are in control and can change it. Just like any other habit that we stop, so too can you stop smoking.
