Relax and Stop Acting Like a Cigarette Addict
Sunday, July 15th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
I never realized how much I acted and felt like an addict until I quit smoking cigarettes. Perhaps you can relate to this.
My cigarette habit did not always make me feel like an addict…however laws began limiting where I could smoke. I could no longer smoke in my office, I could no longer smoke in public buildings, I could not smoke in airports and on planes and in restaurants, etc. As these laws began to take effect, I knew fewer and fewer smokers……Smoking was not something you wanted to advertise, it was not acceptable.
The more smoking became limited and the less smokers I knew, the more I started feeling like an addict. I was constantly thinking about when I could have my next cigarette. When I went into a business meeting, I thought about how I could not smoke. When I was flying somewhere, I would wait until the last possible minute before entering the ariport.
I wanted to smoke as much as possible, as though I was storing nicotine in my body to help me make it through a long plane ride.
This is ridiculus. You can not store excess nicotine in your body, these thoughts and actions were not rational.
However, I saw a lot of other people doing the same. A whole line of smokers were outside the airports puffing up a storm. We all looked like we would never be able to have another cigarette again.
All of these actions and thoughts are those of an addict. I did not realize how much cigarettes were controlling me. I could not even go to bed unless I had at least one cigarette for the next morning.
After I quit smoking, this all changed. In fact, it wasn’t until I was taking my first plane ride as a non-smoker that I realized how much calmer and relaxed I was.
I arrived at the airport early, I did not have to hang around outside feeding my habit. I had a nice relaxed breakfast and slowly made my way to the gate. I window shopped, arrived at the the gate early and read while I was waiting for the plane to board. The sense of relaxation, confidence and overall well-being I felt was amazing. At that moment, I became increadibly proud of my quit smoking accomplishment. In fact, whenever I am tempted to start smoking again, I think about how I felt at that moment. I was completely relaxed and at peace with myself.
I realized how severely cigarettes impacted my prior behaviour. How much I used to act and feel like an addict.
- as a smoker I was always anxious and nervous when I knew I would not be able to smoke for the next 1 1/2 hours or more;
- when I was with non-smokers or in non-smoking places, I would also be thinking about how and where I could sneak a cigarette;
- I would smoke whenever an opportunity existed, because I knew that opportunities were limited;
- I would try to find hidden places to smoke, because I felt like a social outcast. I knew smoking was frowned upon; etc.
These feelings and actions have a negative impact on your sense of well-being, confidence and your self-esteem. It was difficult to focus and stay centered when these feelings overcame me, which was more often than I care to admit.
Does this sound pathetic, perhaps. But I know I am not alone. If you are a smoker, you probably feel the same way whether or not you realize it.
This is just one more reason why you should stop smoking. Not only is smoking bad for your physical health, it is also bad for your mental and emotional health.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope that it will help others to quit smoking or remain ex-smokers. If you have a similar experience, please share it with us.
To Your Health,
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