The answer to this lies in the addictive qualities of nicotine. Smoking is not just a habit, as many non-smokers believe. Nicotine is a poison but like many recreational drugs it is something that you want more and more of until you become dependent on it. The body neutralizes its poisonous qualities by adapting to them (although they can still have long term health effects). So then when you suddenly quit, your body has a bad reaction and sends out panic signals telling you to please provide some of that nicotine again, fast.
Another reason why people smoke is the perceived psychological ‘benefits’ that many people experience. Maybe deep down a person likes to be thought of as a risk-taker, a ‘bad boy’ or girl. These factors are often motivational when a person starts to smoke, but they can also explain why people smoke many years later. A person aged 50 may feel that they are young and rebellious again every time they light a cigarette – and that can be a powerful feeling.
At work, smoking can give you the excuse for a much-needed break from the office environment every hour or two. Smokers usually enjoy getting together with other smokers and they may chat to people that they would not otherwise have any contact with. More importantly, they probably have friendships, family relationships, perhaps even a marriage, with other smokers. They are afraid that they may lose those people if they quit smoking. This fear may be unconscious but it is still there, pushing the person to keep on smoking.
So there are many factors that may seem like benefits to smoking. They motivate smokers to continue. Often, the smokers themselves are not aware of them. If you are a smoker wanting to quit, one of the best things that you can do is to sit down and make a list of the benefits that you get from smoking. Be specific: name other smokers that you like to spend time with, for example. Then think about how you can achieve those aims without smoking. Looking at why people smoke – and especially, why you yourself smoke – can actually help you quit.
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