Managing Psychological dependency

Every pack of cigarettes has a warning from the Surgeon General stating that smoking can be harmful to your health. You are not stupid. You understand this. You feel the harmful effects every time that you cough or have a sore throat, but this has not stopped you from smoking. Why? Because the reasons for smoking are mostly psychological.

Sometimes you start smoking in a misguided attempt to calm your nerves, cope with stress, or lose weight, but smoking does not help to solve the source of your problems or to compensate for poor eating habits. Denial that you are addicted to tobacco is the greatest barrier in overcoming the habit.
Addiction to nicotine makes it hard to quit smoking once you have started, but this addiction can be overcome in two weeks once the psychological reasons for smoking are eliminated.

These are some of the reasons why people smoke:
No particular reason, but the cigarettes are handy
To reduce a feeling of anxiety or nervousness
To calm down when upset or angry
To socialize with other smokers
When feeling restless
As relaxation
To take a break from work
While having coffee or tea
When having a drink with friends
To satisfy an urge to smoke
After a meal
After sex
To pass the time while waiting for someone.
When driving in the car
When feeling depressed
When drinking beer, wine, or liquor
To celebrate something
To think about a difficult problem

Review this list and think about what you would do under each of these circumstances if you did not smoke. You need to start thinking about how you are going to cope in these situations without using tobacco.

Managing unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety are some of the most common reasons why adults smoke. When you have a bad day, it can seem like cigarettes are your only friend. As much comfort as cigarettes provide, though, it's important to remember that there are healthier (and more effective) ways to keep unpleasant feelings in check. These may include exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises.

For many people, an important aspect of quitting smoking is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult feelings without smoking. Even when cigarettes are no longer a part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to smoke in the past will still remain. So, it's worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally have you reaching for a cigarette.