Smoking Addiction vs Smoking Habit
Addictions are a substance that you become dependent upon for living. As we talk about it here, it is a chemical that you take that affects your brain chemistry. But it has to affect your brain chemistry so that your brain changes its behaviors. In the case of several narcotics, as you take the drug, your brain recognizes it as a good source of serotonin (as an example) and will stop producing as much serotonin.
It’s a lot like a factory that makes cardboard boxes. They need cardboard and tape. Yes, they produce boxes already put together… work with me here. The factory will build tape, but only as much tape as needed. However, if a free and plentiful supply of tape will just POP up one day… truckloads of tape left outside by elves… then the factory will quit producing as much tape or maybe stop it all together. However, when the elves stop magically delivering the mystery evening tape runs, then the factory is halted. It may have even taken apart some of the tape machines! This is the nature of chemical addiction. This article isn’t about psychological dependence because you can become psychologically addicted to just about anything. And for the case of smoking, it isn’t a deal-breaker.
Addicts also tend to increase their addiction constantly. Either by shortening timeframes between doses or by increasing amounts. A person addicted to cocaine will most likely start using it more often and more. However, with smokers, we see a very stagnant change. They reach a magic number, say a pack a day, and stay there for 10, 20, 30 years, or even longer.
So then, what is a habit? Well, habits are things you do because you believe they do something for you. I get dressed a particular way and do so almost every day. That is a habit, part of me believes that is the best way of getting dressed, while another part says… meh, it works. But the nice thing about habits is that they change, and they will change many times over your life!
I used to have a shower caddy at home. It was part of my shower routine; you could even say it was part of my habits. I would push the button twice then wash my hair. One day, my wife cleaned the shower, and she knocked it over. She probably told me, but the next time I was in the shower, habit kicked in… I reached for the caddy, and it wasn’t there. So what did I do? Well, I turned around because that made sense, but nothing was there, so I turned around back, and nothing was there. I was stuck in a loop of trying to find my shower caddy. However, after a few minutes (more than I want to admit), I grabbed the bottle and continued. I guess I could have replaced the shower caddy, but I didn’t. And in not replacing it, my habit had to change. So today, I reach straight for that bottle. What does tomorrow hold for my shower habits? No one knows…
Why the words matter?
Addiction has a powerful meaning behind it, and to most people, it feels permanent and unchanging. So if you look at your smoking as an addiction, it may feel as though it CAN NOT change. Addiction also has external components, and it becomes easier to blame marketing or the producers for leading to your addiction. As you shift that blame, you also shift the ability to change. And since they don’t want you to change, you are more likely NOT to change.
As you internalize smoking as a habit, that concept is soft and flexible. You know it can change, and that makes change possible. Habits have an internal influence on control. You know you are in control of these habits and will take more responsibility to make the change.
We live in a world where smokers are being inundated with messages to change. And those messages seem to contain the message of addiction invariably. But like yourself, what do most of these companies have to gain? Does Nicorette have you’re quitting in their best interest? I believe doctors seem to be a mixed bag; some may not want you to be healthier, while others are just bombarded with these messages themselves. But you have to ignore the marketing, ignore the messages, and realize you can change your own beliefs and your habits.
So what is the solution?
First off, realize you are capable of change. YOu change a lot of things about yourself constantly. Giving yourself to have a flexible mindset is a HUGE step in the right direction. Ignore failed attempts to quit in the past. None of those mean you CAN’T quit, just that you DIDN’T quit. As you allow yourself to shift this mindset, you’ll find more opportunities and more inspiration to change.
Allow yourself to call this a habit, and just pay attention to how that changes things. The term addiction may seem like a concrete wall or a lifelong sentence, recognize that a habit is temporary and less substantial. We accidentally start habits and accidentally end habits every day.
When it comes to aids for quitting smoking, I don’t like substituting one negative thing for another negative then. But that’s your choice; there are many options for methods to quit. That is why I love hypnosis. With hypnosis, we can access areas of your mind that allow you to shift beliefs and habits quickly and easily. Our minds are so much more powerful than we give them credit for, but we seem to have forgotten how to use them to our advantage.
What else can I do?
Reach out to me; I help smokers quit all the time. Just start the conversion with me; either drop me an email, message, or click this link to find the best time for me to give you a call. You can change, and I enjoy helping guide people into a stronger, healthier life.