Posted by Ann on 3/4/2002, 1:29 pm The Inner Child refers to that part of each of us which is ultimately alive, energetic, creative and fulfilled: as in our Genuine Authentic Self, who we know deep within us, our Real Self. When a real child is not getting the attention they need, they often act up. The do things like smoke, drink or take drugs as a cry for help. Here is my crazy thought. Maybe for some of us that Inner Child was the part of us that smoked. Maybe this inner person was crying out for attention. Maybe he or she wasn't allowed to be energetic or creative or fulfilled in some way and the child continued to smoke as a way of acting up. This thought came to mind after I was talking to someone about how he still felt a need to do something "bad" after he quit smoking. I started to wonder if maybe the reason was because the child was not only still being ignored, but also punished. The cigarettes were taken away. Also I remember someone else telling me that they got a PlayStation 2 and it helped him quit smoking. His inner child was finally getting some fun. Then I started to look at my quit and myself and if I was giving that child any attention. I realized that I was, all the time. I am having so much fun now. I take my dog to this remote park almost every day and often dance in the middle of the woods. I read more. I go to movies more. I've also been taking more chances and find that I am less scared, like a crazy teenager. In general I am happier and feel more fulfilled. Maybe when I took the cigarettes away from the child I started to listen at the same time. My suggestion to anyone who is quitting: Do things that are fun and fulfilling. Replace smoking with things that the inner child might want to do. My friend Mark (who quit) and his wife take dance lessons now. Try it, you have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain. QuitNet, kona
This concept called an Inner Child has been a part of the world for a very long time. Carl Jung called it the "Divine Child" and Emmit Fox called it the "Wonder Child". Some psychotherapist called it the True Self. and Charles Whitfield called it the Child Within.
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