Posted by Ann on 3/25/2002, 11:56 am I have been surprised by several of my friends who returned to smoking after a year or more of abstinence. They seem to be doing so well. After quite a few months of successfully staying off smoking, I now see more clearly the trap they may have fallen into. It really has gotten much easier to stay off smoking. Some days I don't think of smoking at all. I have caught myself ignoring cravings because, "all that is behind me." But I know this is a very risky approach to take towards my addiction. If I take my recovery for granted, and if I don't put appropriate effort and energy into dealing with my problem, I am setting myself up for a fall. AWARENESS Smoking, like other addictions, has an anaesthetizing effect. It temporarily pushes away feelings. When smokers say, "Smoking helps me concentrate," or, "Smoking helps me deal with stress," this is what they are talking about. Seeking this escape really creates more problems than it solves. While lighting a cigarette may bring the illusion of short term relief, it really just ensures that the problem causing the unhappiness will not get dealt with. My commitment to stopping smoking is also a commitment to be engaged with life. FEAR Exaggerated fear of returning to smoking sometimes is caused by a mistaken belief that one's personal worth is on the line. There can be a sense that, "If I smoke, I'm a bad person," or "If I smoke I'm a failure." This is not ture. Inappropriately identifying your basic worth as a person with your success in stopping smoking makes the stakes intolerably high. Today I will remember that I'm a good person whether I smoke or not. SMOKING IS NOT FREEDOM-IT IS SLAVERY. I used to say, "No one's going to tell me what to do. I'll smoke whether they like it or not." I thought of myself as a rebel because I smoked! That seems pretty funny now. Cigarettes led me around by the nose. It didn't matter what I was doing-I would interrupt it if I wanted to smoke. I would find excuses to get away from situations where smoking was difficult-situations I would have enjoyed otherwise. I wasn't a rebel-I was a slave. BENEFITS Several studies have been published lately about how smoking creates tension. First, nicotine causes heart rate and blood pressure to go up. The level of adrenaline in the bloodstream increases. Breathing becomes shorter, shallower, and more frequent. Often the muscles of the neck, chest, and jaw become tensed. I am always interested in studies like this, and enjoy comparing them with my own experience. I am definitely more relaxed since I stopped smoking, both physically and emotionally. I no longer get a sore jaw from clenching my teeth. Less tension means I can feel my feelings and respond to others more naturally. I'm just more alive since I've stopped smoking. Peter & Peggy Holmes
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