There are two important steps involved in recovery from nicotine addiction: physical and psychological, or body and mind. Physical recovery, while intense, is over within a relatively short period of time. Psychological recovery from nicotine addiction is achieved bit by bit as we learn new ways to cope than don't involve smoking. Understanding this distinction and gaining wisdom about the mind games the habit of smoking puts us through helps us win over nicotine addiction, once and for all.
A reader asks: "I know the nicotine is long gone from my body, but I swear I'm having cravings for a cigarette that feel just like nicotine withdrawal. Why is this happening to me, and will I always feel this way?
I'd like to introduce you to About.com Smoking Cessation forum member, Beth (Nyniane). In the article that follows, Beth helps us learn how to recognize thoughts that don't serve us as we move through recovery from nicotine addiction and reprogram our minds with thoughts that do.
Nicotine addiction teaches us a lot of false beliefs, one of the worst being that no matter how long we quit smoking for, we'll always miss our cigarettes.
Let's take a look at some of the common misconceptions smokers have about the nature of addiction and the process of quitting tobacco that set them up for failure. Build a strong quit smoking program by educating yourself about the process of recovery from nicotine addiction.
Every one talks about having the right mind set to quit smoking successfully. What is the right mind set? I have quit several times and had the right mind set when I start, but I can't seem to maintain it.
"I quit smoking 7 months ago. I do feel better, and I don’t struggle all of the time now, but I still have days where I find myself missing my cigarettes and wishing I could have just one now and then..."
Successful management of nicotine withdrawal involves learning how to decipher the meaning behind urges to smoke and responding with healthier choices.
Look through this list of common rationalizations and see if you can identify with any of them. Prepare yourself for success by knowing what to expect and how to give those thoughts the big brush off!
Nicotine withdrawal can put unhealthy thoughts of smoking into your head from time to time. Prepare yourself with knowledge of what to expect and how to beat junkie thinking down.
"A positive attitude is necessary for a successful quit. Nicotine withdrawal is a reality, but looking at it as torture is counterproductive. This is a war between my will and the addiction. A negative attitude is defeatist and gives aid and comfort to the enemy."
"If I can do the hardest thing there is to do (which I'd say quitting smoking qualifies as that) then I can do anything. And that idea right there is the most empowering idea of them all."
"In order to fight against something, you have to understand it. You just cannot help yourself overcome a thing like nicotine addiction without finding out all that you can. Without knowledge, your efforts can go astray, and attack symptoms and not the cause."
"I am quickly learning how psychological this addiction is. That is not at all to say that cravings to smoke aren't physical - they most certainly are, but they really seem to be based on an associative cognizance."
I’ve noticed that a lot of people who quit smoking 6 months to a year ago still think about cigarettes. This worries me!
