We are all individuals and to give ourselves the best chance we need individually tailored methods to help us to succeed in achieving our goals. When quitting smoking Addiction to nicotine initially requires a different approach to that of breaking the smoking Habit. To give yourself that better chance of success it is vital to identify which you are dealing with. Answering three simple questions honestly will help you to identify which keeps you smoking, Addiction or Habit?
Does my craving for a smoke wake me up in the night and I have to have a cigarette because I can't get back to sleep without one?
When I wake up in the night needing a pee do I have to light up a cigarette on my trip to or from the bathroom?
Has the fact that I can't go for 8 hours without a smoke ever prevented me from flying long haul for a holiday or business trip?
If your answers are yes to all 3 questions then you are Addicted to nicotine. Even if you answer yes to only 1 or 2 of them you are probably on the verge of Addiction to nicotine. If you have identified yourself as Addicted to nicotine there are ways to recover without going 'cold turkey'. The need to find the best way for you is imperative and your doctor or an established Quit Smoking Group can help you to find which of the many products now available to help recover from Addiction to nicotine is right for you.
If your answers were no, think about your daily routine. Most smokers can identify a pattern to their smoking. You will find that you link certain actions together i.e. sitting in the kitchen at 7 am with a coffee and cigarette, lighting up whilst you stand outside in the garden with the dog first thing in the morning, having that last smoke before beginning the morning journey or the first one on your way home. When having a drink with friends do you find yourself automatically reaching for a cigarette without even thinking about it? If you mentally take yourself through your day you will find that there are times, actions and places that you have subconsciously connected to a having a smoke. This is Habit.
If it is a Habit there is good news. Habits are learned behaviour and anything you learn you can unlearn. OK, bad grammar but nevertheless true.