Of course you want to stop smoking. You want to quit smoking more than anything else, and you should! But, you just don't know where to turn! If your like most, you may have tried patches, gum, Chantix, Zyban and/or hypnosis only to find yourself right back in the clutches of nicotine addiction! You know that your behavior is unhealthy, but you're afraid to give up your crutch because if you do your emotional distress will worsen, and you just don't know if you can cope without it! You know that it's unhealthy to smoke, but you just can't seem to stop! Unfortunately, smoking cessation programs not only fail to address the root cause of nicotine addiction, but they also fail in excess of ninety percent of the time! But, I'm here to tell you that there is a better solution for overcoming your nicotine addiction; one that doesn’t include patches, gum, hypnosis, psychoactive drugs or nonsense!

WHY YOU SMOKE
As with every type of habitual behavior, I believe smoking is a choice. I also believe that this choice can be broken down into the following two categories:

Individuals who occasionally enjoy a cigar or cigarette socially

And individuals that smoke to alleviate their emotional distress and anxiety

Although there is health risks to consider when smoking, individuals that fall respectively into the first category are generally capable of walking away from it without any difficulty whatsoever. Comparatively speaking, this parallels individuals who drink occasionally and or socially. The second category represents individuals who have become dependent on smoking to alleviate there emotional distress and anxiety, whereby making it extremely difficult to achieve smoking cessation, unless they remove the root cause. I am vehemently opposed to labeling anyone since I believe that we are all created equal, but for the purpose of greater understanding these people would fall into the medical community’s definition of a nicotine addict. As we discussed earlier, most physicians, therapist, hypnotists, counselors and smoking cessation experts would have you believe that smoking is caused by a chemical co-dependence and/or that it is a learned behavior. Well, I have a different take on those theories, and I have proven over and over again in my Addiction Recovery Coaching practice that the root cause of addiction is the need to mask emotional distress. These emotional issues are often rooted in the negative patterns of family dysfunction, and smoking is no exception to the rule. Although when it comes to a smoking addiction, the primary type of emotional distress involved is anxiety. In many ways, smoking is used as a coping mechanism for those of us that are nervous, fearful, or anxious about our family, job, relationship, or financial well being. This frantic effort to control life often leads to smoking or a nicotine addiction. In essence, smoking is a crutch! But, why do some people react to the unknown with anxiety while others face it calmly with the belief that things always works out? I believe the answer to this question is twofold. First, some people naturally possess a higher level of coping skills, and second, some people have learned to conquer their fears, insecurities and most important their anxieties!

THE PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECTS OF NICOTINE
As nicotine enters the body, it is distributed quickly through the blood stream and can cross the blood brain barrier in approximately seven seconds. The life of nicotine in the body is around two hours. The amount of nicotine absorbed by the body from smoking depends on many factors, including the type of tobacco, whether the smoke is inhaled, and whether a filter is used. Nicotine's mood-altering effects vary by report. Initially, it causes a release of glucose from the liver and adrenaline from the adrenal gland, which produces a stimulating effect. However, users report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and even alertness. When a cigarette is smoked, nicotine-rich blood passes from the lungs to the brain within seven seconds and immediately stimulates the release of many chemical messengers such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopamine a neurotransmitter, which results in enhanced pleasure, decreased anxiety, and a state of alert relaxation. However, as the body adapts it requires increased amounts of nicotine to produce the same effect, whereby creating a trap!

WITHDRAWAL
Many of the proponents of the chemical dependence model believe that when you stop smoking, your body reacts very quickly to the lack of nicotine in your system. They claim that over the course of three to five days, you are likely to experience a number of the following physical symptoms as the toxins are flushed from your body:
Increased irritability, frustration, or anger
Difficulty concentrating
Trouble sleeping
Increased appetite and weight gain

However, I have seen no empirical evidence to conclusively prove that most people experience the above-mentioned symptoms because of the lack of nicotine. I believe that most of these symptoms exist prior to smoking. Therefore, once you stop smoking the anxiety, restlessness, lack of focus, fatigue, and sleeplessness resurface. The nicotine was merely a masking agent! In essence, smoking is a means by which to alleviate ones anxiety and emotional distress. Think about it for a moment, and ask yourself the following questions:

When you smoke does it calm your nerves and relieve your anxiety?

Do you find it difficult to manage your anxiety without the crutch of smoking?

What has caused your anxiety? What dysfunctional patterns have you learned in the past that have damaged your self- esteem, confidence, or willingness to trust?

Do you find it difficult to avoid worry and to trust the flow of life?

Are you fearful about negative outcomes concerning your relationship, job, or financial situation?

Once you explore these questions, you may begin to discover the vehicle that is driving your smoking addiction!

Overcoming your nicotine addiction is really all about removing the source of your emotional distress, isn't it? If you could remove the anxiety, nervousness, and emotional distress you wouldn't need to alleviate it with the psychoactive substance called (nicotine?)

Smoking is a symptom of underlying emotional distress and anxiety. Therefore, when you fix the root of the problem smoking becomes repulsive. Learn how to make your urges to smoke dissolve on the spot! Learn how to make smoking become repulsive to you! Learn how to crush your last pack of cigarettes and walk away forever!
David Roppo
The Addiction Freedom Coach