[ Post a Response | The Sublime Desire of Cigarette Smoking ]
Posted by M G F on April 4, 2007, 8:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Recent Experiences"
I have long believed that the psychological and behavioral addictions to smoking are every bit as strong as the physical addiction. It may be splitting hairs just a bit, but personally, I make a distinction between psychological and behavioral addiction. While the physical need for nicotine may be gone after a few days, the former smoker may well continue to believe that she is feeling physical cravings for much longer. That is what I think of as the psychological addiction. Withdrawal from one’s behavioral addiction can be much harder and last much longer. In addition to physical and psychological addiction, I also think that most smokers are addicted to their behavior as smokers. One colleague in particular comes to mind. She quit smoking more than three years ago, yet frequently opens her purse and reaches for a cigarette when she leaves the hospital at the end of her shift.
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