Let me tell you what smoking does NOT do for you.
Smoking does not ease your stress.
Smoking does not calm you down.
Smoking does not make you feel more relaxed.
Smoking does not make you feel happier.
Smoking does not make you more able to cope.
Lastly, you do NOT enjoy smoking.
"But, wait!" you say, "Smoking DOES do these things for me!"
No. It doesn't. But it DOES do something. Here's what it does:
Smoking a cigarette will relieve the beginnings of withdrawal (which started quietly when you put out your last cigarette.)
Smoking a cigarette will raise the levels of nicotine in your body so that you mistake the feeling of feeding your nicotine addiction for a sense of calm.
Smoking a cigarette tops off the nicotine in your system, making your body less worried about maintaining the level of nicotine in your body. You mistake that rising level of nicotine in your bloodstream for relaxation.
Smoking a cigarette feeds your existing nicotine addiction. You mistake that sense of momentary relief for happiness.
Smoking a cigarette does the same thing for your body that you see on those police shows when a scary heroin addict finally tightens the band around his arm and shoots up. He's not less stressed, calmed down, more relaxed, happier or more able to cope with life...he's just upped the drug in his body to the point where he's not in withdrawal anymore. That "aaahhhh" he emits means his body had avoided withdrawal, not actuallly experienced something GOOD.
These are true and real and serious parallels, my friends. The ONLY difference between a nicotine addiction and an illegal drug addiction is that nicotine is legal, somewhat socially-acceptable and the addiction has fewer real life rock-bottoms (losing your job, your spouse, your car, your credit).
No, you may not ever be in danger of losing the important things in your life because of your smoking. Unless you die from smoking. And people do die from smoking, you know. And those folks lose EVERYTHING. And the people who love them lose EVERYTHING, too.
Please let us help you quit. We have so many tricks up our sleeves that help get you through!
xxxooo, Sky
