The smoking "habit" rests on a weak chemical dependence on nicotine and very pleasant mental associations with the objects and processes of smoking. Both of these reside in the subconscious mind.
Smoking is not so much a habit as a set of very pleasant associations. At its most basic, the first drag on a cigarette is associated with relief. As bizarre as it may seem, the relief you get is relief from the withdrawal symptoms from the last cigarette that you smoked!
Nicotine
Whilst nicotine is a very addictive drug, the withdrawal effects are very mild (weak chemical dependence). When you put a fag out, The amount of nicotine in the blood starts to fall, and you start to feel the withdrawal symptoms.
The Subconscious Mind
The mind has two parts, the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind is what we think of as the whole of our mind, but the reality is that the subconscious does most of the hard work.
The subconscious mind does not operate logically. For example, in order to acquire a new skill, you have to try different things until you get to the point where you find something that works ("suck-it-and-see").
The subconscious is where you feel the withdrawal symptoms, and where you feel the relief from the withdrawal effects when you light your next cigarette.
Because the subconscious isn't logical, it doesn't see the link between the previous cigarette and the withdrawal effects because of the time delay. However, it does see the link between lighting up a cigarette and the immediate relief from the withdrawal effects of the previous one.
Mild Withdrawal Effects
This is how the smoking habit is maintained; the very mild withdrawal effect of nicotine combined with a very powerful subconscious association between lighting up and the relief from the withdrawal effects.
Extreme Pressure
So now we know why the subconscious mind wants us to carry on smoking, but how does it make us carry on smoking even though we have decided to stop?
The subconscious mind is capable of exerting extreme pressure on your conscious mind.
Did you ever try holding your breath for as long as possible? You can do it for a while, but, as the carbon dioxide levels in your blood start to grow, the subconscious mind starts putting pressure on your conscious mind to take a breath. The higher the carbon dioxide levels grow, the greater the pressure, until eventually your lungs feel so uncomfortable that you have to start breathing again.
Power Struggle
The need to continue to smoke comes from the subconscious, so a logical approach to giving up smoking is not going to work.
However, the decision to stop smoking usually comes from the conscious mind.
This power struggle between the rational conscious and the suck-it-and-see subconscious is the reason why people so often fail to stop smoking.
Hinckley
If you are within easy reach of Hinckley, you are fortunate enough to be able to get our assistance to help you to stop smoking. That means anyone in South Leicestershire or North Warwickshire, including Leicester, Coventry, Nuneaton, Broughton Astley, Coalville, Blaby, Narborough, Cosby, Earl Shilton, Market Bosworth, Wigston, Rugby, Atherstone, Lutterworth, Bedworth, and, of course, Hinckley itself.
