Smoking: An Emotional Addiction, Not a Physical One

Smoking has always been associated with a feeling. Watch practically any Hollywood film shot before 1970, and smoking is associated with glamour, prestige, and a certain worldliness otherwise denied to those without a lighter and the ability to effortlessly blow smoke rings. So why do so many people assume that smoking is primarily a physical addiction?

Smoking is instead an emotional experience, and as such, is impossible to quit unless the smoker is willing to admit how deeply smoking is bound up with feeling. For some, smoking is about the control and mastery of one’s emotions. In popular cinema, when a particularly stressful event befalls the protagonist, he often takes the reflex action of lighting a cigarette to deal with the situation. In real life, although the events may not be as dramatically staged, the impulse is exactly the same. For others, smoking is a way to elevate themselves above a difficult situation. Think of any of the iconic musicians whose cigarettes casually dangle on their lips. With this simple gesture, the musicians convey an attitude of invulnerability. In real life, smoking can often provide the smoker emotional shelter from the difficulties of daily life.

This deeply rooted emotional association is very difficult to disentangle, especially if the smoker does not understand the connection. This is why so many smoking cessation programs have such a high failure rate. By focusing only on the physical addiction, and not the underlying emotional causes of smoking, smoking programs are ignoring the fundamental problem — and frustrating a great many people who wish to rid themselves of the habit.

The medical profession has long focused on the physical side of smoking addiction, which is akin to aggressively treating the symptoms, and not the underlying disease as a whole. Addictions are rarely cured by getting rid of the symptoms, but rather by understanding what prompted the addiction in the first place. Smoking is an emotional addiction. By analyzing these emotional roots, and learning how to address the feelings directly instead of using a cigarette to circumvent the process, smokers can finally understand and conquer their addiction.