Interesting Thoughts About Cigarettes
There are some important things about cigarettes that you might want to consider.
We all know about cancer, emphysema, and the effects on other organs. That should be enough to stop people from smoking. So should the dangers of second-hand smoke for those close to you. We love those people and we don’t want to hurt them.
Cigarettes also affect our mood. They really are a drug and affect your mood and behavior. If one smokes slowly, cigarettes can act as a downer. A person can take her/his time going through a ritual before lighting up. That, additionally, calms her or him down. Then there’s the effect of the slow smoking. That adds to the effect.
Now, what about the flip side? Smoking rapidly acts as an upper and can also help concentration. In part, that’s why people smoke to focus, and also to lose weight. So our person now chooses to go a little higher.
Most people don’t monitor their moods when they smoke. They don’t ask themselves why they want to relax or feel higher. If they’re long-term smokers, they may be oblivious to what they are doing; they just know that they “need a smoke”.
And they can make the situation worse. Smokers often drink coffee or other caffeine-loaded drinks like soda. What happens next? If they are down from the smoking, the caffeine works against this and can jam up their circuits. If they’re up, the caffeine can intensify the up and then make them anxious. Then, unless they’ve eaten correctly, their sugar can peak and drop.
Not good. And, by the way, two more reasons for not smoking: smoking causes one to lose sensation in the tips of one’s fingers and causes facial muscles and skin to weaken.
So, see your doctor and your smoke-ending program. If you’re still having trouble, see your therapist as well. There are lots of ways to stop! Good luck.
