A chemical dependency, not

I'm giving you a lot to read today.

"...the intensity of cravings for cigarettes had more to do with the psychosocial element of smoking than with the physiological effects of nicotine as an addictive chemical."

Apparently it's the habit of smoking that controls your cravings more than the actual nicotine. That's why sometimes you don't crave cigarettes in places you can't smoke, until the time draws near that you can smoke. Back when I smoked in the car, I always felt like I needed a cigarette when I got in the car. Now that I don't anymore, I don't crave them when I'm driving. I crave them when I'm getting close to my house, because I know I can smoke there. Interesting.

Another interesting thing about cigarettes and withdrawal, "Withdrawal symptoms represent a smoker's brain and body adjusting to being nicotine-free, and they typically peak within the first three days of quitting smoking and last for two weeks or longer.'This study suggests that the typical smoker begins to feel somewhat out-of-sorts within an hour of his or her last cigarette,' says senior author Brandon. 'Although they are not yet in the throes of full withdrawal that they would experience after a day without nicotine, they can already perceive that they are not feeling quite right, and that a cigarette would offer temporary relief.'" Researchers Find Nicotine Withdrawal Begins Quickly

Back when I tried to quit smoking last week, I started feeling crazy almost immediately. I felt nuts by the end of the day, and couldn't even think about anything but having that relief that cigarettes would bring. I can't imagine that going on for two weeks. I think it's going to have to happen sometime soon, though. I need to stop having these addictive traits. I know I'm an addict by design, but there are some things I have control over. Well, some things I can give to God and ask him to give me the strength to have control over. One of those things is smoking.

So if I can just train myself not to smoke at work, and then not to smoke on my way to meetings, that should put me at one or two cigarettes a day. From there, it will be easy to get down to one, and once you're there, they start to taste bad. Slowly but surely I will ween myself off of them. I'll give myself some time to do it, though.

Another article said that exercise helps curb withdrawal and cravings. Once I get back to running three times a week, I should be able to stop smoking at work and start being good to myself again. I sure need it.