| -link"> | | | | the way, that doesn't mean lounging by the pool with a |
| Brief description of the psychology behind excessive | | | | plate of burgers and a six-pack! |
| smoking, and how to use that psychology as a | | | | Excess, we've seen, can take many forms. |
| weapon against smoking. | | | | Psychology shows us that the individual makes an |
| "Excess" means "more than what is right, proper or | | | | unconscious "choice" of his particular escape |
| necessary." When used in medicine, it means "more | | | | mechanism (or mechanisms), and that his choice is |
| than is good for continued good health" We can eat | | | | usually made through an unconscious association with |
| too much, work too much, drink too much (including | | | | what he thinks will bring gratificationexcessive eating, |
| non-alcoholic liquids), sleep too much, and so on; and | | | | drinking, playing, sleeping, working, or so on. |
| while any such excess is potentially troublesome, some | | | | With smoking, however, another element is present: |
| excesses are worse than others. | | | | cigarette advertising. |
| Smoking must be put in that category, because it has | | | | Cigarette advertising induces you to believe first that |
| vastly increased the incidence of lung cancer and | | | | smoking leads to gratification, and second that more |
| coronary artery diseases, and because it plays a | | | | smoking leads to still more gratification and enjoyment. |
| significant role in increasing the mortality rate in other | | | | It does nothing of the kind; more smoking leads to |
| pathologies. | | | | more damage. When it doesn't lead to catastrophic |
| Some people do more than one thing excessively; for | | | | damage, it at least results in unnecessary shortness of |
| example, they may smoke excessively and drink | | | | breath, coughing, digestive upsets, and a host of other |
| excessively and perhaps also work excessively. Since | | | | obstacles to a feeling of real well-being. The liquor |
| there is a reason for everything we do, there are | | | | industry has seen the need for self-regulation, and |
| reasons for this pattern of behaviour. Usually the | | | | promotes the idea of moderation (which it certainly |
| excess acts as an "escape mechanism" from an | | | | finds preferable to prohibition). The cigarette industry in |
| emotional problem. If the habit is removed, but the | | | | its consumer advertising makes believe that the facts |
| cause is not, another habit generally develops. That is | | | | aren't there. With agile sleight-of-hand, the tobacco |
| where the psychiatrist can make their unique | | | | merchants keep your attention diverted from the |
| contribution; he/she can seek out and remove the | | | | dangers of smoking; instead you pay attention to their |
| basic cause or causes for that particular emotional | | | | new ideas in packaging (soft package, hard package, |
| problem. | | | | tops that slip, flip, zip, slide or slope) and to their new |
| Excess can also be the result of an endless circle of | | | | brands, new sizes, and new flavors. |
| action and reaction. An emotional problem causes | | | | Although we have come a long way in recent years, |
| anxiety; the anxiety itself causes greater anxiety. And | | | | tobacco promotion is still incredibly effective. In fact, |
| as the anxiety continues to mount, feeding on itself and | | | | among certain groups of people we are now starting |
| breeding itself, an escape mechanism becomes | | | | to actually see an increase in the take up of the |
| necessary. Relaxation effectively prevents this | | | | smoking habit. I passionately believe in free will, but with |
| dangerous accumulation of anxiety and tension, and | | | | all the outside pressures how are we, and youngsters |
| learning how to relax effectively is very worthwhile. By | | | | in particular, to exercise it? |