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Re:On Smoking by refulgentis on Monday May 31, 2021 @06:20PM (#27348684)
Can you tell me more? I'm familiar with the book but it didn't click with me, and I've had a strange feeling the past couple months I'm missing a really good mental model for where it comes from (tl;dr psychiatrist started talking about it after a year of hinting, but they thought I was a step ahead of where I actually am)
Re:On Smoking by possibleworlds on Monday May 31, 2021 @09:09PM (#27349780)
You need to read the whole book start to finish, and be open to its subtle reverse brainwashing. Personally the main eye openers were:

• Nicotine is scientifically proven to be incredibly physically addictive. • The way this physical addiction plays out is when you smoke a cigarette the effects wear off within half to 1 hr, and whether you are aware of it or not your brain starts begging for another hit. Side note: this explains how the tobacco industry settled on 20 / 25 cigarettes in a packet, ie 1 cigarette every 30 mins to 1 hr per day. • The stress / anxiety you think smoking is helping with are actually the resultant cravings caused by the last cigarette you smoked. Thus when you smoke you are in a constant state of withdrawal, it is like you are quitting all day every day. • You are not "quitting" or "giving up" anything, you are addict who is deciding to make a change and stop.

There is lots of other stuff in there, I don't think the above spoils it. Cumulatively the book gets you into the headspace of viewing the journey of stopping as a positive healing process, to the extent that you can actually enjoy the withdrawals and cravings. No joke, it is that eye opening and convincing.