The sooner you realize you're addicted to smoking the better. But first, you must understand the actual meaning of the term "addiction." Addiction is a dependence or relationship with people, substances, objects and events. Addiction can be destructive or non-destructive. People can become addicted not just to drugs like nicotine, alcohol, cocaine and heroine, also sex, coffee, shopping, etc. The list is endless.

Desire To Smoke

Your daily actions may trigger a desire to smoke even while you are unaware of it. Smoking daily over the years, your association with smoking will become stronger and it will become all the more difficult to give up. Are you addicted? Answer these simple questions:

1. Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night to smoke?

2. Do you start to sweat during a four-hour lecture due to cravings for a smoke?

3. Do you get seizures or headaches if you don't smoke for extended periods?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then you can quit smoking by keeping your mind occupied. If you don't agree with these associations, you won't crave smoking. Even the heaviest smokers can easily follow these rules. Your addiction to smoking is whatever you make it out to be. This is because the ability to give up smoking is in the power of the mind.

Understand Addiction To Smoking

In order to better understand your addiction to smoking, try to analyze your habit. When did you start to smoke and for what reason? Answers to both these questions will give you an insight regarding the reason you started to smoke. Where you young? Did you smoke to fit in your circle of friends or just to get a nicotine fix? What happened when the coolness wore off? Did you realize your parents were right when they told you not to smoke? You can get clues regarding your addiction to smoking by analyzing these questions.

All smokers are addicted to different stimulants. Learn to analyze what draws you to smoking. Try to uncover the reason behind your addiction. If you analyze yourself, deep down you will get surprising and sometimes weird results. Some people smoke because they like to see the flame every time they light a cigarette. Others smoke to stay slim and handle food cravings. Some people feel lonely without a pack of cigarettes in their pockets. Still others smoke to clear their minds.

All these observations lead to just one conclusion--people can give up smoking by adopting a strong willpower and positive attitude. Learning to combat addiction by finding replacements for it in productive activities is the best way to give up smoking.