— Nico

Dear Nico,

Using cigarettes as a stress reduction technique isn't rational. The symptoms of dizziness and nausea you describe are nicotine poisoning — along with faintness, rapid pulse, and cold, clammy skin. Other immediate effects of nicotine include stimulation of the cerebral cortex in your brain; stimulation of the adrenal glands to discharge adrenaline; inhibition of the formation of urine; constriction of the blood vessels; increased heart rate; and elevation of your blood sugar level and blood pressure. As you're trying to reduce your stress, it doesn't make sense to overstimulate your body, making your heart work harder and your blood pressure go up.

Aside from quitting, how about becoming conscious of each time you reach for a cigarette and deciding whether or not you really want it? This way, even if you do decide to smoke, it's a conscious decision and not just an impulsive habit. Sometimes you may realize that you don't want a cigarette but are actually hungry, tired, bored, or needing of some air. Instead of smoking, try eating something, taking a nap, switching your activity, or substituting deep breathing for those times you sneak out of a room for a smoke. When you really need a break, you can still act like you're going out for a butt, but then go sit still for the three to five minutes it would take to smoke a cigarette and just breathe. You need to make sure you take time out of your busy schedule to relax; for right now it seems like that's what smoking allows you to do — take time out.

In addition, you say that you have no time. Start adding up all the time that you spend smoking each day. Then start adding new activities to your life, while still smoking. Try swimming at the pool in the gym, running on the track once a week, walking to the 110th subway stop instead of getting on at 116th. Once you begin to get your body moving, you will naturally reduce your smoking, probably without even thinking about it.

At the moment, you may be increasing your stress levels just by smoking, and then beating yourself up over it. Stress reduction is definitely more challenging than buying a pack of cigarettes and unconsciously lighting them up. Since you now understand the physiological contradictions of smoking as a stress reduction technique, let's see how you begin to tackle this one and make your life more manageable.

If you do decide that you want to quit and live in NYC, call 311 to find out more about smoking cessation groups in and around the city. You can also check out QuitNet for more info and support for quitting.

Alice

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