Psychological Reasons for Smoking

Psychological reasons often lurk behind why a person smokes. Even though the act of smoking has negative health consequences, many make the decision daily to smoke. But the question is why smokers make that choice.

Seeking Pleasure or Goals

• When teens are moving in to young adulthood, they often want to show their independence by choosing a behavior that they would been told not to do. This makes them feel grownup because they are making their own decision and rebelling against the gatekeepers in their childhood. Some teens may be dared to try smoking.

Image Change

• The characteristics of success, toughness, manliness, sex, intelligence and weight control are tied in some people's minds to the act of smoking. They have seen others with these characteristics smoking and therefore feel if they smoke they might also gain these characteristics. This self-image problem is often due to peer pressure and media effects on the human mind. We all want to be accepted and often choose to follow the habits of those who we need approval or acceptance from.

Avoiding Discomfort

• To relieve or avoid feelings of anxiety, some people choose to smoke. The act of smoking relaxes them and helps the negative feelings they were feeling disappear. People feeling stressed also choose to smoke for the same reason. They can eliminate the feeling of stress temporarily and feel in control of the situation. The cigarette can be used as a tool of denial that the situation is stressful until the effects of the most recent smoke subside.

Role Playing

• People often copy the attributes of individuals they look up to or would like to simulate. Behaviors like smoking can make someone feel like they are behaving like a role model who smokes. Often stars of movies, sports and other entertainment fields who smoke create the illusion in their fans' minds that if they smoke they can be successful like the star.