Addictive thinking is famous and notorious for its smooth, persuasive and lawyerly ability to "plead its case" and to make the addicted individual actually believe that he or she is making a rational decision in his own best interest. Of course he or she is simply being yanked around by the addiction like a puppet on a string. "I think I will wait until after the holidays to stop smoking," the addiction whispers in the ear of the smoker who has become seriously concerned about the consequences of his smoker. "Wait until such and such a time, that will be the best time to quit -- just wait. If I stop right now well then it won't be as easy as if I wait until after the football season, or winter, or New Years."
In addictive disorders resistances to habit change are in full force –and there are other obstacles as well. Most smokers are deeply divided about changing even if the behavior is damaging both to self and others. They know they ought to want to stop smoking, but are powerless to really and truly want to do so. Their intelligence and reason may point them in one direction, recovery; but the the addiction demands another, quite opposite direction. The result is internal warfare in the mind of the smoker, divided against themselves, pulled in opposite directions. It doesn't have to be this way.
The quit smoking program.