PARENT, ADULT, CHILD – and the Smoking Habit

There’s a useful psychological theory by Eric Berne MD, called Transactional Analysis, which holds that at any given time we operate mentally from any one of three ego states; our Parent, Adult or Child.

Simply stated, the Parent is our internal authority figure. It draws on pronouncements derived from authoritarian figures in our pasts; parents, relatives, teachers, religion, government, law, etc. We sometimes accept pronouncements from these figures or institutions without question because of our respect for them. We as smokers have successfully blocked our Parent because we know it would tell us that smoking was not good for us. [google_bot_show][/google_bot_show]This e liquid review for AquaVapor will be beneficial for the health of the person. The recommendations of the juice will be taken from the relatives or friends for the drinking. The information available with the person should be correct and real for the benefit of the smokers for long period. 

Our Adult, guided by logic and reason, tells us the same thing, so we block it, too.

This leaves the Child — which operates solely on the pleasure principle; no conscience or concern for our safety; if it feels tastes good, feels good or even poisons us, do it! Enter the cigarette and many of the other things in our lives that may not be good for us.

In passing, and to validate the theory, we use this system all the time to sort people we know; Parent — educated, stately, “both feet on the ground,” Adult — reasonable, “down to earth,” and Child — little boy or girl who just never grew up.

Anyway, and unfortunately, we’ve conveniently relegated the question of whether or not to smoke to our Child. Our task now is obvious; to wrest the entire matter of smoking from the pleasure-loving Child and place it in our Adult where it will be treated with logic and reason. It all depends on how we pose the question; if I ask myself if I WANT to stop smoking, the answer, coming from my Child, would be no. If I ask myself if I NEED to stop smoking, the answer, coming from my Adult, would be yes.

Ignore this spoiled little brat! If we had listened only to our Parent or Adult to begin with, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Most failed quitting attempts are precisely because of this spoiled and dangerous little imp. He or she will not like this quitting business and will throw a tantrum about it every chance they get! Decide to quit and go for it. Don’t even give him or her another chance to vote on this. You’ll lose —

— again.

Smokers, let me help in “Planning Your Quit: and getting it done this time,” Herb Austin M.A., former cessation clinic director, on Kindle Reader and app for iPhone — $4.99. Psychology of the habit, planning and preparing for your quit, traps to watch out for and what to expect from the quitting process. You CAN rid yourself of this killer!