Dear Aaron, Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Cigarettes are an incredibly addictive drug. I see your scenario played out almost every day as I am and ICU and open heart RN. I perform daily education on smoking cessation. Almost 90% of out patients are or were smokers. That being said, smoking is an addiction for many and a choice no one would make. Smoking leads to a euphoric feeling. It makes you smarter, more astute, relaxed, able to make decisions, and decreases appetite. All these changes occur within ten seconds of inhaling. Adrenaline is released into the blood stream giving you energy and an awake feeling. It even reduces pain. Imagine all of these wonderful sensations! Then, after finishing the cigarette, they are gone. The only way to get them back is by having another cigarette. To complicate matters, some people are more prone to addiction than others (addictive personality). This has been backed up by studies done with lab animals. The point of all this is to help you and others to understand that smoking is a horrible addiction and for many people it is not a choice. The anxiety and withdrawbal that occurs when they quit is more painful than any risk of disease or even death. Most families and friends feel angry at the smoker, especially when smoking related disease sets in. Their anger is based in frustration the the ill person chose to do this to them self.
I am not a smoker, so I too do not understand. But I try not to judge the patients. I use this knowledge of the addiction of cigarettes to try to understand. Don't be angry...be supportive. Aaron, you and your family are supporting your Dad in a wonderful way. He fell victim to a legal and easily obtained DRUG! There would be less disease and illness if cigarettes were illegal.
