These cycles are more pronounced in women and make it difficult to break habits and addictions. Women subject to PMS may find it especially difficult to quit smoking. Women are nurtured to care for others around them. As a result, many women take too little time to nurture themselves. As life-styles continue to become more hectic, women accommodate the time crunch by cutting out time for themselves.
Smoking becomes a very personal activity.
In some cases, it is the only thing that women perceive as being strictly for themselves. Giving up this very personal activity is deeply traumatic and can be perceived as giving up the one personal activity that they truly love. It is like saying good-bye to a lifelong friend. This psychological factor makes quitting even more difficult. Another key factor in the difficulty women have quitting is that they do it for the wrong reasons.