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Although it is generally accepted that smoking is for the most part related to oral gratifications, this explanation does not fully cover those situations we commonly hear, such as:
“I don't really enjoy smoking, I just like to have something in my hand.”or,“Since I've stopped smoking, I don't know what to do with my hands.”or,“It's true. I go through two or three packs of cigarettes a day but I don't really smoke much—I just light up frequently and take a few puffs.”
True, these statements may conceivably represent denial to mask the guilt of indulging in such oral gratifications. However, recently a bright young serviceman indirectly shed additional light on this subject when spontaneously describing a ritual he has utilized since his cessation of smoking nine months ago for “economic reasons.”
Before describing the ritual and his immediate associations, a brief thumbnail sketch of the young man might be in order. He is a twenty-one year old (younger appearing), immaculately-dressed, somewhat shy, naive individual of high school training who sensitively related the following complaint: “I'm markedly nervous (diffuse— ‘I don't know why’) and at times my hands begin to shake so severely that I am not able to hold tools in my hand and consequently cannot perform my work adequately (as electronics technician). In fact, at times I am not able to even hold a pen and write.” The patient dated the onset of his difficulty to the third grade (age 8) when he had a series of childhood illnesses