I smoke 20 cigarettes a day. I started smoking when I was very young. It is a medication I treat smoking as a form of medication.
I can focus while smoking, my concentration is second to none after a cigarette. Is it bad for me? Yes, it is. That said I was on antidepressants and the side effects were really bad. Doctors don't always tell us this but antidepressants are actually dangerous. I was in a really dark place and I couldn't see a way out. It was like reality was clouded and just dark. I couldn't think properly. My decision-making at the time was very bad.
Once I lost my employment and wasn't able to afford the medication. My life actually improved. I will stick with smoking cigarettes for now. They are the lesser of two evils. I still run, I still exercise I do all these things. I am fit I do smoke less most days. Sometimes when I am not stressed I go without smoking for months at a time. But it is a medication and like any medication it can be addictive.