This podcast is part of a 10-episode series exploring how each dimension of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness enhances recovery. In this 30-minute podcast, Dr. Marc Steinberg, a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, discusses physical wellness and tobacco usage. In addition to Dr. Steinberg, two Consumer Tobacco Advocates, Lisa and Deidre are also featured in the podcast. Lisa and Deidre discuss their personal life experiences with smoking cessation and share how they encourage other smokers to quit.  

This podcast is part of a series on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness that discusses the importance of each pillar of wellness in recovery. Physical wellness is marked by good physical health habits that support a healthy body, like proper nutrition and exercise. Factors that can harm physical health include smoking, poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, chronic illnesses, and co-occurring medical conditions. Physical wellness and mental wellness are closely related, and healthy physical habits, like regular exercise, can reduce stress and improve psychological well-being. 

Cigarettes are responsible for more deaths than deaths from AIDS, motor vehicle accidents, homicides, illicit drugs, alcohol, and suicide combined in the United States. Over 480,000 Americans die from tobacco use every year, creating epidemic levels. Thirty-six percent of Americans with diagnosed mental health disorders smoke cigarettes, increasing their risk for cardiovascular illness, cancer, and other chronic illness. Tobacco usage also decreases the effectiveness of medications meant to treat mental health conditions. Smoking cessation can improve overall wellness and support healthy recovery in individuals with mental health challenges.  

To learn more about physical wellness, please see our physical wellness fact sheet.

Listen to the other episodes in this series: 

This resource was first shared in 2018. 

(Podcast, Soundcloud)