The story of Dr. Sigmund Freud’s 45-year battle with nicotine addiction provides a powerful example of the struggles faced by those addicted to this highly addictive substance. Despite undergoing 33 operations for cancer of the jaw, an artificial jaw replacement, and attacks of “tobacco angina” exacerbated by nicotine, Freud was unable to quit his habit completely. The psychological factors that may have prevented him from quitting his addiction could be due to many things: fear of withdrawal symptoms, difficulty dealing with stress in other ways, or even an underlying mental health condition such as depression or anxiety disorder.

At the same time, it is important to note that Freud’s story also emphasizes the negative consequences associated with smoking; namely increased risk of various cancers and cardiovascular disease. This highlights why it is so essential for individuals struggling with nicotine addiction to seek help and make use of available treatments in order to break their habit and ensure better physical health in the long run. Furthermore, this case study can also provide insight into how society needs to address smoking more holistically—through prevention efforts at both individual and population levels—in order to reduce its devastating effects on our overall well-being.