Media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has revealed how he struggled with smoking for 13 years.
Speaking on a recent episode of the MENtality podcast with Banky W and Aproko Doctor, Ebuka revealed that he started smoking in junior secondary school, and it took deliberate effort for him to quit.
According to him, the habit intensified in university, where he consumed up to two packs of cigarettes daily.
“But I started smoking in JSS 3, and I smoked for 13 years. In university, I was doing about two packs a day,” he said.
He credited conscious, intentional steps for helping him overcome the addiction.
Banky W also shared a personal account, revealing he developed a pornography addiction while trying to stop being promiscuous.
He explained he initially viewed it as a way to avoid relationships with multiple women, but realised he had replaced one harmful habit with another.
Ebuka agreed, noting that many people swap one addiction for another while trying to escape the first.
Aproko Doctor added context on the psychology of addiction, stating that destructive habits often develop as people seek to escape pain.
He explained that human behaviour is largely driven by avoiding pain and pursuing pleasure, and that substance use and other addictions are often coping mechanisms for difficult emotions or circumstances.
The three emphasised self-regulation and self-awareness as key tools for identifying and overcoming negative addictions.