Why smoking is so harmful to mental health?

Smoking is hazardous and every cigarette you smoke is harmful to your physical and mental health.

But how does your mental health gets affected by smoking? It is a well known fact that a person’s physical health is affected as each cigarette contains a lot of dangerous chemicals that can harm a person’s lungs, stomach, teeth, aging process, and fertility.

So how does smoking affects your mental health?

Smoking and stress (Anxiety and Depression)

Smoking numbs your temporary pain. Smoking acts as a ‘self-medication’ to emotional pain. Stress is very common these days, right from school going kids to adults all face stress because of the competitive world. Stress causes anxiety and depression and to feel better people smoke.

Research into smoking and stress has shown that instead of helping people to relax, smoking actually increases anxiety and tension. It also increases dependency. Nicotine gives instant relaxation so people smoke in the belief that it reduces stress and anxiety. This feeling of relaxation is temporary and leads to withdrawal symptoms and increased cravings.

Nicotine stimulates the release of the chemical dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is involved in triggering positive feelings. It is often found to be low in people with depression, who may then use cigarettes as a way of temporarily increasing their dopamine supply. However, smoking encourages the brain to switch off its own mechanism for making dopamine and when the supply decreases, which in turn urges people to smoke more. Physical activity is another way which can increase the happy feeling in you.

Most people start to smoke before they show signs of depression so it is unclear whether smoking leads to depression or depression encourages people to start smoking. The most likely explanation is that there is a complex relationship between the two.

If you are suffering from stress, depression anxiety and/or smoking addiction then please reach out to your nearest psychologist for help.

All images courtesy Pixabay

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