A lot of Researches on smokers have clearly indicated it as a bad habit that had started in the teenage years and then became an Addiction. What is the difference between a habit and an addiction then?

A habit is formed by frequently repeating an act over and over again, to reach a point where the brain does it automatically in an autopilot mode. Alternatively, an addiction is a compulsive need for a certain thing or substance, which when deprived causes a host of other problems. Moreover, a bad habit can be modified or controlled with some effort but addiction often requires professional help.

What is cigarette addiction?

If you are addicted to cigarettes, you primarily are dependent on a substance called Nicotine. This is a natural insecticide. It is found in Tobacco plants and is three times more lethal than arsenic and strychnine (toxins) in animal studies. This natural insecticide is so similar to the neurotransmitters in the brain that it can control the flow of more than 200 neurochemicals and the major being DOPAMINE.

What does Dopamine do?

Dopamine is that Chemical which everyone seems to be very fond of! Dopamine is released in Love, In Lust, Motivation, Attention, Feminism, and all kinds of ADDICTION. Without Dopamine, we could be quite UN-HUMAN. The reason we seek acceptance, desire companionship, get anxious due to boredom or a sense of achievement due to task completion is all due to Dopamine.

When you smoke, the brain makes an image of how your want was satisfied the last time you smoke and hence linking this sensation to feeling good to influence future behaviour.

 SMOKING…

along with dopamine release, nicotine also stimulates the central nervous system which results in the smoker experiencing a stimulated high. This alertness they feel makes smokers feel superior to other kinds of addicts. But, the problem with this high is that after a few minutes when the dopamine level starts to fall, there is a sudden dip;  the craving kicks in all over again. The addict then falsely believes that the drug is as important as their survival. It has helped them cope with difficulties and complexities in life.

Drug addiction damages the ability to control Impulses, rational thinking and judgement. That is the reason suggesting or asking a smoker to quit smoking is like; “The brakes of your car don’t function,” and someone says; “You should have stopped your car at the red light instead of jumping it”.

More often than not, smoking often defines who they are for a smoker, helps them in coping. Quitting cigarettes means the start of a horrible life, endless suffering and deprivation for the rest of their lives.

What makes it more difficult to quit smoking is;

• The withdrawal symptoms that the person experiences, in the form of low nicotine levels. These are real physical changes and not imagined (Major reason for relapse rates in smokers within a few hours).
• The high availability of cigarettes and easy usage along with less stigma in comparison to other drugs.
• Cost efficiency; You do not have to be rich to smoke even the most reputed brands available all over the world.
• It does not hamper your day to day functioning unless you have a Tobacco Addiction disorder; making you believe falsely and underestimating the ill effects in the near future.

Smoking Causes…

More deaths every year than HIV, Drug Use, Alchohol Abuse, and Motor Vehicle-related Injuries.

from,

• Cardiovascular and associated coronary heart disease
• Respiratory, lung bronchitis and breathing associated diseases
• Cancer in almost any part of the body

In women, it could cause additional problems during Pregnancy and childbirth like pre-term delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, ectopic pregnancy etc.

Mere Will-power is not going to help with your addiction to cigarettes. Smoking often is a result of underlying Stress and Anxiety. Please feel free to take our test for Anxiety.

Please Seek professional help!