You’ve probably heard many times about the hazards of smoking. Not only does smoking harm nearly every organ in the body and cause a host of health problems, but it reduces physical well-being in general. Among the many diseases for which smokers are at an increased risk include lung and other types of cancer, emphysema, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, high blood pressure, and cataracts. This makes tobacco use the most preventable cause of death in the United States and the second major cause of death in the world. Even more sobering, The World Health Organization reports that half the people that smoke today will eventually be killed by a smoking-related illness.

But despite being well aware of the health consequences of smoking, and despite a strong desire to quit, kicking the habit is very hard for many smokers. This is because smoking is both physically and psychologically addictive. If you’re going to successfully stop smoking, you’ll need to understand both types of addiction and recognize the role each plays in the underlying reasons why you’ve smoked.





Physical Addiction to Smoking

Nicotine, the highly addictive chemical found in cigarettes and other tobacco products, is at the root of your physical addiction to smoking, as well as the withdrawal symptoms you experience when you quit. And while nicotine is a legal substance, The American Cancer Society reports that it is just as addictive as heroin or cocaine.

When you puff on a cigarette, nicotine peaks in the bloodstream and enters the brain within seconds. Once in the brain, nicotine triggers a number of biochemical changes, including the release of adrenaline and dopamine. The stimulating effects of smoking, such as feeling more focused and alert, are caused by this shot of adrenaline. At the same time, the increase in dopamine—the brain’s “pleasure chemical”—creates a feeling of satisfaction and relaxation. But nicotine’s levels in the brain, as well as the pleasurable effects the drug causes, dissipate within a matter of minutes. This fuels the cycle of addiction, as you need another cigarette in order to keep feeling good.

If you stop smoking and break the cycle, you will experience a number of physical symptoms as your body withdraws from the drug. Nicotine withdrawal begins quickly, usually starting within thirty minutes to an hour of the last cigarette and peaking about 2 to 3 days later. Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks and differ from person to person. Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include:

Common Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms: Cigarette cravings

Irritability, frustration, or anger

Anxiety or nervousness

Difficulty concentrating

Restlessness

Increased appetite

Headaches

nsomnia

Tremors

Increased coughing

Fatigue

Constipation or upset stomach

Depression
Psychological Addiction to Smoking
In addition to being physically addicting, smoking is often psychologically addictive as well. If you’ve been smoking for any length of time, lighting up has become habitual and ingrained in your daily routine. It may be an automatic response for you to smoke a cigarette with your morning coffee, while taking a break from work or school, or during your commute home at the end of a long day. Perhaps friends, family members, and colleagues smoke, and it has become part of the way you relate with them.

Because of nicotine’s “feel good” effect on the brain, you may also have become accustomed to smoking as a way of coping with stress, depression, anxiety, or even boredom. If you’ve been using cigarettes to regulate your emotions and maintain a steady keel, giving up smoking may be particularly difficult. In order to successfully do so, you will need to explore and understand your motives for smoking so that you can create an effective plan that incorporates alternative coping strategies.
Decreased heart rate



Source: Helpguide.org