Stop Smoking

THE PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECTS OF NICOTINE

As nicotine enters the body, it is distributed quickly through the blood stream and can cross the blood brain barrier in approximately seven seconds. The life of nicotine in the body is around two hours. The amount of nicotine absorbed by the body from smoking depends on many factors, including the type of tobacco, whether the smoke is inhaled, and whether a filter is used. Nicotine's mood-altering effects vary by report. Initially, it causes a release of glucose from the liver and adrenaline from the adrenal gland, which produces a stimulating effect. However, users report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and even alertness. When a cigarette is smoked, nicotine-rich blood passes from the lungs to the brain within seven seconds and immediately stimulates the release of many chemical messengers such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopamine a neurotransmitter, which results in enhanced pleasure, decreased anxiety, and a state of alert relaxation. However, as the body adapts it requires increased amounts of nicotine to produce the same effect, whereby creating a trap!

WITHDRAWAL

Many of the proponents of the chemical dependence model believe that when you stop smoking, your body reacts very quickly to the lack of nicotine in your system. They claim that over the course of three to five days, you are likely to experience a number of the following physical symptoms as the toxins are flushed from your body:

Increased irritability, frustration, or anger

Anxiety, tension or nervousness

Restlessness

Difficulty concentrating

Fatigue

Headaches

Trouble sleeping

Increased appetite and weight gain

WHY YOU SMOKE

As with every type of habitual behavior, I believe smoking is a choice. I also believe that this choice can be broken down into the following two categories

Individuals who occasionally enjoy a cigar or cigarette socially

Individuals that smoke to alleviate their emotional distress and anxiety

Although there is health risks to consider when smoking, individuals that fall respectively into the first category are generally capable of walking away from it without any difficulty whatsoever. Comparatively speaking, this parallels individuals who drink occasionally and or socially. The second category represents individuals who have become dependent on smoking to alleviate there emotional distress and anxiety, whereby making it extremely difficult to achieve smoking cessation, unless they remove the root cause. I am vehemently opposed to labeling anyone since I believe that we are all created equal, but for the purpose of greater understanding these people would fall into the medical community’s definition of a nicotine addict. As we discussed earlier, most physicians, therapist, hypnotists, counselors and smoking cessation experts would have you believe that smoking is caused by a chemical co-dependence and/or that it is a learned behavior. Well, I have a different take on those theories, and I have proven over and over again in my Addiction Recovery Coaching practice that the root cause of addiction is the need to mask emotional distress. These emotional issues are often rooted in the negative patterns of family dysfunction, and smoking is no exception to the rule. Although when it comes to a smoking addiction, the primary type of emotional distress involved is anxiety. In many ways, smoking is used as a coping mechanism for those of us that are nervous, fearful, or anxious about our family, job, relationship, or financial well being. This frantic effort to control life often leads to smoking or a nicotine addiction. In essence, smoking is a crutch! But, why do some people react to the unknown with anxiety while others face it calmly with the belief that things always works out? I believe the answer to this question is twofold. First, some people naturally possess a higher level of coping skills, and second, some people have learned to conquer their fears, insecurities and most important their anxieties!