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The Power Of The Nicotine Addiction

If you've ever tried to quit smoking, then you've come up against the awesome power of nicotine addiction. If you would like to quit, then read on to learn about the mechanism of nicotine addiction: how it takes hold, and how you can defeat it.

Altered Brain Chemistry

Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, is absorbed into the bloodstream where it affects brain chemistry, altering a person's mood and focus. Because of the large surface area of the lungs, smokers receive a big "hit" of nicotine with every puff. Since nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, the brain receives an almost instantaneous dose of pleasure with every inhalation of smoke.

Nicotine primarily affects the mid-brain, the part of the brain that controls moods and emotions. It produces pleasurable sensations while smoking, but produces anxiety and craving when nicotine is withheld.

Behavioral Reinforcement

Because of the immediate stimulation to the brain, smoking behavior is constantly reinforced. When smokers try to quit, they have to overcome both the physical addiction to nicotine and the associations they have made to the behavior. This means breaking the mental connection between the physical act of picking up, lighting, and smoking the cigarette, and the pleasurable sensations it produces.

Besides the physical addiction, there are also strong behavioral and social reinforcements to smoking. Certain situations (such as the end of a meal, or going to a bar, or experiencing stress) become so strongly associated with smoking that smokers will reach for a cigarette automatically, without thinking.

Genetic Predisposition

The fact remains, however, that some people become more addicted to nicotine than others. The reason for this may be genetic. Some people metabolize nicotine more slowly than others, and this makes them less likely to become addicted. There is a particular enzyme present in the liver that is responsible for breaking down nicotine. People who have a genetic flaw related to the production of this enzyme are less likely to smoke, and if they do smoke, they smoke fewer cigarettes than people with the normal enzyme.

There may also be genetic reasons related to behavior that encourage smoking addiction. Reaction to stress can be in part genetically determined, and stress relief is 1 of the major reasons people smoke.

Anyone Can Quit

People who are addicted to smoking must take heart in the knowledge that it is possible to quit. Although some find it more difficult than others, there are many resources available to those who wish to give up the habit. Help is available in the form of nicotine replacement, group therapy, counseling, and other medical treatments. It is more than just the physical addiction to nicotine that has to be overcome. The urge to smoke driven by all of the behavioral associations (food, sex, alcohol) that have been developed over the years also needs to be defeated.

Age Is No Barrier

As with any addictive substance, the longer you have used nicotine, the more difficult it will be to give up. Young adults who have been smoking only for a few years may find it easier to quit than a middle-aged person who has been smoking for 20 years. On the other hand, a middle-age smoker is more likely to feel susceptible to the health risks of smoking, and this may give him a stronger motivation to break the habit.

Regardless of age, or number of years of smoking, anyone can quit and gain the health benefits of being a non-smoker. It's never been easier than it is now, with addiction aids and rehab programs, to quit smoking for good.

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