The Truth About Smoking Pleasure and Nicotine Addiction

Smoking is often associated with feelings of pleasure and relief. Some even say that smoking makes them happier, despite research finding no link between it and happiness. This can create challenges to quit because the act of smoking is associated with positive emotions.

Here we explain the reasons why smoking feels pleasurable and why people crave nicotine even when their bodies are experiencing the negative health effects of cigarettes. Understanding the addictive nature of nicotine can be a powerful step toward quitting smoking for good.

Smoking is like a toxic relationship

Just as it is possible to have toxic relationships with people, smoking is also a toxic relationship. Although it feels good to smoke in the moment, nicotine is not a true friend. Instead, this substance tricks the body and mind into thinking it’s a pleasurable activity, which in turn makes it crave more and more.

Smoking manipulates the mind

When nicotine in cigarette smoke is inhaled, it stimulates the release of the brain’s neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is often called the “feel good” hormone because it produces feelings of pleasure.

The problem is that the effects of nicotine wear off quite quickly. This creates a cycle whereby a person wants to smoke to feel good, but eventually needs to smoke more cigarettes over time to feel the same effects – also known as the development of tolerance.

Smoking causes permanent nicotine withdrawal

People who smoke are also in a nearly constant state of nicotine withdrawal, from the first cigarette of the day to the last. As soon as the cigarette is finished, the level of nicotine in the bloodstream begins to fall.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and anxiety usually begin within 30 minutes of the last cigarette. So, they light another cigarette and within a few puffs, their pain begins to subside.

Chemically, what a person is experiencing is the dopamine rush that occurs when nicotine binds to receptors in the brain. The fidgety tension is gone and they’re back to feeling relaxed again.

This peace will not last long though. In another 30 minutes, the process will repeat itself. It is this pattern of nicotine depletion and repletion in the bloodstream that people have learned to think that they are happy smokers.

Smoking conditions body and mind

Over time, the act of smoking becomes associated with every emotion and event in one’s life. It basically causes a person to experience nicotine cravings during both pleasant and stressful times, as well as more intense cravings in certain situations.

Common smoking triggers include:

• After eating
• After sex
• Before sleeping
• During stressful situations
• While driving
• When bored or tired
• When there are strong emotions (anger, happiness, or sadness).
• With a morning cup of coffee

Beyond the physical dependence on nicotine, for many people, smoking becomes a source of relaxation in times of stress. This emotional attachment can make it even harder to let go.

The urge to smoke can also be triggered by social situations, such as being around friends who smoke, being at a bar, or drinking alcohol. These types of stimuli can encourage a person to smoke more. The brain associates emotional stimuli with the desire for a cigarette, creating a strong cycle of addiction.

How to Quit Smoking for Good

The power that nicotine has on people who smoke is tremendous. But the short- and long-term negative health consequences of smoking are not worth smoking.

Some of the negative effects of smoking, such as lung cancer and heart disease, can take time to develop. However, smoking also damages one’s health immediately, such as by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, negatively affecting almost every organ in the body.

Creating a plan, finding support, ending the addiction, and never giving up can help us kick the habit and break the cycle of addiction.

Make a plan

One of the benefits of making a plan to quit smoking is that it gives us actionable steps to follow. Planning can also help keep us on the path to abstinence.

An effective smoking cessation plan includes:

• Choosing a quit date
• Deciding how to quit
• Getting rid of all tobacco products
• Looking back at past attempts to determine what worked and what didn’t
• Telling friends and family about quitting

Get support

Having the support of family and friends plays an important role in being able to quit smoking successfully. It is important to tell your loved ones about your intention.

If we have people in our lives who still smoke, we can ask them to avoid smoking around us. Engaging in activities in smoke-free spaces (such as movie theaters or museums) is also helpful so that we can better manage our social smoking urges.

Many online and over-the-phone resources are available to help you quit. A National Cancer Institute toll-free quit line is at 1-877-44U-Quit (1-877-448-7848). They also offer a live chat option during certain hours, enabling users to chat with one of their information experts immediately.

Consider skipping an aid

Some people use quitting aids, also known as nicotine replacement therapy (NRTS), to stop smoking. NRT aims to reduce nicotine intake more slowly over a period of time, which can help reduce the effects of withdrawal. They provide the body with nicotine without the other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes.

Over-the-counter NRTs are available in the form of patches, lozenges and gum. Medical practitioners may also prescribe nicotine replacement therapy in the form of inhalers and nasal sprays. Although they are often effective on their own, research shows that NRT works best when combined with smoking cessation counseling.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved two prescription drugs to help people quit smoking that do not contain nicotine: bupropion SR and Vernicline. Bupropion is often known by its brand names Zyban and Wellbutrin, while Chantix is ​​a well-known brand of Varenicline.

Varenicline works by making smoking less pleasurable. It can be easy to quit. Bupropion helps reduce nicotine cravings, potentially reducing the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Don’t give up

Quitting smoking may seem like an impossible feat, but overcoming nicotine addiction is possible. Research shows that for many people who have successfully quit smoking, they quit smoking for good before they quit.

For people who smoke, it can feel like they are in a close relationship with cigarettes. They may turn to smoking when they are angry or stressed, or even as part of their daily routine. This is when it helps to remember that our relationship with cigarettes is a toxic one.

There are many resources available to help you quit smoking, whether it’s an online chat service or the help of a family member. As long as we don’t give up on our journey, we can finally be smoke free.