Why Is It So Hard to Quit Smoking Cigarettes? – Archstone Behavioral Health
The act of smoking cigarettes has been passed down for generations. It’s something that most people have done at least once in their lifetime, and it’s also an addiction that many smokers find difficult to quit. The nicotine present in cigarettes can be addictive because it stimulates the brain’s pleasure center; however, there are other reasons why quitting is hard. One reason may be because your family members smoke or you grew up with smoking as a part-time job (like me!). Whatever the case may be, here are some tips on how to finally kick this nasty habit.
Reason Why Cigarettes are Addictive
Smoking cigarettes is an addiction that many people find hard to break. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, which is an addictive drug in cigarettes. The nicotine enters your bloodstream and travels to your brain when you smoke a cigarette. There, it attaches to receptors on nerve cells and activates them. This makes you feel good and releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure.
Cigarette smoking also becomes physically addicting over time. The body adapts to the presence of nicotine by getting used to functioning with less oxygen. This is because nicotine constricts blood vessels, which reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your organs and muscles. Your body begins to produce more red blood cells to make up for this. These extra red blood cells can make your blood thicker and more likely to clot. This puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious health problems.
If you want to quit smoking cigarettes, it is essential to seek help from a doctor or counselor. Many medications and counseling programs can help you break your addiction and stay smoke-free. Quitting smoking is not easy, but it is worth the effort to improve your health and extend your life.
Why People Start Smoking
People start smoking for many different reasons. Some people may just try it once, and they were peer pressured into doing so, while others are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes that makes them crave it every day.
Regardless of why you started smoking or how often you smoke, there are ways to quit, which will be discussed later in this post. Quitting is not an easy process but can also lead down a road to better health if done correctly!
People who have never smoked before usually start because their friends pressure them into trying out one cigarette until they become hooked. At this point, it’s tough for some people to stop because quitting feels like quitting part of their life has been taken away from them by putting down the smokes. A lot more people smoke out of boredom or stress and see it as a way to cope with their problems. Smoking is also seen as a social activity in some cases where people will get together and have a cigarette break together.
The health risks from smoking are well known at this point, but many people still start smoking regardless. Lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and numerous other illnesses are just some of the risks smokers face when they light up. Quitting smoking can help reduce your risk of developing these diseases and improve your overall health.