Understanding Why Smoking is So Addictive
As most people already know, smoking is one of the most addictive habits a person can develop. According to a survey conducted in 2007, approximately 43.4 million Americans smoke cigarettes. Every year, however, only 2.5% of these individuals are able to successfully quit.
Causes of the Addiction
The drug present in cigarettes is tobacco, whose main component is nicotine. Nicotine is a mind-altering chemical that creates a number of physical responses in the smoker. These make it extremely difficult for the smoker to handle the loss of nicotine that occurs when he or she quits smoking.
A combination of factors contributes to the difficulty associated with stopping smoking, including the following:
- Chemical changes in the brain causing a strong desire for nicotine
- A wave of good feelings that are spurred by smoking
- Psychological dependency upon cigarettes
- Severe withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting
For these reasons, it is notoriously difficult to quit smoking cigarettes. Few people are able to overcome the addiction and live without their usual doses of nicotine.
Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal
The withdrawal symptoms associated with failing to provide the body with nicotine are extremely powerful and unpleasant. Smokers who try and drop their habit will likely experience the following:
- Restlessness and irritability
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Increase or decrease in appetite
- Hostility
- Impatience
These feelings can make one’s desire for a cigarette very difficult to control. Because of this, many people who try to quit smoking fail to do so altogether or start smoking again after a period of time.
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