By ANTRAC Acupuncture Clinic

02/17/2011

Why do smokers love the effects of nicotine?


There has only been one psychoactive substance isolated from tobacco leaves and that is nicotine. The substance happens to be extremely addictive. Nicotine imbues the person affected by the substance with many diverse effects. Nicotine can minimize anxiety and stress, increase the perceived state of well being, reduce appetite, minimize pain and empower people to be bolder than they otherwise would be. So generally, smoking makes the smoker feel different, and they like themselves more, because of the “feelings” that smoking gives them. They feel alive and invigorated when they have had a cigarette. Otherwise they feel lackluster and down before they have another fix, another boost from the oxymoronic stimulant pacifier. That is the strange thing about nicotine it stimulates the smoker while making them more relaxed and calm. That is an interesting property of nicotine. It is no wonder that when the nicotine blood levels subside so does the smoker, they subside into a nasty mess of mixed emotion and hollow emptiness, a feeling of incompleteness. So they continue to smoke for the up-building and positive sensations that the nicotine provides.





Being rewarded naturally without the nicotine


Interestingly, dopamine is also released when a pleasurable activity is expected to happen. The activity does not even have to take place for the dopamine release to occur. It thus appears that the “desire” initiates the release of dopamine. This is where the smoking “triggers” come in. The thought of the end-of-the-day-relaxation, or the boredom relief, or the precious cup of coffee or the after-meal-smoking-time comes in. These are the “markers” that “trigger” the desire to have a cigarette, depending on the learnt associations for each smoker, and they are very individual. Use this knowledge to your advantage. By visualization of your “desire” to be a successful quitter, the dopamine reward chemicals can be released so that you can get that fulfilled feeling you have grown to associate with smoking.





What to expect during the quit period


Quitting can cause a vast array of symptoms both psychological and physical. Fortunately, they do not all occur in every quitter. Psychological symptoms include anguish or aggressive behavior, a deep sense of loss, anxiety or depression, restlessness and irritability. Performance at work can suffer due to distraction and the interest in sex can diminish. Some of the physical symptoms include indigestion and heartburn, more gas and flatulence, phlegm formation, muscle aches and cramps, an increased appetite and subsequent weight gain, poor concentration and fuzzy headedness, dizziness, forgetfulness, sleep disturbances, vivid dreams, maybe even nightmares, headaches, changes in bowel habits, nausea, tingly fingers and toes, coughing and spontaneous sweating. Fortunately, this avalanche blows over within one week, with the worse days generally being day 2 and day 3 after quitting.





What do you get out of smoking?


Analyse what you personally get out of the relationship that you have with cigarettes. The affiliation that you have with smoking can appear to give you many positive benefits. Do you tap the cigarette when you get it out of the packet, or do you roll it and caress it gently with your fingers? Do you have a cigarette lighter? If so is it a disposable lighter or is it an interesting refillable lighter? Or do you light your cigarette with a match? If so, how do you blow out the match? What do you then do with the match? Do you cover the match from the wind even if you are inside where there is no wind? Each time you light up do you feel yourself rebelling against your parents, as your act of independence and separation from their control over you? Do you feel your stress melt away and do you feel a sensation of relief from your daily chores and anxiety? Do you like the way that the cigarettes just relieved your hunger and now you won’t have to take in calories? Do you feel uncomfortable if you don’t have something in your hands or hanging out of your mouth? Does it make you feel mature, all grown up and macho? Do you feel comforted and in-control because you have a spare pack of cigarettes in the glove-box, or in your stash at home or work? When you are feeling bored and uninspired does the break from life, away in the blue-smoke-zone, somehow seem to reinvigorate you? Do you feel more inspired and committed to your job or activity at hand after you have just had a smoke?





The truth will set you free


Actually, the situation is such that you gradually invited the habit of smoking into your life with all of its intimacies, and over time you have attributed all of the positive feelings you derive while smoking to the cigarette, and also to the individual and complex smoking rituals that you have developed with time. The irony is that it is actually you, yourself, that overcomes all the problems and anxieties that beset you every day, and makes a way available for you to find positive feelings and rewards in your life. Does your cigarette secretly ride away on a magic carpet on your behalf and fix anything that is going wrong with your day or your life? Does your cigarette really ride off on a white horse and negotiate a better and fairer life for you? Ironically, you have falsely given the credit of the positive daily experiences to the cigarettes. Do not allow the cigarettes to take the credit for the positive experiences and feelings you enjoy daily. Take control of your life and take the credit for your positive outcomes yourself. See the truth for what it is. The truth will set you free.