Can tobacco reduce anxiety or aggravates the problem?
For many people tobacco is an escape from everyday stress and anxiety. They believe that smoking brings them comfort and helps them deal with the various moments of tension and/or nervousness they face.
However, the truth is that tobacco will influence, and in what way, the mind and emotional health as we can confirm throughout this article.
There is a whirlwind of emotions that confronts our brain when we smoke
First of all, let’s start by defining what is smoking. It is no more than “a dependence on the consumption of tobacco products, caused by the presence of nicotine, a psychoactive substance (alkaloid) existing in the leaves of the tobacco plant”.
The National Health Service (NHS) adds that “smoking is the greatest preventable risk to health and the main cause of premature death in the EU, being responsible for almost 700,000 deaths per year.
The process is simple, when we smoke, nicotine quickly enters the central nervous system, creating an immediate impact.
It is the same substance that stimulates the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the sensation of pleasure and reward, creating a temporary feeling of well-being and relief.
Based on this chemical reaction we found the explanation for why apparently smoking seems to relieve anxiety, even if it is momentary.
The truth is that this pleasure is superficial and transient. What happens, too, is that as the body adapts, in order to continue to feel pleasure it is necessary to smoke more and more.
From pleasure to anxiety created by nicotine
It is in this way, explained above, that a vicious and dependent cycle is created.
From that moment, the individual feels the need to consume more tobacco, which causes a stress scenario and establishes a link between the lack of cigarettes and increased anxiety caused by the absence of nicotine.
However, we cannot deny that smoking provides immediate relief but has the opposite long-term effect.
Although nicotine causes pleasure momentarily, withdrawal from it results in symptoms such as anxiety and irritability which has an impact on the mental health of the smoker and can cause harm.
7 direct effects of tobacco on your health
In addition to the harmful effects on mental health, of which we have already spoken, smoking has a number of serious physical disadvantages that manifest themselves in the appearance of some diseases.
- Smoking is directly related to respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema;
- Increases considerably or risk of cancer, especially no lung;
- Risk of heart disease and stroke is higher, since nicotine and other substances in tobacco also affect the cardiovascular system;
- Decreased quality and long-term average life expectancy due to tobacco damage;
- Harms the appearance of the skin, accelerating aging and increasing wrinkle formation;
- Affects the taste and smell, making them less refined;
- Causes bad breath, which can translate into a decrease in self-esteem.
As you now know the disadvantages of tobacco go beyond mental health issues and affect all systems and organs of our body.
But does smoking help with anxiety?
It is a fact that many people turn to smoking when they feel anxious or stressed.
Smoking becomes an easy way to deal with emotional discomfort and a way to “calm” the nervous system.
Several studies have been done on the impact of tobacco on mental health and one, found in Cochrane showed that individuals who quit smoking had lower rates of new cases of anxiety and depression compared to those who continue to smoke.
Do not delude yourself, what initially seems to be a solution to relieve stress, in reality is a trap that only increases the problem.
A paradox: tobacco and mental health
Nicotine alters the levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which are fundamental for our emotional state.
When we smoke, fluctuations are caused in the chemical balance of the brain, which can intensify the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Therefore, the cessation of smoking brings long-term positive effects on mental health, with the improvement of emotional state and quality of life.
Reduce anxiety and gain quality of life
If you are looking to quit smoking and find the calm and serenity necessary for your day to day there are some aids that you can count on and maybe not know.
Our Easy program helps you to cope with anxiety, without resorting to tobacco or harmful substances and free from the addiction of tobacco, through a holistic transformation.
Fight anxiety with wellness and whatever can make you happy! Count on me in this transformation and get in touch.