All About Nicotine Addiction

You may not realize this, but aside from drugs and alcohol, there’s also another substance that is highly addictive. It’s nicotine. And there are millions of people all over the world who have nicotine addiction and are constantly struggling to quit.

Think about this: 10 puffs per cigarette, times 20 cigarettes daily, is equal to about 20 hits of nicotine a day. No wonder cigarettes can be addictive too.

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Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine addiction, also known as tobacco addiction, can be simply defined as the inability to stop smoking even if it’s causing you harm.

Just like many addictive substances, nicotine produces many physical and mood-altering effects in your brain, which can be temporarily relaxing and pleasing. This causes you to like the effects smoking brings you, so you do it again and again. And, also like other addictive substances, stopping smoking can also cause withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, and anxiety.

While nicotine causes dependence or addiction, there are other substances in tobacco or cigarettes that can cause toxic effects. It’s a known fact that smokers have a much higher rate of acquiring heart disease, stroke, and several kinds of cancer compared to non-smokers. Aside from that, second-hand smokers also get several harmful effects from inhaling cigarette smoke.

Symptoms of Nicotine Addiction

Casual or seldom smoking can often easily lead to addiction. Watch out for these signs to know if you yourself are already addicted:

• Inability to stop smoking despite of many efforts to quit
• Withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit
• Continuous smoking despite emergence of health problems
• Prioritizing smoking over other social or recreational activities

Withdrawal Symptoms of Nicotine Addiction

• Mood swings
• Strong cravings
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Difficulty focusing
• Depressed moon
• Frustration
• Easy to get angry
• Aggression
• Increased anger
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia

Triggers for Smoking

There are triggers for smoking that you may need to avoid in order for you to be more successful in quitting.

• Certain times of the day such as morning coffee time, after breakfast, during work breaks, after meals and many other times
• While drinking alcohol or coffee
• Certain friends
• Certain places
• When talking on the phone
• During stressful situations
• When you smell a burning cigarette
• When you see a cigarette or someone smoking
• When on your way to work
• When you are driving your car

While you don’t necessarily need to go to a rehabilitation facility for smoking addiction, you can still talk to your medical professional or physician about what you can do to stop smoking. They may be able to help you develop a treatment plan or quitting program to boost your chances of quitting cigarettes for good.

However, if you find yourself turning to other addictive substances to help you in your quest to quit smoking, or if you are addicted to other substances aside from nicotine, that’s where we at Bridges of Hope can step in. Contact our rehab specialists today through our confidential helpline: 09175098826.