Stop Smoking Methods - Why Is Nicotine So Addictive?

By Peter Ward

The latest research into nicotine addiction is leading to an improved understanding of the effects and working mechanism of the drug on the body, even indicating a genetic predisposition to becoming addicted to cigarettes.
Advanced neuro- imaging techniques assist researchers by allowing them to observe specific changes in the brain under the influence of nicotine. The hope is that these findings will allow the development of new and effective smoking cessation treatments.
When a person smokes a cigarette they ingest around 1 to 2mg of nicotine, after inhalation the smoker receives an initial “high” due to stimulation of the adrenal glands. This causes a rush of adrenaline which stimulates the body; this in turn causes a release of glucose, an increase in blood pressure as well as breathing rate and heart rate.
The calming effect of nicotine that smokers report is a response to the loss of withdrawal symptoms rather than the drug itself. It seem that the effect of nicotine on the brain is to activate parts of the brain that regulate feelings of pleasure, increasing the levels of the chemical, dopamine, also associated with sensations of physical reward. Research also indicates that certain other chemicals in tobacco smoke reinforce the nicotine effect.
An enzyme called monoamine oxidase which helps break down dopamine, is less effective when smoking causing the pleasurable dopamine effect to last longer. Another chemical acetaldehyde seem to chemically enhance the effect of nicotine The addictive nature of nicotine comes from the fact that these pleasurable effects are short lived, causing the smoker to desire more of the drug to obtain the pleasure reward, so driving them back to tobacco use.
The other addictive aspect of smoking for some people is the “ritual” of smoking. The purchase, the handling, the lighting and smoking of a cigarette all add to its habit forming nature.
The desire to smoke can be put into two main categories.1) The physical craving for nicotine, resulting in the dopamine effect, that the body experiences due to the chemical changes detailed above and…2) The thoughts and attitudes held by the smoker themselves, what are the real reasons behind a persons smoking habit. Often understanding why a person truly smokes can help them quit by addressing underlying problems.
By understanding these two sides, combination treatments such as the use of nicotine replacement therapy, in the form of patches or gum, in conjunction with behavioural therapies, such as, neuro linguistic programming or cognitive behavioural therapy treat both aspects of the addition together. This kind of combination approach has proved highly effective. An improved understanding of nicotine addiction, as well as how it works, will lead to advanced treatments in the future. These will add to existing forms of treatment
Peter Ward writes on a variety of health and associated health issues. The website below offers free guidance and advice on smoking cessation. Concentrating on changing smokers attitudes and thoughts to help them quit smoking by understanding why they smoke in the first instance. Click on the link : http://www.quit-smoking-asap.com