Nursing Study #1

Does nicotine have a strong hold over you? It’s one of the most addictives substances on the planet - found naturally in tobacco. Although not illegal, it’s equally as addictive as cocaine or heroine, two illegal drugs known for their strong addictive qualities.

When you use nicotine, your body begins to rely on it both mentally and physically. You can’t quit smoking because you have to face both the psychological and physical issues facing you at this point, which is often overwhelming for anyone.

It’s not the smoke itself that wreaks havoc on your addictions and makes it nearly impossible for you to quit smoking – it’s the nicotine that gets carried in the smoke deep into your lungs where it plants itself in your bloodstream and then moves to every available part of your body to affect your internal health.

Your heart and blood vessels, your brain, your hormones, and your metabolism are all directly affected by nicotine. Even though you may logically know the damage being done, your ability to quit smoking is diminished because the drug has the same effect as endorphins, releasing mood-elevating feelings that cause you to crave more.

But nicotine has another result. When you try to quit smoking, or even stay at the same number of cigarettes you currently smoke, your body triggers you to smoke more, telling you that you’ve become tolerant of your current usage. Nicotine can cause your body to react faster than if you were given a drug intravenously.

If you are able to quit smoking, nicotine will still reside in your body for up to four days after you stop using it. Your body will go into withdrawal, which is both a mental and physical obstacle you have to overcome.

While the physical portion of the addiction has to be dealt with through symptoms such as sleep disturbance, headaches, and dizziness, when someone quits smoking, the mental portion is noticeable when the newly ex-smoker starts dealing with depression, frustration, and anger that results from nicotine withdrawal.

Because of the pressure felt in both the mind and body, many smokers return to the bad habit so that the nicotine will erase the symptoms they’re feeling. The dilemma of withdrawal symptoms when someone quits smoking can last for days or weeks, depending on the severity of the addiction.

Eventually, the symptoms disappear and the strong hold nicotine has over the user loosens up its grip and allows the ex-smoker to break the habit for good. Most smokers have to try several times before they’re able to quit smoking forever, although many do it on the first try using smoking cessation aids.