Why people smoke: getting to the root causes

There are more and more smokers every day, not only adults but also teenagers. Why do people deliberately poison their bodies and endanger their health? Everyone smokes for different reasons. Some people "reduce" stress, some don't want to be the black sheep in the company of friends, and still others spend their time this way. Addiction can be a catastrophe that not only destroys a person physically, but also mentally.

Why does smoking addiction occur?

In order to answer the question of what's attractive about smoking, you need to understand how nicotine works on the body. The first cigarette was not pleasant. After inhaling tobacco smoke, you may experience dizziness, nausea, coughing, and possibly tremors in your limbs. It seems like all of these feelings should serve as motivation to not smoke. But if for some reason a person continues to smoke, the body gradually gets used to nicotine.In the first few months, smoking was a pleasure. Within 10 minutes of taking your first puff of cigarette, certain processes occur in the body. Adrenaline production increases, the person begins to feel euphoric, thinking speed and concentration increase, and a feeling of calm ensues. But over time, the pleasure of smoking gives way to true addiction. Nicotine is involved in metabolism, and the body gets used to the fact that this substance is constantly present in the blood. When nicotine levels decrease, the nervous system signals that it's time to refresh. It makes you want to reach for another cigarette. The time between smoking your first cigarette and becoming addicted to nicotine is different for everyone. In most cases it takes a year or a year and a half.Research shows that the psychology of nicotine addiction differs between men and women. Men smoke because they are used to it. They like to play with the cigarettes in their hands and feel the aroma of the smoke. The reason women smoke is to enjoy the process itself. In addition, tobacco companies themselves encourage disadvantaged genders to take up smoking by producing beautifully packaged products in a variety of flavors. In a circle of smoking friends, a girl with a cigarette and a glass of wine feels supported and seems eager to talk and share her secrets.

Psychological Reasons for Smoking in Adults and Teenagers

There are as many reasons as there are people. Teenagers most often pick up cigarettes because they feel pressure from their peers. Teenagers want to be like everyone else, to be "one of their own. "Individuals with no opinions were recruited into a group of smokers. The same can happen in couples where one partner smokes and forces the other to join in or their relationship will end.Another reason why teens smoke is a sense of independence. Of course, this is an illusory feeling that only allows you to grow in theory and only among your peers.Family relationships are largely a prerequisite for a child's future nicotine addiction. If one or both parents smoke, their offspring are likely to smoke in the future.Tempting advertisements on social networks, the Internet and television, bright promotional signs on the streets, all encourage young people to smoke on an unconscious level. Even out of curiosity, there's a higher than average chance that he'll smoke sooner or later. The reasons for starting to smoke as an adult are somewhat different, although in some cases similar to those of teenagers:

• "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder", translated means a desire to at least do something. Some people cope with the situation by shopping, others by nibbling sunflower seeds, eating, playing computer games, etc. Smokers, on the other hand, keep their hands and mouths busy smoking, and they enjoy feeling the taste of the smoke and the sensation of nicotine on their bodies;
• nervous. Stress at work or at home can lead to ongoing irritability. How to get out of trouble and calm down? For some people, the only solution is to smoke. Smoking or drinking a cup of coffee in the fresh air has become a ritual. Of course, you can find many other ways to relax, but not everyone is willing to do that;
• Shy and unable to communicate with others. If a person is reserved by nature and does not know how to talk to strangers, then every pause in the conversation becomes a torture. Smoking in this case is a substitute for communication, a "stopper" for suspension.
• Weak willed. Once you participate in the process of smoking, you can become a true family stoner. A weak-willed person, no matter how hard they try, will never be able to do it on their own. There are many reasons: I want to quit smoking tomorrow, I have worked hard all day, one cigarette will not hurt, I will finish this pack of cigarettes, and I will definitely quit smoking. You won't be able to cope with the situation here without qualified professional help;
• Wrong belief that cigarettes are not as harmful as they say. If life were risk-free, it would be foolish to give up something that brings joy;
• Problems at home, work, with friends, mental anguish caused by losing something or someone. Smoking can help you (at least temporarily) escape from real life and immerse yourself in calmness;
• Lonely. Those for whom cigarettes are their only friend will not give up cigarettes voluntarily. With their help, the feeling of uselessness will temporarily disappear.

No matter what the reason for starting smoking, people don't quit. The desire to inhale the aroma of tobacco smoke is ignored. A person most often reaches for a cigarette on a subconscious level, setting themselves up for a craving every time.The psychological reasons for smoking are clear, but nicotine can also be physically addictive. In addition to increasing the activity of brain receptors, the alkaloids contained in nicotine are present in all body systems. After smoking his first cigarette, he began to actively adapt to the previously unfamiliar state. Soon, certain nicotine doses become standard for a person, and future nicotine doses will need to be increased as the body's tolerance develops.

The psychosomatics of smoking

Scientific research proves that the main reason for smoking is psychological. That's why it's much easier to get rid of your physical craving for nicotine than to destroy yourself mentally. A perfectly competent person, if told about the dangers of smoking and its consequences, would nod in the affirmative but immediately light a cigarette. Why does this happen? The answer lies deep in the human subconscious. No one knows how internal programs were opened without permission and fell into a dependency state.Why can't a person quit smoking no matter how strong his will is? He did it because he felt the desire. The factors that led you to start smoking when you were young are now preventing you from giving up the habit as an adult. It's not ordinary curiosity or euphoria that prompts smoking. Now these are completely different causes - mind and body.After each puff of nicotine, a person will feel relaxed and relaxed, but without any feelings of pleasure. All smokers have their own reasons for not quitting:

• In the morning, nicotine and coffee work together to help you wake up and feel energized;
• At a banquet, smoking after drinking a glass of brandy can make you feel twice as calm;
• When you are nervous, rely on a cigarette to relieve yourself;
• Nicotine triggers psychological processes (according to smokers).

It is only possible to quit smoking once and for all without relapsing if a person has a compelling motivation or no longer has the desire to inhale tobacco smoke.

Main reasons for quitting smoking

The main reasons for quitting smoking often include health problems. Second is the fear of damaging relationships and families. Only in this way is it possible to develop a conscious desire not to damage your health and not spend money on cigarettes. The main diseases caused by smoking are as follows:

• heart and blood vessel problems;
• stroke;
• cancer;
• bronchitis;
• ulcer;
• emphysema.

Preexisting conditions may also return.Crime chronicles increasingly contain material about fires caused by cigarettes. For some people, these are just situations that happen to someone and have nothing to do with them personally. But when the problem affects relatives, friends or even neighbors, the thought of quitting becomes closer.In many countries, governments are actively cracking down on smoking. For example, a law has been passed under which appropriate measures are being taken:

• Smoking is prohibited in public places;
• increasing excise taxes on tobacco products;
• Packaging with inscribed labels and pictures warning of the dangers of smoking;
• "Information attacks" from the media, teachers, parents, and business leaders;
• Ban tobacco product advertising;
• Penalties for illegal cigarette trade;
• No sale to persons under 18 years of age.

Various types of penalties are provided for non-compliance with all these rules, ranging from fines to compensation for damage to the health of others.

How to quit smoking?

Today, there are enough ways to get rid of nicotine addiction, but the main thing is the desire of the smoker himself.

1. nicotine replacement therapy. This includes small-dose nicotine-containing medicines, gum, patches, nasal sprays, and more. People who use this or that product continue to receive nicotine, but in a pure state, free of harmful impurities and smoke. Therefore, quitting smoking is easier because you quit gradually without withdrawal symptoms.
2. electronic signature. So-called nicotine inhalers have experts divided. In fact, in most cases, addiction develops precisely because of the process itself, which allows a person to relax on an emotional level. E-cigarettes mimic smoking, but without consuming harmful carcinogens and tar in your lungs. Additionally, there is no tobacco smoke that negatively affects others.
3. coding. There are many private drug rehab clinics that offer services to help you overcome your addiction. There are three coding methods: hypnotic method, instrumental method and Dovzhenko method. With the help of hypnosis, one can understand the dangers of smoking and its possible consequences. Instrumental methods include acupuncture, which affects various nerve centers, and lasers, which target different parts of the patient's body. The Dovzhenko method is the oldest method of recovering from drug addiction. It consists of two stages. First, to provide smokers with information about the dangers of cigarettes, and second, to instill in smokers a dislike of tobacco and smoke. Doctors and patients decide which method to choose.
4. psychological help. As is the case with coding, the psychological impact occurs within the walls of the clinic. Individual lessons and group training are held there. Expert help increases your chances of quitting smoking completely by one and a half times.

Nicotine addiction is one of the most common addictions in the world. Along with it came alcoholism, drugs and overeating. If a person does not realize the danger of his or her situation in time, this will lead to extremely negative consequences.