How to get rid of the psychological dependence on smoking

Psychological dependence on smoking is the main reason that a person picks up a cigarette again and again, unable to quit this addiction. Tobacco refers to psychoactive substances, as well as alcohol, drugs, caffeine, hallucinogens and much more. This is a problem that really needs to be addressed. What is psychological dependence and how to overcome it?

Psychological addiction

In psychiatry, there is a special section devoted to diseases that are caused by psychoactive substances. One of the syndromes that go into this section is addiction. There are two dependencies: psychological and physical. Doctors managed to find out that only those substances that enter the body orally or injection cause physical dependence. Inhaled tobacco smoke cannot lead to it. However, all psychoactive substances cause psychological dependence.

This type of dependence forms a dominant in the central nervous system of a person. It is she who makes the smoker return to his habit again and again. In fact, the body simply remembers how good it was during smoking and wants to repeat the process. Biochemical reactions in the brain change in such a way that a person again reaches for a cigarette or becomes irritable, sometimes even aggressive.

How is tobacco addiction formed?

Due to frequent systematic smoking, the brain gets used to high levels of dopamine and considers it normal. Now, the amount of this substance that was before smoking is insufficient. The problem is that nicotine is eliminated from the body very quickly. Two hours after admission, the concentration of nicotine in the blood is reduced by half. At the same time, the amount of dopamine decreases and the person feels that he wants to smoke again.

Thus, a smoker's ritual is literally formed. A person knows how many cigarettes he needs to smoke per day and after what time he should smoke. At the same time, tolerance forms over time and the usual amount of nicotine is no longer enough. This leads to an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Why quit smoking

If smoking relaxes and soothes, why is it considered a bad habit? You can fool yourself for a long time with the fact that all the talk about the dangers of tobacco is just an attempt to undermine the business of tobacco corporations and in fact there is nothing wrong with smoking a few cigarettes a day. However, in fact, this habit cannot be called harmless.

The negative effects of tobacco are as follows:

1. General intoxication of the body. In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain a large number of other substances, such as resins, arsenic, formaldehyde and many others. They adversely affect all organs and tissues, causing various biochemical reactions in them. Not yet fully understood all the processes that arise when inhaling tobacco smoke.
2. Crayfish. Cigarettes contain many carcinogens.In addition, tobacco smoke is a strong irritant that acts on the mucous membrane of the mouth and upper respiratory tract every time you smoke. This leads to changes in the epithelium of these anatomical formations and can lead to tumor degeneration of the mucosa. It has been proven that cancer of the larynx, trachea and bronchi is much more common in people with significant smoker experience.
3. Diseases of the cardiovascular system. Nicotine leads to a narrowing of peripheral vessels. This increases blood pressure, which can lead to hypertension and hypertensive crises. In addition, in narrowed vessels, blood flow slows down and its viscosity increases, which causes platelet aggregation. This is fraught with thrombosis, thromboembolism and heart attacks of various organs.
4. Respiratory system diseases. Smokers are more likely to experience diseases such as bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis. This is due to a decrease in the protective properties of the upper respiratory tract.
5. Changes in the oral cavity. The fact that tobacco causes yellowing of tooth enamel is known by many, but this is not the biggest problem. The formation of ulcers on the oral mucosa is much more dangerous. They arise due to a decrease in local immunity and the constant action of irritants contained in tobacco smoke.
6. Digestive system diseases. Nicotine and excipients contained in cigarettes alter the secretory activity of the gastrointestinal tract, causing the formation of stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers, enteritis and colitis.
7. Changes in the musculoskeletal system. Nicotine reduces the concentration of calcium in the blood, which leads to osteoporosis and muscle weakness. Smokers have a higher risk of getting a bone fracture.

It is also worth mentioning that tobacco smoke causes a significant effect on the body not only in the smoker himself, but also in the people around him. There is an assumption that passive smoking is even more dangerous than active, because in this case less nicotine enters the body, but more resins and by-products.

How to get rid of a bad habit

Quitting smoking is quite difficult, but with sufficient desire, it is possible. You should understand the phased instructions for dealing with the habit.

Step number 1. To begin with, decide on the motives. Why do you need to get rid of the psychological dependence on smoking? Psychotherapists have a technique of four questions designed for those who want to act, but are afraid of failure. Answer these questions:

• How will my life change if I do?
• How will my life change if I DO NOT?
• What will NOT happen if I DO NOT?
• What will NOT happen if I do this?

Step number 2. Try to quit abruptly. Just decide that from now on you will never, under any circumstances, pick up a cigarette. It is important to do this right now, and not from tomorrow, next Monday, month or year. You must have great willpower, but this is the fastest and most effective method.

Step number 3. Can't quit instantly? Then the following steps are for you. Stop smoking gradually. For example, every day reduce the number of cigarettes smoked by one. Or increase the time between breaks every day by half an hour.

Step number 4. Remove anything that resembles smoking from your reach. All lighters, matches, ashtrays, posters, figures with cigarettes. Of course, packs of cigarettes should not be in your pocket, purse, car, or on the table either.

Step number 5. If it’s really hard for you without cigarettes, try special chewing gum or pills. They contain safe doses of nicotine and can muffle the craving for a cigarette. However, one should not get carried away either. Remember: your main task is to return the usual level of dopamine in the brain to its original level, then the addiction will go away.

Step number 6. Find something to do. Often a person picks up a cigarette from boredom.Do not let yourself be bored. Five-minute gymnastics or a cup of tea in the office is better than smoking.

It can be concluded that quitting smoking is necessary as soon as possible. For this, a great enough desire and good motivation. It is important to understand not only how to deal with addiction, but also why you need it. Believe in your strength and you will succeed.

Video: what happens if you quit smoking right now!