A Deep Question

[nsd_user663_56301]

O.K. so smoking is hard to give up but why answer addictive but why is it addictive? The solution to stop smoking seems to me to find out why it is addictive and then to sort that reason out . What is it boredom, lonliness?

[nsd_user663_27255]

The nicodemon!

It's the nicotine which actually addicts us both physically and most of all mentally!

Have you read Alan Carr's easyway to stop smoking, he explains the trap very well although I must admin I preferred Kristina Ivings Free yourself from smoking better

[nsd_user663_54958]

moll, you are on the right track when trying to figure out why it is addictive. Understanding is power! I think it's different things for different people, but no doubt there is a physical addiction for most. I wish I knew why, perhaps it would make it easier to quit. I suppose cig manufacturers have thought of several ways to get us hooked.

Roosa.

[nsd_user663_51469]

Thank you for that Teflon.

Goes a long way towards explaining the depression that some of us feel when we quit.

I rationalised my depression by saying that I wasn't getting hits of happiness 20/30 times a day, which in my head sort of fits in with what you're saying.

[nsd_user663_56150]

ok, not really sure where to start, but will have a good ramble and hopefully answer a few questions.......

Ok, so your brain marvellous thing, but protected. This is by the blood brain barrier so the really good bits are protected. Nicotine is basically poison, it is used as a pesticide, and will kill you pound for pound way quicker than many poisons you can probably think of, arsenic etc...

Usually the blood brain barrier wouldnt let it in, but it has a near identical structure to Acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter within the brain, these latch to receptors and do brain type things some good some bad and how these happen determines what the brain does.

Nicotine fiddles with stuff, ultimately making the brain produce dopamine and dopamine is the brains reward to you for doing what it wanted, hungry? eat brain releases dopamine which makes you feel satisfied. The brain then effectively hardwires this, so when you need food it will automatically make you eat then reward you for doing so and you will feel good for that. Once this hard wiring is done it cannot be undone. so forever when you need food your brain will force you to eat and reward you for doing so.

Now nicotine, gets into the brain as above, it messes with the gubbins and ultimately sets a hard wire route between nicotine landing in the receptors of the brain that it plops in to, to some degree pretending to be acetylcholine the brain sees this as being something the body wants and rewards it with dopamine hence we smoke we feel good.

This then spirals into neural carnage and the nicotine gets into loads of receptors so the brain activates more receptors and on we go. Worst bit is that as the connection between need and reward has been established all over the brain it can be very persuasive in making you smoke even though in itself it doesnt do you any good, you think it does because the brain gives you a reward.

These connections will not go away sadly so a smoker will always clinically be an addict regardless of how long you may have stooped for, which is why if you start again you will be straight onto however many a day because as soon as the brain is reminded of the pathway all the receptors will light up and sadly more often than not the smoker does too.

oh yeah, the reason we get addicted is the other thing that nicotone does which is activate our fight or flight reflexes, making us alert and generally stimulated. That is the bit that we enjoy initially but largely forget as the dopamine reward takes over.

I think anyway, been a while since it was explained to me, apologies if I am wildly wrong!

Really Interesting.. Helps me understand why I am feeling like I am !!

Do you know why it is that some people can smoke the occasional ciggy, I spoke to a lady recently and she says she smokes when she fancies one but just isn't addicted,, she said 'I had one today but before that was a week ago'. !! So no fair.....

Why am I an addict but people like her aren't...?

[nsd_user663_54332]

Do you know why it is that some people can smoke the occasional ciggy, I spoke to a lady recently and she says she smokes when she fancies one but just isn't addicted,, she said 'I had one today but before that was a week ago'. !! So no fair.....

Why am I an addict but people like her aren't...?

I know the answer to that

Was like her from 13-16 - used to smoke here and there before actually "starting smoking". Didn't get hooked 'cos I'd have a few fags then not smoke again for weeks or months, but when I started smoking more regularly I got hooked. Your friend just doesn't smoke enough to get hooked on them.

[nsd_user663_56150]

I know the answer to that

Was like her from 13-16 - used to smoke here and there before actually "starting smoking". Didn't get hooked 'cos I'd have a few fags then not smoke again for weeks or months, but when I started smoking more regularly I got hooked. Your friend just doesn't smoke enough to get hooked on them.

Really.. Blimey !! But we can't be like that mow can we... Have the odd one... Because its too late and one would make us crave for our old 20 a day etc.... So not fair... Sob sob....

She actually weren't my friend.. I was in the petrol station a couple weeks ago and my hubby had insisted that as I was going there for diesel I should get him some cigs, I was having a tough day and craving etc, we actually argued about me not wanting to buy he's poksy fags for him!! I gave in and got them for him and must have looked so miserable... Just got chatting to the woman who served me and went on to tell this complete stranger !!!! How I was trying to give up etc etc... She then went on to tell me about her life in the last few years (so sad....) and then about how she smokes only now and then etc.....

Thanks for the answer Gemma Lou

X

[nsd_user663_54332]

Really.. Blimey !! But we can't be like that mow can we... Have the odd one... Because its too late and one would make us crave for our old 20 a day etc.... So not fair... Sob sob....

Yes, part of me misses that - but there's no going back now.

I quit for over 18 months, thought I'd undone the addiction then bought a pack after a row. Was smoking more than ever within a few weeks :mad: