Health & Medical Addiction & Recovery

Depressed? Quit Smoking

Why light that cigarette? Because you are feeling depressed? When people especially smokers feel depressed, they end up lighting a cigarette, they feel that smoking eases their mind and brings them relief.
Therefore, in the hope to get relieved they smoke, try to puff away all their depression.
They use cigarettes as a stress reliever after a fight, hard time at work; family problem etc hoping that it will uplift their spirit and will give them that feel good effect.
This condition is called nicotine dependency.
Tobacco consists of more than 4000 harmful chemicals and nicotine, a harmful colorless alkaloid is its most lethal content.
It is extremely toxic and is used as an agricultural insecticide; in fact there are a number of farmers who died from the consumption of nicotine/tobacco.
When tobacco is smoked its effect can be felt within 7 seconds, it acts very fast.
Nicotine directly goes to the lungs and get absorbed with the bloodstream.
Then it is sent to the brain through the pumping of the heart.
In the brain it releases dopamine which further gives that positive feeling.
This is what makes cigarette smoking, addictive, basically a working of nicotine.
As nicotine acts very fast, its effect also leaves fast.
Therefore, when the level of nicotine falls in our blood, the craving for nicotine begins.
Slowly, it begins to affect our moods, we feel dull and lethargic but on smoking we return back to normal.
Therefore, nicotine is a stimulant as well as a depressant.
Smoking seems to alert us but in reality long term smoking increases the chance of suffering from depression.
We smoke when we are depressed thinking that it will enliven us but it does just the opposite.
It has nothing to do with our life except that it is our addiction and we are in its grip.
We give smoking so much importance that it slowly starts ruling our life and ultimately becomes the controller of our moods and behavior.
Therefore, inorder to prevent suffering from chronic depression later in life, it is right to quit smoking now.
However, quitting smoking is not an easy task as nicotine is highly addictive.
The withdrawal symptoms are unbearable, that is why people often fail and relapse within no time.
They urge the mind to light up just for once and bring relief.
As the withdrawal syndromes are hard to fight, it is good to consult a physician when trying to quit smoking.
There are many kits and medications available to help quit smoking.
Pfizer Chantix, is one such medicine which is widely used as an effective nicotine withdrawal treatments.
Chantix works in the brain like nicotine but without any harmful effects.
It also diminishes the taste of cigarette and the craving.
Therefore with chantix the withdrawal syndrome is less and can be conquered.
Further, there are other medications like zyban and nicotine replacement therapies which also show a pleasant result.
However, before going for any treatment it is good to consult your doctor for the right treatment and dosage so that whatever treatment you take turns out to be effective and beneficial in making you smoke free.


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