Why is Quitting Smoking so Difficult for Most People?
A lot of people start smoking as teens or even younger children. They first tried a cigarette because they thought it was cool, or they were pressured to by their friends or maybe even because their parents smoked. However, smoking is incredibly addictive, and it is hard to stop once you get started. For most people, quitting smoking is difficult!
Almost half of the people who try just one cigarette will go on to become regular smokers. While some people can quit by simply just deciding to stop, for a lot of people it is not that easy.
For cigarettes, there are three levels of addiction: physical, mental, and social. Smoking can permeate most aspects of life which is one of the reasons why it can be so difficult to quit.
Physical addiction to smoking
Cigarettes contain a lot of chemicals, one of which is highly addictive: nicotine. When nicotine is inhaled, it triggers the release of dopamine which is a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good. Eventually, the dopamine wears off, and the smoker ends up craving another cigarette.
Over time smokers develop a tolerance which means that they need to smoke more to feel the same effects. When you attempt to stop smoking, your brain can get irritated, which might make you feel anxious or upset. A sudden lack of nicotine leads to something called withdrawal. Everyone will experience withdrawal differently; however typical symptoms include aches and discomfort, cravings, irritability, sleep problems and fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches, a cough, and a sore throat.
In addition to the nicotine, cigarettes release thousands of other chemicals when they burn, up to seventy of which are known to cause cancer. These chemicals do not necessarily contribute to the addictive properties of cigarettes, but they can serve as a major reason to quit.
Mental addiction to smoking
Smoking becomes a part of a smoker’s daily routine. They tend to light up at certain points of the day; it could be while driving or after a meal, for example.
Some people smoke more when they are feeling a certain way, whether that be stressed or anxious, for example.
Anything can trigger a craving, and cigarettes can very quickly become a crutch; your days are filled with small actions or routines that you associate with smoking – you might not even realise it.
If you want to quit, then you should try to identify your triggers so that you can better tackle those feelings. It is all about relearning or readjusting your behaviours so that you are better equipped to deal with your triggers without resorting to smoking. For example, you could find an alternative thing to do with your hands or mouth instead of smoking; you could chew chewing gum or get a fidget toy.
Social addiction to smoking
The social aspects of smoking are also highly rewarding to the smoker. For some people, their smoking habits might be tightly linked to their social life as smokers tend to develop social groups with other smokers; it is often used – whether consciously or not – as a bonding tool. For example, it can be used as a social icebreaker when you ask people if they have a spare cigarette or a lighter, or smoke breaks with friends or colleagues can lead to a deeper friendship.
Some social activities might even facilitate smoking; for example, you might find that you always sit outside at a pub or bar because you can smoke without having to go anywhere.
If your social group revolves around smoking, you might find it more difficult to quit, whereas on the other hand, if you have a group of friends who support your quitting efforts, you are much more likely to go well. It depends on whether your friends are willing to make a few small changes in order to accommodate you and what you are trying to do. If they aren’t, you might want to consider who you class as your friends.
A Genetic Predisposition
This does not apply to everyone who smokes. However, the advancement of science has found a correlation between the different genetic factors and the likelihood of health issues that were previously thought to be a result of behavioural choices only.
Studies have found that there is a substantial genetic contribution to smoking behaviour. Genetics can differentially influence multiple different aspects of smoking behaviour, from the urge to start smoking, the cravings, and the difficulty in quitting. It may also explain why some people cannot stand smoking at all and why some people are more easily able to quit smoking or to smoke casually without becoming a regular smoker.
How Does Quitting Work?
The factors above may explain why some quitting methods fall flat, and the relapse rate is high. However, it is worth the repeated efforts as quitting smoking can lessen your chance of developing certain conditions and illnesses, which you can see from this quitting timeline.
There are a lot of different options when it comes to quitting. Firstly, cold turkey. This method is by far the hardest; you give up cigarettes and nicotine in their entirety. However, some people prefer this method because it is more immediate.
The other methods involve weaning yourself off nicotine slowly. Firstly, there are patches. They stick to your skin and administer a steady dose of nicotine slowly. You can also get nicotine lozenges or tablets, which you take when you are craving a cigarette. Both the tablets and the lozenges are available on the NHS, or you can get by them yourself.
The NHS provides a lot of help and support to anyone who wants to stop smoking. As well as support via your doctor, a new 28-day quit campaign has been launched providing online support via a free app, Facebook group, and/or emails.
Lastly, there is also e-cigarettes, which have been used as a smoking cessation tool since their inception. You can tailor your nicotine levels to suit your needs, and they still allow you to retain the routines and habits that you have become accustomed to.
Although there are still risks involved with e-cigarettes, the products are tightly regulated and the NHS recommends them as an option when people find quitting smoking is difficult when trying other options.
In Conclusion
A lot of ex-smokers list quitting as among the hardest things they have ever done. It can take a smoker multiple attempts to quit and repeated relapses before they find themselves smoke-free. However, by better understanding the different levels of addiction, you are putting yourself in a better position to quit for good. You know what to expect from withdrawal; you have identified your triggers and found yourself a support network.
So, while, for most people, quitting smoking is difficult, it is a challenge that can be overcome providing you have made a genuine commitment to do so.