Quitting smoking - the psychological dependence

Much has been said about the effect of the addictive substances of tobacco on the human body, in this article we will review the psychological dependence that makes it difficult to stop smoking

introduction

The Indians were the first to smoke tobacco in traditional ceremonies, special occasions and celebrations. In the 16th century, when the white man learned about the wonders of tobacco, the traditional Native American practice found its way to Europe and from there spread to the whole world. Soon, the stimulant that gave the Indian warriors a sense of calm, became the addiction of the human race. At first smoking was the part of those with influence and money, later it became a popular fashion and finally smoking became an integral part of the culture.

In the 50s, the connection between smoking and various diseases was noticed, smoking causes the development of many diseases including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular events, harm to fertility, sexual ability and lowers physical fitness. Only at the end of the 20s did massive propaganda against smoking begin in the USA, propaganda that later spread to other parts of the world.

As mentioned, it was only during the 20th century that they began to understand how destructive the effect of smoking is. Since then countless studies around the world have proven that smoking is not only harmful but also highly addictive. The addiction is caused by many reasons, the main one being the physical addiction under the influence of nicotine. Nicotine has an addictive effect because the substance activates dormant receptors in the brain. When the flow of nicotine is stopped, the body enters a state of intense stress and many negative effects such as headaches, nervousness force you to go back to smoking in order to stop these effects.

psychological dependence

Addiction is not only a physical phenomenon but also has psychological characteristics. Recent studies take the psychological component into account very seriously, since understanding the set of causes of addiction makes it possible to offer effective solutions for stopping smoking. The psychological addiction is created over time when the individual develops conditions that associate smoking with acts of relaxation/pleasure.

The best way to explain conditioning is through Ivan Pavlov's famous dog experiment. Flav conducted a behavior modification experiment, during which he measured how hungry his dogs were and whether it was possible to make them feel full without feeding them.

When Pavlov put food into the cage, the amount of saliva in the dog's mouth increased, a natural physiological phenomenon. In an attempt to create conditioning, before putting the food in the cage Pavlov rang the bell a few minutes before he put the food in the cage. Over time, the dog began to develop conditioning associating the ringing of the bell with the food that was about to come. The amount of saliva in the dog's mouth began to increase immediately after the bell even before the food was actually served, even in cases where the food was not served at all, the amount of saliva in the mouth increased when the bell rang. The conclusion is that the dog links the ringing of the bell with the food that is about to come, the link is reflected in the amount of mucus secreted in the oral cavity without actually seeing the food.

Smokers create similar conditions without realizing it. Quitting cigarettes after the meal, smoking in the pub with the guys, the cigarette after sex, these are all actions that create conditioning between pleasure and a cigarette (food -> cigarette; hanging out with friends -> cigarette; sexual pleasure -> cigarette). Similar to Pavlov's dogs where the ringing signaled the feeling of satiety that was about to come, in humans cigarettes always follow the feeling of pleasure.

Many believe that this also works in the opposite way, that if they smoke the cigarette, a feeling of pleasure will follow. It turns out that this does not work the other way around, just as ringing Pavlov's bell will not cause a feeling of satiety without the food, so the cigarette itself will not cause a feeling of pleasure.

At the same time, many depressed or stressed people smoke in a futile attempt to recover the feelings of pleasure associated with cigarettes. Unconsciously, a situation is created in which people smoke when it's good for them and when it's bad for them. This vicious circle creates a psychological addiction that makes it difficult for the individual to quit smoking.

The smoker must be aware of the phenomena but in order to better understand the way the human body works. Prior knowledge and understanding of the psychological mechanisms can facilitate the process of quitting smoking.