Why You Find it Hard to Quit Smoking

It is not uncommon to hear about someone who is constantly giving up smoking. They never become an ex smoker, simply a smoker that is always trying to give. The reality is that it is hard to quit smoking. This article will explain why it is so hard to quit smoking and give you some perspective on your own challenge to kick the habit for good.

A smoking addiction works on two levels. There is a physical addiction and a psychological addiction. A person is physically addicted to the affects that nicotine causes in the body. Nicotine is known as a stimulant and is thought to trigger the release of various hormones, one of which is adrenaline. So a smoker will get a little rush when they take a first drag from their cigarette. It also explains why people will smoke when they are slightly stressed. Apart form the psychological reasons for doing this, it also triggers a physical reaction to stress. For anyone that has smoked for many years this change in the body will be hard to give up should they decide to stop smoking.

On a psychological level, nicotine is also thought to affect hormones like dopamine, that can affect a person's emotional state. Smoking a cigarette may make a person feel happier or more content. Again, should they decide to stop smoking they would miss out on this sensation thus making the quitting process hard.

Also on a psychological level, a person has associated any stressful incident or even a time to relax as the trigger to light up a cigarette. They may have first started smoking to fit in with their peer group. They may have been convinced of the benefits of smoking by media and advertising that was essentially selling cigarettes without much regard for the negative affects of smoking. All these factors set a strong desire to smoke in the person's subconscious. This is very hard to expunge from the subconscious.

So it is hard to quit smoking for both these reasons but it is made harder if the person has no alternative to having a smoke. Once you decide to quit a bad habit, it is important to fill the gap that is left with an alternative that is more beneficial.