Why You Are Addicted to Cigarettes

Cigarette smoking is just about the most disgusting habit there is. Yet surprisingly people who do smoke can not quit. If you smoke do you know why you are addicted to cigarettes? In this article we will look at the transformation of a social smoker into a full time cigarette addict.

At first you become addicted to cigarettes because of the fast action of nicotine on the pleasure centers of your brain. When you puff on a cigarette the nicotine in your lungs enters your blood stream and within 15 to 20 seconds begins to work on your brain.

Once in your brain nicotine binds to receptors that are intended for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters affect your mood and behavior.

The neurotransmitter dopamine affects the reward center that causes feelings of pleasure and enjoyment. Serotonin helps moderate your mood and controls your appetite. GABA produces a calming effect that reduces anxiety.

Smoking is a means of artificially spiking the acetylcholine system resulting in feelings of pleasure, calmness, and a moderation of your mood.

As an occasional you may begin to use cigarettes as a means of coping with life's daily stresses. You switch from social smoking to daily smoking. Once you begin smoking several cigarettes a day, nicotine is constantly stimulating your brain, 24 hours a day. You are psychologically addicted to the positive effects of nicotine.

Your brain adapts to the frequent presence of nicotine. Your brain physically changes by increasing the nicotine receptor concentration. This requires more nicotine for your brain to function properly. That is, your brain now becomes dependent on nicotine for normal functions. This adaptation produces tolerance for nicotine.

When your brain is unable to get the required amount of nicotine, you experience withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms include restlessness and irritability. You may have trouble sleeping or in getting along with family and friends. You often appear anxious one day and listless the next.

As an addicted cigarette smoker you often go for your first dose of nicotine as soon as possible in the morning. Many smokers take their first puffs within 5 minutes of awakening.


Throughout the day you need nicotine doses every couple of hours. You will use your one break at work to smoke. You will go outside and stand in the snow to smoke. You may get up in the night to have a puff when you go to the bathroom.



You are now a cigarette addict and destined for a life of health problems not to mention the outlandish cost of a carton of cigarettes. If you are already a cigarette addict you face a tough road ahead to quitting. If you are a social smoker quit while you still can.