Have you ever tried to stop smoking? There are slogans all over the place stating this and that about the harm of nicotine and its addictive properties. In fact, there are many organizations calling for the declaration of nicotine as a highly toxic and addictive substance which should be legally labelled as a dangerous substance equivalent to cocaine or even meth. What makes nicotine so addictive that it makes the smoker lose control simply thinking about quitting smoking?
It has something to do with the brain, specifically the dopamine pathways. The dopamine pathways are found deep inside the brain where satisfaction is the main goal. This is the pathway where a simple feeling of hunger can become a full blown craving and can only be satisfied when the peptides produced by the stomach signals the brain that it is full. Thus will the dopamine pathways signal the body that it is now satisfied. This is the same thing that happens to smokers.
It all starts out with a dare from a friend and a puff of cigarette smoke. The body will then take note of that particular chemical, nicotine, so the next time it meets it the body will recognize it immediately. At first the puffs of cigarette smoke is dictated by the psychological need to be accepted within a peer group, but gradually the nicotine becomes a substance in the body which will be seen as something essential. Soon, the psychological need is overwhelmed by the physical need of the body to get that substance into the body once again.
If the body or the individual stops smoking at this point, they will not get addicted to nicotine, but if the individual gives in to the mild craving, the mild need will soon turn to a full blown need, even more so compared to the need for food.
Soon, the body will crave the nicotine substance and become addicted to it. The dopamine pathways will recognize the need for it and will only trigger the satisfaction to the brain if it can get the substance into the body. Soon, the craving increases until the body can no longer ignore the need for the nicotine at all times.
The unfortunate thing about the whole process is that the addiction is not gradual, it is sudden and fierce. And once it takes hold of the body, the body will crave it to be present at all times. Any attempt to get off the substance will result to withdrawal symptoms which nobody really likes to go through – tremors, dryness of the mouth, hunger, nausea and more nicotine craving.
Unfortunately, those who are not willing to go through the withdrawal can attempt again and again to quit smoking but they can never really complete the process. What they do not know is that the more they attempt, the more the addiction takes hold.
It is really a matter of choice but the sad thing is nobody really wants to go through the difficulties of quitting smoking. If the determination is only enough to make the person quit, then there would be no need for nicotine patches and the like.
On the topic, check out these electronic cigarette reviews we found. Some contain 0 mg of nicotine.