Mental Health And Smoking

Studies have proclaimed that there's a link between smoking and mental health. Once someone smokes, the nicotine content goes to the brain in a very matter of 10 seconds. As nicotine affects the structural and chemical changes within the brain, it leaves an adverse impact on the person's mental health.

When nicotine first goes to the brain, it looks to act completely by improving the mood and concentration and reducing stress and anger. Smoking can even relax the muscles and reduce one's appetite. However regular smoking means that regular consumption of nicotine, that brings about changes in the brain affecting the person's mental health and mind. Once the person stops smoking, he/she would expertise the withdrawal symptoms. Some smokers want smoking once more to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms and in the method resume their habit again. This cyclic method leaves them dependent on nicotine.

Many people first experiment with smoking and finally find themselves as chain smokers. With the passage of time, several of them begin abusing drugs or alcohol that results in a high level of stress affecting their mental health. Many of us defend their smoking saying that it helps them cope up with stress and to relax. Smoking with the target of stress reduction is termed self-medication. Once we fail to address stress, it causes physical symptoms like breathlessness or headaches. It makes us sad, unhappy, irritable or anxious.

Such negative feelings have an effect on our mental condition. They'll tempt one to start out smoking casually to begin with, that later becomes a habit. Chronic, lasting stress is joined to depression and anxiety. And regardless of what smokers claim, smoking simply increases anxiety and tension. The relief led to by nicotine is just temporary, that in fact increases one's need for nicotine. Smoking doesn't upset the underlying causes of depression and anxiety and in no manner improves mental health.

When one smokes, nicotine stimulates the discharge of dopamine within the brain that creates a feel-good feeling and a sense of relaxation. As people plagued by depression have low amounts of dopamine, they smoke to temporarily increase their dopamine level for a ‘feel-good' impact. However, once the nicotine gets to the brain, the brain stops its own dopamine supply. This makes the person to smoke more for obtaining the specified effect. Though it's not absolutely clear whether or not smoking affects mental health, or mental health creates the will for smoking. It's confirmed that there's a strong link between these two.

Schizophrenics typically smoke heavily to manage their symptoms and to cut back the adverse side effects of their medications. Many of us have mental problems begin smoking to reduce the symptoms of their conditions. However, the negative effects of heavy smoking far outweigh its apparently positive effects. It's a mistaken belief that smoking may improve a person's mental health and mind.

So, a person ought to kick the habit of smoking if he/she desires to stay his/her mental health in good condition. It's been seen that smoking negatively affects each physical and mental health in the long run. Those that smoke to reduce anxiety or stress should search for alternative ways.