Nicotine vs. Body.
The Mechanisms That Keep You Trapped.
Tobacco products consist of more than 4.000 different chemicals and substances. All of them work together to make cigarettes and other tobacco products more addictive. The best-known culprit of them all? Nicotine, of course.
It is the one substance that makes it so incredibly hard to quit for good. While it occurs in different forms and products, i. e. cigarettes, vapes, gums, snuff, pipes, patches, and so on, there is a clear preference for inhalation amongst most consumers. The reason for this is, it only takes 7–10 seconds for nicotine to travel all the way to our brains, somewhat longer to reach peak levels, and finally, to reward us with the desired “kick” when inhaled. In contrast, it takes significantly longer for any other form of consumption to accumulate the same levels of nicotine in our brains, activating the chain-reactions that lead to pleasure, relaxation, and satisfaction.
Once inhaled, the vicious cycle of nicotine begins. From our lungs, it finds its way into our bloodstream, which will then help to distribute the substance throughout our bodies, causing multiple effects simultaneously. The probably most important destination from an addiction-forming point of view is the brain. There it connects with certain receptors, triggering the release of dopamine, our feel-good hormone and neurotransmitter. However, this effect doesn’t last long and our bodies will do their best to rid themselves of the toxic chemical.
As a result, our nicotine levels drop again, we become irritable, stressed, anxious, and crave our most favorite method of relieve: the next smoke.
Now, when you look at those mechanisms from that perspective, it becomes clear, that it is, in fact, the nicotine that keeps us trapped. Without it, there would be no drop in nicotine-levels, and hence, no need for a fix. The dopamine-levels of non-smokers are much more stable, yet the smoker believes, he gets an advantage by “reducing” stress that he shouldn’t even have to experience, to begin with. The nicotine trap is a delusion that we created ourselves.
But wait, there is more to it. Over time, as we repeat the same actions over and over again, we start to form habits. Cigarette to the coffee because it “tastes” better this way. Cigarette during a break because it helps to “relax”. When we’re angry, happy, hungry, full, while socializing, or alone. The experience of every situation can immediately be “upgraded” by something as simple as a cigarette. Or so we believe.
Nicotine consumption triggers a lot more functions in our bodies, then is commonly known. Yet they all play together when we try to quit for good and find it excruciatingly hard.
Adrenaline
As the “fight-or-flight” hormone, adrenaline takes over multiple tasks in our bodies. When released, it increases our heart rates, blood pressure, causes our hands to sweat and restricts blood flow to the heart muscle. It also relates to the next hormone in line, insulin, as it triggers our cells to move excess glucose into our bloodstreams. While this can be an overall rather stressful experience, adrenaline also leaves us feeling more alert and helps to increase performance. Side effects that add to the falsely-positive experience of smoking.
Insulin
Many smokers state that cigarettes help them to suppress hunger and there is actual science to back those claims up. As adrenaline sets off the glucose release into our bloodstreams, we experience elevated levels of blood sugars. While at the same time, nicotine triggers our pancreas to produce insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting glucose to wherever energy is needed. However, this process takes some time and in the meanwhile, smokers benefit from the appetite suppressant effects of slightly higher blood sugar levels.
Dopamine
As soon as the nicotine makes its way into our brains, it will connect to receptors which as a response release dopamine. A neurotransmitter that is greatly involved in the brains reward-systems. As dopamine is the chemical that eventually makes us feel good when smoking, it is also the strongest link that physically binds us to the nicotine-trap.
Acetylcholine
Every one of us, regardless of being a smoker or not, has a certain amount of receptors in their brains, each of which dedicated to different neurotransmitters, such as the dopamine mentioned before. Another one of them is called acetylcholine. Nicotine has the ability to connect to the receptors that are actually meant to welcome this acetylcholine. The issue is, nicotine arrives in far bigger waves then our brains would ever produce acetylcholine. Slight chaos follows: What to do with all the nicotine? As our bodies are absolute champions in means of adaptation, they begin to create more and more receptors, until they match the incoming amounts. Once you quit or take longer breaks, the backup receptors will be removed again.
Consequently, this process also plays a major role in nicotine addiction. Remember your first cigarette? Or even to a lighter extent the very first every morning? Chances are, those didn’t make you feel all too well. That is because your brain hadn’t built the necessary receptors for all the incoming nicotine yet. Or as in the case with the morning one, has already started to remove some of them. Once it has adapted to deal with that challenge, you end up having more receptors than non-smokers. From now on, every time your nicotine levels drop, all of them will be crying for more. Leaving you irritable and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, your body cannot simply jumpstart the additional production of acetylcholine to even things out. There is only one way to stop those common withdrawal symptoms: you have to wait them out.
What happens when we quit?
Nicotine levels drop rapidly, once we put down our last one. Then, for a short period of time, there will be a disbalance between all the extra receptors we have built, and the brain chemicals we are capable to produce naturally. During this episode, we will most likely experience some common withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, headaches, irritability, elevated stress levels, and alike.
Yet, not everyone experiences them in the same way or intensity. That is partly due to the fact, that not every smoker builds the same amount of extra receptors. Leaving the ones with lower levels less prone to physical withdrawal symptoms. In addition to that, one study found that females and males respond differently to nicotine consumption — giving males an overall better chance to be successful with nicotine-replacement therapy.
Nevertheless, there is always a psychological component that cannot be left out of the equation. While there are countless drugs and medications that replace nicotine or block those receptors, many people still fail to quit for good. The habitual-side of smoking plays just as an important role as do the physiological aspects. Breaking habits and behavior patterns can be a long path to freedom. Rewiring our brains and building new neurological connections takes time. And as a matter of fact, even years after someone has given up a certain behavior, they might still experience cravings from time to time, randomly activated by the same old triggers.
If you would like to read about my own smoke-free story, you can access it here:
