The Truth About Smoking Pleasure and Nicotine Addiction

Smoking is often associated with feelings of pleasure and comfort. Some even say that they are happy smoking, despite research finding no connection between it and happiness.This can createchallenges for quittingbecause the act of smoking is associated with positive emotions.

Here we explain the reasons why smoking feels pleasurable and why people crave nicotine even when their bodies are experiencing the negative health effects of cigarettes. Understanding the nature ofnicotine addictioncan be a powerful step in quitting smoking for good.

At a GlanceNicotine triggers the release of pleasure hormones in the brain, causing one to feel happy smoking. Smoking is also a habit. Despite the pleasure derived from this activity, smoking is harmful—even dangerous—to one’s health. Quitting smoking for good is possible through a variety of mechanisms, including making a plan, getting support, and using aids.

At a Glance

Nicotine triggers the release of pleasure hormones in the brain, causing one to feel happy smoking. Smoking is also a habit. Despite the pleasure derived from this activity, smoking is harmful—even dangerous—to one’s health. Quitting smoking for good is possible through a variety of mechanisms, including making a plan, getting support, and using aids.

Smoking Is Like a Toxic Relationship

Just as it’s possible to have atoxic relationship with people, smoking is also a toxic relationship. While it might feel good to smoke in the moment, nicotine is not a true friend. Instead, this substance tricks the body and the mind into thinking it is a pleasurable activity, resulting in craving it more and more.

Smoking Manipulates the Brain

When the nicotine in cigarette smoke is inhaled, it triggers the brain’s release ofthe neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is often called the “feel-good” hormone as it produces feelings of pleasure.

Smoking Causes Constant Nicotine Withdrawal

People who smoke also live in an almost constant state ofnicotine withdrawal, from the first cigarette of the day until the last. As soon as a cigarette is snubbed out, the level of nicotine in the bloodstream begins to drop.

Nicotine withdrawal symptomssuch as irritability and anxiousness generally begin within 30 minutes of the last cigarette.So, they light another cigarette and within a few puffs, their discomfort starts to lessen.

Chemically, what the person is experiencing is the dopamine rush that comes when nicotine attaches to receptors in the brain. The fidgety tension is gone and they are back to feeling comfortable again.

This comfort won’t last long, though. In another 30 minutes, the process will repeat itself. It is this pattern of nicotine depletion and replenishment in the bloodstream that people have learned to think that they are happy smoking.

Smoking Conditions the Body and Mind

Over time, the act of smoking gets attached to every emotion and event in one’s life. This essentially conditions a person to crave nicotine during both pleasurable and troubling times, along with having more intense cravings in certain situations.

Common smoking triggersinclude:

Beyond the physical dependence on nicotine, for many, smoking becomes a source of comfort in times of stress. This emotional attachment can make quitting even more difficult.

RecapThinking of smoking as a toxic relationship can make it easier to see just how manipulative nicotine is. It plays tricks on the body and mind, convincing us that we need it to feel pleasure. It becomes so ingrained in the lives of those who smoke, that people come to believe they can’t live without it—and that they are happy smoking.

Recap

Thinking of smoking as a toxic relationship can make it easier to see just how manipulative nicotine is. It plays tricks on the body and mind, convincing us that we need it to feel pleasure. It becomes so ingrained in the lives of those who smoke, that people come to believe they can’t live without it—and that they are happy smoking.

How to Quit Smoking for Good

The power that nicotine has over people who smoke is tremendous. But the short- and long-termnegative health consequences of smokingare not worth any fleeting pleasure smoking provides.

Developing a plan, finding support, utilizingquit aids, and never giving up can help us kick this habit and break the cycle of addiction.

Make a Plan

One of the benefits of making a plan to quit smoking is that it gives us actionable steps to follow. Having a plan can also help keep us on the path to abstinence—evenwhen the craving for a cigarette strikes.

An effective plan to quit smoking includes:

Some people use a"cold turkey" methodto stop smoking. Quitting cold turkey means no longer using cigarettes as of their quit date. Others use the quit date as the day they begin to taper off or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke until they are able to stop altogether.

Get Support

Receiving support from family and friends plays a significant role in being able tosuccessfully quit smoking.This makes it important to let loved ones know about our goal.

If we have people in our lives who still smoke, we can ask them to avoid smoking near us. It’s also helpful to engage in activities in smoke-free places (like movie theaters or museums) so we can better manage our social smoking triggers.

Many online and over-the-phone resources are available for help quitting. One is the National Cancer Institute’s free quitline at 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848). They also offer alive chat optionduring certain hours, enabling users to instantly chat with one of their information specialists.

Consider a Quit Aid

Some people use quit aids to stop smoking, also known asnicotine replacement therapies (NRTs). NRTs are intended to reduce nicotine intake more slowly over a certain period of time, which can help reduce withdrawal effects. They supply the body with nicotine without also supplying other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes.

Over-the-counter NRTs are available in the form of patches, lozenges, and gum. Medical practitioners can also prescribe nicotine replacement therapies in the form of inhalers and nasal sprays. While they are often effective on their own, research indicates that NRTs work best when combined with smoking cessation counseling.

People interested in prescription-based options for quitting smoking need to reach out to their healthcare providers to help determine whether these quit aids are right for them.

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Don’t Give Up

Quitting smoking might seem like an impossible feat, but it is possible to overcome nicotine addiction. Research indicates that for many people who have successfully quit smoking, it took a number of attempts before they gave up cigarettes for good.

For people who smoke, it may feel like they’re in a close relationship with cigarettes. They might turn to smoking when they are angry or stressed, or even as part of their everyday routine. This is when it’s helpful to remember that our relationship with cigarettes is a toxic one.

Numerous resources are available for help withquitting smoking, whether it’s an online chat service or support from a family member. As long as we don’t give up on our journey, we can eventually be smoke-free.

How to Stop Thinking About Smoking: 10 Mental Tricks

14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kye SY, Park K.Health-related determinants of happiness in Korean adults.Int J Public Health. 2014;59:731-738. doi:10.1007/s00038-014-0588-0National Institute on Drug Abuse.Is nicotine addictive?Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.Republished: Nicotine and health.BMJ. 2014;349. doi:10.1136/bmj.2014.7.0264repJones EE, Jarman KL, Goldstein AO.Providing nicotine replacement therapy in focus groups.Nicotine Tob Res.2018;20(3):399-400. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx090National Institutes of Health.Know your triggers.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of cigarette smoking.American Cancer Society.Making a plan to quit and planning your quit day.Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How quit smoking medicines work.Wadgave U, Nagesh L.Nicotine replacement therapy: an overview.Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2016;10(3):425-435.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coverage for tobacco use cessation treatments.National Library of Medicine.Varenicline.Cleveland Clinic.Bupropion sustained-release tablets (smoking cessation).Chaiton M, Diemert L, Cohen JE, et al.Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011045. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011045

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kye SY, Park K.Health-related determinants of happiness in Korean adults.Int J Public Health. 2014;59:731-738. doi:10.1007/s00038-014-0588-0National Institute on Drug Abuse.Is nicotine addictive?Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.Republished: Nicotine and health.BMJ. 2014;349. doi:10.1136/bmj.2014.7.0264repJones EE, Jarman KL, Goldstein AO.Providing nicotine replacement therapy in focus groups.Nicotine Tob Res.2018;20(3):399-400. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx090National Institutes of Health.Know your triggers.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of cigarette smoking.American Cancer Society.Making a plan to quit and planning your quit day.Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How quit smoking medicines work.Wadgave U, Nagesh L.Nicotine replacement therapy: an overview.Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2016;10(3):425-435.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coverage for tobacco use cessation treatments.National Library of Medicine.Varenicline.Cleveland Clinic.Bupropion sustained-release tablets (smoking cessation).Chaiton M, Diemert L, Cohen JE, et al.Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011045. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011045

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kye SY, Park K.Health-related determinants of happiness in Korean adults.Int J Public Health. 2014;59:731-738. doi:10.1007/s00038-014-0588-0National Institute on Drug Abuse.Is nicotine addictive?Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.Republished: Nicotine and health.BMJ. 2014;349. doi:10.1136/bmj.2014.7.0264repJones EE, Jarman KL, Goldstein AO.Providing nicotine replacement therapy in focus groups.Nicotine Tob Res.2018;20(3):399-400. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx090National Institutes of Health.Know your triggers.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of cigarette smoking.American Cancer Society.Making a plan to quit and planning your quit day.Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How quit smoking medicines work.Wadgave U, Nagesh L.Nicotine replacement therapy: an overview.Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2016;10(3):425-435.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coverage for tobacco use cessation treatments.National Library of Medicine.Varenicline.Cleveland Clinic.Bupropion sustained-release tablets (smoking cessation).Chaiton M, Diemert L, Cohen JE, et al.Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011045. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011045

Kye SY, Park K.Health-related determinants of happiness in Korean adults.Int J Public Health. 2014;59:731-738. doi:10.1007/s00038-014-0588-0

National Institute on Drug Abuse.Is nicotine addictive?

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.Republished: Nicotine and health.BMJ. 2014;349. doi:10.1136/bmj.2014.7.0264rep

Jones EE, Jarman KL, Goldstein AO.Providing nicotine replacement therapy in focus groups.Nicotine Tob Res.2018;20(3):399-400. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx090

National Institutes of Health.Know your triggers.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of cigarette smoking.

American Cancer Society.Making a plan to quit and planning your quit day.

Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How quit smoking medicines work.

Wadgave U, Nagesh L.Nicotine replacement therapy: an overview.Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2016;10(3):425-435.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coverage for tobacco use cessation treatments.

National Library of Medicine.Varenicline.

Cleveland Clinic.Bupropion sustained-release tablets (smoking cessation).

Chaiton M, Diemert L, Cohen JE, et al.Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers.BMJ Open. 2016;6(6):e011045. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011045

Terry Martin

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