Quitting cigarettes is a tough job. What makes it so tough? Nicotine is a substance present in cigarettes which causes physical addiction. It increases the activity in the brain and is known to be a stimulant like caffeine, cocaine and amphetamine. It is a powerful toxin which is coughed up the first time a person smokes. It is one of the most dependency-inducing drugs.
Every part of the nervous system is affected by nicotine specially the pleasure centre of the brain. Nicotine works differently in different parts of the brain. As a person smokes, his body gets used to a certain level of nicotine and he gets used to this level for his body to function normally. As soon as this level decreases the person begins to feel irritated and tired.
Normally a person finds smoking unpleasant at first, but the body and brain get used to it quickly and begin to enjoy the pleasure. Slowly, one finds that he needs to smoke more to feel the effects. Finally one smokes continuously to avoid getting the withdrawal symptoms between cigarettes.
As the nervous system becomes accustomed to nicotine, quitting cigarettes disturbs the balance of the central nervous system leading to withdrawal symptoms. The most common withdrawal symptoms are cravings for tobacco, irritation, anger, weight gain, concentration problems, depression, headaches, fatigue, constipation, restlessness, insomnia, dizziness and anxiety. But these withdrawal symptoms last only for a few weeks. Some people experience depression after quitting smoking. This could be due to the long term effect of nicotine on the brain. In spite of all these side effects quitting smoking is much better than spoiling ones health.<br><br>Post edited by: Able_Here_Team, at: 2010/12/27 18:36
