How to quit smoking? This is a difficult answer for most. Quitting smoking is a step by step process and you need to start from the basics. Tobacco contains an addictive substance called nicotine. When you smoke for a long amount of time, your body gets accustomed to a certain amount of nicotine in your bloodstream. Once this level drops below your threshold, your body goes into a “craving mode” and you will want to smoke another cigarette.

Nicotine affects the body in many ways and will fulfill many of your bodies needs. Smoking will calm you down when you feel angry. People can relieve chronic stress from work by smoking. Smoking also can relieve physical and emotional pain.

This is why some people gain weight when they quit smoking. When you feel angry, smoking can soothe you and calm you down. Smoking has even been known to relieve physical pain. Some people use food as a reward and some people use smoking to reward themselves for an achievement. From what we’ve talked about, smoking sounds like some sort of miracle cure.

Nicotine travels to your brain rapidly. With just one drag off a cigarette, the chemicals in your brain activate to give you the effects you seek. Harmful physical effects are occurring at the same time: your heart to works harder, your blood pressure increases, your arteries constrict, and your red blood cells become sticky, causing clots to form more easily. Your craving for a cigarette is satisfied because the level of nicotine in your blood increases. After awhile, you become dependent on a certain level of nicotine.

The nicotine chemical is so powerful that it can control people’s lives. If you don’t feel like you are addicted, think about the times you’ve gone out into the freezing cold to buy a box of cigarettes. How about the times you’ve had a bad cold and have smoked, even though you know it will cause you to cough more?

Now that you know how powerful nicotine is, you can start to learn how to quit smoking. Quitting cold turkey is very hard and you will experience nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine therapy is the way quit smoking as quitting cold turkey will cause you to start smoking again. Many people deal with nicotine withdrawal by keeping themselves busy by finding healthy alternatives to smoking.