Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States have spent a significant amount of time in analyzing nicotine. Through this process, these researchers have developed a very simple and very accessible definition of nicotine:
“Nicotine is a substance found in cigarettes and is considered an addictive drug. It causes changes in the brain that make people want to use it more and more. In addition, addictive drugs cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.”
By having a basic understanding of how nicotine interacts in the human body and the impact that nicotine has on the human brain, you are in a better position of understanding why stopping smoking is not an easy process. The fact is that nicotine is an addictive drug. As with any other addictive drug, when it no longer is used, a person will experience withdrawal symptoms - sometimes very severe withdrawal symptoms.
Smoking actually effects the part of the brain that is associated with reward and pleasure (again, because of the presence of nicotine in cigarettes). Nicotine affects dopamine levels in the brain, an effect that is not all that different than what occurs when a person uses cocaine, opiates and other manner of drugs.
Of course we all know that nicotine patches are widely used to assist a person in lessoning the withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation. However, this is still putting nicotine into your body - the very drug you are trying to rid yourself of. Better to use the natural, herbal alternatives, such as Lobelia inflata, that are proving helpful in lessening the withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping smoking. By lessening these symptoms, a person’s chance of stop smoking success is highly enhanced.
Herbs have been found effective in relieving some of the more common negative symptoms associated with the entire stop smoking process. This includes resolving issues pertaining to:
-
depression
-
anxiety
-
tiredness
-
feelings of anger
-
restlessness
Additionally, many experts maintain that the uses of herbs over the long term are helpful in restoring a sense of proper functioning to the neurotransmitters in the brain. These are the very transmitters that control dopamine levels that direct a person’s actual overall sense of wellbeing.
In short, the addition of herbs such as Lobelia inflata should be an integral part of a comprehensive smoking cessation program that can make the entire effort less painful and more successful - both in the short and long term.
If you really want to stop smoking and quit the habit forever, I recommend the free trial from Stop Smoking Resolution.