Misbah Ali

Despite the warning on the pack of cigarettes, it is a common belief among smokers that smoking relieves stress, calms nerves, and deals with anxiety.

But does it? Many studies have shown that smoking increases anxiety and tension.

According to the Mental Health Foundation of the United Kingdom, when a person smokes, nicotine reaches the brain within about ten seconds, and in the beginning, nicotine improves mood and concentration, decreases anger and stress, relaxes muscles, and reduces appetite.

But, regular doses of nicotine lead to changes in the brain, which then lead to nicotine withdrawal symptoms when the supply of nicotine decreases and smoking temporarily reduces these withdrawal symptoms and can therefore reinforce the habit. This cycle is how most smokers become nicotine dependent, the foundation said.

To understand the same more deeply Drug Today Medical Times (DTMT)’s Misbah Ali exclusively talked to Dr. Om Prakash, Professor of Psychiatry, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi, who informed that the people who smoke, make these excuses but in reality, they are addicted to cigarette.

“An immediate sense of relaxation is created by Nicotine when the person lights a cigarette, so they smoke in the belief that it reduces stress and calms anxiety, this feeling is temporary and soon gives way to increased cravings. Smoking reduces the withdrawal symptoms, but doesn’t reduce anxiety,” Dr. Prakash said.

As per the Mental Health Foundation, Adults with depression are twice as likely to smoke as adults without depression.

“Most people start to smoke before showing signs of depression, so it’s unclear whether smoking leads to depression or depression encourages people to start smoking. It’s most likely that there is a complex relationship between the two,” the mental health foundation said.

Not just this, but it further informed that people with schizophrenia are three times more likely to smoke than other people and tend to smoke more heavily.

When asked about how a smoker can quit smoking, Dr. Prakash emphasised the government programs and said, “The Indian government has initiated many programmes that have many modules which tell you various ways of how to quit smoking, and they help motivate the person to get rid of tobacco.”

According to the National Health Services (NHS) of the United Kingdom, people with mental health problems are likely to feel much calmer and more positive, and have a better quality of life, after giving up smoking. Evidence suggests the beneficial effect of stopping smoking on symptoms of anxiety and depression can equal that of taking antidepressants.