What is the mechanism that creates addiction?
Addiction is consuming a product or doing something when you know that it is not good for you, that you would like to stop but you continue to do it. There is physical addiction, in this case nicotine, which depends on the number of cigarettes smoked. It affects most smokers with varying intensity. And there is behavioral, psychological addiction, which concerns all smokers, including those who only smoke one cigarette a day.
Does this mean that we are not all equal when it comes to addiction?
We have more or less a sensitivity to addiction. There are addictive profiles. When we smoke, we have a 7 to 8” peak of nicotine which reaches the brain and which creates a secretion of dopamine: this is called the reward loop. It’s the same for someone who likes sugar when they eat a piece of chocolate.
What will make weaning successful?
You should know that the majority of smokers want to quit. The main thing is really motivation. This is what will make the difference. If you yourself are not convinced of the essential nature of the judgment, it is very complicated. It’s a journey. We start by asking ourselves questions, we are interested in how we are going to stop and then we decide to stop: all this is the motivation cycle. It can be longer or shorter. Then comes support, but you can also do it alone. The healthcare professional will assess the need for nicotine and prescribe substitutes and, more or less as a second intention, vaping. But it’s not just about putting a patch on.
How to manage psychological conditioning?
This is the most complicated. When you think about smoking, you have to put in place occupation strategies. Keep busy for 10 to 15 minutes, while the brain moves on to something else. It can be drinking herbal tea, doing sports, cleaning, something reproducible without it being the punishment. The other possibility is to avoid situations where you want a cigarette, break certain rituals and find an alternative. There is real introspection work to be done and it requires energy. Over the weeks, we lose nicotine receptors, we reduce substitutes and at the same time we decondition ourselves.
When smoking is a response to stress, is this an additional difficulty?
There is an ambivalence about continuing to smoke when you know it is not good for you, which itself causes stress. You should know that quitting smoking will greatly reduce this anxiety. That doesn’t solve everything. But stopping, moreover, boosts your ego. We have short-term beneficial effects: we recover 10 to 20% of our lung capacity in 48 hours, we regain our sense of smell and taste, we save money. All this is good for morale.
Namely
Information and advice stands with health professionals, in the hospital reception hall, on November 14, 21 and 26, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Information on tobacco info service.
Health
