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Most treatment of nicotine addiction focuses on medications and counseling. The combination approach of these methods can help in recovering from addiction and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical found in the tobacco plant. The addiction is physical and it causes users to crave the chemical and desire nicotine’s effects.
Nicotine addiction can also be behavioral as it causes users to become dependent on the actions involved with using tobacco. Nicotine is primarily consumed by inhaling the smoke of tobacco cigarettes. Other ways to smoke tobacco include pipes and cigars. Smokeless tobacco is inhaled through the nose as a powder or held in the mouth.
Symptoms of Nicotine Addiction
- Unsuccessful attempts to stop smoking
- Withdrawal symptoms every attempt to stop smoking
- Strong cravings
- Anxiety, irritability, and restlessness
- Difficulty concentrating and depressed mood
- You stop socializing or you start to isolate yourself
How Does Nicotine Influence the Brain?
Nicotine creates pleasant feelings in the body and brain. As a result of smoking, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine, the feel-good chemical. This creates a brief feeling of contentment and -pleasure. This makes people want to keep taking products containing nicotine. Long-term nicotine exposure alters the parts of the brain that deal with stress, learning, and self-control.
How to Treat Nicotine Addiction?
- Treatment #1- Medications
Some quit-smoking products are known as nicotine replacement therapy because they contain varying amounts of nicotine. Some nicotine replacement therapies require a prescription, but others don’t. The approved quit-smoking medications can help reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms
- Treatment #2- Counseling
With medication, you can reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and with behavioral therapy, you can learn skills to stop smoking for good. During individual or group counseling, you learn techniques you can use to help you stop smoking. Some medical centers provide residential treatment programs
- Treatment #3- Other methods
Electronic cigarettes have not been proven to be safer or more effective in helping people quit smoking than nicotine replacement medications. E-cigarette users who want to quit smoking often end up using both products instead of quitting.
Tips Prevent Smoking in the Treatment Period of Nicotine Addiction
- Identify your smoking triggers or note the circumstances when you’re most likely to reach for a cigarette.
- Make note of any symptoms that may be related to smoking.
- Include any vitamins, herbal supplements, or other medications on your medication list.
- Invite a family member or friend along to help you soak up all the information provided during an appointment.
- Start cutting tobacco use one stick at a time along with medications and professional guidance
Products for Treatment of Nicotine Addiction
- Champix. It has a smoking cessation property and is widely used by people who want to quit smoking. Champix is used along with counseling support and behavior modification in eliminating nicotine dependence.
- Nicotinell patches. It is known as Nicotine Replacement Therapy which will help smokers quit their smoking by preventing withdrawal symptoms once they have completely stopped smoking.
- Nulife Chewettes. It is a smoking cessation product that people to stop smoking and reduces withdrawal symptoms. This treatment replaces the nicotine that you gain from smoking tobacco. Nulife Chewettes help a person overcome the habit of cigarette smoking.
