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Is Smoking an Addiction or a Choice?
Health professionals in the United States and globally have tagged smoking as an unhealthy act that places people at risk of numerous health complications. Nevertheless, the practice, popular with youngsters and the older generation, remains a bane in the nation’s substance use predicament. The term ‘smoking’ almost always translates to tobacco use in cigarettes; however, other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and crack are also consumed this way.
More About an Addiction or a Choice?
Individuals who use tobacco products are at risk of nicotine addiction, and smokers are not exempted from this outcome of tobacco use. Nicotine is the active component of tobacco. It is responsible for the feelings of high and excitement people get from smoking or using tobacco through other routes. However, underneath the euphoria elicited by nicotine in people who smoke is its less obvious addictive nature. The compound acts on receptors in the brain and can cause alterations that birth dependence or addiction from long-term or continuous smoking.
The availability of other routes to using tobacco and satisfying the craving for nicotine makes smoking seem like a choice. However, with nicotine being the culprit, the route one chooses when using tobacco plays a minimal role in determining the onset of addiction. This nicotine addiction link in smoking essentially reinforces the need for expert assistance in quitting the habit.
The Adverse Side Effects of Smoking Tobacco and Other Drugs
People who smoke tobacco or other drugs face similar crises as other substance-dependent individuals. However, unlike their counterparts, smokers and those around them are exposed to additional concerns, including lung diseases, cancer, inflammations, and the infamous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition, the risk of other illnesses such as tuberculosis, arthritis, and heart problems also increase with smoking.
Owing to the presence of the addictive nicotine, quitting smoking outside of rehabilitation can give rise to overwhelming withdrawal symptoms. Common examples of these symptoms are increased appetite, restlessness, anger, depression, and lack of concentration. To successfully circumvent these unfortunate side effects and withdrawal symptoms of smoking, one must seek the professional support of Addiction Therapists.
Where to Find Help in Rehab for Your Smoking Dilemma
At NJ Addiction Resources, you can explore numerous options to manage smoking and all of its withdrawal symptoms without trading your mental or physical health. Our Addiction Advocates understand how damaging smoking can be and know how to help you navigate your quest for abstinence without hassles. With our experience in the nation’s addiction treatment industry, we are your best resort in dealing with this challenge. We make sure most of our centers have experts in the renowned Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), which targets people who smoke cigarettes. NRT is designed to help smokers avoid the withdrawal symptoms they stand to face from quitting smoking.
Start Healing For Nicotine Dependence at New Jersey Addiction Resources
We choose our recommendations carefully, keeping in mind the preferred location and recovery budget of our clients. You or your loved ones will find customized programs that overlap your needs and specifications in our catalog. Call our phone lines today to speak with a Recovery Advocate.