Muhammad is a seasoned commercial leader with extensive experience driving business growth and market expansion across Europe and Egypt. Currently leading commercial strategy at NEAFS, he has a track record of boosting key metrics like conversion and re-purchase rates. With a background at Philip Morris International, Muhammad managed large-scale sales operations and multimillion-dollar budgets. He also consults for start-ups in e-commerce, fintech, and movie production, showcasing his versatility in emerging markets and technologies. His expertise spans commercial planning, market analysis, and strategic partnerships.
They say quitting smoking is as hard, or possibly even harder, as quitting serious drugs. If you have not experienced smoking cessation before, you might see that as a little dramatic – but you should be under no illusion that quitting smoking is anything less than monumentally tough.
While the withdrawal symptoms are not even close to the excruciating recovery from hard drugs, the physical withdrawal from smoking and the mental pull of the habit is relentless. The constant internal dialogue of “I would love a cigarette right now” takes months to abandon you and repeats mercilessly, like a stuck record.
It is almost like having a small demon resting on your shoulder for several weeks. An unhelpful and annoying little creature who constantly whispers sweet nothings such as “Go on, one cheeky smoke won’t kill you.”
But why does that rueful demon exist, and why is quitting smoking so hard? Apart from the obvious element of addiction, what is it about smoking that makes it so overwhelmingly challenging to walk away from?
Through this article, we are going to take a look – starting with the chief culprit of nicotine.
Nicotine Addiction
Make no mistake about it: nicotine is a drug. It does not come with the same connotations as conventional drugs because nicotine is nowhere near as harmful as your run-of-the-mill cocaine or heroin. But they are all drugs, and they are all crushingly addictive.
Nicotine works by stimulating the brain, binding to receptors, and releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that governs pleasure. This process creates a gratifying sensation, reinforcing the habit and slowly building dependence as the brain craves those lovely, warm dopamine releases.
Less Harmful
By the same token, comparing nicotine to heroin is almost like comparing a firecracker to a wheelbarrow full of live hand grenades. Both are explosives in the literal sense of the word, but the consequences of igniting either one are entirely different. One offers a playful little pop, while the other offers… let’s not beat around the bush; severed limbs, basically.
You can view nicotine in the same light, as it is no less addictive than heroin. The major difference is that the former will definitely not result in the tragic demise and destruction of your life, while the latter probably will.
In other words, you can live a perfectly normal life while addicted to nicotine, much in the same way that you can live a perfectly normal life unwittingly addicted to sugar or caffeine. The problem with smoking is less about the nicotine and more about the delivery method: those evil little cancer sticks we call cigarettes.
Breaking News – Cigarettes Are Bad
Just in case you have been living in a cave, cigarettes are awful. Truly awful. They suck you in at an impressionable young age, sneakily force addiction upon you, then sink their claws into every fibre of your now whiffy, yellow-tinted, out-of-pocket existence (at almost £16 per pack, smoking is anything but cheap, these days).
After sinking their claws in, they stubbornly refuse to let go. As you grow older and wiser, you realise how awful cigarettes are, but by now, addiction has firmly set in. You are a daily cigarette smoker, one of 1.3 billion worldwide who are aware of how gloriously stupid it is but are unable to stop.
At the heart of this addiction lies nicotine, but that isn’t really the problem. The real danger of smoking owes to the seven thousand chemicals you are inhaling with each puff, some of which have remarkably menacing names such as formaldehyde, cyanide, and ammonia. The other six thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven are not far behind in the ‘remarkably menacing names stakes’, either, and that’s before we even mention the lung-plastering tar bestowed upon you.
We shall revisit nicotine later. For now, let’s address the second part of smoking addiction. For some people, this is the toughest aspect: the deeply ingrained psychology of it.
Pavlov’s Dog
Ivan Pavlov was a neurologist famous for devising the ‘classical conditioning’ theory through a world-famous experiment involving a bell and a dog, commonly referred to as ‘Pavlov’s dog’.
Pavlov demonstrated an intriguing concept through his experiments. Each time he fed his dogs, he would ring a bell. Gradually, the dogs learned to connect the bell with mealtime and eventually, the mere sound of the bell alone – even without any food in sight – was enough to make his dogs drool. His four-legged friends had made a psychological connection between the bell and the food.
Cigarettes are of a similar Pavlovian principle. Smokers associate a vast number of actions and events with lighting up a cigarette, and when those behaviours become ingrained, they find it difficult to dissociate upon quitting. They are conditioned to light up when engaged in specific habitual actions, and those habits become baked into their DNA, metaphorically speaking.
The Associations
For a newly crowned ex-smoker, trying to enjoy a beer without a cigarette is like trying to enjoy a film at the cinema, completely alone, the day after a long-term partner has broken up with them. The sudden, terrific sense of loneliness and heartache would have them pining for their ex-partner in the same way a smoker would pine for a cigarette in a beer garden.
This Pavlovian bell ringing affects everything, and the ‘ding’ is ferociously abundant. Finished eating? Ding, time for a smoke. Glass of wine? Ding, time for a smoke. Something awful happened? Ding, commiserate with a smoke. Received good news? Ding, celebrate with a smoke.
Driving, walking the dog, watering the garden; ding, ding, ding, etcetera, et al.
The point is that smoking goes hand in glove with seemingly every innocuous day-to-day activity. As soon as you remove the cigarettes, each activity suddenly feels devoid of something essential, and it hurts psychologically – an unscratchable itch.
However, much in the same way we Pavloved into smoking, we can also Pavlov out of it by satisfying each and every ‘ding.’ We will show you how, very soon.
But first, the final chapter of the mechanism of smoking addiction: the dreaded withdrawal.
The Cluck
So, why is quitting smoking so hard, and what have we learnt so far? Probably nothing you didn’t already know, but one thing is clear: it is the nicotine withdrawal and the familiarity that causes the suffering when you quit smoking.
After quitting smoking, in sufficient time, your body will adjust and recalibrate post-withdrawal. Slowly but surely, your brain goes through adjustments, and it learns to function without nicotine. This will cause discomfort initially, but the body’s craving for nicotine always decreases over time.
The brain slowly adjusts its chemistry, reduces the need for nicotine-induced dopamine releases, and enables recovery from the addiction.
Old Habits Die Hard
You will also recover mentally. Those common bell-ringing associations will erode, becoming long-forgotten things of the past. Eventually, you will drive the car, walk the dog, water the garden, celebrate, commiserate, and enjoy a lovely drink in a gorgeous beer garden without wasting a single second thinking about cigarettes.
The day will come, usually within a few months, when you will be free of the mental and physical angst. But that leaves one final problem: what to do in the meantime?
The NEAFS Solution
We didn’t create NEAFS as a smoking cessation tool, but thousands are using it for precisely that reason, with incredible success.
NEAFS provides relief by supporting you with something remarkable: the experience of smoking a traditional nicotine cigarette without actually smoking one.
With NEAFS, You are not smoking – you just feel like you are – and therein lies the sheer genius of it. You will quit cigarettes and replace the dreadful habit of smoking with something far healthier, cheaper, cleaner, and more convenient. It even smells pretty great, too.
What’s the Catch?
There isn’t one. Our clever little TEO device works by heating, and not burning our specially formulated NEAFS sticks, which contain a unique blend of tobacco-free, plant-derived ingredients. By doing so, you are still getting your nicotine but have now removed several thousand of the gruesome chemicals from the equation. Not to mention the tar, the awful smell, and the growing expense.
Again, nicotine isn’t the main problem with smoking; the delivery method is. While nicotine has its fair share of negatives, such as addiction, cardiovascular issues, increased blood pressure and even developmental risks, there is also evidence to suggest it enhances alertness, reduces stress, and offers neuroprotection.
Make the Jump Today
If you are reading this as a long-suffering smoker who is tired of unsuccessfully quitting, using NEAFS sticks with a TEO device could be a major turning point for you.
If you remove the delivery method of cigarettes and replace it with NEAFS nicotine sticks, you are no longer a smoker in the traditional sense, but you can continue to enjoy the feeling of smoking while maintaining your usual nicotine input.
But It gets even better: after you have been using NEAFS nicotine sticks for a while, you can gradually transition to our nicotine-free sticks while you taper off. If you want to, that is.
Interested in becoming an ex-smoker without the awful adjustment period? Or maybe you would simply like to continue smoking withoutactually smoking?
If so, you should make the jump and wash your hands of smoking for good with NEAFS. Check out our life-changing starter bundles and join the growing legion of people who have ditched the ciggies with NEAFS!
It is no huge secret that smoking is widely known for its terrible health risks, including lung cancer, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and a host of other diseases and ailments. Given the seven thousand chemicals ingested with each puff, some of which include remarkably sinister names such as formaldehyde, arsenic, and benzene, it should be …
Congratulations. You kicked a seriously nasty habit, and for that, we applaud you. Life is about to become a whole lot better. Having finally quit smoking, you are on the verge of becoming naturally healthier with an all-around greater spring in your step. The chances of becoming seriously sick from the several thousand chemicals you …
After a wonderful meal washed down with a lovely glass of red, you’re faced with an all-too-familiar craving: the post-meal cigarette. It’s a deeply ingrained ritual that is hard to ignore. The urge often lingers in the back of your mind, but you’ve always managed to dismiss it before. Until now, that is – because …
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Read More
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Home » Blog » Quitting Smoking » The Mechanisms of Addiction: Why is Quitting Smoking So Hard?
The Mechanisms of Addiction: Why is Quitting Smoking So Hard?
They say quitting smoking is as hard, or possibly even harder, as quitting serious drugs. If you have not experienced smoking cessation before, you might see that as a little dramatic – but you should be under no illusion that quitting smoking is anything less than monumentally tough.
While the withdrawal symptoms are not even close to the excruciating recovery from hard drugs, the physical withdrawal from smoking and the mental pull of the habit is relentless. The constant internal dialogue of “I would love a cigarette right now” takes months to abandon you and repeats mercilessly, like a stuck record.
Table of Contents
Your Own Worst Enemy
It is almost like having a small demon resting on your shoulder for several weeks. An unhelpful and annoying little creature who constantly whispers sweet nothings such as “Go on, one cheeky smoke won’t kill you.”
But why does that rueful demon exist, and why is quitting smoking so hard? Apart from the obvious element of addiction, what is it about smoking that makes it so overwhelmingly challenging to walk away from?
Through this article, we are going to take a look – starting with the chief culprit of nicotine.
Nicotine Addiction
Make no mistake about it: nicotine is a drug. It does not come with the same connotations as conventional drugs because nicotine is nowhere near as harmful as your run-of-the-mill cocaine or heroin. But they are all drugs, and they are all crushingly addictive.
Nicotine works by stimulating the brain, binding to receptors, and releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that governs pleasure. This process creates a gratifying sensation, reinforcing the habit and slowly building dependence as the brain craves those lovely, warm dopamine releases.
Less Harmful
By the same token, comparing nicotine to heroin is almost like comparing a firecracker to a wheelbarrow full of live hand grenades. Both are explosives in the literal sense of the word, but the consequences of igniting either one are entirely different. One offers a playful little pop, while the other offers… let’s not beat around the bush; severed limbs, basically.
You can view nicotine in the same light, as it is no less addictive than heroin. The major difference is that the former will definitely not result in the tragic demise and destruction of your life, while the latter probably will.
In other words, you can live a perfectly normal life while addicted to nicotine, much in the same way that you can live a perfectly normal life unwittingly addicted to sugar or caffeine. The problem with smoking is less about the nicotine and more about the delivery method: those evil little cancer sticks we call cigarettes.
Breaking News – Cigarettes Are Bad
Just in case you have been living in a cave, cigarettes are awful. Truly awful. They suck you in at an impressionable young age, sneakily force addiction upon you, then sink their claws into every fibre of your now whiffy, yellow-tinted, out-of-pocket existence (at almost £16 per pack, smoking is anything but cheap, these days).
After sinking their claws in, they stubbornly refuse to let go. As you grow older and wiser, you realise how awful cigarettes are, but by now, addiction has firmly set in. You are a daily cigarette smoker, one of 1.3 billion worldwide who are aware of how gloriously stupid it is but are unable to stop.
At the heart of this addiction lies nicotine, but that isn’t really the problem. The real danger of smoking owes to the seven thousand chemicals you are inhaling with each puff, some of which have remarkably menacing names such as formaldehyde, cyanide, and ammonia. The other six thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven are not far behind in the ‘remarkably menacing names stakes’, either, and that’s before we even mention the lung-plastering tar bestowed upon you.
We shall revisit nicotine later. For now, let’s address the second part of smoking addiction. For some people, this is the toughest aspect: the deeply ingrained psychology of it.
Pavlov’s Dog
Ivan Pavlov was a neurologist famous for devising the ‘classical conditioning’ theory through a world-famous experiment involving a bell and a dog, commonly referred to as ‘Pavlov’s dog’.
Pavlov demonstrated an intriguing concept through his experiments. Each time he fed his dogs, he would ring a bell. Gradually, the dogs learned to connect the bell with mealtime and eventually, the mere sound of the bell alone – even without any food in sight – was enough to make his dogs drool. His four-legged friends had made a psychological connection between the bell and the food.
Cigarettes are of a similar Pavlovian principle. Smokers associate a vast number of actions and events with lighting up a cigarette, and when those behaviours become ingrained, they find it difficult to dissociate upon quitting. They are conditioned to light up when engaged in specific habitual actions, and those habits become baked into their DNA, metaphorically speaking.
The Associations
For a newly crowned ex-smoker, trying to enjoy a beer without a cigarette is like trying to enjoy a film at the cinema, completely alone, the day after a long-term partner has broken up with them. The sudden, terrific sense of loneliness and heartache would have them pining for their ex-partner in the same way a smoker would pine for a cigarette in a beer garden.
This Pavlovian bell ringing affects everything, and the ‘ding’ is ferociously abundant. Finished eating? Ding, time for a smoke. Glass of wine? Ding, time for a smoke. Something awful happened? Ding, commiserate with a smoke. Received good news? Ding, celebrate with a smoke.
Driving, walking the dog, watering the garden; ding, ding, ding, etcetera, et al.
The point is that smoking goes hand in glove with seemingly every innocuous day-to-day activity. As soon as you remove the cigarettes, each activity suddenly feels devoid of something essential, and it hurts psychologically – an unscratchable itch.
However, much in the same way we Pavloved into smoking, we can also Pavlov out of it by satisfying each and every ‘ding.’ We will show you how, very soon.
But first, the final chapter of the mechanism of smoking addiction: the dreaded withdrawal.
The Cluck
So, why is quitting smoking so hard, and what have we learnt so far? Probably nothing you didn’t already know, but one thing is clear: it is the nicotine withdrawal and the familiarity that causes the suffering when you quit smoking.
After quitting smoking, in sufficient time, your body will adjust and recalibrate post-withdrawal. Slowly but surely, your brain goes through adjustments, and it learns to function without nicotine. This will cause discomfort initially, but the body’s craving for nicotine always decreases over time.
The brain slowly adjusts its chemistry, reduces the need for nicotine-induced dopamine releases, and enables recovery from the addiction.
Old Habits Die Hard
You will also recover mentally. Those common bell-ringing associations will erode, becoming long-forgotten things of the past. Eventually, you will drive the car, walk the dog, water the garden, celebrate, commiserate, and enjoy a lovely drink in a gorgeous beer garden without wasting a single second thinking about cigarettes.
The day will come, usually within a few months, when you will be free of the mental and physical angst. But that leaves one final problem: what to do in the meantime?
The NEAFS Solution
We didn’t create NEAFS as a smoking cessation tool, but thousands are using it for precisely that reason, with incredible success.
NEAFS provides relief by supporting you with something remarkable: the experience of smoking a traditional nicotine cigarette without actually smoking one.
With NEAFS, You are not smoking – you just feel like you are – and therein lies the sheer genius of it. You will quit cigarettes and replace the dreadful habit of smoking with something far healthier, cheaper, cleaner, and more convenient. It even smells pretty great, too.
What’s the Catch?
There isn’t one. Our clever little TEO device works by heating, and not burning our specially formulated NEAFS sticks, which contain a unique blend of tobacco-free, plant-derived ingredients. By doing so, you are still getting your nicotine but have now removed several thousand of the gruesome chemicals from the equation. Not to mention the tar, the awful smell, and the growing expense.
Again, nicotine isn’t the main problem with smoking; the delivery method is. While nicotine has its fair share of negatives, such as addiction, cardiovascular issues, increased blood pressure and even developmental risks, there is also evidence to suggest it enhances alertness, reduces stress, and offers neuroprotection.
Make the Jump Today
If you are reading this as a long-suffering smoker who is tired of unsuccessfully quitting, using NEAFS sticks with a TEO device could be a major turning point for you.
If you remove the delivery method of cigarettes and replace it with NEAFS nicotine sticks, you are no longer a smoker in the traditional sense, but you can continue to enjoy the feeling of smoking while maintaining your usual nicotine input.
But It gets even better: after you have been using NEAFS nicotine sticks for a while, you can gradually transition to our nicotine-free sticks while you taper off. If you want to, that is.
Interested in becoming an ex-smoker without the awful adjustment period? Or maybe you would simply like to continue smoking without actually smoking?
If so, you should make the jump and wash your hands of smoking for good with NEAFS. Check out our life-changing starter bundles and join the growing legion of people who have ditched the ciggies with NEAFS!
Top Products
Christmas Bundle – Nicotine Pouches – Buy 5 Cans Get 5 Free
£27.5 Add to basketExclusive Nicotine Pouches Bundle – Buy 5 Cans Get 5 Free
£27.5 Add to basketBlack Friday Bundle – Nicotine Pouches – Buy 5 Cans Get 5 Free
£27.5 Add to basketReady to give NEAFS a try?
Related Posts
Does Smoking Help You Lose Weight?
It is no huge secret that smoking is widely known for its terrible health risks, including lung cancer, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and a host of other diseases and ailments. Given the seven thousand chemicals ingested with each puff, some of which include remarkably sinister names such as formaldehyde, arsenic, and benzene, it should be …
I Quit Smoking Why Do I Feel Worse?
Congratulations. You kicked a seriously nasty habit, and for that, we applaud you. Life is about to become a whole lot better. Having finally quit smoking, you are on the verge of becoming naturally healthier with an all-around greater spring in your step. The chances of becoming seriously sick from the several thousand chemicals you …
What Are Smoking Triggers and How to Overcome Them?
After a wonderful meal washed down with a lovely glass of red, you’re faced with an all-too-familiar craving: the post-meal cigarette. It’s a deeply ingrained ritual that is hard to ignore. The urge often lingers in the back of your mind, but you’ve always managed to dismiss it before. Until now, that is – because …