Table of contents:
- How does smoking cause anxiety disorders?
- Nicotine only temporarily relieves anxiety
- Quitting smoking reduces anxiety
- What should be done to treat anxiety disorders?
No positive health benefits come from smoking. In addition, it turns out that the nicotine content in cigarettes is related to mood. But that doesn't mean nicotine can calm the mind, instead smoking causes anxiety or disorders anxiety disorder.
How does smoking cause anxiety disorders?
Research from Columbia University in New York found that smoking can affect mental health, which increases the risk of anxiety disorders.
Smoking causes the anxiety disorder seen in adolescents who spend at least one pack of cigarettes a day. They were 15 times more likely to have panic disorder during adulthood than nonsmokers.
Nicotine only temporarily relieves anxiety
The key to understanding nicotine and anxiety is that nicotine provides only temporary relief. Meanwhile, nicotine also harms the health of your body in a generous way.
However, anxiety usually subsides only when the nicotine is in your system. This means that anxiety will return and not get better as it was before you smoked.
Smoking is a dangerous and expensive habit. Especially for people who have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) or generalized anxiety disorder, smoking on the contrary will periodically exacerbate anxiety.
Some people think that smoking can help relieve anxiety, even if it is temporary. In fact, smoking will actually make you feel more anxious in the future so that it can have an impact on mental health. Maybe you actually already understand that smoking is not the solution to solving a problem.
Quitting smoking reduces anxiety
"If you succeed in quitting smoking, you tend to feel calmer and less anxious," said researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and Kings College London. British Journal of Psychiatry.
Researchers explain that the belief that quitting smoking makes you restless and that smoking can help you deal with stress has been refuted by their findings.
An additional statement from the researchers is that the belief that smoking cures stress is inherent in society. In fact, what happens is the opposite, smoking is likely to be anxiogenic (causing anxiety) and smokers have the right to know and understand that what they are doing is detrimental to themselves.
What should be done to treat anxiety disorders?
Apart from quitting smoking, there are many treatment options available for anxiety problems including GAD. The first thing you should probably do is seek help from a health care professional. If you don't know where to start, you can ask your GP to refer you to a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders.
During therapy, you will discuss the symptoms and triggers as well as because smoking causes anxiety disorders. Then look for a solution to this problem.
From cognitive behavioral to dialectic therapy, there are many methods available. In some cases, your doctor will recommend anti-anxiety medication to help manage daily anxiety and stress.
Some people take medication as a temporary solution. However, other people may continue treatment for months or even years while continuing to follow therapy. This decision is made by you and your doctor, depending on your health condition.
