Can Cigarettes Cause Anxiety?

Tobacco products have existed for centuries, taking different types and forms just to cater to the needs of nicotine users out there. One of the most popular forms of tobacco products is cigarettes.

For a long time, many adults have been known for smoking cigarettes whenever they feel anxious or stressed, mostly due to heavy workloads or daily stress in life. Alternatively, others smoke cigarettes to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and negative moods. 

Nicotine is the main element of cigarettes that draw people to smoke them. This highly addictive chemical, after all, can temporarily provide a sense of relaxing sensation. However, recent studies have found the opposite, with cigarettes causing anxiety rather than providing relief. 

Read more to uncover the truth behind the connection between cigarettes and anxiety.

Can Smoking Cigarettes Really Cause Anxiety?

Before tackling the relationship between smoking cigarettes and anxiety, we must first dissect why people smoke cigarettes.

You see, many smokers all over the world light up cigarettes due to a variety of reasons. However, one main reason why adults smoke cigarettes is addiction. 

Cigarettes are comprised of tobacco, which is the main active ingredient of these tobacco products. Whenever you smoke one, it releases nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can affect different parts of your body. One of these parts is your brain. Over time, your brain will get used to consuming nicotine until you become addicted to it.

So, what makes nicotine addictive?

Whenever it enters your body, the nicotine causes the brain to release adrenaline and creates a satisfying buzz of energy and pleasure. The buzz, however, fades quickly. Once the nicotine hit is gone, you’ll feel tired or a little down. The only way to get everything right again is to consume nicotine, which you can do by smoking more cigarettes.

As time passes, your body’s tolerance to nicotine becomes high. It’ll then push you to smoke more cigarettes to get your desired nicotine hits. This cycle continues until you’ve become addicted and dependent on nicotine.

If you don’t smoke cigarettes, you have to deal with withdrawal symptoms, which include trouble sleeping, feeling irritable or on edge, having trouble thinking and concentrating, feeling restless and jumpy, feeling down or sad, and feeling hungry. 

Other reasons why people smoke are patterns and emotions.

Many cigarette smokers have already linked cigarette smoking to their daily routines, associating it with other activities like watching TV, taking small breaks during work, hanging out with friends, drinking alcohol, talking on the phone, and many more. 

Emotions can also compel adults to smoke cigarettes regularly. This is particularly true for those seeking to manage post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, negative moods, and the stress of everyday life. 

Regardless of the reasons, smokers will always light up cigarettes whenever they feel the need to soothe their feelings and clear their minds. Unfortunately, rather than helping themselves, they make it worse by smoking cigarettes as these tobacco products have been recently found to trigger anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety symptoms may occur more often when you smoke. After all, cigarettes feature stimulates that can provide you with a quick boost of energy and help in improving your attention. 

But these effects wear off after some time. You may then feel withdrawal symptoms and crave another cigarette just to get rid of the said uneasy sensations. The craving for cigarettes then causes you to feel restless, anxious, or upset until you get to light up and smoke a cigarette again.

Smoking And Depression

Whenever you smoke, you somehow feel more relaxed. This is due to nicotine, which interferes with certain chemicals in your brain. 

If you try to suddenly stop smoking, you will feel the urgency to smoke another one just to get rid of negative feelings and emotions. You might even feel irritated and anxious due to the lack of cigarettes. Once you smoke again, you might feel energized again, devoid of any negative emotions, at least for a while until you completely satisfy your nicotine cravings.

Smoking cigarettes, however, has been linked to depression.

Depression is more than just feeling down or having a bad day, which some people often believe. When a persistent sad mood interferes with normal daily functioning, it may indicate depression. 

Some symptoms of depression are:

• Frequent or constant sadness or anxiety
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Irritability, frustration, or restlessness
• Sleep disturbances
• Changes in appetite
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions
• Excessive tiredness
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

If you suspect depression, you should not depend thoroughly on this information. Rather, consult your doctor or a mental health professional right away for proper medical advice.

Now, adults with depression are twice as likely to smoke as those without depression. But many people begin smoking cigarettes before experiencing depression and its symptoms. This makes it unclear whether smoking can truly cause depression or vice versa.

The only known fact about smoking and depression is that cigarette smokers are known to be more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems than nonsmokers.

Do note that when you smoke, the nicotine from the cigarettes enters your brain. It then pushes your brain to release dopamine, a chemical involved in triggering positive feelings. Since depression often leads to low dopamine levels, individuals would lean to cigarettes to temporarily boost their emotions.

However, smoking inhibits the dopamine production mechanism of the brain, which results in long-term decreased dopamine levels. It then leads to a significant increase in one’s smoking frequency.

Due to the effects of smoking cigarettes, it would be difficult for you to quit smoking, especially if you are battling a major depression. You may experience more severe withdrawal symptoms as opposed to those without depression. If this is the case, you need to opt for the right support and therapy from your doctor. You must also lean towards proper medication whenever necessary.

Nicotine replacement therapy tools may then help you quit smoking. You only have to make sure that you take the right amount of these products to avoid consuming too much nicotine.

Remember, you’re not alone in this journey.

Does Smoking Relieve Stress and Anxiety?

Stress and anxiety are two things adults often experience, especially if they are dealing with problems and day-to-day issues. For some, the only way to relieve themselves from these negative feelings and emotions is to smoke a number of cigarettes until they no longer feel stressed or anxious.

This begs the question: does smoking relieve stress and anxiety?

Temporarily, yes.

The long-established relaxing effect of cigarettes comes from their nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that you can get whenever you smoke one. Aside from cigarettes, nicotine can also be found in nicotine pouches and traditional smokeless products like dipping tobacco and snus.

NativeSmokes4Less offers a wide variety of nicotine pouches and dipping tobacco at affordable prices, which we can ship to your doorstep whenever you are in Canada.

Historically, tobacco products were maximized by many communities located in South America before they spread to North America, Africa, and Australia. They basically used them as a part of religious rituals, consuming them through chewing or smoking. As more decades passed, colonists from Europe would export tobacco crops and convert them into products for recreational use.

Nicotine is the main reason why tobacco products have become popular. After years of advancements in the manufacturing process, cigarettes were born, which are now known for their health implications due to the chemicals they release whenever they are combusted.

Despite the dangers related to cigarettes, the presence of nicotine keeps these products popular among adults. This chemical, when consumed, can temporarily alleviate stress and anxiety you may feel due to varying occasions and reasons. 

You might feel overwhelmed by the amount of work assigned to you, prompting you to take a quick break by smoking cigarettes. Alternatively, you might be feeling sad or down due to a recent event in your life, which may lead you to reach for a couple of cigarette sticks. You might also feel the need to smoke cigarettes to calm your panic attacks, especially if you have an upcoming presentation or face a similar situation.

When you smoke a cigarette, the nicotine from its tobacco content rapidly enters your body and reaches your brain. This quick influx of nicotine triggers a rapid rise in your body’s nicotine levels, enhancing the relaxing sensation you may experience. Subsequently, it stimulates the release of endorphins, the chemicals responsible for alleviating stress and pain, as well as elevating your mood.

These sensations, however, are short-lived. Consequently, a cycle of smoking cigarettes ensues to alleviate stress and anxiety whenever they arise.

As previously mentioned, nicotine may also elevate dopamine levels in the body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter within the brain’s reward system that generates feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. The release of dopamine only reinforces your inclination to consume more nicotine.

In the long term, frequent nicotine consumption will inevitably lead to nicotine addiction and withdrawal symptoms if you refrain from smoking. 

There are other ways of relieving stress and anxiety without smoking cigarettes. They include doing regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, practicing self-care, spending time with friends and family, avoiding procrastination, practicing deep breathing, and reducing caffeine intake. 

If you are smoking, quitting cigarettes is said to reduce your anxiety and stress levels. You can also improve your quality of life and overall mood. 

What Is the Relationship Between Smoking and Anxiety?

A lot of people may think that anxiety and depression are similar. However, they are different.

They are two distinct mental health conditions that have different effects on individuals. Anxiety generates feelings of nervousness, dread, or worry, while depression causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of energy. 

Interestingly, it’s possible to experience both conditions simultaneously. When an individual is experiencing both conditions, they may manifest symptoms such as agitation and restlessness.

Since the blog already discussed depression in the previous section, it’s time to delve deeper into anxiety, its symptoms, and potential causes.

Anxiety, or anxiety disorder, is a type of mental health condition wherein you respond to things and situations with dread and fear. Many adults experience anxiety in different ways. Some experience physical signs like a pounding heart or sweating, while others feel anxious or nervous.

Different situations in life lead to anxiety. Going to an interview, for instance, can already pose some stress to an individual, which later converts into anxiety. The same thing happens if you are taking a test, tackling a complicated problem at work, or making a life-changing decision about a particular matter. In some cases, anxiety can help you become more aware of dangerous situations ahead of you.

But, this mental health condition can also affect you negatively. Anxiety, for one, may interfere with your ability to function or think clearly. It can likewise lead to overreactions or uncontrollable responses to situations you may be facing.

There are different types of anxiety disorders. They include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder: This type of anxiety disorder involves excessive and persistent worry about everyday things, which then interferes with your daily activities. Physical symptoms may include restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.
• Panic disorder: It covers recurrent panic attacks with physical and psychological symptoms, including palpitations, sweating, and fear of dying. Panic attacks can occur expectedly or unexpectedly and may co-occur with other mental disorders like depression.
• Specific phobias: These are excessive and persistent fears of specific objects, situations, or activities. These fears cause distress and avoidance behaviours.
• Agoraphobia: It is an intense fear of situations where escape may be difficult or help might be unavailable, leading to avoidance or intense anxiety. These situations may include using public transportation, being in either open or enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd, or being outside the home without any companions.
• Social anxiety disorder: This disorder involves intense fear and discomfort in social situations, leading to avoidance or distress. Individuals with this anxiety disorder often fear being embarrassed, humiliated, rejected, or looked down upon during social interactions. 
• Separation anxiety disorder: This anxiety disorder encompasses excessive fear and anxiety about separation from attachment figures. It can often cause functional impairment, with symptoms persisting into adulthood and may include physical distress.
• Selective mutism: This is a disorder where children speak in some situations but not others, often due to social anxiety. It typically begins before age 5 and may improve or disappear over time.

The primary causes of these anxiety disorders are still being studied since they often develop on their own. However, most medical studies have pointed out that their development may involve a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors. 

Anxiety disorders can then run in families, suggesting that a combination of inherited genes and environmental stresses can cause these disorders.

Now, what’s the relationship between smoking and anxiety?

Different studies have demonstrated a connection between cigarette smoking and heightened anxiety symptoms or disorders among smokers. Nicotine and free radicals from cigarettes have been identified as factors that influence the primary pathways leading to the development of anxiety disorders. These pathways are also similar in other states characterized by fight, flight, or freeze responses, such as anger, mood disorders, and psychotic disorders.

Some smokers, however, still cling to cigarettes to resolve their anxiety disorders and alleviate anxiety symptoms. The only problem with this is that cigarettes only reduce withdrawal symptoms, which may be mistaken by many as the immediate sense of relaxation. 

While the connection between smoking, anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric disorders may not be established well up to this point, one fact remains clear: smoking cessation is necessary to keep you from the health dangers associated with cigarettes.

As a matter of fact, cutting out smoking can improve your mood and reduce anxiety.

After you smoke your last cigarette, your symptoms of anxiety and even depression gradually diminish. You may begin to feel calmer and more relaxed, particularly if you’ve stopped relying on cigarettes. Moreover, your quality of life can improve significantly when you quit smoking.

Quitting smoking also provides a sense of personal accomplishment. Additionally, it enhances your social interactions, as you no longer need to leave your companions frequently to smoke a cigarette. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cigarette increase anxiety?

Even though cigarette smoking is often linked to relieving stress and anxiety, it does the opposite. When you depend on cigarettes to relieve these feelings, you only make your body depend heavily on nicotine, leading to nicotine dependence. Nicotine will then continuously disrupt your stress hormone balance, which causes heightened anxiety responses.

Why do I get anxiety from smoking?

You get anxiety from smoking since cigarette’s nicotine content alters your stress hormone release by increasing your levels of cortisol and adrenaline. The nicotine from the cigarettes also mimics your body’s anxiety response, which makes you feel more anxious after smoking. Also, cigarettes reduce your dopamine sensitivity in the brain, making you more susceptible to anxiety and stress.

Will quitting smoking reduce anxiety?

Yes! Quitting smoking can reduce your anxiety because it breaks your cycle of dependency and withdrawal. Research even supports this, as people who have quit smoking have shown improved mental health and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression in various studies.

Does nicotine help with social anxiety?

While nicotine may provide temporary relief from social anxiety, it can still lead to dependence and worsen this particular anxiety disorder in the long run. As you rely more on nicotine for your social anxiety, it will only lead to more stress, especially when your cravings arise during social interactions.

Summary

With all the studies available regarding the connection between smoking and anxiety, it’s safe to assume that cigarettes can indeed cause anxiety, especially if you smoke them regularly. Despite the temporary relief these tobacco products can give to those who are experiencing anxiety and depression, they are not enough to alleviate the symptoms related to these mental health problems.

Smoking cigarettes can even trigger the symptoms and lead to nicotine addiction. It can likewise lead to nicotine withdrawal, pushing you to only smoke more cigarettes until you develop other illnesses in your lungs, heart, and other parts of your body. In fact, smoking cigarettes can even cause acid reflux due to the presence of nicotine from the tobacco.

The best way to improve mood and reduce levels of anxiety and stress is to quit smoking. This, alongside other activities and medications, can aid you towards a better quality of life.