Recent study shows that an individual’s perception highly motivates a smoker’s addiction
Research suggests that the individual’s perception highly motivates a smoker’s addiction. The study wanted to show that the smoker’s brain could influence his belief about nicotine content.
24 nicotine-addicted people participated in the investigation and researchers noted that the smokers had to believe that the cigarette they smoke contained nicotine to satisfy their cravings.
The participant’s brains were analyzed with an fMRI machine immediately after they smoked.
The ones that were told they smoked a nicotine-free cigarette although they just enjoyed a regular one got no satisfaction from smoking. Moreover, people who were informed they smoked regular cigarettes although smoking nicotine-free smokes felt the pleasure of smoking.
The research participants were twice given a regular cigarette and twice a nicotine-free cigarette or a placebo. Moreover, they were once told the truth about the nicotine content and the other time, researchers lied about the content.
The fMRI scans proved that there was an enhanced action in the insula which is the region of the brain that manages a human’s desires for addictive substances, so, smokers had only satisfied their cravings when they were told their cigarette contained nicotine.
However, the individuals did not get the same satisfaction when smoking the placebo cigarette no matter what they were told.
The smoker’s rush of dopamine when nicotine enters the organism usually is what produces the good feeling which leads to satisfying the craving. This points us to the conclusion that when an individual is addicted, he craves the rush psychologically and physically. However, this satisfactions seems not to come when the smoker believes he is not getting any nicotine.
The findings of the study can change the way we look at quitting smoking. If we can counteract nicotine’s effect just by not believing, scientists think that there could be easier ways to stop than the patch or medicine. CDC stated that approximately 70 percent of the total smoker are considering quitting the habit, but only 6 percent of them will actually succeed to do so.
Symptoms of withdrawal will usually be encountered by people who stop smoking because their brain has rewired itself when dependent on nicotine. The symptoms which can range from fatigue, irritability, insomnia and depression to dizziness, stomach pains, tightness in the chest and difficulty concentrating represent the brain’s adjustment to not having nicotine in the organism anymore.
Image source: Pixabay
