How the mind and brain affect smoking

Smoking is not just a physical habit but deeply linked with how your brain processes stress and reward.

• The primitive emotional brain including the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus plays a central role in emotional reactions and habit formation.
• This part of the brain can mistakenly believe smoking helps manage stress and anxiety, even though it actually increases these over time (Koob & Volkow, 2010).
• Serotonin, a key brain chemical involved in mood regulation, is often lower in smokers. Nicotine is sometimes wrongly seen by the brain as a substitute for serotonin, but this chemical replacement is ineffective and harmful (Mayo Clinic, 2023).
• Physical nicotine addiction is a factor, but research indicates the psychological aspects including habits, triggers, and emotional connections are the larger challenge, often estimated around 80 -90% of the difficulty in quitting (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2020).
• Many smokers successfully abstain for extended periods during specific situations like hospital stays or flights, showing the physical addiction is manageable with the right mindset (NHS Smokefree).
• Long-term smoking is linked with increased risk of anxiety and depression, highlighting the importance of addressing mental health alongside quitting (JAMA Psychiatry, 2018).
• Studies show smokers on average earn less than non-smokers, with some research suggesting a gap around 20%, though this varies by population and factors like health and social inequality (British Medical Journal, 2017).