Smoking and Stress: Getting it Backwards
These days many of us are feeling tempted to smoke. After all, we want to be able to focus on getting back to work. And most smokers feel much more relaxed after having a cigarette.
It’s a Trap!
It’s a trap many smokers get caught in. In fact, an hour after smoking a cigarette, your nicotine level drops enough to create withdrawal symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and stress. As soon as you have another cigarette, those distressing symptoms seem to disappear in a puff of smoke. That feeling of satisfaction is really nothing more than the disappearance of withdrawal symptoms. That’s why smokers see the link between smoking and stress backwards.
That fluctuation in moods makes it particularly challenging to quit smoking. Many smokers also have diagnosed or undiagnosed anxiety or depression, and smoking seems to ease their symptoms in the short term. But in the long term that can negatively affect a smoker’s mental health because it leads to increased symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The 46th edition of Québec Tobacco-Free Week takes place from January 15 to 21. It’s an opportunity to focus on the risks related to smoking and to remind everyone that smoking remains a serious public health issue.
The fight against smoking is and will remain a public health issue that must not be overlooked. After all, each year some 13 000 Québecers die of smoking-related causes. And despite what we may believe, some of the associated health risks are still not widely known.
Don’t wait! There are a number of resources available to help you find other means of managing your stress:
- The Quit to Win! Challenge
- A smoking cessation expert at our CIUSSS can help you to better understand your situation and guide you as you quit smoking.
Other Resources: