Nicotine dependence: neurobiological foundations and therapeutic approaches for smoking cessation
Lena Bauer
2026-03-21
5 min. read
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A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING NICOTINE ADDICTION AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING IT, DRAWN FROM CURRENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
Nicotine is a behavioral and physiological addiction
The addiction to smoking can be considered on two levels behavioural and physiological. The first is related to the psychological and social basis of the addiction, the second covers all the processes that occur in the body under the influence of a given substance. Specific to nicotine addiction is its general acceptance. Smoker is deprived of a very important motivating element to fight addiction social exclusion. In Poland the number of smokers is about 12 million people. Despite numerous social campaigns, we reach up to 500 people every day who do not start smoking tobacco.
Motivation to fight addiction
The basic condition for success is strong motivation. The simplest, but not the most effective, is to stop smoking from day to day. The motivation test to quit smoking is a questionnaire consisting of 12 questions. If the number of affirmative responses prevails, it is most likely that the person is ready to take on the challenge. The path to success is several. The easiest, if not the best, path is to avoid smoking on a daily basis.
Smoking cessation support groups
The essence of a support group for people struggling with smoking addiction is education and the implantation of new habits. In addition, therapy also enables the exchange of experiences. These activities are also important because very often the environment is unfavorable in the process of quitting smoking. It is difficult to overcome addiction when at home or at work we encounter people who smoke, thereby increasing our desire to smoke.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NSA)
Although this is an uncontested achievement in our time, it is not a solution to the problem. NTZ is designed to keep nicotine levels in the blood constant. Never smoke 20 cigarettes per day. The average nicotine level in your blood is 300 ng/ml. Quitting smoking suddenly and the associated decrease in levels causes a number of withdrawal symptoms, such as decreased blood pressure, reduced heart function, increased body weight, impaired sleep, attention and memory.
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