What’s behind a nicotine addiction
It is important to understand the factors that form an addiction, as well as exactly how nicotine works, in order to find an effective solution. There are many different psychological factors that numb towards addiction, but also physical factors. Smoking cigarettes has an apparent physical addiction component which becomes habit-forming, thus triggering behavioural addiction.
Physical nicotine addiction creates a situation in which all you have to do to counteract the negative consequences is give your body time to flush the chemical out of your system. With the behavioural component, addiction becomes more complicated. The addicted brain has become wired to particular processes that frequently result in a pleasurable experience while inhaling cigarette smoke. This can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when a person tries to quit.
Why nicotine replacements may not work
Tobacco contains nicotine, which is the main, most addictive chemical. When a person smokes tobacco, numerous parts of the body become accustomed to the presence of nicotine. When a person gives up cigarettes, they also give up nicotine, which causes withdrawal symptoms. This is due to the body’s need to adjust to life without nicotine.
Due to this, nicotine replacement products were created. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) provides nicotine but not the other hazardous compounds found in tobacco in the form of gum, patches, sprays, inhalers, or lozenges. NRT can help you focus on the psychological (emotional) aspects of quitting by alleviating some of the physical withdrawal symptoms.
However, because of the behavioural component of nicotine addiction, nicotine replacement therapy such as patches or gums have low quitting success rates. If you’ve tried and failed to quit smoking cigarettes with a nicotine replacement, there’s a good explanation for it. Your brain has been built to link smoking with pleasure, and patches and gums will not be able to replace that habit. Although the body receives a dose of nicotine, the brain does not receive the dopamine rush that comes with smoking. It’s difficult to quit smoking at once because of the pleasure it gives the brain.
How CBD helps
CBD’s diverse therapeutic profile has recently gained therapists and counsellors’ attention for its potential to effectively treat tobacco addiction. CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps to relieve the negative feelings of withdrawal after quitting smoking. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates homeostasis in the body, including stress response, sleep cycles, mood, pain perception, and other vital processes. CBD also reduces tobacco cravings, reduces anxiety, and regulates neurotransmitters and serotonin receptors.
CBD was compared to a placebo in a pilot clinical research to see how successful it was at treating cigarette addiction. (A pilot study is a small sample size study that is performed to test a working hypothesis before moving on to a larger, and thus more expensive, sample size.) It was double-blind (neither the researchers nor the subjects knew who got which treatment), randomised (patients were randomly allocated to one of two treatments), and placebo-controlled (the active pharmaceutical was compared with an inactive one). 24 people who smoked more than ten cigarettes per day were enlisted and given an inhaler to use whenever they felt the need to smoke. Twelve individuals (6 females) were given a CBD inhaler, whereas the other twelve (6 females) were given a placebo inhaler. The treatment was for a week. They kept track of their tobacco cravings and anxiety on a daily basis during this time. Following therapy, a follow-up interview was conducted 21 days later. In comparison to the placebo group, cigarette consumption in the CBD group had decreased by 40% after the treatment week.
Using CBD to end your smoking addiction and withdrawal symptoms
It is essential to consider that you’re probably addicted to more than simply nicotine as a cigarette smoker. The act of smoking and the oral fixation that comes with it are both addicting, and the practice becomes ingrained in your daily routine. The vicious cycle of seeking nicotine followed by the brain rewarding behaviour, even at the price of our health, is why this addiction is so harmful to our health. Aside from environmental triggers, emotional and cellular memory play a role in addiction. This, on the other hand, lets us see how CBD could aid in the cessation of tobacco use.
CBD oil activates the 5-HT1A receptor in the brain, which increases serotonin availability in the same manner that antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) do. As a result, CBD oil may help to alleviate the tension, anxiety, and irritation that come with quitting smoking. When it comes to mood, CBD oil may be able to assist alleviate some of the physical side effects of quitting smoking. CBD oil’s anti-inflammatory effects may help to alleviate the headaches and other pains experienced when giving up nicotine.
