Why People Cant Quit Smoking - Research Paper Example

Order ID 1080972 Research Paper, Psychology Psychology why people can’t quit smoking and start Introduction: Wilens (2008) d that smoking leads too many problems such as health related issues, reduce quantity of your life and also discourage the quality of your life. McDermott (2013) stated in his study that an estimated around 2 hundred thousand smokers die each year due to smoking. Smoking is a cause of many mental disorders as well. The percentage of smokers is getting increasing in youngsters. Smoking is not good for the individual who is addicting of it and side by side not well for others in his surroundings. Lowey (2002) stated that a normal cigarette contains tobacco. Tobacco produces two kinds of smokes. One is known as Main stream and the second one is known as Side stream. Main stream smoke is directly inhaled by the smokers. This smoke is occupied with noxious gases and toxic chemicals. On the other hand, side stream smoke arises when the cigarette is burning. It includes high concentrations of toxins and nicotine which is tremendously destructive for other general population in the locality. According to a report, it causes 85% of environmental tobacco smoke. According to one of the case study conducted in Liverpool found that smokers who smoked more than 19 cigarettes per day are more exposed to Tuber colossi’s as compare to non smokers Hana (2001). Same is the case with the females who are addict of smoking and get pregnant are more likely to expose to birth related issues for instance, miscarriage, premature birth etc. Smoking has mainly the significant adaptable risk factor for coronary heart disease. It is one of the great causes of lung cancer. Not only lung cancer but also exposed to other cancers as well such as stomach cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer , kidney cancer , pancreas cancer , cervical cancer and many more. The ratio of cancer patients in smokers is greater than general population. Why People Start to Smoke? Chaloupka (1991) stated in his study that the number of adult smokers is greater as compare to mature chain smokers. Now the question comes that why people start smoking, according to research it has concluded that adults love smoking because they get pleasure and enjoyment in it. According to a health report, 20% of males and 48% of females start smoking to control their weight. 63% smokers claim that they use smoking as a mean to control their bad moods and stress. According to Wilens (2008) it is stated that ratio of smokers are getting increase day by day so the psychological factors are associated with the smokers are greater than those associated with other general population. Why People Continue to Smoke?  Britton (2011) stated in his study that cigarettes contain tobacco. Tobacco is a drug which generates a pleasurable feeling when being inhaled. Smoking is also categorized as an activity which is used to get rid of stress and depression especially females. It gives them satisfaction and helps them to reduce their stress and bad moods. Some of the smokers find smoking a way of entertainment. They enjoy doing it so for them smoking is a striking and enchanting way. To maintain body figure and in order to prevent weight gain is yet another reason mentioning by many young girls. Many of the smokers state that they are being addicted of smoking even though they started it just for fun or for the very short span of time and then it became difficult for them to quit smoking. Once a person addicted of smoking he/she then thinks that it is not possible to quit it but it is actually not however there are some problems occurs when a person start quit smoking but that are only for short term and a person can overcome all that issues easily if they really want to. Psychologically why People can’t quit: There are different school of thoughts regarding smoking, some belief that people smoke not because they are addicted of nicotine or tobacco but because of psychological reasons. Britton (2011) stated that an aspiration of quitting smoking is not enough to fulfill the task in fact 80% of the youngsters must make at least one attempt in their lives to quit smoking. Major hurdle comes in their way is associated with many psychological factors. Hence it is concluded that there are many psychological factors associated with the smoking so it is not easy task for the smokers to quit smoking. Hana (2001) stated that there are three types of smoker’s heavy smokers, moderate smokers and light smokers. It is not an easy task for the heavy smokers to quit because biggest ratio of heavy smokers found relaxation in smoking so they do not want to give up this way of enjoyment and even their attempt of quitting smoking results in craving that effects both of their psychological and physical behavior that is why they are badly fail to do so. This is not the only factor that influences the behavior of individuals to quit smoking. Age factor of smokers also have an effect on the psychological behavior of smoker for instance fear of weight gain. It has observed that people from the age of 25 to 55 are more conscious about their weight gain problem. They are ready to do anything to control obesity that is why they start smoking. Here the ratio of females is greater than the ratio of males. Some of the people do not have will power so they choose other ways to boost up their will power, their confidence etc so they go for smoking because they feel like smoking has the capability to make their thoughts into practical implications which is actually not. They are in fact trying to hide their nervousness and trying to overcome the feeling of anxiety. There are some psychological factors associated with smoking which are as follow: 1. Smoking and Anxiety: Ross (2001) stated that some people do smoke when they are in panic or in the state of anxiety and they believe that this is the only way through which they can control and reduce the state of anxiety up to some extent. Smoking is a self medicated technique they adopt in order to cope up with gloominess but they are unaware of the fact that smoking is actually increasing their tension and anxiety instead of reducing it. However if they feel relax so this relaxation is only for very short time and after very little time they start carving and desire for the cigarette again. 1. Smoking and Depression: Tobacco itself is a great cause of depression. It is not the effective way to have control over depression. According to Wilens (2008), it has found that the adult smokers with depression are twice as compare to adults devoid of depression. There is bi directional causal relationship between smoking and depression. Some people started smoking before getting into real depression and most of the times depression makes people to start up smoking. 2. Smoking and Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder is a psychological disorder also known as manic depression. This depression actually shifts an individual frame of mind, liveliness and capability to function. Symptoms of manic depression can be brutal with times. These symptoms sometime results in poor performance such as damaged relationships, poor job or college performance, and even lead an individual to suicide. Bipolar disorder can be treated and a person can live back his productive life. To get rid of bipolar disorder people sometimes takes the support of smoking and treat themselves with smoking as a self medicated treatment. But it is not as simple as they think. It is a serious psychological disease it requires long term treatment and if not handled on time can lead to rapid-cycling bipolar disorder which is a severe and advanced form of this disorder. 3. Smoking and the Fear of Weight Gain: This is yet another psychological factor associated with the habit of smoking. This is basically a myth and keeps on a person addicted. There are many natural ways to control obesity for instance, eats healthy food and exercise regularly. This will not only give a healthy life but makes a person happy and relax all the time. Along with that a person can safe himself from the number of diseases as well .This will off course improves the quality of a person’s life. 4. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Smoking: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is another psychological disorder associated with smoking. It is a psychological and mental health condition that generates by any frightening incident it not just because if a person was victim of that terrifying event but also because if even a person was witness of that event. The symptoms of PTSD includes anxiety, flash back, uncomfortable feelings, horrendous and much more. A patient sometimes totally failed to cope up with so he starts smoking and other means in order to get relax. But this is not the actual treatment it is just temporary. This disorder not only effects his life but his social relations and social works as well. It has also has adverse effect on person’s mood. A person thinks negative about everything even about himself or about other people as well. He is totally desperate about his future. He finds no charm in living his life and that all lead him to do suicide which is really horrible act. McDermott (2013) concluded that there is bi directional relationship between post traumatic stress disorder and smoking. What we have to help People to quit: Government can play a vital role in reducing the use of tobacco. Government should take corrective actions in order to control its usage and its growing attractiveness among youngsters. Government should adopt some strategies such as, Banning the promotion and advertisement of tobacco Take essential measures to control its smuggling in the country Restrict employees to smoke in work place Restrict student to smoke in university or college premises Start information campaigns with the help of mass media communication. Government should start some smoke free policies Research funding agencies ought to promote and empower research in order to deal with this leading cause of ill-health, and health inequalities All specialized working with or caring for people with mental disorders should be trained in responsiveness of smoking as a foremost health subject, to deliver brief ending advice, to offer or organize additional support for those who want help to quit and to provide positive (i.e. non-smoking) role models. Such training ought to be obligatory. Conclusion: Smoking leads too many problems such as health related issues, reduce quantity of your life and also discourage the quality of your life. McDermott et al (2013) stated in his study that an estimated around 2 hundred thousand smokers die each year due to smoking. Smoking is a cause of many mental disorders as well. The percentage of smokers is getting increasing in youngsters. Smoking is not good for the individual who is addicting of it and side by side not well for others in his surroundings. According to Hana (2001), it is stated that ratio of smokers are getting increase day by day so the psychological factors are associated with the smokers are greater than those associated with other general population. Britton (2011) stated that there are many psychological factors that make hurdles or barriers for the smokers to quit. It includes several factors such as overcoming stress, anxiety or depression, to control obesity, to feel relax and happy, to concentrate on work, to take break from work in work place or for many other social reasons. Once a person addicted of smoking he/she then thinks that it is not possible to quit it but it is actually not however, there are some problems occurs when a person start quit smoking but that are only for short term and a person can overcome all that issues easily if they really want to. Government should take corrective actions in order to control it’s widely usage and its growing attractiveness among youngsters these strategies may include banning its marketing, control its smuggling, start information campaigns to share its harmful and adverse effects on our young generation. References 1. Ross, Hana. (2001). The effect of cigarette prices on youth smoking. Impact Teen. 2. Chaloupka, F.J. (1991). Rational addictive behavior and cigarette smoking. Journal of Political Economy. 99, 722-742. 3. Lewit, E.M., Coate, D., Grossman, M. (1981). The effects of government regulation on teenage smoking. Journal of Law and Economics. 24. 4. Ratschen E, Britton J, McNeill A. (2011). The smoking culture in psychiatry: time for change. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 198(1), 6-7. 5. McDermott M, Marteau T, Hollands G, et al. (2013). Change in anxiety following successful and unsuccessful attempts at smoking cessation: a cohort study. British Journal of Psychiatry. 202, 62-7. 6. Wilens TE et al. (2008). Cigarette smoking associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Pediatr. 153 (3), 414-9. Read More