The Adult Pacifier; A glimpse into the complications of nicotine dependence and Anxiety

Renee Sharma

    Be it via traditional cigarettes or electronic vapes, the frequent consumption of nicotine has recently catapulted monumentally and can be linked to its easy availability and the discrete nature of vaping. Nicotine is commonly viewed as a harmless and lightweight substance, making it popular amongst Adults and even adolescents. While cigarettes are stigmatised as the tobacco content causes harmful health complications, Vapes usage has increased by falsely gaining the title of being ‘healthy’. E-cigarettes are also extensively marketed to impressionable teens through a variety of appetising and candy-like flavours alongside aesthetically appealing vaping devices. Due to an increase in online shopping platforms, Vapes are also delivered in discrete packaging right to one's doorstep. 

People tend to smoke/vape because they associate the rush of nicotine with calming effects in stressful and anxiety-causing situations. They report feeling calmers and being able to channel their positive attributes better. People that suffer from Anxiety disorders, such as panic disorders, phobias, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are aware that the medication and treatment via therapy can be a long-drawn process that requires faith, dedication, and consistency. Even The Ashokan campus bears witness to overcrowding in the smoking area, even at odd hours,  during midterms and finals week. Most young adults also find it easier to fall into the habit of smoking as it is commonplace at parties and social gatherings. It is glorified by Social media influencers, Teen movies, music videos, and TV shows as the new form of recreational substance use. It is almost unsettling to see the enormous amounts of young adults at parties that deal with social cue ambiguities by carrying a vape and depending on them like children do pacifiers. This pressures people into smoking and making a habit out of it as it has the two-fold advantage of relieving the stress of social anxiety as well as that of not ’fitting in’. It is in these situations that nicotine can seem like an easy fix, providing sensory relief and allowing a smoother daily functioning. Moreover, there is clear evidence that smoking modulates symptom severity in patients with anxiety disorders. This could be because the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) can modulate the function of pathways involved in stress response, and smoking can result in alterations of anxiety levels and mood. Nicotine stimulates the brain in order to release pleasure hormones like dopamine which in turn allows for one to temporarily obtain some relief from their stressors or anxiety (Picciotto, 2002). The pleasure response to dopamine is a big part of the nicotine addiction process and it keeps people from quitting because the withdrawal symptoms seem identical to their anxiety or stressors (Bishop, 2014). 

Additionally, people with various eating disorders, body dysmorphia and body image issues tend to be more vulnerable to the allure of vaping. One of the popular Google searches with the word ‘vaping’ includes ‘can vaping make me skinny’; the vocabulary of which can confirm that this comes from a place of an obsession with the ‘thin ideal’ body type. The use of e-cigarettes to suppress appetite not only encourages unhealthy relationships with food but also promotes vaping as a coping mechanism to reduce the anxiety and stress felt due to the constant policing and obsession with losing or controlling weight and thereby, bettering one's appearance. A recent study revealed participants with eating disorders were vaping significantly more often and with higher levels of nicotine than those without eating disorders (Marson, 2018).

An ordinary response to this pressing issue of addiction would be: “Just Quit”. However, it is not that straightforward. Most people do not even realise that their frequency of smoking is categorised as an addiction because they dissociate the actual habit from the title of ‘dependency’ or ‘addiction’. They tend to justify their habit in several ways in order for it to not seem severe or harmful in front of others or even to themselves. When one tries to quit through various methods like cold-turkey, gradual reduction, etc., the receptors in your brain do not receive nicotine, so the pleasure response is cut off. This triggers a wide range of strong withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, frustration, anger, increased hunger, and difficulty sleeping. This also strengthens the association in their minds between nicotine and anxiety relief as they confuse withdrawal for their anxiety or stress returning through stronger symptoms. Over time the number of nicotine receptors in your brain increases. This is why the majority of attempts to quit lead to a relapse. Addicted smokers have billions more of these receptors than nonsmokers do. But not all smokers have such a high level of receptors. That is why some regular smokers can stop smoking without much difficulty as compared to others (Anxiety & Smoking | Smokefree, n.d.).

         References

Bishop, S. (2014, March 13). Smokers’ Brains Change in Response to High Levels of Nicotine. Mayo Clinic News Network. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/smokers-brains-change-in-response-to-high-levels-of-nicotine/#:%7E:text=Nicotine%20that%20gets%20into%20your,of%20the%20nicotine%20addiction%20process.

Picciotto, M. R., Brunzell, D. H., & Caldarone, B. J. (2002). Effect of nicotine and nicotinic receptors on anxiety and depression. Neuroreport, 13(9), 1097–1106. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200207020-00006

Marson, G. (2018, December 7). Eating Disorders and Vaping: What’s the Link? PsychAlive. https://www.psychalive.org/eating-disorders-and-vaping-whats-the-link/

Anxiety & Smoking | Smokefree. (n.d.). Smokefree.Gov. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://smokefree.gov/challenges-when-quitting/cravings-triggers/anxiety-smoking#:%7E:text=It%20is%20common%20to%20think,your%20brain%2C%20including%20your%20mood

Many young people turn to nicotine to deal with stress, anxiety and depression, but don’t know it may be making them feel worse. (2021, October 7). Truth Initiative. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/many-young-people-turn-nicotine-deal-stress-anxiety