The Power Of Nicotine Addiction Submitted By: Ron King If you've ever tried to quit smoking, then you've come up against the awesome power of nicotine addiction. If you would like to quit, read on to learn how nicotine addiction takes hold, and how you can defeat it.Altered Brain Chemistry Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, is absorbed into the bloodstream where it affects brain chemistry.

It quickly alters both mood and focus. Because of the large surface area of the lungs, smokers receive a big "hit" of nicotine with every puff. Since nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, the brain receives an almost instantaneous dose of pleasure with every inhalation of smoke.Nicotine primarily affects the mid-brain, the part of the brain that controls moods and emotions. It produces pleasurable sensations while smoking, and anxiety and craving when nicotine is withheld.

Doesn't that sound like a perfect formula for addiction? Behavioral Reinforcement Because of the immediate stimulation to the brain, smoking behavior is constantly reinforced. When smokers try to quit, they have to overcome both the physical addiction to nicotine and the associations they have made to the behavior. This means breaking the mental connection between the physical act of picking up,

lighting, and smoking the cigarette, and the pleasurable sensations it produces.Besides the physical addiction, there are also strong behavioral and social reinforcements to smoking. Certain situations (such as experiencing stress, finishing a meal, or going to a bar) become so strongly associated with smoking that smokers will automatically reach for a cigarette without thinking.Genetic Predisposition However, some people become more addicted to nicotine than others.