Smokers will often say that smoking “calms them down.” The irony is that just the opposite is true. Nicotine that is contained in cigarette smoke will actually make you feel more anxious.

Nicotine constricts the blood vessels and aids in anxiety instead of preventing it. If you are smoking to “calm your nerves” you are doing yourself more harm than good. Aside from the other problems that smoking causes, it also raises your heart rate.

When you quit smoking, you may find that the withdrawal from nicotine raises your anxiety level, preventing you from quitting. The withdrawal from nicotine is very bad. In fact, many doctors believe that it is one of the worst withdrawals to have to endure. Many in the medical community will state that nicotine is even more addictive than heroin.

The physical effects of nicotine in your system last for 72 hours. Once you get past Day 3 without cigarettes, your physical craving for nicotine is gone. The mental craving might still be there – in fact, it may never even leave you – but the physical withdrawal symptoms are over.

Many doctors will prescribe anti-depressants such as Wellbutrin for people who are planning to quit smoking. This takes some of the edge off of the quitting process and some state that it aids in quitting.

If you smoke, you are only adding to your anxiety or panic. On top of every other bad thing that it causes, smoking also raises your heart rate, constricts your blood vessels and aids in anxiety. If you have panic attacks, you should not smoke.

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Filed under: Cure Panic

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