Why It's Hard to Stop Smoking?

Quitting smoking is not easy. Level of difficulty to stop getting higher in some people because it turns out they feel pleasure nicotine brain is bigger than anyone else.

Using a PET scanner to capture images of "mu-opioid receptor" in the brains of smokers, the researchers found, the higher the number of these receptors, the higher their satisfaction level on nicotine. As a result, they are increasingly difficult to leave smoking it. 

 

"Brain opioid system plays an important role in the brain reward system and stop smoking. And the ability to quit smoking is also influenced by genetic factors," said Caryn Lerman, director of the Tobacco Use Research Center, Philadelphia, who conducted the research. 

He explained that a person's ability to quit smoking are influenced by psychological factors, social, environmental, and genetic. "In some people, genetic variation makes them more difficult to stop than someone else who is also addicted cigarette," he said. 

Even so, it does not mean heavy cigarette addicts can not stop. "By knowing one's genetic background, the doctor can make the optimal therapy. From the results of this study, expected to develop new drugs to stop the addiction to cigarettes," he explained. 

By knowing the types of cigarette addicts, doctors also can help addicts who wish to quit smoking as it passes through difficult times. 

"Quitting smoking can cause changes in emotions. Most become irritable, easily offended and feel sad. Some get through it and some choose to return to smoking because they do not find a substitute for other pleasures," said Daniel Seidman, an expert in the field of medical psychology. 

One way to get through tough times, according to Seidman is with nicotine replacement for some time. "Changing the nicotine in cigarettes with nicotine patches or gum may be an alternative because it does not cause cancer or affect the lung," he said.