Tobacco addiction (nicotine)

What is tobacco addiction?

Tobacco addiction is a dependence on nicotine, a substance with great addictive power present in cigarettes, rolling tobacco and other products, including electronic cigarettes. Nicotine acts on the brain to produce a sensation of relief and wellbeing that lasts only a short time, which drives the person to smoke again and again.

Tobacco dependence has a physical component, from the nicotine itself, and a psychological and behavioural one, linked to the habits and situations associated with smoking: coffee, after-dinner moments, times of stress or rest. It is this double dimension that makes quitting smoking so difficult through willpower alone.

Although it is a legal and socially accepted drug, tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable illness and death. The good news is that quitting smoking is entirely possible with the right support, and the body begins to recover from the very first day.

Symptoms and signs of dependence

Nicotine dependence can be recognised by several signs:

• Smoking the first cigarette soon after waking up.
• Feeling irritable, anxious or unable to concentrate when not smoking.
• Needing to smoke in certain situations or emotional states.
• Failed attempts to give up or cut down.
• Continuing to smoke despite health problems.

Nicotine withdrawal syndrome, with its irritability and intense urge to smoke, is one of the main reasons why many people relapse when they try to quit on their own.

Causes of tobacco addiction

Tobacco addiction combines biological, psychological and social factors. Nicotine creates physical dependence quickly, and the habit of smoking becomes associated with countless everyday moments and emotions, which reinforces the behaviour.

Many people start smoking in adolescence through peer influence and keep the habit as a way of managing stress, anxiety or boredom. At Reconectar we work on both the physical dependence and the habits and beliefs that sustain use, because only in this way can you quit smoking on a lasting basis.

Consequences of smoking

Tobacco is one of the greatest causes of preventable illness. It notably increases the risk of lung cancer and cancer of other organs, of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, and of chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD.

In addition, it damages the skin, teeth and oral health, reduces physical capacity and affects fertility. It also harms the people around you through the smoke. Financially, the cumulative cost of tobacco over the years is considerable. Quitting smoking reduces all these risks progressively.

Benefits of quitting smoking

The benefits of quitting smoking begin almost immediately and continue over time. Within a few days your sense of smell and taste improve and the level of carbon monoxide in your blood drops. Over weeks and months breathing, physical capacity and circulation improve.

Over time, the risk of heart attack, cancer and respiratory diseases is significantly reduced. To this are added immediate benefits in daily wellbeing: more energy, better rest, financial saving and the satisfaction of having regained control. It is never too late to notice these improvements.

Stop smoking treatment at Reconectar

At Reconectar we help you quit smoking with an outpatient approach that combines the Minnesota Model and cognitive therapy. Treatment is individual and personalised, and it addresses both the physical dependence on nicotine and the habits and beliefs associated with tobacco.

We work so that smoking stops making sense in your life, so that abstinence is not a constant struggle but a natural decision. We provide tools to manage the urge to smoke and risk situations, and to prevent relapse. The entire process takes place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with complete confidentiality.

The process includes

• A free initial assessment with no obligation.
• Individual sessions adapted to your situation.
• Strategies to manage craving and triggers.
• Relapse prevention and consolidation of the change.