Dr. Linda Helps - Have you ever said this, “I smoke because it calms me down,” or “I need cigarettes to relax?”  You may be surprised to learn that this is NOT true.  Smoking cannot calm you or relieve stress like you may think.   In fact, smokers have higher rates of stress than nonsmokers.  Why?  Nicotine dependency actually exacerbates stress.   

Yet, 80 percent of smokers surveyed actually believe smoking relaxes them.  Since we know that nicotine does not calm people (it is not a sedative), it may be that the lack of nicotine between smokes is what makes a regular smoker irritable and stressed.  In other words, irritability and stress build up during periods of the day when you do not smoke.  Smoking only reverses the tension and irritability built up during nicotine abstinence.  As you withdraw from nicotine between smokes, you feel the irritability.  Smoking stops that temporary nicotine withdrawal. 

In a study by Parrott & Garnham (1998), smoker stress was found to be the same as nonsmokers.  During periods of nicotine abstinence, however, smokers actually had worse stress levels.  So instead of reducing anxiety, smoking may cause more. 

Now you’re saying, “OK but when I quit, I am more stressed.”  Again, not so.  According to research, quitting reduces stress.  No studies found former smokers more stressed than those who continued to smoke.  What was noted (Hughes, 1992) was that in the first few days after quitting, people have more anger, anxiety, and restlessness.  Two weeks later, people settle down and eventually report improved mood. 

So the next time you hear people say, "Smoking relaxes me," tell them they are misinformed.  Not only is nicotine highly addictive, but it can create stress as well.  Hopefully, this will give you and others another good reason to stop smoking. 

Resources:
*Parrott, A.C. & Garnham, N.J. (1998). “Comparative mood states and cognitive skills of cigarette smokers, deprived smokers and nonsmokers.” Human Psychopharmacology, 13, 367-376. 

*Hughes, J.R. (1992). “Tobacco withdrawal in self-quitters.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 689-697.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty years in psychotherapy practice.

For more articles and information, visit Dr. Linda Mintle's Web site.