Addiction: Why quitting is hard
Addiction is when you lose control over the use of a drug. Nicotine in tobacco smoke is what
causes you to be addicted to smoking. Tobacco companies make cigarettes so the nicotine
gets to your brain very quickly. The faster nicotine gets to your brain, the more addictive it
is. Nicotine from the patch or gum gets to your brain more slowly. This is why the patch and
gum rarely cause addiction.
It can be hard to quit when you are addicted to tobacco. There are three reasons for this.
You can think of these as three corners of a triangle.
Emotional: How you feel when you use tobacco, what you believe about tobacco use and
how you think about tobacco.
Behavioral: How you respond to places and times when you want to smoke, like when you
are having a cup of coffee or taking a break from work.
Physical: When your body craves the nicotine in tobacco.
Emotional
1
2
Behavioral
3
Physical
13
The nicotine cycle happens when your body and mind crave nicotine. It helps to understand
this cycle so you can break it. Below is a picture of this cycle.
Your Quit Coach will help you learn ways to fight this nicotine cycle. One way to reduce
the craving is to use medicines like nicotine patches, nicotine gum and nicotine lozenges.
Varenicline (Chantix) or bupropion SR also can help. You will find information about these
medicines starting on page 30. Your Quit Coach can tell you more about these medicines that
can help you quit and which may be covered by insurance. Give your Quit Coach a call — he
or she is there to help!