The habit of smoking is often used to calm emotional issues such as anxiety, stress or low self esteem. Nicotine releases brain chemicals that heighten positive emotions and create a sense of reward, however this is only a very short term fix. The mental association between smoking and stress relief can make smoking quite difficult and this is one of the reasons that you have to be sure in your mind that you want to quit. Quitting in the short run may make yoy feel worse but in the long run it is worth it to gain control over your life.
Smoking can be a way to avoid feeling unpleasant emotions such as sadness, grief and stress. It can help to hide the apprehensions, fears and pains by the effects of nicotine on the brain. The release of chemicals through nicotine makes smokers feel like they are coping and dealing with stress and emotion. However avoiding the feelings by smoking does not address them and they still persist after smoking.
