Does Nicotine help with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Nicotine

Nicotine is a potent chemical that contains nitrogen, which is made by various types of plants, such as the tobacco plant. It is also produced synthetically.

Nicotiana tabacum is a type of nicotine found in tobacco plants from the nightshade family. Eggplant, red peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes are examples of the nightshade family.

While not cancer-causing or excessively harmful on its own, it is heavily addictive and exposes an individual to the extremely harmful effects of dependency on tobacco addiction. Smoking is the most preventable cause of severe health problems in the USA. nicotine

History of Nicotine

The tobacco plant is indigenous in America and has been used as a drug and stimulant for the last 2000 years. It is not known how this plant first reached America. However, Christopher Columbus often discovered tobacco while exploring America for the first time.

The cigars and smoking pipes spread so quickly throughout the 1600s. The tobacco plant was divided options when it was first introduced. Some people saw tobacco as a medical treatment, while some saw it as a habit-forming and toxic product.

The tobacco industry grew all around in the 1700s and shoot up in 1800 when a machine was introduced to produce paper cigarettes. From then, cigarettes became much easier to make, and this saw the dawn of the major tobacco corporations.

How does Nicotine affect your body?

Nicotine is both a stimulant and sedative. When your body gets exposed to nicotine, you can experience a kick. It is partly due to nicotine stimulating the adrenal glands, which results in adrenaline release.

The surge of adrenaline stimulates your body. There is an immediate release of glucose in the body and an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing activity. It also makes your pancreas produce less insulin which causes a slight increase in glucose and blood sugar level.

So, indirectly this drug causes the release of dopamine in the pleasure and motivational areas of your brain. A similar effect will occur when an individual takes cocaine and heroin. The user experiences a pleasurable sensation.

Dopamine is a natural chemical in the brain that affects your sensations, movements, and emotions. If the level of dopamine rises, the feeling of contentment is higher. Depending on the amount of this medicine taken and the person’s nervous system arousal, this medicine can also act as a sedative.

Can nicotine help to relieve generalized anxiety disorder?

generalized-anxiety-disorder

Many people start smoking when they feel anxious and stressed out, and the effects of nicotine can create a calming sensation. But this drug only produces temporary relief from anxiety while compromising overall physical health. The ongoing anxiety-provoking situations will soon return an individual to the same level of anxiety as you had before smoking cigarettes.

Smoking is an expensive and damaging habit. Particularly for people with generalized anxiety disorders, smoking can actually worsen your anxiety. While smoking may help soothe you at that moment, it can increase your worries about health and money, which may result in constant and severe anxiety. Over time, a high cost can exacerbate the symptom of anxiety.

What else can you do instead of smoking?

Suppose you are taking nicotine to self-medicate your anxiety. In that case, there are many other treatment options available for generalized anxiety disorder that are not physically damaging and also have a prolonged effect. Consult for advice from a medical professional. If you are confused about where to start, your physician can recommend you to a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders.

In therapy, you may go over the anxiety symptoms and triggers and work to identify the proper solution to these problems. From dialectical therapy to cognitive-behavioral therapy, many other methods are available to help you.

A medical professional may prescribe an anti-anxiety drug to manage your stress and worry in many cases. These drugs are usually recommended for a short-term solution, but some people may be on this treatment for months and years. You and your medical professional will make this decision according to your decision.

It is necessary to talk to your medical professional about smoking. They may suggest helping to quit nicotine while you still have anxiety. In such cases, you may request a referral to a therapist who could help assist you in managing the spike anxiety you may experience when you quit smoking.

You may need to settle your anxiety before attempting to quit taking nicotine. Therapy can help you to identify healthier coping skills that you can take to get relief.

Side effects of nicotine?

Nicotine can cause a wide range of side effects in the system and most organs. The circulation of your blood can be affected in various ways:

  • enlargement of the aorta
  • atherosclerosis
  • increase clotting tendency, resulting in risks of harmful blood clots.

Side effects in the brain may include dizziness, lightheaded feeling, bad dreams, nightmares, irregular sleep, and possible blood restrictions.

Other side effects from nicotine may include:

  • joint pain
  • pneumonia
  • increased levels of insulin and insulin resistance
  • contribution to the risk of diabetes
  • tremors
  • pain in the muscles

Conclusion

Nicotine and other drugs like this such as alcohol may seem like an easy way to medicate yourself for anxiety. But it can give some major health consequences such as fast heart rate breathing problems, and damage to organs. So, when you get anxious it is best to consult a medical expert or therapist. Do not try to self-medicate it with nicotine, it can make your condition worse physically, mentally, and financially.