Stress and Smoking: How Stress Can Influence Smoking Habits

Running head: STRESS AND SMOKING
Stress and Smoking
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STRESS AND SMOKING1
In the fast-paced, dynamic world of today, stress and the consequent anxiety has
become a part and parcel of the modern man’s everyday life (Seaward, 2017). From
participating in the rat race to coping up with one’s responsibilities, stress is an aspect that is
inevitable. Some of the common causes for stress may be being unhappy in one’s job, facing
tensions in the family or even sudden unexpected changes that present itself (Boss, Bryant &
Mancini, 2016). However, excessive stress may also lead to smoking. This discussion
explores how uncurbed amounts of stress can influence an individual to begin smoking.
Individuals who feel extremely pressurized look for ways to lighten the immense
pressure. This chaotic state of mind may lead one to seek ways that may be extremely
unhealthy for them (Figley & McCubbin, 2016). Smoking is one of the easiest methods to
alleviate these bouts of anxiety. Thus, lighting a cigarette may be one of the first routes that
an individual embraces whilst battling their inner demons. For instance, if one faces issues
that they cannot grapple with, smoking may be used as a method of coping with their
mental pressure. Many believe that smoking alleviates unpleasant feelings or even the worst
cases of depression. However, adopting the method of smoking to battle stress on a
continuous basis may transform smoking into an addiction (Fluharty et al., 2016). In this
scenario, an individual is required to combat stress and consequently deal with their
newfound addiction as well. Thus, smoking in order to relieve stress may trigger greater
problems if not dealt with in its initial stages.
Moreover, it must be accepted that smoking is not a long term solution for stress-
relief. Even though smoking presents itself as an ideal solution to those who are undergoing a
great deal of stress, it leads to hazardous consequences if not dealt with effectively. Even
though smoking may be serve as a temporary stress reliever, one has to come to terms with
the fact that the stress will return inevitably. Thus, smoking is in no manner a concrete
prevention for stress. Additionally, many studies have concluded that smoking in actuality