Investigating the Influence of Anxiety and Stress on Smoking Habits

This essay delves into the intricate relationship between anxiety, stress, and smoking, examining how these factors influence each other. It explores the increasing levels of stress, especially among teenagers, and how smoking is often perceived as a coping mechanism. The essay highlights that while nicotine may offer temporary relief, it ultimately exacerbates anxiety and stress, creating a vicious cycle. It discusses the different categories of smokers, such as persistent smokers, and emphasizes that stress can be a major trigger for smoking. The essay analyzes how the habit of smoking increases stress levels, making it difficult to quit. It also references various studies and reports to support the arguments. The conclusion underscores the importance of understanding that smoking is not a long-term solution for managing stress and anxiety, and thus, should not be used as a coping method. The essay provides an overview of the causes and effects of smoking and stress, and the need for alternative coping mechanisms.

Running head: Anxiety, Stress And Smoking
ANXIETY, STRESS AND SMOKING

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Anxiety, Stress And Smoking
Stress has become a permanent resident in the minds of a majority at the present time.
Excessive work pressure and unorganized life style are two of the many reasons behind the
increase in the level of stress in the lives of the people. Smoking has been long considered as a
common way of coping with the high level of stress and anxiety that people have been dealing
with. However, the question arises whether smoking helps they cope with stress or it is the other
way around. This study has been aimed at investigating the complicated cause and effect relation
between stress/anxiety and smoking.
The level of stress has been increasing especially in the teenagers of this generation that
is leading them towards getting addicted to smoking and other addictions. According to some
reports of American Psychological Association, over 73% of teenagers in the United States have
opted for emotional support in order to deal with their stress (Kestenbaum, 2019). They have
also claimed that the ongoing social and environmental condition have increased their stress
levels. As a result, many people, especially the young generation, have been suffering from
depression and anxiety generated from regular stress. According to a research, smokers have
been categorized into some sections such as ex-smokers, relapsed smokers and persistent
smokers. As per the results of the research, it has been noticed that stress is highly related to
smoking and mainly persistent smoking (Smokefree.gov 2019). This implies that people dealing
with stress related to relationships, workplace, and family issue and so on, live under more risk
than others to get affected by persistent smoking urges. It has also been found out that a high
level of stress is one of the reasons for most of the smokers behind their inability to quit
smoking. Thus, it can be said that stress and related anxiety related experiences highly influence
one to choose smoking. However there is a deeply rooted myth behind the tendency to choose
smoking as a coping method for stress.

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Anxiety, Stress And Smoking
Smoking has long been considered as an effective coping method by many people. Many
people have opined that nicotine works as a self-medication technique for not only smokers but
also for those who starts smoking in order to cope with stress. For that reason, a myth has been
popularly believed by many that smoking habit can calm the nerves of those who are in stress
and thus can lower the effects of anxiety (Mental Health Foundation 2019). However, the reality
is totally the opposite. This is because smoking actually causes anxiety and other stress related
mental disorders. So it is important to understand whether anxiety influences smoking or it is the
vice versa. Stress can be defined as a condition of being panicked, nervous or troubled for a
certain time. Anxiety can take over the stress if the stressful situations occur frequently. Many
smokers have claimed that they smoke because smoking works as an effective way to get relief
in frequently occurring stressful situations. According to researchers, the claim is partly true as
smoking does help relieving those in stress but temporarily (healthline 2019). This happens
because the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can be reduced if someone smokes. However, this
is an escape mechanism and not a solution to stress or anxiety.
Certain researches prove that nicotine works as a mood changer. This implies that
smoking helps in immediately reducing stress and anger by relaxing the muscles of the smokers.
Nicotine generally enters the brain within ten seconds and thus the mood changing process
happens very fast. For this reason, the habit of smoking is reinforced as the smokers view
smoking as the one and only easiest solution to their stress and anxiety related issues. As an
outcome, an unbreakable cycle is built between stress and smoking and then it becomes tough to
withdraw smoking (Stopen et al. 2013, p. 1851). However, the habit of smoking increases the
level of stress day by day and more intake of nicotine makes the situation so much worse that
people become solely dependent upon smoking. This is how a new category of smokers appear

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Anxiety, Stress And Smoking
that is termed as stress smokers. For this category of smokers, stress happens to be the driving
force to light a cigarette. However, gradually, smoking becomes a driving force to increase stress
in their lives.
So, this study has investigated the complicated cause and effect relation between stress
and smoking. It has been found out that stressful situations influence people to choose smoking
as a self medicated solution to deal with their stress. However, slowly a cycle is formed where
there is not escape from both stress and the habit of smoking. Thus, it is important for people to
understand that smoking causes stress in the long run and thus it should not be used as a coping
method at all.

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Anxiety, Stress And Smoking
Reference list
healthline (2019), Stress, Smoking, and Heart Disease, Retrieved on: 10th Aug, 2019, From:
https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/stress-smoking#1
Kestenbaum, R., (2019, 20th May), Teenagers Today Have More Anxiety -- And That Could Fuel
The Rise Of Wellness Products, Forbes. Retrieved on: 10th Aug, 2019, From:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2019/05/20/teenagers-take-fewer-risks-
today-but-they-have-more-anxiety-brands-need-to-react-to-the-change/#106153ed6198
Mental Health Foundation (2019), Smoking and mental health, Retrieved on: 10th Aug, 2019,
From: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/smoking-and-mental-health
Smokefree.gov (2019), Anxiety & Smoking, Retrieved on: 10th Aug, 2019, From:
https://smokefree.gov/challenges-when-quitting/cravings-triggers/anxiety-smoking
Stopen, N., Kontos, E., Ryff, C., Ayanian, J., Albert, M., & Williams, D., (2013), Psychosocial
stress and cigarette smoking persistence, cessation, and relapse over 9–10 years: A
prospective study of middle-aged adults in the United States, 24(10), 1849-1863.
Retrieved on: 10th Aug, 2019, From:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3776130/