Nicotine increases the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, providing temporary stress relief and euphoria; however, over time, nicotine has been linked to higher anxiety levels. And quitting nicotine has been found to lower them.
Read on to learn about the effects of nicotine, how to quit effectively, and manage your anxiety.
Understanding Nicotine Addiction
Nearly 49 million people in the US currently use tobacco or nicotine products, and in 2020, 23.6 million struggled with a nicotine addiction. Many users report turning to nicotine to manage anxiety or boredom. Nicotine affects people of all ages, with cigarettes being more common among older generations, and vaping now among youth [1].
Although nicotine can provide short-term, temporary feelings of stress relief and alertness, it quickly becomes addictive and can increase the risk of mental health challenges.
How Does Nicotine Affect the Brain?
Nicotine quickly penetrates the blood-brain barrier and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters. Nicotine’s impact on dopamine pathways in the midbrain’s ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens plays a key role in reinforcing addictive behavior.
Other neurotransmitters affected by nicotine include norepinephrine and serotonin, which influence mood, attention, and stress response. Over time, exposure alters brain chemistry, leading to dependence and withdrawal symptoms. This creates a cycle of cravings that makes it difficult to quit without intervention.
Continuous nicotine exposure leads to neuroplastic changes, including an increase in the number of nicotinic receptors (upregulation), which alters brain sensitivity and dependence [2].
How Does Nicotine Affect the Body?
Nicotine, especially in the form of smoking cigarettes or vaping, is linked to several long-term physical health effects that impact several systems in the body. Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of cancer.
And vaping can lead to “popcorn lung” or EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury). These are acute respiratory conditions that cause coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and can be deadly [3].
Besides the impact of smoking/vaping nicotine on the lungs, Nicotine has several other physical effects, including:
- Increases oxidative stress
- Raises heart rate and blood pressure
- Increases gastric acid in the stomach, nausea, and indigestion
- Nicotine exposure during development alters glutamate receptors in the prefrontal cortex, affecting mood, emotional regulation, memory, and attention [4].
Does Nicotine Increase Anxiety?
Anxiety and nicotine become a feedback loop. Smoking/vaping becomes a way to manage stress, but as dependence grows, nicotine worsens anxiety. More than 60% of individuals who abuse nicotine report regular symptoms of anxiety, and smoking/vaping has been linked with higher rates of clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders [5].
Nicotine activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increases the stress hormone, cortisol. When nicotine is ingested, it stimulates the release of the ACTH hormone and prompts the adrenal glands to increase cortisol production. Also, cortisol levels are shown to decrease after quitting smoking, showing a direct link between the two [6].
Chronic smokers are more likely to report negative mental health days and also struggle with physical symptoms of anxiety, including headache, trembling, sweating, and increased heart rate/blood pressure.
Quitting Nicotine and Managing Anxiety
Quitting nicotine can be extremely challenging. Withdrawal symptoms are not life-threatening, but boredom, anxiety, easy accessibility, and cheap products make it difficult. Understand why you smoke/vape.
Did you start when you were young? Are you coping with stress? Is it boredom? If you have ADHD or struggle with impulse control, this can also increase the risk of nicotine dependence [7].
Learning to manage your stress levels, finding distractions, fighting urges or cravings, and connecting with professional support can help you end the nasty habit and reduce your anxiety.
Some healthy ways to do this include:
- Use nicotine replacement therapy such as nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges.
- Non-nicotine replacements, such as sucking on lollipops or eating tic tacs, can swap out the need for oral fixation.
- Connect with friends or family members for support who have quit nicotine and find out what helped them.
- Practice healthy coping skills to manage anxiety, such as listening to music, playing with your pet, or going for a walk.
- Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and get sufficient sleep to manage overall anxiety levels.
- Connect with professional support to address underlying mental health or behavioral issues that are driving nicotine addiction.
Empowering Our Community To Make Informed Choices About Nicotine
Rushton Recovery is a detox and residential treatment center in Michigan that offers a healing space to embark on your journey toward sobriety. We are also committed to empowering our community with accurate, evidence-based information about substance use and mental health.
We believe that informed choices are the foundation of healthier lives. Our educational resources and support aim to raise awareness about the effects of nicotine. Join us in fostering a community built on knowledge, understanding, and healthier habits.
Connect with our team to learn more.
Sources
[1] CDC. 2024. Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States.
[2] Green, N. et al. (2009). Nicotine-induced upregulation of nicotinic receptors: underlying mechanisms and relevance to nicotine addiction. Biochemical pharmacology, 78(7), 756–765.
[3] American Lung Association. E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).
[4] Mansvelder, H. D. (2012). Nicotine exposure during adolescence alters the rules for prefrontal cortical synaptic plasticity during adulthood. Frontiers in synaptic neuroscience, 4, 3.
[5] Arnst, J. 2023. Depression & anxiety symptoms linked to vaping nicotine and THC in teens and young adults. American Heart Association.
[6] Kirschbaum, C. (2006). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in habitual smokers. International journal of psychophysiology: official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology, 59(3), 236–243.
[7] Upadhyaya, H. P. (2009). Tobacco smoking in individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: epidemiology and pharmacological approaches to cessation. CNS drugs, 23(8), 661–668.