Definition

If you are an active tobacco user (such as cigarettes), quitting smoking is very difficult to do. The temporary feeling of comfort created by tobacco makes your brain crave more exposure to tobacco. Tobacco use can affect mental health, depending on how much and how often you smoke.

Causes

Long-term tobacco use causes various changes in the brain. Tobacco use is associated with the thinning of the outer layer of the brain and the shrinking of various brain structures. This is then related to a decrease in cognitive function, especially language memory and speed of thought processes.

In addition, the nicotine in tobacco stimulates the production of dopamine, a chemical compound in the brain. Dopamine is involved in creating positive feelings. However, nicotine turns off the brain's mechanism for actively producing dopamine, so that levels in the brain decrease and cause the person to smoke more to produce dopamine. Not only that, nicotine also creates a feeling of calm, so people use it especially when they feel stressed or anxious. Unfortunately, the feeling of calm that nicotine creates only lasts temporarily, so the anxiety can return after a while.

Tobacco use can also affect how medications work. For example, people with schizophrenia will receive antipsychotic medication to help reduce symptoms and treat the condition. However, nicotine increases levels of enzymes in the body that break down these drugs, so that antipsychotic drugs disappear from the bloodstream more quickly than would otherwise be expected.

Risk Factor

People with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia smoke more often than people without mental disorders. On the other hand, people who smoke also have a higher risk of experiencing mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Pregnant women who smoke are thought to be at risk of giving birth to children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Active smokers also have a higher risk of developing dementia, especially Alzheimer's dementia. Alzheimer's dementia itself is a condition that affects memory, thinking, and behavior, which gets worse every year.

Symptoms

Tobacco use can cause a variety of bad effects and can affect mental health.

Addiction

This first effect is caused by a decrease in dopamine production when the brain is deprived of nicotine. This decrease in dopamine can cause a person to experience withdrawal symptoms, which are characterized by feelings of anxiety and irritability. Finally, the person will seek escape to smoke again.

Stress

Apart from that, smoking can also cause stress. Many people smoke to reduce stress, but in reality, smoking increases feelings of stress. In the short term, smoking can provide a calming sensation that makes you believe that the anxiety is gone. However, in reality, this calm sensation only lasts a few moments before you then feel anxious again.

Depressive disorders

Smoking can also increase the risk of depressive disorders, which are characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness, feeling tired easily or not having the energy to carry out daily activities, and not being interested in doing hobbies that you have always liked. This occurs because dopamine levels decrease with long-term tobacco use, which is similar to dopamine levels in people with depressive disorders. If you are experiencing a depressive disorder, smoking can make your symptoms worse. Quitting smoking when experiencing a depressive disorder can also cause more severe withdrawal symptoms (cessation of use), but is highly recommended because it can help treat depressive disorders.

Schizophrenia

Additionally, smoking is associated with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental condition characterized by beliefs that are unreasonable and difficult to break, as well as experiencing sensations (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling) that do not exist. Smoking can increase the risk of this disorder, and conversely, people with schizophrenia have a higher tendency to smoke and even smoke in greater quantities. This happens because smoking can temporarily reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia or affect the side effects of antipsychotic drugs, which are used in people with schizophrenia.

Diagnosis

Mental and behavioral disorders are complex and involve various factors, ranging from biological, psychological and social factors. To determine whether tobacco use affects your mental health and behavior, a mental health specialist (psychiatrist) or psychologist will ask various questions regarding the symptoms of the disease and your smoking habits. Not only that, you can also undergo several examinations such as filling out questionnaires to help with diagnosis. However, in general, if you experience a mental condition and have a smoking habit, you will be advised to stop smoking.

Management

Management of mental and behavioral disorders will vary depending on the type of disorder. The thing to remember is that this treatment requires quite a long time, and strong commitment, and produces results that will only be visible after weeks, months, and even years. In general, treatment will involve psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy is carried out by mental health experts to help you strengthen your coping mechanisms in dealing with problems, and medication is given to balance the levels of chemical compounds in the brain so that symptoms can decrease.

To quit smoking, desire alone is often not enough. If you intend to quit smoking, you should plan it carefully and choose the right time to start quitting. If you are unstable or experiencing life problems, quitting smoking is often less effective. If you are taking medication to treat your mental problems, discuss it with the doctor or psychiatrist who treats you first before stopping smoking. This is necessary because you will most likely need to adjust the dose of the drug.

Some things you can do to help you stop smoking:

• Prepare for change. You can do this by writing down what you will gain by quitting smoking, for example, better physical and mental health, improved concentration, and more money to spend.
• Seek support from family and friends. Quitting smoking is easier with support from the people around you. If you live with or have friends who smoke, you can invite them to quit smoking together. You can also advise them not to smoke in front of you, or not to leave cigarettes, ashtrays, or matches where you can see them.
• Look for alternatives to deal with stress. If you usually smoke to reduce stress, you need to look for other alternatives to reduce stress. These alternatives can include meditation, breathing exercises, regular exercise, reducing alcohol consumption, eating balanced nutrition, acupuncture and hypnosis. Not only that, another alternative is to tell your partner, friends or religious leaders who support you.
• Look for the nearest smoking cessation program. You are three times more likely to quit smoking if you follow a smoking cessation program. Usually, this program can be found in several health centres, both sub-district and sub-district. This program usually involves consultation with a specialist and administration of medication to help stop smoking.
• Discuss with a general practitioner. A general practitioner, for example at the nearest health centre, can help you to stop smoking. Your GP can refer you to a smoking cessation program or prescribe medication to help you stop smoking. These drugs are called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

Complications

People with mental disorders and behavior as well as using tobacco regularly, have a higher risk of death than people without mental disorders. These deaths are usually caused by the use of excess tobacco, causing potentially deadly conditions such as lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer (cutting), tender heart disease, and other lung disorders.

Prevention

Mental and behavioral disorders are often difficult to prevent. However, tobacco use can be prevented. This prevention should start early, because people often start smoking when they are teenagers. This prevention can be done by:

Set a good example

As an adult, you should stop smoking. During the smoking cessation process, you can smoke where your child cannot see and do not leave smoking materials in your home. You can also explain to your child that you don't like cigarettes, how difficult it is to stop, and your efforts to stop smoking completely

Understand the interesting things about cigarettes

Usually, teenagers start smoking as a form of resistance or socialization, to appear cool and independent. You can ask your child if any of his friends smoke. Not only that, you can discuss cigarette advertisements that show the use of cigarettes as something luxurious and mature

Say no

You can forbid your child to smoke, even though your child may resist. You can also support your child not to smoke even though his friends offer him to.

Persuade your child not to smoke

This persuasion can be done in various ways. You can remind your child that smoking causes bad breath, wastes money, and how smoking can damage a person's health by showing real examples such as celebrities, neighbors, or other people.

When to see a doctor?

If you feel that your feelings and behavior or those around you interfere with your daily activities, you can consult a mental health professional or doctor at the community health center. If you intend to quit smoking, you can look for a smoking cessation program at a health facility near your home.