Nicotine Addiction Treatment Options

Nicotine is one of the most potent and addictive substances out there, explains Nevada Mental Health Co-Founder, Dr. Sid Khurana, M.D. It triggers dopamine for brief happy feelings, but also glutamine receptors, which spur cravings and strong physical dependence. Users then must literally schedule cigarette or vape pen breaks into their everyday routine, which may not seem extreme, but it is.

“Think of it this way. You typically don’t find people with alcohol addiction drinking alcohol at 7 a.m.With smoking, however, when you wake up, the first thing you do is pour a cup of coffee and smoke a cigarette,” Khurana says, “and then you will keep coming back to it over and over again throughout the day.”

More than 11% of adults still smoke. Here, Khurana shared one major reason why nicotine addiction still persists, and nicotine addiction treatment options for those wishing to kick the habit can do it successfully.

The health concerns associated with smoking are well documented. It negatively affects almost every organ in the body, increases stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) risks, not to mention it can also increase loneliness and social isolation.

Even with those warnings, many still struggle to be honest with themselves about their nicotine addiction, partly because society still normalizes tobacco use, Khurana adds. People may assume that just because they are not using an illegal narcotic, the addiction isn’t too bad. With that normalization comes denial and people resisting nicotine addiction treatment.

“Few people actually seek professional help,” Khurana notes. “Even though there are digestive, cancer, cardiovascular problems and COPD, even with these big problems, people still won’t talk to their primary care physician about quitting.”

When people step forward to discuss their tobacco addiction with those who can help, others may follow, Khurana emphasizes. If you are a smoker, there are a number of options to help you quit the habit. Some include:

• Nicotine replacement medications: Gum, patches, lozenges and nasal sprays used to ease cravings with small, safe doses of nicotine.
• Varenicline, or Chantix: a medication that inhibits nicotine from binding to the alpha-4 beta-2 receptor, lowering nicotine-related dopamine release.
• Bupropion, or Wellbutrin: a safe option for depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) treatment, it’s dopamine boosting effects have also been useful for smoking cessation.
• TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation): A device that uses magnetic pulses to target areas of the brain that spur cravings and impulsivity.

The likelihood for these nicotine addiction treatments’ success increases when they are combined with counseling. At Nevada Mental Health, a therapist guides you through your treatment plan, which is created after full physical and mental health assessments.

“We do a full evaluation to see if there are other factors involved like depression or medical conditions which may have a role in your smoking habit. We come up with a personalized diagnostic to see where smoking fits into all of this and then figure out what treatment makes sense for you,” Khurana says.

Also used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), FDA-approved TMS is a significant advancement for those trying to break their tobacco habit. About 70-80% of all TMS patients experience some level of relief after treatment. It is an effective nicotine addiction treatment option.

With TMS, a helmet is gently placed on your head for about 20 minutes. The device delivers gentle electromagnetic pulses to areas of your brain associated with addictive behaviors. The pulses feel like mild taps on the scalp as you sit comfortably in a chair, fully awake and without anesthesia. You are completely alert during the treatment, which is followed by a brief therapy session to reinforce your motivation to quit smoking and celebrate your progress.

Best practices suggest a six-week treatment plan, with five sessions per week for the first three weeks and one each week for the final three weeks.

If you’re one of the 11 million Americans who smoke and are considering a new path forward, you’re not alone. Please schedule an appointment with Nevada Mental Health to see which smoking cessation treatment option may be right for you.