why do cigarettes help calm down anxiety? Is it something purely psychologic?
I had a doctor once tell me that cigarettes are one of the best mood stabilizers he has ever seen. I thought it sounded weird since the symptoms that ciggs cause don't seem very stabilizing, but he explained it pretty well. Essentially the addiction to cigarettes causes anxiety when you don't hav…
The Short Answer
I had a doctor once tell me that cigarettes are one of the best mood stabilizers he has ever seen. I thought it sounded weird since the symptoms that ciggs cause don't seem very stabilizing, but he explained it pretty well. Essentially the addiction to cigarettes causes anxiety when you don't have enough in your system, and when you smoke you feel an intense calming sensation from relieving that stress. This feeling basically temporarily relieves your other stresses, while the pleasure washes over you. He also explained that this makes cigarettes so terribly addicting. They seem to help with all of your problems, but really only temporarily relieve the symptoms that they caused. So you start to go to them when you are needing the nicotine, and also whenever anything else stresses you out.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Cigarettes, symptoms, don't
This explanation focuses on cigarettes, symptoms, don't and spans 134 words across 7 sentences. At 97% above the average Psychology explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “I had a doctor once tell me that cigarettes are one of the best mood stabilizers he has ever seen.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.
How This Compares in Psychology
Ranked #37 of 500 Psychology questions by answer depth (top 8%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why cigarettes help calm down anxiety? is it something purely psychologic?
I had a doctor once tell me that cigarettes are one of the best mood stabilizers he has ever seen. I thought it sounded weird since the symptoms that ciggs cause don't seem very stabilizing, but he explained it pretty well. Essentially the addiction…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Psychology questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 134 words, ranked #37 of 500 Psychology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are cigarettes, symptoms, don't.
What approach does this answer take to explain cigarettes help calm down anxiety? is it something purely ps?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 134 words. It is categorized under Psychology and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.