Psychological Dependence

Lesson 5 of 10 Lesson 5 of 10

Last activity on November 30, 2025

This part of dependence plays a huge role in keeping people smoking. It refers to all the smoking triggers, so all habits, routines, people, places and emotions that are associated with smoking.
When a person smokes, dopamine is released into the brain, acting as a chemical reward signal, and motivates someone to repeat the behaviour (habit).
This dopamine mechanism creates an association between nicotine reward and cues such as being with smokers, times when they would previously have smoked and stress.
The link is completely unconscious and undermines smoker’s ability to make rational choices about behaviour- creating a psychological dependence to smoking.

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