When you quit smoking, you can expect that you’ll have some withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult to quit. If quitting smoking causes you to feel bad at first, you should know that it’s normal to feel that way.
Nicotine is a drug that’s found in tobacco products and it is actually an addictive chemical – as addictive as other drugs such as heroine or cocaine. When you quit smoking, your body craves nicotine and can feel bad.
But the good news is that when you quit smoking, those symptoms don’t actually last for long. After a week, the physical symptoms you feel from addiction will be gone. It can help you to be more successful at quitting when you know that what you’re experiencing is only temporary.
Some of the most common symptoms when you quit include:
- irritability
- difficulty concentrating
- feeling restless
- feeling hungrier and even gaining a little weight
- difficulty sleeping
- feeling sad or having a lower mood
- craving cigarettes
Many people worry about these withdrawal symptoms, especially those that make you want to eat more food. In fact, many people refuse to quit smoking because they’re afraid they’ll gain weight. In actuality, the average weight gain for an ex-smoker is less than 10 pounds.
And the health benefits you gain far outweigh any of the problems with higher numbers on the scale. And over time you can lose that weight easily when you’re past the beginning stages of quitting.
The withdrawal you feel from cigarettes is normal and uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous for you. There aren’t any health risks from quitting but there are many, many health risks that go along with smoking.
To help you get through the initial withdrawal symptoms you can try nicotine replacement products such as a nicotine gum or patch. You can also find nicotine inhalers and lozenges.
In addition, there are prescription medications that can help you to quit smoking. These help to reduce your craving so that it’s easier to quit. Not everyone should take these medications, but you can talk to your doctor to find out if they’re a good idea for you.
There are also natural solutions such as exercise, meditation, acupuncture, and hypnosis that can help you to get through the withdrawal phase and move forward with your new life as a nonsmoker.
Withdrawal symptoms from smoking are unpleasant, but if you can power through them the results will be worth the investment of your time and energy.
