Stop Smoking Help

Nicotine Withdrawal: Breaking the Habit

Congratulations! Deciding to finally quit smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco is the first and perhaps most important step in breaking the habit once and for all. There is certainly no guarantee that the road to a nicotine-free life will be an easy one because nicotine is not only a psychologically addictive substance, but a physically addictive one as well. Your body is likely dependent on it to some degree, and if you quit, you will surely experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms, especially if you have been smoking for a year or more.

So, before you take the plunge into your new life as a nonsmoker, you are going to need to know exactly what to expect after you quit as well as how to deal with the nicotine withdrawal symptoms when they inevitably hit.

What Is Nicotine Withdrawal?
Nicotine withdrawal is your body’s response to being deprived of the substance it has become dependent on—in this case, the nicotine in the cigarettes you smoke every day, or in some cases, the smokeless tobacco you use.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately fifty million people in the United States smoke, although most say that they would prefer not to, if only they could break the habit. For the majority of smokers, withdrawal from nicotine is the primary reason they resist the idea to quit for good. Withdrawal symptoms can begin almost immediately after a person stops smoking (i.e. within a few hours) and become progressively worse over the course of the next few days.

What Are the Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal?
Withdrawal symptoms typically vary from person to person, in terms of both type and severity. Generally speaking, the longer a person smokes (or chews), and the more nicotine he or she consumes during the day, the more withdrawal symptoms the person will experience and the more intense they are likely to be. While some symptoms are purely physical, others have a psychological component as well. Aside from the re-occurring cravings for cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, the following is a list of the most common nicotine withdrawal symptoms:

• Trouble focusing on a task
• Mood disturbances such as irritability, sadness, impatience, and anxiety
• Weight gain due to an increase in appetite
• Sleep disturbances such as increased sleepiness, insomnia, or nightmares
• Exacerbation of existing mental health issues

Knowing your Triggers
Since nicotine withdrawal does have a psychological component, it is important to know which situations trigger your symptoms. Knowing your personal triggers can help you reduce your symptoms and ultimately win the battle against nicotine. For example, some people like to have a cigarette with their morning coffee; something as simple as switching to hot tea instead may reduce your cravings. Being around people who smoke may also increase cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, it may be necessary to avoid contact with smokers for a while, at least until your nicotine withdrawal symptoms subside.

Combating Withdrawal
Luckily, withdrawal from nicotine does not last forever, and there are some things you can do to combat the symptoms in order to get past that critical period when the craving seems almost unbearable.
Nicotine replacement therapy can help you wean your body off nicotine slowly, which should reduce the quantity and severity of nicotine symptoms. Some forms of nicotine replacement therapy include nicotine gum, patches, nasal sprays, and inhalers. Talk to your doctor about the proper use of nicotine supplements so that your road to a smoke-free life can become a bit smoother.

In addition to nicotine supplements, there are some smoking cessation medications that your doctor could prescribe to help alleviate some of your withdrawal symptoms. Some of these medications include Chantix, Wellbutrin, and Zyban. Consult your doctor for information on such medicine as well as their potential side effects.

Although nicotine withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable, especially if you are a long-time smoker, rest assured that the discomfort is not a permanent condition. Your withdrawal symptoms will go away in time (sometimes as soon as a week after you stop smoking), and once they do, you will be well on your way to a freer, healthier life as a non-smoker.

The long-term benefits of increased health and decreased risk of potentially fatal illnesses associated with tobacco use, such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke, will be well-worth any temporary discomfort you experience as a result of nicotine withdrawal.

Author info: Angela Williams provides content for www.stopsmokinghelp.com. A former smoker herself, she has remained nicotine free free since 1998.