What prevents many smokers from quitting, especially when the turkey is cold, are the following nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Although the length of time one has to suffer from smoking withdrawal symptoms is not necessarily long, often within a week, many potential drug users resume smoking because they cannot resist the pain of smoking withdrawal.
The secret to successful smoking cessation may depend on how well you develop steps to endure and relieve withdrawal symptoms rather than plowing forward. In this article, we will introduce the type of withdrawal symptoms in smoking cessation, the length of time the symptoms persist, and the ingenuity to reduce the burden of withdrawal symptoms and make smoking a success.
What are signs of nicotine withdrawal?
When you quit smoking a cold turkey, the levels of nicotine in the body drop rapidly, leading to withdrawal symptoms. The main symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:
- I really want to smoke a cigarette
- Irritability Get angry easily
- Decreasing concentration
- a headache
- malaise
- Severe drowsiness
- insomnia
- constipation
Some slackers may also get into a depressed state due to smoking cessation.
We often hear the story, “When you quit smoking, you get fat.” As mentioned in previous articles, there are simple ways to increase your activity level before quitting to reduce weight gain. However, one important point to keep in mind is that once you’ve smoked for a few years or even a decade, not only do you have some kind of nicotine addiction, but your smoking ritual has become a habit. Because of this, it is easy for ex-smokers to feel lonely, especially in the first few days after quitting. If many people experience these tobacco withdrawal symptoms, they cannot tolerate them and start smoking again.
Even if you experience such symptoms, do not be discouraged: it is said that by continually cutting off nicotine, symptoms will gradually improve.
How long do the withdrawal symptoms last when smoking?
Fortunately, smoking withdrawal symptoms are temporary and don’t last extremely long. In fact, most people experience their greatest discomfort within 3 days of quitting smoking.
Peak symptoms cause cravings to smoke again, as well as sluggishness and insomnia in the body. Most withdrawal symptoms are known to improve in about 1 to 3 weeks. However, since the severity of withdrawal symptoms varies based on your constitution, rather than quitting alone, we recommend that you seek support from a counselor, a friend who has quit, a support group, or an online group that you can visit and care for When you quit smoking, seek your determination to quit. This way you don’t have to avoid smoking all by yourself and you can get professional advice free of charge.
Also, be aware that if you are able to stay smoke-free for around 3 weeks, most of the nicotine in your body has been released one way or another. Knowing what to expect can keep you motivated. Keeping your smoke-free goal in mind will allow you to focus on quitting even when things get a little trickier.
How to deal with nicotine withdrawal symptoms and how to quit smoking successfully
As mentioned earlier, a large percentage of people who try to quit smoking – especially with cold turkey – without a clear plan to stop smoking and without a realistic outlook on what can happen during smoking cessation are unlikely to experience the pain of withdrawal symptoms tolerate and probably smoke again. As a smoker, it’s not your fault – it’s all due to the incredible addictiveness of nicotine. Dealing with nicotine withdrawal can be due to a few elements.
- Be realistic. Nicotine withdrawal is no fun at all. Focus on the reasons why you choose to quit. Writing these down and posting them in a place where you can see them every day can help you focus on the end goal, even as things get more difficult.
- As soon as you wake up, go to your kitchen or bathroom and have a glass of water. Drink a glass of water before bed. Staying hydrated is especially important during the first three days.
- Think about the behavior patterns (“triggers”) you associate with smoking and look for ways to disrupt them. For example, if you usually smoke after breakfast, change your behavior: get up immediately after breakfast, wash the dishes by hand, and chew on mint gum instead. This can disrupt your typical routine and somewhat distract your mind.
- Avoiding caffeine in quitting smoking isn’t necessarily important, but avoiding the triggers for smoking is important. If you usually drink coffee or alcohol with cigarettes, coffee on its own can make you want to smoke and create cravings. If so, avoid caffeine and alcohol for the first few weeks while you quit. When you resume coffee, be a little careful about how you make it: as a smoker, your body would metabolize caffeine faster than after quitting.
- Stress can also get big. Smaller things can press your buttons far harder than they did before you quit. Deep breathing can help you manage stress, relax more, and stabilize your emotions.
- Jogging, taking a long walk, or going to the gym can not only help reduce stress and forget about cigarettes, but it can also help metabolize and remove nicotine from the body faster.
- Imagine a self-help group – online, by phone, via app or in person. It helps when people listen to your situation and understand what you are going through. Take strength from them when you need them.
If you find that you are unable to relieve symptoms or are nervous about starting quitting, remember that there are also treatments such as Rien Pipe that will gradually reduce your dependence on nicotine with minimal withdrawal symptoms.
Last word
Withdrawal symptoms are very painful, peak in about 3 days, and usually resolve in about 3 weeks. When you know what to expect and have a plan on how to deal with potential withdrawal symptoms – especially staying well hydrated, exercising, and breathing deeply to control stress levels – you can get through the withdrawal phase.
Although there are individual differences, withdrawal symptoms from smoking can cause problems in daily life. Hence, you need to carefully watch your course of withdrawal. To aid this, quitting smoking at a time when you are not particularly busy with work or family matters can help keep stress at bay and make it easier to quit smoking.
