The Withdrawals of Quitting Smoking

If you can quit smoking, then you will be doing yourself a favor because this will save you from the unhealthful effects incurred from smoking. It is a healthful lifestyle choice to stop the habit, but you should also be aware of the withdrawal effects that will occur after some time. You will feel these symptoms at the first few weeks after you quit smoking. This timeframe is crucial because this will determine whether you can keep abstained from it.

Physical Withdrawal Symptoms:

Weight Gain
Sweating
Headache
Nausea
Difficulty to Breathe

Mental Withdrawal Symptoms:

Irritability
Anxiety
Stress
Depression

These symptoms happen to almost anyone who just stopped smoking, because your body will be recovering from the damage that smoking has done. If you are fortunate, then you will only experience these for a few weeks; however, there are some cases where these last for months.

How to Handle the Symptoms

1. Keep Yourself Busy

When you are busy doing something non-stress-inducing, then you will be able to avoid the mental symptoms. Just keep doing your hobbies, read books or magazines, listen to relaxing music, squeeze a stress ball, or play with whatever you can get a hold of.

2. Drink Lots of Water

Because you have just stopped smoking, you will need to clean your body of the harmful toxins left behind. Drinking water will help you flush them out and reduce the effects of the symptoms.

3. Start Exercising

When you exercise regularly, you will feel much better because this will also help you clean your system of the toxins. Cardiovascular exercises will help greatly because this will keep your body active.

4. Eat Healthful Food

Fruits and vegetables will help you greatly, because they will fill your body with valuable nutrients and vitamins. Also, choose the kinds of food that are healthful and doesn’t have too much fat in them; this will help you avoid gaining weight if that is your concern.

5. Use Nicotine Patches

The cause of your withdrawal symptoms is because you will suddenly lose your dose of nicotine. This can be avoided by using nicotine patches to serve as a substitute for cigarettes; however, do not use too much or else you will develop the addiction for nicotine again. Gradually stop using nicotine patches after it has served your purpose.

In the simplest sense, you should prepare yourself for these symptoms after you quit smoking, because you may find the need to smoke again if you suffer more from the after-effects.