Withdrawal symptoms from quitting smoking last a relatively short period of time during the quitting process, but can cause unpleasant levels of discomfort during that time. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can include mood swings (anxiety, irritableness, short-tempered or cranky), inability to sleep, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, coughing, headaches, stomach upset and the like. The craving to smoke is perhaps one of the most difficult symptoms to deal with - because if you give into that craving, you’ve eliminated all the effort you’ve put into having a smoke-free day.
Medications are also now available to help you quit smoking - such as the nicotine patch, which - depending on which brand you use - gradually reduces the amount of nicotine in your bloodstream over several weeks to help reduce the cravings you’ll feel to light up another cigarette. These medications are also available as gum, inhalers and nasal sprays - some require prescriptions, some can be purchased over the counter. Many people have found that this type of medication can alleviate much of the discomfort caused by nicotine withdrawal.
Join a support group in your community. If you’re unsure where to find one in your area, check with your health care provider, local hospital or health and human services agencies. Every community offers some sort of smoking cessation classes or group sessions of some sort.
Tell your family and friends that you’re quitting, and ask them for their help. They can assist you by not smoking around you, not leaving cigarettes out in your presence (out of sight, out of mind), and giving you encouragement as you work your way through withdrawal.
Eight hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal, and your oxygen level in your bloodstream increases to normal. At 24 hours your chances of suffering a heart attack decrease. At 48 hours nerve endings start to re-grow, and taste and smell sensations return to almost normal levels.
If you’re a smoker, you’re already aware that the “nicotine police” are out to get you. This isn’t just paranoid fantasy - it’s becoming a fact of life that legislators from local city councils to the federal government are taking aim at smokers, with the ultimate intent of outlawing smoking in any form.
The reasons for all this “nicotine backlash” are obvious - smoking represents such a health hazard, for smokers as well as those around them, that outlawing this habit is an obvious ultimate goal. Tobacco companies that once posed such a powerful threat at the federal government level have been hit by fines totaling billions of dollars over the past 20 years, and are resorting to expanding their overseas markets as the U.S. markets shrink.
The next part of preparing yourself mentally to quit smoking is to be aware that you’re facing a battle - perhaps the most important battle of your life. As with any battle, you’ll need tools and weapons to assist you. From support systems to medications, there are a variety of avenues open to you that will help you succeed.
Reduce the amount of stress in your life. Many smokers say that “smoking helps calm them down” after they’ve had a stressful day or a troubling event. In reality, just the opposite is true; smoking stimulates the body in a number of ways. It’s the fiddling around with all the smoking paraphernalia that “calms” the smoker down - the cigarettes themselves, the ashtray, the lighter, tipping the ashes off the end of the cigarette, etc. All those patterns of behavior are what constitutes calming routine for the smoker.