'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Are you a tobacco user, planning to quit? Then you must know about nicotine withdrawal. Smoking is known to cause many diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Do you like to smoke? Stop immediately if the answer is a yes. You are not only harming yourself but also the people near you. They are victims of passive smoke.
Nicotine is the cause of addiction. When you plan to stop especially if you are a chain smoker, you have to deal with nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Your body and brain are too used to this chemical/drug because you have been using it too frequently.
When you start to quit, your body craves nicotine. This can be challenging but in the long run, it is very beneficial. Let us now look at the symptoms and how you can tackle them to quit successfully.
Trending
The nicotine withdrawal symptoms
1) Anger and Depression - Every time you smoke or chew nicotine, your brain releases more endorphins. The neurotransmitters give you a sense of momentary pleasure. When you decide to quit, your body wants more of it, and so does your brain. Not getting what it wants may lead to anger and depression.
2) Cravings - Your body craves this drug when you are in the process of leaving. It is very hard to resist and you might feel the urge to smoke. But if you want to quit, you have to fight these cravings. With time, the cravings tend to stop.
3) Weight gain - When you resist tobacco, your body craves more carbs and sugar. To deal with the absence of nicotine, smokers end up binge eating and there is an increase in body weight.
4) Constipation - Digestion is affected when you quit. The rate at which food is digested often slows down. Also, binge eating makes the food hard to digest. To deal with this, doctors suggest drinking a lot of water and dietary fiber to ease digestion.
5) Insomnia - Due to the imbalance of dopamine, there is a problem with sleeping, which causes insomnia.
How long do these symptoms last?
The period of symptoms varies. It depends on how much you used to smoke and how used you are to this drug. You start having cravings four hours after your last smoke. This is the first stage.
The second stage starts from the first day till the third. During this stage, your body is mostly clean. You will see cravings peaking during this time and also start experiencing the symptoms of withdrawal. After this stage, the cravings usually stop.
However, in many, the cravings last for months or years. Keep the promise you made to yourself if you want this journey of yours to be successful.
How to deal with nicotine withdrawal symptoms
The first thing is to get into a proper routine. Get rid of anything smoke-related and keep yourself busy. Try and engage in physical activities. Do not let nicotine take your attention. Drink a lot of water and juices and try and avoid alcohol or any such drink that you can complement with a cigarette. Take small steps. If you feel the urge, remember why you started. Chew gum instead.
There is a price we pay for everything and in this case, the price is in the form of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. However, you are doing this because you chose health over pleasure. If you fail, do not start smoking again. Try and quit again with baby steps.
