Symptoms of Withdrawal
After you quit smoking, you with have some withdrawal symptoms. Such symptoms generally peak in intensity 3 -5 days after you quit, and usually disappear after 2 weeks, although some may persist for several months.
The symptoms of withdrawal include both physical and mental difficulties.
Physical Symptoms.
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Sweating
- Intestinal disorders (cramps, nausea)
- Headaches
- Sore throat, coughing, and signs of a cold
Withdrawal symptoms should be treated accordingly, just as you would with physical symptoms due to an illness or disease.
Mental and Emotional Symptoms. Tension and craving build up during periods of withdrawal, sometimes to a nearly intolerable point. Nearly every moderate to heavy smoker experiences more than one of the following strong emotional and mental responses to withdrawal:
- Temper tantrums, intense needs, feelings of dependency, and a state of near paralysis
- Insomnia
- Mental confusion, vagueness, or difficulty concentrating
- Irritability, restlessness, impatience, or anger
- Anxiety
- Depression
The first signs of nicotine withdrawal seem to appear within 30 minutes of a smoker’s last cigarette. The findings, published in Psychopharmacology, are believed to be the first to show just how early nicotine withdrawal occurs. The study involved 50 people who smoked a pack of cigarettes daily. Half refrained from smoking for 4 hours, while the others smoked as usual. After 30 minutes, those who did not have a cigarette craved one and did more poorly on tasks requiring attention than those in the smoking group. Within 3 hours, the non-smoking group showed increases in anxiety, sadness, and difficulty concentrating.
Long-Term Depression
Depression is common during withdrawal and over the long term. In the short term, it may mimic the feelings of grief felt when a loved one is lost. A smoker should plan on a period of actual mourning in order to get through the early withdrawal depression.
There is a significant association between cigarette smoking and a susceptibility to depression. People who are prone to depression face a 25% chance of becoming depressed when they quit smoking, and this increased risk persists for at least 6 months. What's more, depressed smokers have a very low level of success. Only about 6% remain smoke-free after a year. There are strong reasons for this:
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