Sunday, February 15, 2009

Stop Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms

By Amy Hudson

In your quest to fight your smoking addiction, it is important to remember the advantages of a smoke-free life - such as, for example, more improved health for you and your loved ones, better looking teeth, the absence tobacco odor on your body and clothes, among many others. Of course, it is similarly vital for you to know what you'll be dealing with. There are numerous obstacles that you need to overcome to completely stop smoking. A good number of these obstacles may be based on exterior variables, but most problems come from inside the body and take the form of side effects of smoking cessation.

The first step in smoking cessation is to acknowledge what you will experience. Understanding what you face is the best way to brace yourself for the effects of stopping smoking. Not knowing what lies ahead will impede and sidetrack you from quitting. Although the repercussions of giving up cigarettes can be extremely difficult, bear in mind that these are only passing and can be dealt with easily.

Physical and Psychological Side Effects of Stopping Smoking

The side effects of kicking the habit can be classified as psychological and physical. The first couple of weeks are known to be the most challenging, as symptoms may exacerbate in 48-72 hours after stopping. These symptoms can totally decrease after twelve weeks, and only then will you feel entirely at ease once more.

Psychological Side Effects

The earliest psychological repercussion of stopping smoking encompasses anxiety and/or irritability, as well as an overpowering compulsion to start smoking again. As time passes, you will probably suffer from tremors in your feet or hands, as well as severe perspiration. Afterward, you may be overcome with deep depression that comes with nicotine withdrawal. This first depression will likely appear in the form of grief, like an important thing is lost to you. Your best course of action is to just endure this sensation of sadness, keeping in mind that this is just a regular stage in the healing process. Permit yourself to accept your sorrow and wait for the melancholy to stop. In addition to depression, you will likely also encounter confusion, moon swings, insomnia, as well as sensations resembling vulnerability, helplessness, and neediness.

This initial depression may likely develop to permanent depression, in particular in cases where the individual involved has a related predisposition.

Physical Side Effects

The physical symptoms of smoking cessation involve gastrointestinal problems such as intestinal cramps, headaches, constipation, and nausea. You can also suffer from various respiratory illnesses like intermittent colds since both lungs are beginning to clear.

Moreover, most ex-smokers have been reported to start gaining weight after discontinuing to smoke, however, this may not apply to everyone. If your body's figure is a significant issue, you are advised to compensate with physical exercise.

Knowing the side effects of stopping smoking can arm you for these conditions as they appear. Remember always that the quit smoking side effects can commonly end within a few short weeks. The only permanent impact of quitting smoking is a positive one, that of a distinctive improvement in your wellbeing and health. - 15784

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