Withdrawal Symptoms, What’s That?

Withdrawal Symptoms, What’s That?

Withdrawal symptoms are something you may experience as you remove the addictive substance from smoking cigarettes from your body.

This is the stumbling block over which many a would-be quitter trips.

The – problem with many smokers is that they fail to recognize these symptoms – as symptoms.

A withdrawal symptom is something that a person experiences once he or she stops using a substance that gives them a kick.

Oops, is that too hard to digest? Well, let’s try to make it simpler.

There are many things that are identified with substance abuse. Alcohol is one of them, narcotic drugs are another and tobacco is in no way to be left behind. The problem, or let us say that the similarity among all these substances, is that once one gets used to them, breaking away is not easy.

Common Withdrawal Symptoms From Stopping Smoking

1. Anxiety
2. Chest tightness
3. Constipation, gas, stomach pain
4. Dry mouth
5. Cough
6. Cravings to smoke
7. Depression
8. Fatigue
9. Headaches
10. Increased appetite
11. Insomnia/hypersomnia
12. Irritability, crankiness
13. Mood swings
14. Postnasal drip
15. Shifting energy levels
16. Sore throat, tongue and/or gums
17. Trouble concentrating (brain fog)

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the fear of deprivation of the pleasantly high feeling that drives the person to use the substance again and again so that it is used, misused and eventually abused.

The person returns for his or her daily shot because of certain altered conditions in the body. These substances are indeed very potent and they affect certain specific spots or centers of the brain.

The brain quickly gets used to these alterations and then before we know it, these centers of the brain cannot do without the daily doze of the substance. The brain did not ask for the substance in the first place but we gave them to it. When we experience that pleasantly high feeling we do not bother about the changes that are taking place within.

It is common knowledge that the entire processes carried about in the brain are maintained by a delicate balance of the various chemical salts there. Once we start using substances like the above mentioned tobacco, narcotics and alcohol, the balance of these chemical salts gets altered.

The body as I mentioned earlier is a self adjusting machine and so this new chemical balance is established and it takes no time for the brain cells to get adjusted to the new balance.

Smoking Dangers to Brain Cells

Then when the brain cells do not get what is required to maintain the new balance (read that as the daily puffs) things go hay wire. The old balance was disturbed and altered and a new balance was set up.

But this new balance is not the real natural thing. It is something that has to be artificially supported and when that daily, or timely dose of nicotine does not get to the brain, the new balance gets upset.

That is when a person gets those peculiar feelings, which can be broadly called the withdrawal symptoms. You know what I am talking about don’t you? Haven’t you felt uneasy and jittery when you were unable to get that puff? It’s a strange kind of feeling isn’t it?

It’s a feeling that can only be soothed when you take that long refreshing pull of highly toxic smoke. Some people break into a sweat, some get the tremors, some feel queasy, some get constipated!

All these are withdrawal symptoms, so unless you prepare yourself to face the pressure of withdrawal, you’re going to face a losing battle.

Psst let’s not leave out an important detail…

The new balance in the brain that was established with the help of the used substance can indeed be broken. I’m not saying that it is easy but once you start conditioning your brain, that it just not going to get what it wants, that is the external substance, the brain will be left with no alternative than to go back and restore the old balance.

Of course the brain is not going to give up without a fight and that is what we are going to experience as the withdrawal symptom. Initially the brain had been doing all too well without the help of any external substance; and then we made the brain become dependent on something.

So when we stop using that something, it is only a matter of time before the brain goes back to its original state of functioning. All we have to do is to muster up the will power to over come the withdrawal symptoms that might set in.

But again I do admit that it is easier said than done. In the end, however, knowing that withdrawals will come (and recognizing them as such), is a vital part of the quitting process.

As the above excerpt states the most important thing that you can do to become successful in a quit; is to recognize that you indeed are addicted and withdrawal symptoms will most likely occur.

Since smoking is addictive both physically and psychologically you need to figure out the underlying reasons why you smoked, and begin the process of changing your behaviors and thought patterns. Start a journal, diary, or a blog.

You generally have approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. The way you think and the thoughts you choose to focus on can be a powerful aid in the process of smoking cessation. If you start believing that you have the power to control addiction then you will choose not to smoke.

Excerpted From: Solve Your Problem eLearning Series

Don’t Wanna “Kick The Bucket” From Smoking

Learn The Harmful Effects

Quit Smoking Now