Be Prepared for a Quit Smoking Detox

When you hear the word “detox,” images of a drug addict might come to mind, someone trying to kick a cocaine habit, for example. Or maybe you know someone who has overcome an alcohol addiction and you remember the tough time they had drying out. You might not associate detox with someone who is trying to quit smoking, but in fact, there is a definite time of detoxification from the effects of nicotine in a smoker’s system, and it is every bit as real as any other time of detox.

While it might not be quite as intense as someone going through withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, quit smoking detox involves a physical struggle full of unpleasant symptoms and strong cravings. In addition to the physical withdrawal symptoms, someone experiencing quit smoking detox will also manifest psychological symptoms. Smoking is not merely physical but includes emotional and mental aspects that are equally important to deal with. Depriving a smoker’s body of nicotine causes any number of sensations and feelings that can be more or less severe, depending on the length of time a person has been a smoker as well as how heavily they have actually smoked.

Withdrawal symptoms can include feeling dizzy, although this should last only a couple of days, right at the beginning. Headaches are common too, and most people who have lived through a loved one’s attempt to quit smoking can attest to an increased irritability in the smoker’s disposition. The smoker might also feel depressed and restless. He or she might be extra tired, yet have trouble sleeping. Feelings of frustration and anger may arise, and an inability to concentrate might also surface. There’s also a tendency to have an increased appetite, which can lead to weight gain over time (many smokers fear this, and it’s one reason they keep smoking).

All of these distasteful symptoms can propel a smoker right back to his or her habit, in an attempt to combat them with nicotine once again. This period of withdrawal, which peaks about two to three days after a smoker quits and can last up to several weeks, depending on the strength of the hold nicotine has on them, is a crucial time. If a smoker can make it through this quit smoking detox period, the chances are good that he will be able to successfully stop smoking altogether.

And to be successful at smoking cessation, smokers need a plan and a strong commitment. Leaving things to luck is just asking for failure. If you are someone on the verge of making the decision to quit, you’ll want to formulate your own plan and then commit to seeing it through. There are a number of resources you can choose to make the process easier and less painful.

First of all, stop smoking. Get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters, etc. Decide ahead of time on some alternate activities that you can engage in when the urge to light a cigarette hits you. Being physically active is one of the best antidotes to smoking. You are ridding your body of a harmful substance during quit smoking detox, and so filling your lungs with fresh air is a healthy replacement to all that life-threatening nicotine.

Mentally, if you can keep the detox period in perspective and recognize that it is a temporary stage you’ll be going through, sooner than you think you’ll be on the other side. You will have quit smoking and will be on your way to a fresh new lifestyle.