Handling Stress After Quitting Smoking

What to Expect After Quitting Smoking

Many people who smoke cigarettes report that one of the reasons they smoke is to handle stress. After quitting smoking you may find it difficult to handle the day to day stress in your life. Quitting smoking in itself can be stressful. During the quitting process you may become more aware of stress during nicotine withdrawal. This typically is because smoking cigarettes relieves some of your stress by releasing chemicals in your brain. The longer you go without smoking, you will improve the manner you handle the stress. It is helpful to learn some relaxation techniques.

Daily worries, responsibilities, and hassles can cause stress. When you smoke, your brain chemistry changes temporarily so that you experience decreased anxiety, enhanced pleasure, and relaxation. This is why it feels good to smoke.

When you encounter stress after quitting smoking, figure out the cause of the stress in your life and identify the signals of stress such as, trouble sleeping, headaches, or nervousness. Try to find time to relax and get away from people and stressful situations. Use some relaxation techniques and stick with the one that best works for you.

The feelings of anger, frustration, and irritability may be reduced by using nicotine replacement products, which deliver small, steady doses of nicotine to the body. Nicotine replacement products such as, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and nicotine lozenge, appear to be equally effective. Buproprion pills (which don’t contain nicotine) such as, Zyban or Wellbutrin also help relieve withdrawal symptoms.

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