What to Expect When Quitting Smoking
Many people who use tobacco products become addicted to nicotine, a drug that is found naturally in tobacco. This can make it hard to quit.
Often, people who quit smoking, vaping or other smokeless tobacco products may:
- Have withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety and anger
- Miss the social and routine aspects of smoking
- Feel emotional stress
The longer you have used tobacco products, and the more you use, the harder quitting can be. When you are planning to quit, it’s good to be prepared.
Answer these questions to get started:
- How do you feel about quitting smoking? (For example, excited, hopeful, optimistic, uncertain, anxious, etc.)
- What are the reasons you use tobacco products?
- What are the reasons you don’t want to quit?
- What could change in your life if you stopped using tobacco?
- If you tried to quit before, what made you start using tobacco products again?
For more information on withdrawal symptoms and ways to manage, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.