Quitting smoking: Coping with cravings and withdrawal

Why does nicotine withdrawal make you feel so bad?

The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are your body's way of begging for more nicotine.

When you smoke for a long time, your brain learns to depend on nicotine to help you do things. It helps you concentrate, control your anger and hunger, and relax, for example. In fact, nerve cells in your brain have changed. They are different from those of nonsmokers.

When you stop smoking, your brain has to relearn how to do the things nicotine helped you do. Until it does, you may have trouble concentrating and controlling your anger. You may be hungrier and more stressed than when you smoked.

Test Your Knowledge

1. Cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms are your body's way of begging for more nicotine. Smoking a cigarette might make you feel better for a short time, but your body would continue to crave more nicotine.

1. True
2. False

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Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated: July 22, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry
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