The decision to quit smoking is a healthy lifestyle choice.

Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms and How to Best Avoid Them –

By: Cecilia Boudreaux

The decision to quit smoking is a healthy lifestyle choice. But it is not an easy one. When you quit smoking, you may discover the development of multiple side effect, which are difficult to get through and can lead to people taking up smoking again. So how do you avoid these side effects, or at the very least minimize them?

It is important to do your research, and know what kind of side effects you might experience. The more you know in advance, the less of a surprise they will be and the easier it will be to deal with them.

Remember that side effects are both physical, such as headaches and increased appetite, and also mental - as you force your body to change its habits, you also have to change your behavioral patterns.

There are aids you can use to help with the physical side effects.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a common avenue of approach. NRT includes patches, gum, inhalers, etc., that contain nicotine and work by gradually reducing the nicotine intake. These can help minimize the physical effect of cutting nicotine out, but also have the downside of actually containing nicotine, which can lead to a relapse in smoking.

Help groups are also available, and can be found both locally to you and online. Connecting with other people who are going through the same side effects as you can help you mentally cope with the effects of quitting smoking. This is especially true of the mental side effects, such as changes to your behavioral patterns, which you will undergo when you quit smoking.

It is important to research the difficulties that you will experience when you quit smoking. But remember that these can be overcome, and your new, smoke-free lifestyle will hold immense health benefits for the future.

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