What’s It Like To Quit Smoking?

In simple terms, quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. It’s a life-changing choice, that puts you back in control of your health. When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to recover and repair. There are also a number of psychological benefits. Of course, it’s a process that’s far easier said than done.

Smoking is an addiction that builds up over time. It becomes an integral part of everyday life – a habit that prevails in nearly all situations. You may be out on a coffee break, and you find yourself reaching for a cigarette; out with friends, and smoking becomes as regular as taking a sip from your drink. Smoking is ultimately triggered by day-to-day instances, which is why it’s so hard to quit.

But when you do, it all becomes worth it. As a smoking cessation treatment provider in London, we thought it’d be a good idea to outline the incredible feeling you get when you quit smoking, as well as the withdrawal symptoms you can expect to face.

Withdrawal Symptoms

While there’s no feeling quite like stopping smoking, it’s important to understand the withdrawal symptoms that you’re likely to experience. These symptoms range from severe to manageable, but all can affect people in different ways. The more we understand these symptoms, the greater chance we have to deal with them. This is why when carrying out Ekcl Treatments we inform all our clients of these symptoms:

• Sharp Increase in Appetite: it’s likely that when you first quit smoking, you’ll experience a sharp increase in appetite. This is only temporary, so try and resist the urge to turn back to smoking as a way to suppress this appetite.
• Nicotine Cravings: these are usually the most difficult symptoms to overcome. When you smoke, you rely on nicotine every day. So, it’s no wonder that when you stop, you remain dependent on this rush. Resisting these cravings is incredibly hard, but they do subside.
• Headaches/Dizziness: these are usually mild, but they are more often than not the first withdrawal symptom to appear – and the first to disappear.
• Anxiety: smoking is a way to relieve stress. When you stop, most people will see an upsurge in anxious feelings and stress.
• Mental Fog: struggling to concentrate and remain focused is a minor symptom, but it can disrupt your performance at work and in social situations. It does fade quickly, however.

If you get through these withdrawal symptoms, you’re now one huge step closer to freedom. For an addiction that builds up over years and has severe effects on your physical wellbeing, the healing process is relatively quick.

What to expect when you immediately stop smoking

• After 48 Hours: the remaining carbon monoxide is flushed out of your body. A great indicator that you’re on the road to a healthier lifestyle
• After 72 Hours: your breathing difficulties are eased
• 2to 12 Weeks: your blood circulation improves drastically, making you far more agile and fit
• 3 to 9 months: wheezing and breathing problems are eliminated
• After 1 Year: Heart Attack risk has halved compared to that of the average smoker
• After 10 Years: your chance of lung cancer is halved compared to that of the average smoker

From the immediate moment when you quit smoking to a decade later, your body and mind will gradually recover and repair themselves. Each day becomes easier as the withdrawal symptoms begin to fade, and every week you’ll see noticeable changes to how you live your life.

Whether it’s no longer being out of breath after a brisk jog or feeling confident that you’re far less susceptible to long-term health threats, like cancer and heart attacks, quitting smoking is a fantastic achievement.

If this has inspired you to stop smoking, you may be wondering: where do I start? There are plenty of treatment solutions out there, but many fail to attract and maintain interest from their patients. This is because these treatment plans are often long and incredibly demoralizing.

Thankfully, there is a simple and effective solution out there. EKCL offer quick and forward-thinking solutions that use cutting edge software to treat smoking addiction. They’re an innovative smoking cessation service, committed to helping people in London overcome their personal battle with smoking. They have a clear goal to help stop smoking in London and help people gain back control.