Coping with Mental Withdrawal Symptoms

Mental withdrawal symptoms are more likely to sabotage a smoking cessation programme than physical withdrawal symptoms. Depression, anxiety, paranoia and mood swings are all possible mental withdrawal symptoms. However, there are numerous ways to cope with these symptoms and prevent them from sabotaging your cessation programme.
Positive Thinking
Negative thinking can break a person’s spirit. When starting a smoking cessation programme, you must find positive sayings and images to help alleviate cravings. You should try thinking about a relaxing vacation, favourite hobby, or any other soothing image. Sayings such as ‘I think I can’ or ‘I can do anything’ are examples of positive chants that you can use for your programme.
Support
Finding a support system is vital to dealing with the mental withdrawal symptoms. This support system can be family, friends, or other people who are giving up smoking. Such a system should include people who can be called upon anytime, day or night, when mental or emotion symptoms become too strong to deal with alone. Sometimes, just talking about a problem can help with controlling it.
Journaling
Some people are less likely to express their true feelings and struggles in conversation. These people may find journaling a positive way to express frustrations about the cessation programme. Most of the time, writing down a thought or feeling makes finding a solution to the problem become much easier. In addition, some people find that the journal serves as a map of your cessation journey thus far.