Why Are You Afraid to Quit Smoking?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFear of StressFear of Negative EmotionsFear of CravingsFear of Weight GainFear of Failure

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Fear of Stress

Fear of Negative Emotions

Fear of Cravings

Fear of Weight Gain

Fear of Failure

As of Dec. 20, 2019, thenew legal age limit is 21 years oldforpurchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco productsin the U.S.

There are many reasons you might be afraid toquit smoking, such as the fear of becoming more stressed, the fear of weight gain, the fear of the uncomfortable symptoms ofnicotine withdrawal, or even just the fear of the unknown.

Addictionalso plays a powerful role in keeping people smoking. When you smoke a cigarette, nicotine increases the production ofdopamine(the “feel-good” hormone) in the brain.So every time you smoke, you receivepositive reinforcementto smoke more.

By learninghealthy coping mechanismsto use instead of relying on cigarettes, you can face quitting feeling more prepared and less afraid.

If you’re relying on cigarettes tode-stressthroughout the day, you may be afraid to lose the only thing that seems to relax you.

How to Cope With This Fear

Usingnicotineto relax is only a temporary fix. As soon as your body rids itself of these chemicals, you start to crave more. Over time, as the body begins to adapt to the nicotine, it responds far less. As a result, you need to increase the frequency of your smoking to achieve the desired effect.

Though that initial hit of nicotine might feel relaxing, smoking actually worsens your mental health over time.

One study found that people who quit smoking experienced lessdepression,anxiety, and stress than those who continued to smoke.

The same study found that quitting smoking may even be as effective or more effective thanantidepressantsin treating mood and anxiety disorders in people who smoke. Try to find some new stress-management techniques you can practice throughout your day instead of smoking. They might include:

Nicotine withdrawalcommonly involves emotional symptoms like:

You might be hesitant to experience the often challenging symptoms of withdrawal, especially if you have a mental health condition such as a depressive or anxiety disorder.

Remember that nicotine withdrawal is only temporary. Most people only experience withdrawal for three to four weeks after quitting smoking. The difficult emotions associated with withdrawal will likely feel the most intense for a week, and they will gradually subside.

You might consider consulting with a mental healthcare professional to help manage your feelings. Withcognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapist can help you discover the underlying reasons you want to smoke and why you fear quitting.

Understanding yourself better can help keep you on track to staying smoke-free, as you find ways to address your feelings other than smoking.

There are things you can do on your own, too, like engaging inphysical activityormeditation. Call a friend, orjournal your feelings. Make sure to also do things that you enjoy.

You want to make sure you’rerewarding yourselfwhen you quit smoking—reinforcing to yourself the positive behavior of quitting.

Cigarette cravingsare another common symptom of nicotine withdrawal, and they’re normal to experience after you quit.You might be wondering how you can resist temptations to smoke again when cravings hit.

Here are some tips that can help you manage cravings:

You can also talk to your doctor aboutnicotine replacement therapy (NRT).NRT administers small doses of nicotine through a patch on your skin, a lozenge, or gum—but it doesn’t contain the otherdangerous toxinsthat cigarettes do. NRT may help you to ween off of nicotine with much milder withdrawal symptoms than going cold turkey.

Gaining weightis another common symptom of withdrawal. On average, people gain 5 to 10 pounds in the months after they quit smoking. Since smoking can suppress your appetite, you might find yourself eating more after you quit.

Other times, people resort to eating as a coping mechanism when they quit smoking. You might reach for food to replace the hand-to-mouth action that you used to fulfill with smoking.

While you may not want to gain extra pounds, quitting smoking alsoimproves your healthin many important ways. You will improve your quality of life and reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many types of cancer.

There are also ways you can try to prevent weight gain when you quit smoking.

Knowing you might be more inclined to reach for food throughout the day when you’re no longer taking a cigarette break, be sure to keep an array of healthy snacks on hand.

Try getting outside and taking a walk for at least 30 minutes a day. You can even walk up and down your stairs or do a quick workout video online. Getting in some physical activity can benefit your mental health and help you manage your weight after you quit smoking.

Thefear of failureis a common reason that prevents people from quitting cigarettes.Maybe the idea of quitting seems impossible. Or, maybe you’ve tried to quit before and have been unsuccessful.

Try not to be hard on yourself if you’ve tried to quit smoking and you haven’t yet succeeded. It takes many people who smoke multiple attempts before they are able to quit smoking permanently.Your journey to quit smoking doesn’t have to be perfect.

Relapsingdoesn’t mean you’ve failed either. Just because you have one cigarette doesn’t mean you should buy a pack and give up on your goal.

Some other ways to overcome your fear of failing include:

Your doctor might recommend a medication to help you quit smoking such asZyban(bupropion) orChantix(varenicline tartrate). Consult with your doctor about the best options for you.

Natural Remedies to Help You Quit Smoking

A Word From Verywell

It’s normal to have fears about quitting smoking. Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance, and if you’ve become accustomed to smoking as part of your daily ritual, you might feel like quitting is impossible.

15 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wray JM, Gass JC, Tiffany ST.A systematic review of the relationships between craving and smoking cessation.Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2013;15(7). doi:10.1093/ntr/nts268Baumeister RF.Addiction, cigarette smoking, and voluntary control of action: Do cigarette smokers lose their free will?.Addict Behav Rep. 2017;5:67-84. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.01.003Taylor G, McNeill A, Girling A, Farley A, Lindson-Hawley N, Aveyard P.Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ. 2014;348. doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151Ussher MH, Taylor AH, Faulkner GEJ.Exercise interventions for smoking cessation.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Published online August 29, 2014. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002295.pub5Goldstein E, Topitzes J, Brown RL, Barrett B.Mediational pathways of meditation and exercise on mental health and perceived stress: A randomized controlled trial.J Health Psychol.2018;25(12):1816-1830. doi:10.1177/1359105318772608Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2019;21(2). doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236McLaughlin I, Dani JA, De Biasi M.Nicotine withdrawal.Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015;24:99-123. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13482-6_4Tulloch HE, Pipe AL, Clyde MJ, Reid RD, Els C.The quit experience and concerns of smokers with psychiatric illness.American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2016;50(6):709-718. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.006Rigotti NA.Strategies to help a smoker who is struggling to quit.JAMA. 2012;308(15):1573-1580. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.13043Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prepare for cravings.Komiyama M, Wada H, Ura S, et al.Analysis of factors that determine weight gain during smoking cessation therapy. López M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072010Senyurek VY, Imtiaz MH, Belsare P, Tiffany S, Sazonov E.Smoking detection based on regularity analysis of hand to mouth gestures.Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. 2019;51. doi:10.1016/j.bspc.2019.01.026Komiyama M, Takahashi Y, Tateno H, et al.Support for patients who have difficulty quitting smoking: A review.Internal Medicine. 2019;58(3). doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.1111-18U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Quitting smoking: Closer with every attempt.Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26

15 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wray JM, Gass JC, Tiffany ST.A systematic review of the relationships between craving and smoking cessation.Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2013;15(7). doi:10.1093/ntr/nts268Baumeister RF.Addiction, cigarette smoking, and voluntary control of action: Do cigarette smokers lose their free will?.Addict Behav Rep. 2017;5:67-84. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.01.003Taylor G, McNeill A, Girling A, Farley A, Lindson-Hawley N, Aveyard P.Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ. 2014;348. doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151Ussher MH, Taylor AH, Faulkner GEJ.Exercise interventions for smoking cessation.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Published online August 29, 2014. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002295.pub5Goldstein E, Topitzes J, Brown RL, Barrett B.Mediational pathways of meditation and exercise on mental health and perceived stress: A randomized controlled trial.J Health Psychol.2018;25(12):1816-1830. doi:10.1177/1359105318772608Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2019;21(2). doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236McLaughlin I, Dani JA, De Biasi M.Nicotine withdrawal.Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015;24:99-123. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13482-6_4Tulloch HE, Pipe AL, Clyde MJ, Reid RD, Els C.The quit experience and concerns of smokers with psychiatric illness.American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2016;50(6):709-718. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.006Rigotti NA.Strategies to help a smoker who is struggling to quit.JAMA. 2012;308(15):1573-1580. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.13043Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prepare for cravings.Komiyama M, Wada H, Ura S, et al.Analysis of factors that determine weight gain during smoking cessation therapy. López M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072010Senyurek VY, Imtiaz MH, Belsare P, Tiffany S, Sazonov E.Smoking detection based on regularity analysis of hand to mouth gestures.Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. 2019;51. doi:10.1016/j.bspc.2019.01.026Komiyama M, Takahashi Y, Tateno H, et al.Support for patients who have difficulty quitting smoking: A review.Internal Medicine. 2019;58(3). doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.1111-18U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Quitting smoking: Closer with every attempt.Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Wray JM, Gass JC, Tiffany ST.A systematic review of the relationships between craving and smoking cessation.Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2013;15(7). doi:10.1093/ntr/nts268Baumeister RF.Addiction, cigarette smoking, and voluntary control of action: Do cigarette smokers lose their free will?.Addict Behav Rep. 2017;5:67-84. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.01.003Taylor G, McNeill A, Girling A, Farley A, Lindson-Hawley N, Aveyard P.Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ. 2014;348. doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151Ussher MH, Taylor AH, Faulkner GEJ.Exercise interventions for smoking cessation.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Published online August 29, 2014. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002295.pub5Goldstein E, Topitzes J, Brown RL, Barrett B.Mediational pathways of meditation and exercise on mental health and perceived stress: A randomized controlled trial.J Health Psychol.2018;25(12):1816-1830. doi:10.1177/1359105318772608Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2019;21(2). doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236McLaughlin I, Dani JA, De Biasi M.Nicotine withdrawal.Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015;24:99-123. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13482-6_4Tulloch HE, Pipe AL, Clyde MJ, Reid RD, Els C.The quit experience and concerns of smokers with psychiatric illness.American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2016;50(6):709-718. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.006Rigotti NA.Strategies to help a smoker who is struggling to quit.JAMA. 2012;308(15):1573-1580. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.13043Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prepare for cravings.Komiyama M, Wada H, Ura S, et al.Analysis of factors that determine weight gain during smoking cessation therapy. López M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072010Senyurek VY, Imtiaz MH, Belsare P, Tiffany S, Sazonov E.Smoking detection based on regularity analysis of hand to mouth gestures.Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. 2019;51. doi:10.1016/j.bspc.2019.01.026Komiyama M, Takahashi Y, Tateno H, et al.Support for patients who have difficulty quitting smoking: A review.Internal Medicine. 2019;58(3). doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.1111-18U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Quitting smoking: Closer with every attempt.Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26

Wray JM, Gass JC, Tiffany ST.A systematic review of the relationships between craving and smoking cessation.Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2013;15(7). doi:10.1093/ntr/nts268

Baumeister RF.Addiction, cigarette smoking, and voluntary control of action: Do cigarette smokers lose their free will?.Addict Behav Rep. 2017;5:67-84. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2017.01.003

Taylor G, McNeill A, Girling A, Farley A, Lindson-Hawley N, Aveyard P.Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ. 2014;348. doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151

Ussher MH, Taylor AH, Faulkner GEJ.Exercise interventions for smoking cessation.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Published online August 29, 2014. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002295.pub5

Goldstein E, Topitzes J, Brown RL, Barrett B.Mediational pathways of meditation and exercise on mental health and perceived stress: A randomized controlled trial.J Health Psychol.2018;25(12):1816-1830. doi:10.1177/1359105318772608

Patterson F, Grandner MA, Malone SK, Rizzo A, Davey A, Edwards DG.Sleep as a target for optimized response to smoking cessation treatment.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2019;21(2). doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx236

McLaughlin I, Dani JA, De Biasi M.Nicotine withdrawal.Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015;24:99-123. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13482-6_4

Tulloch HE, Pipe AL, Clyde MJ, Reid RD, Els C.The quit experience and concerns of smokers with psychiatric illness.American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2016;50(6):709-718. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.006

Rigotti NA.Strategies to help a smoker who is struggling to quit.JAMA. 2012;308(15):1573-1580. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.13043

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prepare for cravings.

Komiyama M, Wada H, Ura S, et al.Analysis of factors that determine weight gain during smoking cessation therapy. López M, ed.PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072010

Senyurek VY, Imtiaz MH, Belsare P, Tiffany S, Sazonov E.Smoking detection based on regularity analysis of hand to mouth gestures.Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. 2019;51. doi:10.1016/j.bspc.2019.01.026

Komiyama M, Takahashi Y, Tateno H, et al.Support for patients who have difficulty quitting smoking: A review.Internal Medicine. 2019;58(3). doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.1111-18

U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Quitting smoking: Closer with every attempt.

Soulakova JN, Tang CY, Leonardo SA, Taliaferro LA.Motivational benefits of social support and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation.J Smok Cessat. 2018;13(4):216-226. doi:10.1017/jsc.2017.26

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