The tobacco withdrawal syndrome constitutes a series of physical, bodily and mental reactions that appear when a person suffers addiction to a substance and stops consuming it.
This syndrome constitutes a series of annoying manifestations that appear when the smoker stops receiving the substance to which he is addicted, that is, nicotine. Popularly, it is known as mono or craving, and refers to a state of discomfort produced by the absence of the desired substance.
However, this syndrome does not refer only to the high desire to consume that the addict has when he does not ingest the substance to which he is addicted. In fact, this syndrome encompasses much more than a simple desire, and performs both physical and psychological bodily and functional modifications.
In general, all substances that have addictive components (alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, amphetamines, anxiolytics, etc.) can cause a withdrawal syndrome.
However, not all substances produce the same type of syndrome, since depending on the addictive potential of each drug and the brain mechanisms that alter its consumption, the symptoms that may appear will be one or the other.
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Tobacco is considered a "soft" drug, so very often the risks posed by the consumption of this substance are not assumed.
In fact, tobacco is considered a soft drug because despite the fact that it can be harmful to the body, the psychoactive substances in this drug make few modifications to the brain..
While the use of cannabis, cocaine or amphetamines can lead to greater brain alteration, clear mental deterioration and the appearance of dangerous behavioral or perceptual symptoms, tobacco does not.
In fact, it has been shown that tobacco does not produce particularly harmful effects on mental functioning and does not impair brain regions. But beware, the psychoactive substance in tobacco, nicotine, does perform an important action on the brain: it acts on the reward and gratification system.
If you are a smoker, you probably did not need to read these paragraphs to be aware that tobacco contains an important addictive power.
The longer the tobacco use, the greater the amounts consumed, since the brain will need higher doses to receive the same rewarding effects.
In the same way, the greater the consumption, the greater the effect of the drug on the nervous system and the greater the adaptation of the body to this substance..
Addiction to nicotine itself can generate a withdrawal syndrome when you stop using the substance. Likewise, the greater the tobacco consumption, the greater the probability that a withdrawal syndrome will occur when smoking is stopped..
Not all smokers experience this withdrawal syndrome when they stop using nicotine. However, in those people who have consumed high amounts for years, it is very likely that.
In this sense, a study carried out by Lara Gabriela and her collaborators identified how the withdrawal syndrome occurs in a significant percentage of smokers who stop using tobacco.
In fact, in this study it was documented that more than 50% of smokers presented a series of symptoms related to tobacco withdrawal syndrome and 25% presented severe and elevated symptoms when they stopped consuming nicotine.
However, the tobacco withdrawal syndrome is not constituted by unique symptoms, nor do all smokers who stop using nicotine present the same manifestations.
A large number of variations can be observed with respect to the intensity and impact of symptoms, so individual differences can be multiple.
On the other hand, despite the fact that tobacco withdrawal syndrome is usually frequent and can be serious, it is considered to be of less intensity compared to other drugs of abuse..
The symptoms that tobacco withdrawal syndrome can cause are very varied, however, there seem to be some that are more prototypical and that can occur in most cases.
In this sense, several studies have shown that the symptoms most related to quitting smoking and nicotine dependence are the presence of cravings, anxiety, depression and diaphoresis.
On the other hand, physical symptoms such as sweating and tension are often very common in tobacco withdrawal syndrome. Other psychological symptoms that may appear are irritability (it appears in 61% of cases), insomnia (in 46%), and difficulties in concentrating (38%).
As for other physical symptoms that can appear when smoking is stopped, a large number of different alterations have been witnessed.
Among all of them, gastrointestinal discomfort, dizziness, headache and palpitations can occur in more than 30% of cases.
Other disorders such as palpitations, tremor, tingling or hives are usually less frequent but can also appear.
It should be borne in mind that the symptoms that occur in tobacco withdrawal syndrome are temporary. That is, they appear in some cases of smokers when they stop smoking, however, they disappear if the person manages to remain without using tobacco for a long period of time..
Likewise, withdrawal symptoms tend to be higher at the beginning of quitting smoking and tend to disappear as time passes without consuming..
If you have stopped smoking and begin to experience some symptoms that we have discussed above, you have to bear in mind that these appear in response to the suppression of nicotine but will disappear if you continue without consuming.
In the same way that you accustomed your brain to function "normally" through tobacco consumption, now you have to "re-accustom it" to function without the presence of nicotine..
However, the impact of the withdrawal syndrome is clear, it makes the process of quitting smoking difficult.
Thus, when a person is quitting smoking and experiencing unpleasant symptoms, the first option they have to stop the discomfort of the withdrawal syndrome is to use again..
These symptoms can cause a large number of relapses to use. The discomfort will disappear sooner if it is consumed than if it is expected that the brain gets used to working without nicotine.
As we have seen, the main tool that a smoker has to eliminate the withdrawal syndrome is to persist without using tobacco. If you notice that quitting smoking is being too difficult for you, you can go to a psychotherapist.
Motivational therapies, self-efficacy training, the search for alternative activities, stimulus control, contingency contracts, and self-registration have been shown to be effective techniques to increase personal capacity to quit smoking..
Now, these techniques help not to relapse and persist without consuming, but they do not alleviate withdrawal symptoms, because these will only disappear as you get used to functioning without smoking..
If during the process of quitting smoking the withdrawal symptoms become unbearable, you can choose other options.
First, there are nicotine replacement products that help alleviate withdrawal symptoms..
Those that have been approved by the us food and drug administration are: the nicotine patch, the nicotine gum, the nicotine lozenges, the nicotine nasal spray and the nicotine inhaler..
In case these products do not work either, you can go to the doctor. A doctor may prescribe medications that do not contain nicotine but that can help overcome withdrawal symptoms such as bupropion or varencycline..
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