Maintain Your Progress

Dealing with Slips and Relapses

Advice from the EX Community

"It is a process and slipping is a part of learning how to quit.  Most of us addicted to nicotine have many attempts before finally being successful... The important thing to remember is the these quits can provide valuable lessons."

--Barbscloud

Slips and relapses are common part of the quitting journey. They're just a setback that you can learn from as you keep working towards your goals.

Beat Cravings

BRAIN-simplified

Plan to Beat Your Triggers

Think about the things that make you want to use nicotine, then write down how you think you can beat that trigger. Get started and make a plan.

Over time, using nicotine in the same situations creates mental links between those situations or emotions and the urge to use nicotine. That's why you might crave nicotine when you're in those familiar settings or emotional states.

What to Expect While Quitting

MAP-bounding-box

Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms

  • Feeling anxious
  • Feeling depressed or a bad mood
  • Feeling irritable, angry, or frustrated
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Restlessness or feeling jumpy
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Changes in eating patterns
  • Nicotine cravings

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms usually start within a few hours of quitting, peak in 1-3 days, and on average last 3-4 weeks. The exact timeline for nicotine withdrawal can be different from person to person.

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