Stop smoking cold turkey or the sudden and complete withdrawal from the habit is perhaps the hardest thing for any smoker, heavy or light, to achieve. Usually the individual draws back to the habit as the withdrawal symptoms appear to be too hard to overcome. Nevertheless, it is stated that stop smoking cold turkey is the method used by 80% to 90% of individuals who manage to quit the habit successfully.

Nicotine, a highly addictive chemical is contained in cigarettes and when a smoker quits the habit, the nicotine cravings that are very difficult to overcome act up. In addition to the nicotine craving, withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, fatigue and headaches may occur and may persist heavily during the first few days when one decides to stop smoking cold turkey. Several methods such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy which administers a dose of nicotine to the body through products in the form of gums,patches and sprays could be used by an individual to relieve the symptoms and craving.

However,it encourages nicotine addiction in one's body, even though this is a successful way of dealing with the withdrawal symptoms. The body demands the old level of nicotine even though these products offer a lower dose of nicotine to combat the stop smoking cold turkey symptoms. Hence, this creates a new level of required nicotine in the body. Therefore, it should be noted that using these products will only place an individual in a chronic state of drug withdrawal.

There are only two methods available to get off this state and they are either to completely stop administering nicotine into the body or to start smoking again.It should be remembered that the withdrawal symptoms would heavily persist only during the first two weeks and it would normally decline subsequently.Therefore, stop smoking cold turkey is probably the best and effective way to quit the habit.

Support and guidance from friends and relatives is greatly needed by an individual who decides to stop smoking cold turkey . In addition, joining a support group or undergoing therapy and counseling sessions would also be helpful to an individual who wants to stop smoking cold turkey.

It should be remembered that quitting smoking, particularly to stop smoking cold turkey side effects is indeed not a relatively easy feat to achieve. It will push the determination and the will power of the individual perhaps to the absolute limit.