Quitting smoking isn't easy and the nicotine withdrawal symptoms occur in all individuals that finally decide to quit smoking cigarettes. If you were a pack a day smoker just like I was, I can understand how you feel and how hard it is for you to quit without any help. I recently managed to quit smoking and overcome cravings for good.

Here are some of the most common nicotine withdrawal symptoms that in some cases are very similar to having a cold (flu) accompanied by depression and anxiety.

severe headaches
coughing
Tightness or pain in the chest
irritability
Insomnia
severe fatigue
poor abilities to concentrate
Most people fail to quit smoking simply because they can't overcome the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Once they start feeling worse and worse they rush for another cigarette which isn't the way to go. Every time you've tried to quit you just didn't make it, does is sound familiar?

I've been smoking for almost 18 years and finally realized that I stopped doing things that I once enjoyed such as biking, swimming, playing tennis, rollerblading and this was for one reason: Smoking. I wasn't only feeling tired but I was feeling sick, coughing and spitting all day along. If you really want to quit you need to make a commitment first, it is crucial that you really desire to give up smoking.

Here are some quick self-help methods to overcome severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms:

Natural supplements are important and they will definitely help you reduce cravings. Whenever you experience severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.

Deep Breathing - is a great method to overcome anxiety and irritability that is most likely to occur when quitting smoking. Take deep short breaths and inhale through your nose. You can practice it a few times a day whenever you feel the nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Jogging or simply taking long walks will increase your heart rate, therefore you'll be able to eliminate the nicotine withdrawal symptoms a lot easier by increasing the oxygen levels in your blood and eliminate nicotine at the same time.

Not many people have tried hypnosis as a quit smoking aid however hypnosis and NLP (neuro-linguistic-programming) has proven effective. Thousands of people managed to quit smoking without having to suffer from severe withdrawal nicotine symptoms.