In the United States, there are approximately 46 million smokers and 44 million former smokers. No specific data exist on survivors of childhood sexual abuse who try to quit smoking. But there are several reasons why addiction to cigarettes might pose special problems for survivors.
Most people are unaware of their physical dependence on nicotine until they try to quit.
Then they experience the awful symptoms of withdrawal, ranging from irritability, impatience, fatigue, and sleeplessness to headaches, nausea, weakness, inability to concentrate, confusion, or extreme anxiety. These symptoms last anywhere from three days to 3 weeks. Some people who have tried quitting and failed say the withdrawal symptoms are simply too unbearable. Therefore, many stop-smoking programs spend a lot of time on ways to handle withdrawal symptoms with simple behavioral techniques such as sucking on cinnamon sticks or taking slow, deep breaths. Cigarettes are also psychologically addicting.