What withdrawal actually looks like

Blood nicotine starts falling. Most people do not notice anything yet beyond the habit of reaching.

The reaching becomes conscious. This is the point where the physical routine — the hand, the lid, the lip — is more insistent than the craving itself.

Irritability and difficulty settling are common. Appetite often increases.

For most people this is the hardest stretch. Concentration is poor and mood is unreliable.

The physical side eases noticeably. What remains is situational — the specific moments that used to have a pouch attached to them.

Cravings become shorter and further apart. They tend to arrive attached to a place or an activity rather than to a clock.