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Quitting smoking: the withdrawal is short, the habit is long.
Tobacco withdrawal does not endanger life — but it defeats more attempts than any other, because people believe it is simple. Physical withdrawal lasts two to four weeks; the gesture and the habit last longer, and that is where help changes everything. At the Espoir Clinic in Tunis, quitting smoking is prepared and accompanied. A caregiver answers at any hour on +216 52 247 043.
Signs of withdrawal
- Irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, increased appetite.
- A craving that is very strong — but brief: a few minutes, not a few hours. Knowing this changes how you get through it.
The care at the clinic
- Properly dosed nicotine replacement: patches, gum — failure most often comes from a dose that is too low, not from the replacement itself.
- Trigger management: the coffee, the wheel, the break — each trigger is identified and prepared for, in advance and in writing.
- Attention to psychiatric treatments: stopping smoking changes the effect of some medications — a point the clinic watches closely, and a reason not to quit “on your own” when you are followed in psychiatry.
How long?
Physical withdrawal lasts 2 to 4 weeks. The gesture and the habit last longer — which is why the follow-up does not stop when the withdrawal does. Relapse is part of the story of most addictions: coming back early changes everything, and no one here reproaches it.
And solvents — glue, thinners, gas?
Another inhaled product, an entirely different gravity: solvents — glues, thinners, petrol, gas — mostly affect adolescents, and families often hide the problem for a long time. Physical withdrawal is brief, but these products damage quickly: the clinic starts with a neurological, liver and kidney check-up, then the care is as much family and school work as it is medical. If this is your child's situation, call: the first call serves to describe it, and the They refuse treatment page helps when the dialogue is closed.
The questions people don’t dare ask
Do I need to be admitted to quit smoking?
No — tobacco alone is treated as an outpatient. The question changes when a stay is already planned for another substance or a disorder: quitting at the same time, or later, is then decided with the doctor, case by case.
Is nicotine replacement dangerous?
No — properly dosed, it delivers nicotine without the smoke, and it is the smoke that kills. The dose is adjusted in consultation: too low, and the craving persists; that is the most common mistake of solo attempts.
Why did my attempts alone fail?
Because physical withdrawal is only half the problem: the gesture, the schedule and the trigger situations outlast it. That is exactly what is worked on with a caregiver — not a question of willpower.
The information on this page is general and does not replace a medical consultation. No treatment, no stopping and no dose change should ever be decided from this site.
Request an appointment to quit smoking →
Other substances: alcohol · benzodiazepines · opiates · cannabis · cocaine and stimulants · pregabalin.
Beyond withdrawal: psychiatry in Tunis — depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder.