See, that was my old thinking, that withdrawals were something that happened when I was trying to quit. They would happen when I didn't have a plan for that next smoke.

What I realized was that withdrawal was practically continuous while I was a smoker. 10-15 minutes after a cigarette, the addiction is already wanting to be fed. We just tolerate (as addicts) the symptoms for the next hour or two, because we have a plan for the next dose of nicotine.

So now, withdrawals are something that happened as a smoker. After a few days quit, the withdrawals are gone. What isn't gone are the same social cues that made me start to begin with, and the power of advertising and brainwashing (over my lifetime) that make smoking seem like an attractive option in certain situations. The lies we tell ourselves, like smoking relieves boredom, or stress, or anxiety. None of those are true, just like "breakfast cereal" isn't part of a "healthy breakfast".