FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- Women who quit smoking tend to suffer more intense withdrawal symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, poor concentration and weight gain, a new report says.
Whether men or women tend to be more successful at ending their cigarette habit was not determined by the report, published in the December issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. But the study noted that after gaining an average of 5 to 10 pounds during withdrawal, some women start smoking again.
"People need to realize that if they have a relapse, they can learn from it," Patrick Draper, a tobacco treatment specialist at the Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center, said in a news release issued by the clinic. "The only way to stop smoking is to keep trying."
Most people require four to six tries before successfully quitting, and Draper suggested four key steps to help end the addiction:
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about quitting smoking.