Earlier quoted context omitted.
The obvious question is whether there are other addictive compounds in cigarettes. I’ve heard stories like yours before.
Do some web research on the additives in cigarettes. What I have heard from people who do research into cigarette addiction is that the additives suppress the bad effects of smoking (such as coughing, lungs feeling burnt, not being able to breath, etc.) When you stop smoking you also stop getting the additives and you suddenly feel all the damage smoking has been doing, which makes it much harder to quit. You literal…
That wasn't my experience. One of the drivers that pushed me to quit was loss of stamina and lung capacity, I was beginning to feel the impact on my health. Within 48 hours of quitting I could feel my stamina double, which is common among people who quit cigarettes. The feeling that drove me back every time but the last one was the intense anxiety from quitting, definitely a drug withdrawal and not a physical feeling of malaise. I don't think physical malaise is a common withdrawal symptom when quitting cigarettes.