Anger is a common withdrawal symptom for a number of reasons. People in recovery do have ups and downs, and sometimes more downs than ups unless they adopt new ways of coping, none of which happen overnight. 

When many smokers quit, they go through changes that require some unmasking.  Take anger, for instance:  As nicotine addicts, we might have swallowed our anger, or lit up/chewed rather than make a scene when something really irked us.  It might have been easier and less stressful than engaging in confrontation about some problem.  I'm confident that most smokers who were "put in their place" can remember exhaling the smoke slowly at some time or other to decompress.

In such anger, a nicotine fix became the crutch, the comforter and the savior of sorts, and quite a coping mechanism!  (Or so we thought anyway.) 

With the giving up (and loss from our lives) of that lifelong 'all-round friend' the cigarette, we literally go through mourning with all its stages, including the stage of sadness and anger.  Quitting is a major loss, both physically and psychologically, and in addiction, a quitter will naturally mourn that loss for a little while, until they freely accept the quit and adopt it, just letting go of smoking.  

Gaining control over nicotine addiction involves recovery, which in turn involves self-discovery and self-appreciation, and it is a process of necessary change on many fronts, including how we deal with many things.  

Some strategies:  

Take regular, planned timeouts for yourself.  Be realistic and honest: How often did you take a break to light up before?  20, 30 times a day?  More? For 5 or 10 minutes? That inner regular need for a break to change your thoughts or environment and decompress at regular intervals should not be abandoned altogether, now should it?  Pay close attention to this old existing need.  Substitute a breathing exercise or something relaxing and self-loving.  Set an alarm clock if you need reminding and keep resetting it. Listen to some music perhaps too, or just pick a form of *regular distraction and relaxation*, and do it for a couple of minutes each time.  If you take regular 'non-smoking decompression breaks, you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Practice relaxation techniques and adopt some into your routine.  Successful people really do.  Here is a simple breathing exercise when you feel tense:  With shoulders back and tummy in, inhale deeply for a slow count of five, exhale for a slow count of five.  Do five of these at a time. (You can do this at your computer too)

Each day, reflect on, and study your stress levels.  Try to reduce the causes of other high stress in your life if you can, by altering the cause. Look at the cause-s.  Much of it may be self-imposed.  

Value yourself more.  Believe that you are really something!  Quitting is not for sissies.  You may not have arrived yet, but you've left the starting gate.  We do appreciate what you're going through.  Start pampering and loving yourself, now!  Talk positive self-talk to yourself. Some people are too self-critical.  Ease up.  No one is perfect.

The Canadian Institute of Stress believes that by doing something satisfying or pleasurable, we can take the edge off.  This is so important!  (Ahem, ever hear of making a reward plan?)  The reason is that when we are experiencing enjoyment or pleasure, our body is pumping out less adrenalin.  If you haven't made that reward plan, better late than never, do it now!  (And then when you post your stats, share your rewards in order to inspire others to add to their plan too.)

Get adequate sleep and rest.  Indulge in an afternoon or evening nap.  There's nothing like fatigue to make us feel edgy to begin with.  In recovery, we need more rest, as every organ in the body is going through some pretty serious adjusting and withdrawal over a few months.

Anger can be managed.  Study up on anger management:  Get a book from the library, search the Internet, or consider getting professional help.