Is the feeling of depression common after quitting?

[TOMMY S]

About 4 or 5 days after quitting I started feeling depressed. I do not have a history of feeling this way. It's not that I have a strong desire to smoke. I did a lot of reading about the effects of quitting and never heard of this as a side effect.  I have decided that if this feeling doesn't go away I'm going back to smoking. 

[Paul723]

Your depression may be caused by other things, so smoking may be of no help.  Some people feel the loss of smoking as a stage of grief and are upset by the change in their life.  You can discuss this with your doctor and ask for treatment options that don't include smoking.  I do know your body is undergoing a lot of cleaning as it rids itself of the crap smoking puts in it.  

[Reciprocity]

Congrats on quitting @TOMMY S

 

You didn't mention how long ago you quit. I suspect it's been recently? We are all different in terms of how our brains react to not only the loss we might feel after quitting but also the chaos ccreated in our minds in the early time of our quit. Our whole life is turned upside down and that can produce all kinds of different emotional reactions. This could just be the way your mind is reacting to these early days/weeks of quitting. We all experience different symptoms, some common and others not so common.

 

I would stronly encourage you to hang in there for the short term. I believe your feeling is onlt temporary if it is connected to your quit. Get active; exercise, even walking can be a great activity after quitting. Keep busy and distracted from your normal routine so your mind is focused on something positive. Think hard about the positive things you're seeing as your quit progresses. And stick around here with others who've quit as well. We all understand what you're going through and we've all managed to beat this addiction and are very happy we made the effort - it's never easy for any of us!

[Doreensfree]

Hello and welcome 

your body is going through some massive changes … 

It’s been having hundreds of chemicals o many times a day … for decades . 
Hang in be patient it should get better , if your still concerned a trip to the docs might help , going back to smoking is definitely not the way to go

[Pilgrim]

Hey Tommy, I've quit a few times over the years, and from my experience, once the uncomfortable physical withdrawal symptoms have subsided it's a pretty enjoyable recovery. It's a matter of perspective, of course, but I want to encourage you to focus on the positive: your senses clearing up, not stinking like an ashtray, the time you gain, saving money, etc.

 

If you're feeling depressed, the obvious question is, are you going through anything else at the moment, or is quitting the cause? If a smoke-free life is the cause of your blues, then put an end to that attitude this moment! You've freed yourself from a death trap addiction! There's nothing to mourn over.

 

healthy body = healthy mind 

Edited 19 hours ago by Pilgrim

[Minnie Mouse]

"I have decided that if this feeling doesn't go away I'm going back to smoking."  Why the heck would you do that & have to redo the smoke free days  you've achieved again?!  You would never be happy smoking again.   Eventually, you would want to "try" quitting again which means more than likely ending up in the same place you are now or in my & others experience worse off.  Not all our quits are the same every time we quit.  It could be worse. 

 

Obviously, we are not medical experts so if you have a great concern about feeling depressed be sure to touch base with your doctor about it.  Personally, my doctor(s) were active participants in my last quit journey or should I say roller coaster ride.  Problems experienced do not necessarily go away even in the first few months.  It takes our brain chemistry & body "a while" to readjust and re-calibrate itself back to a "new" normal without nicotine.  Patience.  You can get through it but you don't need to go it alone. 

 

I promise that it's worth the angst (whatever it takes) to keep nicotine addiction dormant.  You can do it!  

[Leander]

This could be because the brain wants nicotine. It will throw everything it has at you to make you go back to smoking? When I quit, I developed a swing of emotions that for a moment I thought I became bipolar. Depression to high excitation.

Nicotine changes the hormones of the body and when you quit they are readjusting. Imagine going through puberty again.

You just lost your closest friend-cigarettes. You are mourning. 

In fact, I would find it highly unusual if you didn't go through some sort of mourning or depression after you quit.

Focus on the positive, quitting will bring you so many positive things you had and exchanged for smoking, a few days of feeling down is totally a fine price to pay.

 

 

[Genecanuck]

22 hours ago, TOMMY S said:

About 4 or 5 days after quitting I started feeling depressed. I do not have a history of feeling this way. It's not that I have a strong desire to smoke. I did a lot of reading about the effects of quitting and never heard of this as a side effect.  I have decided that if this feeling doesn't go away I'm going back to smoking. 

Hello @TOMMY S... feeling depressed temporarily is absolutely a side effect of smoking but I know from personal experience that this will not last. Mood swings early on in a quit are very normal. Your brain is ajusting to functioning without nicotine. If you give it some time, you will start to feel normal again. I think consulting with a Doctor is a good idea before you make any firm decisions about returning to smoking. Please stay close to us and let us know how you are doing. You can keep your quit!

[DenaliBlues]

Sorry you are going through a tough stretch. Feelings of loss, longing and even despair can be part of withdrawal for us smokers. We have all kinds of transient feelings. It takes a while for our brain chemistry to adjust after our dopamine receptors were pickled by nicotine. Sad feelings do ease with time…. if you keep your quit! Talk with your doctor if it gets bad, but give your brain a chance to rebalance itself. It’s worth it. You’re worth it. 

[QuittingGirl]

Yes, depression and sadness can definitely be one of the symptoms of quitting smoking.  In the beginning of my quit I had this sense of doom because I felt like I lost my best friend. Please don't go back to smoking, the depressed feeling and all the other withdrawal symptoms will go away, they really will!  Hang in there!!