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The pscyhological effects of Nicotine withdrawal
Taranis
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Now that I'm not smoking I've noticed a complete change in my emotional state.
I had my last cigarette a month ago. I've been smoking a pack a day for the past 5 years. I was prescribed some medication to make quitting easier, and it's made the transition much smoother than going cold turkey. I realize there are adverse effects when you first stop smoking, but I'm not sure how long they last. For the past month I've had a chip on my shoulder and I've been constantly on edge. It now takes very little to set me off, and I can now be surprised very easily. I'm fairly certain I didn't feel like this on a daily basis before I started smoking.
So, to all the other former smokers out there, is this normal? Will this go away?
If I have to put up with this for too much longer I'm going to start smoking again, or chewing nicotine gum. Who wants to live forever?
I had my last cigarette a month ago. I've been smoking a pack a day for the past 5 years. I was prescribed some medication to make quitting easier, and it's made the transition much smoother than going cold turkey. I realize there are adverse effects when you first stop smoking, but I'm not sure how long they last. For the past month I've had a chip on my shoulder and I've been constantly on edge. It now takes very little to set me off, and I can now be surprised very easily. I'm fairly certain I didn't feel like this on a daily basis before I started smoking.
So, to all the other former smokers out there, is this normal? Will this go away?
If I have to put up with this for too much longer I'm going to start smoking again, or chewing nicotine gum. Who wants to live forever?
Taranis on
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More likely though you're missing a habit that you've had for years. Give it time, attempt to grin and bear it whenever you can (grinning releases happiness hormones regardless if it's fake or not) and you'll eventually get out of your rut. I personally formally quit a year ago but I'll have a cigarette once or twice a week. If you don't have any self control or fear you might just start smoking again don't try that though.
I've never heard about nicotine releasing adrenaline, that's interesting though. I do know that smoking a cigarette triggers a release of dopamine, which is what I had assumed was part of my problem.
The only thing is I don't think I'll ever get rid of the urge to smoke when I drink.
You should read Alan Carr's book, Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I was skeptical but it helped me quit on the first try after dozens of failed attempts.
The sooner you quit the better, this isn't about 'living forever' but about stopping before your really mess up your body.
Actually, and I don't know this for sure, any imbalance (such as increased adrenaline levels) are compensated for by your brain after some exposure (hence, people need to smoke more, score more often, drink more, etc.). Thus, my theory is, you associate this habit with relaxing and since the habit itself has become the drug, not the drug itself (to some extent, nicotine will always have a physical effect, just milder). Hence, replacing this habit with another, less unhealthy and addictive habit will help quitting and ease the tensions you are experiencing.
Dopamine is released into the brain when stimulated by nicotine inducing happiness. With out it moodiness, anxiety and depression can occur but they don't normally affect people after a month (most symptoms stop after less than a week). Obviously this is changed by the amount and length of time you've smoked.
The physical aspect of withdrawl doesn't take long, it's the habit... all the things you used to do were satisfying while you smoked. I found smoking awesome because it gave me 10 minutes to sit down and do nothing, and I would make time to do nothing (smoke).
It's hard to do nothing when you've quit smoking.
however don't expect the cravings to ever just disappear. It is just as much psychological as it is physical. try taking seven(this number is abitrary, but around there is a good amount) deep breaths whenever you feel the urge to light up. the calming effect of deep breathing cannot be understated.
You just have to use it right: Treat it more like dip than gum. Chew it a bit, pack it between your gum and lip and hold until it stops tingling. Repeat. If you just go chomping on it it's not going to do its job.
I haven't smoked in going on five years. Though I will say after big meals or sex, I still crave one once in a blue moon. The trick I've found is saying it out loud. "Man, I sure could go for a smoke." That usually works as a cue for my wife to distract me for a few minutes and *poof* gone.
this is a big thing. a lot of the feeling you crave can be helped with deep breaths. when you smoke a cig you take more deep breaths, albeit filled with smoke, but the motion is still calming.
the gum really helps. it help me quit for about 6 months but then i started thinking i could keep it to one every now and then and it just went back into it. not as bad, but i still went back. my brother and some of my buddies have all had to kick chewing the gum since they got addicted to that instead of cigs. i actually started smoking because in high school a buddy game me a nicorette his parents bought him to get him to quit.