Bad anxiety/depression briefly after smoking cigarettes

[RedOnChrome]

I am in my mid 20's, and have been struggling to quit smoking for a little over a year now. It seems like I will quit successfully for one or two months, and then end up relapsing. When I do smoke, it is very lightly, as in one or two cigarettes a day, unless I go out drinking for a night, at which time I smoke more heavily.

Lately, immediately during, and after smoking a cigarette, I begin to suffer from pretty severe depression and anxiety for a period of about 25 minutes. It will start approximately half way through the cigarette. Generally, I will start feeling like a failure, because of how long I have been trying to quit, but obviously haven't. Then, a couple of minutes later, I will get racing, and disturbing thoughts and the depression worsens.

The strange thing is that it seems to be getting worse every time I smoke. This last time scared me so bad, it is what prompted me to find this forum and post this question.

I am certain this is brought forth by nicotine, and not just me being disappointed in myself for failing to quit (although that does play a part), because of the immediate nature, and time frame which it lasts after smoking. I briefly searched google, and only found information on anxiety and depression after quitting for a period of time, and not directly after smoking.

I am interested to hear if anyone has had experiences like this, or if anyone at least has any insight into the situation. Thank you.

[kstro]

I do believe that it can cause feelings of depression while and immediately after having a cigarette. Everyone reacts differently to different drugs, and everything within a cigarette will affect you in some way.

I experience the same thing when having a cigarette, and it's not about feeling bad about having the actual cigarette. That definitely goes through my mind, but half an hour to an hour after the cigarette I no longer feel as sad or bad.

I want to quit too, and I will, but for now I think I will make sure to have my cigarettes when I don't need to interact with someone or do important things after.

This is something that I have felt for quite some time after having a cigarette. I have also quit for years at a time. So, all in all I've had the same depressive type of effect from cigarettes for the past 7 yrs or so (on and off while I've been a smoker). It's possible that i've even felt it since I began smoking, but wasn't aware that it was the cigarettes.

To the girl posting that wants to be adimate about the fact that there's no possible way you could feel depressed right after a cigarette. Just because you haven't heard of it or felt it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It happens to me and obviously it happens to the poster of this question. He asked because its a concern of his.

I hope this response helps in some way. It's definitely a serious motivator to quit smoking. If you feel sad or anxious or worse after you have one, makes it seem that much dumber to do it. I know that's my main motivator to quit again.

Good luck

[teko]

Are u confusing depression with anxiety possibly? If you are already depressed and you quit when its not something you are ready for I think it could cause depression symptoms that way, but definately anxiety is a factor and no one ever told me that either so who am I to say, but personally I would suggest you see someone regarding the depression and if you think smoking is causing it, you need to stop smoking. I think I started smoking cause I was depresssed tho, which made me think I felt better after smoking. I think it was all in my mind...

[Coleman45]

I've never heard of cigarettes causing depression or anxiety. My advice would be to seek professional help for those symptoms.
Don't give up!

[tgrilias]

Man I was like this , when I quieted. Whenever I was lighting one ciggarete I was feeling guilt and anxiety for not be able to quit it.. The solution that worked for me is that whenever I wanted to smoke , I was taking one ciggarete  which I never lighted-up and I was acting like smoking. I think by that trick I was able to stop the psychologic addiction that smoke produces cause in my opinion this is the major source of the anxiety and not that much nicotine which as you told you have manage to significally reduce!!!  You might feel depressed but believe me it is very rare to get chronic and serious depression cause of nicotine..After some weeks  without ciggarete you will feel reborned!!!

[allmymarbles]

I have never in my life heard of tobacco causing depression. Tobacco has its faults, but it is not responsible for every physical and mental ailment that exists. In the Puritan tradition, Americans go overboard on just about anything.

[garrettandelsasmom]

I do think nicotine impacts emotions and has been associated with depression.  I'm not sure if the depression you describe could be brought on that quickly by nicotine or if other factors are in play.  Do you think you could deal with some aspect of minor depression all the time but smoking makes it stronger?