Hi...am just entering my third week of no smoking. Finding it ok ish...well, that's once the insomnia, nausea, headaches, shivers, bad temper, snotty nose, cough....wore off (LOL!) I have quit before...for 3 years, would you believe, & then went back to it stupidly. The one side effect from quitting that I don't remember & that I'm having a godawful job dealing with is depression...I'm not talking the odd grizzle every now & again...I'm getting totally pulled down by sheer, mind numbing despair which is paralysing me! & I wanted to give up...what the hell's the matter with me? Normally I'm a shout in yer face kind of person, I love to laugh, I love seeing the beautiful things in life...what's scaring me is I'm getting no pleasure from any of the usual things...I hate being miserable. All I've seen about depression after quitting is some BS saying it lasts for a few days...I wish! I'm exercising, getting out in the fresh (& boy, is it fresh???) air twice a day but getting no joy out of it. Anyone else out there having or have had this???
Is this normal???: Hi...am just entering my... - No Smoking Day
Is this normal???
Depressed feeling are pretty normal but yours sounds a bit deeper than most, usually they pass but talk to your doctor if carries on. For me the way to cope was a mixture of exercise, bananas and chocolate as all 3 get the dopamine flowing.
Thanks...I must admit, it does seem a bit extreme. I'm eating a lot of fruit & whole nuts...cashews, walnuts etc as these have a lot of potassium too. As for the exercise, I'm walking/running between 2-4 miles a day but nothing is shifting the grey cloud atm. Going to have to dig in & get on with it as I don't 'do' anti depressants so a visit to the Dr's is out!
I am so sorry to hear you are not feeling great at this moment in time.
Depression for many who quit smoking is a problem that rears its ugly head, this can lead to them smoking again which is very sad.
At times quitting smoking is an extremely difficult thing to do and that’s when we are feeling happy and relaxed, I would venture to guess that it is even more difficult to stay focused and to maintain your resolve and motivation when the black cloud is hovering over your head.
For those of you that are unlucky enough to suffer bouts of depression during your quit hang in there, from what I have read and been told it is usually only mild and temporary and does clear up the longer you stay smoke free, however if it continues for more than a couple of weeks or it gets worse and makes you feel really bad and you are unable to lift out of it there are some great medications available that your Doctor can prescribe, better to be on a mild anti depressant for a few weeks than to smoke.
A lot of the bodies’ reactions to quitting smoking can also change our chemical makeup and we then can become short of certain vitamins and minerals like potassium and magnesium etc see link.
Maybe a supplement of these would help, I have never been depressed luckily for me but there was a few times during the early months were I could cry for England and also I was a little tetchy so I am told LOL
You are doing great try not to let it keep you from stopping, and use the forum to let us give you the support you need xx
Thank you...it's one of the reasons I joined the forum in the hope that others have suffered from this & that I haven't lost the plot!!! I'm very much a self help person which is why I'll avoid taking anti d's...I have a boy with ADHD & another with Autism so I need to be on the ball! I'll not give in, I've decided I'm quitting so I will NOT go back on that & I made a promise to my older son who's 9 that I was giving up...I'll not let him down.
That is great Sophie, it cant be easy for you at the best of times so I take my hat off to you for choosing to quit, children can be hard work so you have maybe twice the difficulties having kids with illnesses to deal with, I am positive that with your frame of mind you will come through and be all the better for it.
A few more weeks and your black cloud will begin to lift.
yes i to am suffering to suffering dips into depression i have been to the doctors and have been prescribed with anti depressants as i dont want the depression spoiling my quit and driving me back to cigarettes so if i can get level on the tablets all will hopefully be ok
Yes Boo it will be better, the tablets usually take a week or two too kick in but when they do you will be so much better. keep taking them and dont just stop without docs guidance, also you could look at the vits etc as well, take care both xx
Good luck, Boo...hope it levels out for you. Will be thinking of you while I wrestle with this! At least we're not alone
Sophie, even if you don't want to mess with anti depressants, it might be worthwhile to visit your GP. The smoking might not be the only reason for your being so low - you might be run down, anaemic, having hormonal problems etc, and there might be other strategies for dealing with it. Self help is all well and good, but long stretches of depression aren't going to help you stay quit, so a second opinion can't hurt. You don't have to take any advice your GP offers if you don't want to!
Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time. I do hope it gets better soon,
H x
i to used to be against medication for depression but after a family tragedy a few years ago i fell into a very deep depression very quickly and could barely function day to day i was prescribed tablets then and as i was so desparate to get better for the sake of my family i agreed, the doctor prescibed me very gentle ones which brought u up very gradually over a few weeks. these are the same ones i have been prescibed now.
the tablet solution doesnt have to be the ones that make u feel like a zombie and ones that change your mood drastically, and stop u being alert etc. which was my concern when i first considered tablets. if u have a good gp this can be taken into consideration for the best outcome
there is also councelling,courses etc please go talk to someone it hard on your own
I think it's because I have a very addictive personality...I daren't take anti d's just in case! However, this morning I've woken up in a much better frame of mind...if it comes in fits & starts, I can deal with it...it's the thought that there's no end to the depression that makes you even more depressed & the fact that you should be proud of quitting & feel so low adds to it all! Today is another story...woke up, walked the dogs on a beautiful morning for a good 4 miles, took some amazing photos & am now treating myself to a cup of Cappuchino (as I used to treat myself to a fag after a good walk & need to feel as tho I've deserved something nice!) & some whole nuts & dried fruit & just about to download my pics....yep, a good day today! 
Thats great soph that you feel better today and I am sure that the weather being brighter helps as winter can cause you to suffer with SAD and that makes a big difference to a lot of people not just those trying to quit smoking, as Boo said medication has its place and works well for a lot of people, but whatever is best fo you and works for you is the right thing.
Did you look at that site I sent the link for I thought it was quite informative for vits etc even had another read myself.
I did read it, thanks, jamangie...altho I already take extra v & m's for my Osteo arthritis, it was the amount that the article stated made me rethink so will stock up on it all tomorrow & will let you know if it helps to make a difference. This is NOT going to beat me...I've had enough of being at the mercy of nicotine addiction so I will ride this out, no matter how difficult this is going to be!
I was also suprised at the dosage but on looking at a few more sites it seems that it is correct, we buy things like boots multi vit but it seems the tablets would be massive if you actually took the volume of all the mix in one go, the normal multi vits are greast if you are eating a ballanced diet and you just need a boost but I for one will admit that I am not eating enough fruit and veg etc so the normal ones will obviously not be enough so I am also going to stock up tomorrow and get them seperate so I get the ones I need not just a bulk buy.
I have RA so they will help with that as well and your OA I would think, we are a right pair LOL
Lol!!! Aren't we just??? Well, I'm off to bake some bread...I keep telling myself that because I'm making it from scratch that it's better for me!!! Oh, the lies we tell ourselves! Have a major sore throat atm but would rather that as a side effect than the depression...still my husband's rather liking it as my voice is husky! (I think he prefers it cos I'm quieter!)
Just listening to the sounds of my sons having a 'bonding' session so I'd better go sort them out, lol!
MMMMMM I can smell it cooking, OH says why dont you cook me home made fresh bread and I said cause you will eat it, I dont think he sees the logic in that reply :rolleyes: enjoy it but dont eat too much it is still fattening :eek:
Shhhhhhh! No...it's not fattening (what do you mean, I'm delusional????) Lol! I just tell myself that it's much better for my boys as it has only pure stuff in it & no additives which they have to avoid...& let's face it...I do HAVE to try it to make sure it's ok, now don't I??? 
Shhhhhhh! No...it's not fattening (what do you mean, I'm delusional????) Lol! I just tell myself that it's much better for my boys as it has only pure stuff in it & no additives which they have to avoid...& let's face it...I do HAVE to try it to make sure it's ok, now don't I???
I am so suprised, do you know why??? its because we are so much alike in more ways than one.
We are both really really skinny and oh yes my OH says I am delusional as well ( what does it mean any way ):rolleyes:
Pmsl!!! I think everyone else is delusional myself....I'm really only 30ish, gorgeous figure, someone who everybody loves because I'm sooo sweet & nice & I'm incredibly intelligent too!
What? Where? Oooo, what nice young men in clean white coats! Oooo, they've just given me a really sweet jacket that very cleverly does up at the back...very avant garde!!!
Hi Sophie, I just read this whole thread. What can I say? I smoked heavily for 40 years. This quit I guess is my 7th or 8th? Each time, I went through all the agony stuff and convinced myself that life without smoking was no life. I told myself life without smoking wasn't worth it, the sacrifice was too big; that I deserved to smoke. I used to wake up and tell myself "brilliant, another day of smoking ahead". Horseshit. This time, I've simply changed the whole approach. I just tell myself that life without smoking is better. That smoking is a viscious circle - it's a poison that feeds on itself. Starve the poison. I stopped smoking for one reason above all - I don't want to smoke any more. I want to escape. There's no way I'm going to put myself back into that prison, and spend the rest of my life either trying to escape, or telling myself that I'm happy to live behind bars. Then turn the whole thing round. Just try and get rid of the feeling that quitting is deprivation. For me right now, it's freedom!! Something that I've wanted for 20 years. I just wish I could get how I feel across to you through this keyboard. Don't give in. Good luck, Jeremy
Remember, smokers envy non-smokers.
You know quitting was the right decision, so never doubt it.
Lol! No way I'm giving up on the giving up! This is it now...I do NOT want to be hooked again. & I also do NOT want to look my 9 year old son in the eyes & try to make an excuse as to why I'm killing myself again after promising him I'd (we'd...me & my oh) quit. I'm not the type of person to do it while he's at school & lie to him when he comes back....this is for real, I want to stay healthy for my kids & my grand kids...but more importantly, I'm doing this for myself!!!
Damn, I've just really impressed myself! Lol!
That's the way - go for it!!
Lol! Good luck to you too...we CAN do it, regardless of how our mind may play tricks!
Mind over matter is the way, yes ok I looked up that word and maybe I am but I am still a non smoker :rolleyes:
Could be paranoid as well but dont think I am, ok who said that I can hear you you know even if you are coming out of the telly:eek:
Pmsl!!! Sssshhhh....they'll hear you...I can't help you as for some reason, I'm having a problem with my nice jacket!!!!
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