Emotional Stability and Quitting

[Catmando2yo]

I've been smoking for ~12 years now and have historically struggled with depression and anxiety and smoking was something I used to resort to every time I felt emotionally unstable. It's been 7 days now since I quit and although it's not bad as I thought, but my thoughts and emotions are slightly hard to control. Anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!

[Nozmo Valued Contributor]

I experienced similar in that my moods would swing wildly from one extreme to the other. I could be on top of the world one minute and then brimming with anger a few minutes later; usually over really trivial things! I remember a famous incident when I was outside, in the snow, shouting at two pans that were stuck together and my kids were looking at me as if I had lost my mind.

Lots of people have reported the same thing on here over the years. I think it’s a normal, but unfortunate, consequence of quitting so don’t worry that something dreadful is happening. We used smoking as a crutch and we miss that when it’s gone. It does settle down with time.

[MarieRen in reply to Nozmo]

I experience the mood swings as well. I do have a history of depressive moods. Champex is tough on lowering my serotonin and I am only on 1 mg per day. Normally I take B6 every day, now I up my serotonin by learning to do a 5km run, exercice add lots of cinnamon to my food. I am on day 12 of being a non-smoker today is difficult up and down moods. But as you said it does get better. I remind myself yeah I can breathe now

[Bluealpaugh in reply to Nozmo]

Advice on how you quit please? Thank.you

[Nozmo Valued Contributor in reply to Bluealpaugh]

I used a vape to help me stop smoking and then I gradually cut down the nicotine levels in my e-liquid to get myself off the vape too. It took about 6 months to be free of everything. A lot of people on here have had success using different methods but that’s what worked for me.