12 weeks quit and I am an emotional wreck. Anybody else?

[tanyad1222]

I feel great physically.Mentally, I am angry, depressed, and easily upset, crying at the drop of a hat. Is this normal?

[redluvr]

I'm around 6.5 weeks into my quit and feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster at times. One thing that might be useful is to keep in mind that everyone's situation is different. If you're experiencing it, it's normal for you. Full stop.

Last weekend I was hanging out with my girlfriend watching a movie and suddenly burst into tears. Maybe ten seconds later I started laughing through my tears about something that happened earlier that day. It felt normal to me. 

[tanyad1222]

Yes, the crying then laughing is exactly right! Thank you for relating.

[YoungAtHeart]

When we smoked, we hid from ALL of our emotions behind a cloud of smoke.  And - we took a time out while we did so.    Angry?  Have a cigarette!  Stressed?  Have a cigarette!  Hurt?  Take a break and light one up!  Bored?  Have another!    Part of the quit journey is learning to deal without that hit of dopamine and also to face our emotions head on.

See if brisk exercise helps, or dancing/singing to your favorite music, or watching a video and laughing out loud.  All of those things provide the dopamine you are missing. 

You should start to see your emotions settling down soon.  Include some exercise in your daily life and I bet you will see a difference.  Let us know!

Nancy

[tanyad1222]

Thank you for bringing all these points to light. It certainly feels like a break up... a lost relationship. Perhaps this is just part of the "grieving" process. I'm still quit, though. That's not an option this time!

[YoungAtHeart]

[Barbscloud]

There is physical and emotional withdrawal.  I experienced little if any physical symptoms.  Mine were more emotional.  This can actually be from the loss of dopamine that the nicotine produced.   

That's because when you smoke, nicotine is sent to your brain. It attaches to nicotine receptors and releases a chemical called dopamine, which makes you feel good. ... There are many non-smoking activities you can enjoy that may cause your brain to release dopamine, one of our mood-boosting brain chemicals.Aug 29, 2017

[maryfreecig]

By normal, I'd say yes, meaning that many have felt what you've felt. BUT, it is treatable. If we feel physical pain that is unacceptable, then we seek help. Same is true for state of mind. This is about relearning life. For most of us, when we quit, we had not been without a cigarette for a day for decades and decades. It takes time to get the mind to stop obsessing about what was. Being willing to face the days without smoking (which you've done for 12 weeks, high five, you did it!) is how you grow out of the dependency. 

Spend more time here. Let quitters be of help to you. And keep up the good work.

[Ronwv]

Today,I was very angry,frustrated,and depressed and taking things people said personal. I am on day 43 and I really need to apologise to a few coworkers tomorrow.

So I am relieved to know I wasn't the only one losing it today.

[Dani2154]

Hi! I just quit today. I had my last cigarette at 12:30 pm and have been using the gum so far. I feel a positive change. I'm kinda tired though, maybe that's just the way my body reacts to quitting. The hardest times are at night and in the morning. I know that's when I smoked the most. But I'm not gonna beat myself up if I ever slip. It's part of the process.