2 months smoke free and anxiety/depression is still here? Is this normal?

[dee2018]

This is my first post. I am just over 2 months smoke free today. I very worried that I may slip and smoke again. I would really like to say That after 2 months I no longer have the cravings, but I feel that it may be the only thing to relax me. 

I feel everyday is a fight to stay happy. Am I the only one out there that is still having these feelings of depression after 2 months of being smoke free? Do they typically lessen or go away after a few months? Does anyone know when they typically subside? 

Any suggestions on how to deal with depression and not sleeping through the night? Its been a while and I am scared because I am starting to think there is something wrong with me. I really don't want to take any medications, but if this is not normal then perhaps I need to see someone about a potential emotional problem. Perhaps my smoking cigarettes allowed me to cope with depression before and now without cigarettes I can't cope? ..Thanks for any help...

[Nix]

Congratulations on your 2 months, that's awesome.

Anxiety and depression really kicked in for me when I quit and certainly during no man's land, I struggled big time BUT....

Stick with it, it does get easier and it does pass.  You will still have rough days emotionally with or without a cigarette  but I like to think that being physically healthier helps with the depression as well. 

My cure all at your stage was walking. Get out and walk off the craves and the misery if you can. I got comedy audio books and walked and walked listening to these, laughing out loud building up just a few more steps each week. Sure helped me.

I'm coming up to 2 years smoke free now and still have crippling days where U can cry over nothing and am convinced tgat just 1 cigarette would make me feel so much better but those days are getting less and less frequent and I still walk it off. Now I can walk for miles taking deep lung fills of fresh air....couldnt do that 2 years ago.

Long rambling way of saying, stick with it. You are going through normal withdrawal. Be nice to yourself, you have done so very well to come this far. Well done awesome 

[elvan]

You have really done so well...I know that our addiction TELLS us that smoking will fix things but it's a big lie.  Smoking does not make anything better...it does not help with stress, it increases it, it does not help with depression because smoking causes depression, there is nothing good that comes from smoking unless it is finding this site and the support from the people here.  I have not smoked in over four years and believe me, I have had many issues that would have caused me to smoke like a chimney in the past.  I am so glad to be free from that...I can live my life knowing that I make my own choices.  I don't let my addiction choose for me any more.  Unfortunately, I learned that late so I have significant damage because of smoking, I would LOVE to save anyone from that.

You are doing great, please remember that there were good days and bad days when you were smoking.  ANY day that you don't smoke is a GOOD day!

Ellen

[emilyt123078]

I have depression as well and I can tell you that smoking didn't help one bit.  If anything, it made it worse because you know deep down that smoking won't take away whatever issue is going on deep inside.  Can I recommend something that will give you a tool to help you? There's a book I got called, "Feeling Better." by Doctor David Burns.  There's a free sample online, through Amazon.  A friend of mine recommended the book when I was having some issues and it not only helped her, it helped me as well.  You might benefit from reading it.  At the very least, it has some great tools to help you to understand where your depression is coming from.

hugs Mary