Smoking and Depression fact I found....

As I was browsing depression research I came across this tidbit,

26 studies that assessed mental health with questionnaires designed to measure anxiety, depression, mixed anxiety and depression, psychological quality of life, positive affect, and stress were included. Follow-up mental health scores were measured between seven weeks and nine years after baseline. Anxiety, depression, mixed anxiety and depression, and stress significantly decreased between baseline and follow-up in quitters compared with continuing smokers: the standardised mean differences (95% confidence intervals) were anxiety −0.37 (95% confidence interval −0.70 to −0.03); depression −0.25 (−0.37 to −0.12); mixed anxiety and depression −0.31 (−0.47 to −0.14); stress −0.27 (−0.40 to −0.13). Both psychological quality of life and positive affect significantly increased between baseline and follow-up in quitters compared with continuing smokers 0.22 (0.09 to 0.36) and 0.40 (0.09 to 0.71), respectively). There was no evidence that the effect size differed between the general population and populations with physical or psychiatric disorders.

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http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g1151

Thought I would share as I assume many of you, as I am, are smokers.
This may just push me to be a quitter....

Quitters never lose

The video abstract on the link I provided is a very good synopsis of the study.

Good article. Thanks for posting this. i think this could be possibly used as a general template for all drugs. I was really surprised at how much less anxiety I felt when i got of anxiety medication.. I think the drugs seem to make us feal so good because we are felling so awful most of the time when we are dependent on them.

neversickanymore said:

Good article. Thanks for posting this. i think this could be possibly used as a general template for all drugs. I was really surprised at how much less anxiety I felt when i got of anxiety medication.. I think the drugs seem to make us feal so good because we are felling so awful most of the time when we are dependent on them.

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I was thinking that the vascular constriction from smoking is the problem, as there is evidence that shows vascular constriction in the brain is associated with depression.....

full disclosure I am not a nuero scientist.... hehe

The most interesting part was the fact that quitting smoking is as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacological options.

Just fuigered that anything to help with PAWs induced depression would help us out!

Smoking is something I would like to give up one day but even though it's not healthy, I smoke a lot when I'm bored and it helps me though the boredom. Honestly IMO quitting smoking would be harder than quitting drugs, at least for me it would haha

Oxy_Ghost said:

Smoking is something I would like to give up one day but even though it's not healthy, I smoke a lot when I'm bored and it helps me though the boredom. Honestly IMO quitting smoking would be harder than quitting drugs, at least for me it would haha

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Yeah, I think I remember reading that nicotine is more addictive than heroin....

Nicotine itself is not that reinforcing.

Ho-Chi-Minh said:

Nicotine itself is not that reinforcing.

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Sure it is, as with heroin, the urge to use again to calm the cravings is just as strong in my opinion. And unlike heroin, the stigma and the intimidate negative physical effects are not present.

More form the study:

Mixed anxiety and depression

Five studies reported change in mixed anxiety and depression from baseline to follow-up, with follow-up ranging from three months to six years (median six months). Compared with continuing to smoke, quitting smoking was associated with a significant decrease in mixed anxiety and depression from baseline to follow-up (SMD −0.31, 95% confidence interval −0.47 to −0.14; P<0.001; I²=0%; fig 2⇑).

Depression

Ten studies reported change in depression from baseline to follow-up, with follow-up ranging from 11 weeks to five years (median 12 months). Compared with continuing to smoke, quitting smoking was associated with a significant decrease in depression from baseline to follow-up (SMD −0.25, 95% confidence interval −0.37 to −0.12; P<0.001; I²=30%; fig 2⇑).

Stress

Three studies reported change in stress from baseline to follow-up, with follow-up ranging from six months to six years (median 12 months). Compared with continuing to smoke, quitting smoking was associated with a significant decrease in stress (SMD −0.27, 95% CI −0.40 to −0.13; P<0.001) from baseline to follow-up (I²=0%; fig 2⇑).

ExInMil said:

Sure it is, as with heroin, the urge to use again to calm the cravings is just as strong in my opinion. And unlike heroin, the stigma and the intimidate negative physical effects are not present.

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Not from what I've heard/read. The other chemicals/compounds in tobacco smoke make it much more addictive.

Ho-Chi-Minh said:

Not from what I've heard/read. The other chemicals/compounds in tobacco smoke make it much more addictive.

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That's actually what I was saying, that tobacco is more addictive than heroin, but I'd like to keep focus on the study.
I mean the fact that for people with depression, quitting smoking is as effective as therapy or anti-depressants is an amazing find. I mean I am one of those people who used drugs to cope with my depression, and being a smoker, this was very promising indeed!

I do remember being a bit more on edge while smoking for a couple months.

heroin is not that reinforcing...drugs like cocaine, crack and nicotine are all highly reinforcing, meaning you want to do them over and over, every 10 minutes etc etc..

ive never smoked but many smokers i know seem to be quite anxious and sort of high strung..