Smoking to deal with anxiety

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Bosstonez604

New member
Anyone else find that smoking helps deal with bouts of anxiety?

I kicked em for like 6 months, then something causing me a lot of anxiety comes up (sister's wedding, seeing whole family), and I instantly started panicking and picked up cigs again cuz they just help me calm down.

Now I don't want to put them down again.

ugh. Maybe I'm just making excuses not to quit haha.
 
F

FOR REAL

Banned
this is just my opinion.
i try to avoid stimulants, cigs, coffee, tea, cause caffeine makes my anxiety way worse.
it speeds up the heart
cheers
 
Septor

Septor

Well-known member
I can relate with you Bosstonez604.I haven't smoked in like 12 or 13 year but when I was smoking I found that it did help with my a anxiety a little bit.Unfortanly after I was smoking for a while it didn't help anymore.Im not sure why but it probably has something to do with,building a tolerance to nicotine.

You really should stop though,whatever it does do to help with your anxiety is negated by all the health problem that comes with smoking.Though it can be really hard for some people to stop unfortunately.
 
Imhotep

Imhotep

Well-known member
The thing with smoking is that you THINK it helps with anxiety but in fact it's one of the CAUSES of anxiety. The reson is this: when you've not had a smoke for a while, you tend to get a bit restless/anxious/uncomfortable/whatever and when you have a smoke, it goes away - for a while. After some time, you associate the feeling of smoking with the feeling of being relaxed, or of having a relaxing effect. When in fact, if you don't smoke, you wouldn't have got so stressed in the first place!

I say this as an smoker of 19 years, who quit 2 1/2 years ago. My anxiety hasn't altered one jot since I quit. In fact, it's probably a lot better now than it used to be. But yes, before a big social event I used to smoke like a chimney.
 
NormanBates

NormanBates

Well-known member
Smoking is also kind of like having a little prop in your hand. Kind of like a quick way of having something to do with your hands when you are idle.

The sensation is the oxygen being displaced in your blood, a similar effect can be attained by pressing on the arteries in your neck.
 
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Bosstonez604

New member
NormanBates said:
Smoking is also kind of like having a little prop in your hand. Kind of like a quick way of having something to do with your hands when you are idle.

The sensation is the oxygen being displaced in your blood, a similar effect can be attained by pressing on the arteries in your neck.
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lols. The thought of pressing on my carotids in any public situation made me laugh.

Nifty lil prop, yeah, and I agree that the sensation of relaxation is likely a false one based on satisfying an addiction, moreso than anything over and above that. I've been smoking for 15 years, so I'm gonna be working on this for a while.

All awesome/insightful words. Thank you so much.
 
Mikefly

Mikefly

Well-known member
Bosstonez604 said:
Anyone else find that smoking helps deal with bouts of anxiety?

I kicked em for like 6 months, then something causing me a lot of anxiety comes up (sister's wedding, seeing whole family), and I instantly started panicking and picked up cigs again cuz they just help me calm down.

Now I don't want to put them down again.

ugh. Maybe I'm just making excuses not to quit haha.
Click to expand...

No i dont' think it helps with anxiety i think it makes it worse. It causes extra anxiety and you have to smoke to get rid of that extra anxiety that it has caused plus it only kills that anxiety for a very short time period. You'd be better just tapering off of cigs, my bro did this and he looks much more healthy and alot more relaxed.
 
206Raider

206Raider

Well-known member
I stopped smoking (weed) and I'm not drinking and I'm really down more than ever right now.....I just want an escape becuase bad things keep happening everyday....no it's not in my head this week has really been bad
 
M

mikestar

Banned
Smoking makes anxiety worst and weed is just plain stupid.

After my first ciggy,my heart beats faster and my hands begin to shake

Once your hooked your hooked,but I am going to do my best to stop in the next year :)
 
JCS008

JCS008

Well-known member
Yeah a lot of people pick up smoking because they say it helps them deal with stress or anxiety. But generally that's just an excuse. I know that was the case with me when I smoked for a little bit during college.

First it was something I just wanted to try, then it was only when I drank, then it was a social smoker, then it was when I was stressed, then whenever I ate. After a while, it pretty much became a habit and I was smoking regularly and buying my own packs.

My suggestion is to drop smoking when its just a psychological thing. Its much easier to shake than when your body starts to crave it. Most importantly try to avoid routine smoking (i.e after meals, or when your drinking, first thing in the morning, etc.) I think at first its just in your head when you think smoking is helping with you with anixety or stress. There are plenty of other solutions, that aren't as unhealthy and expensive.
 
FountainandFairfax

FountainandFairfax

in a VAN down by the RIVER
PunkRotten said:
Ive quit for about 3 months now and I have less overall anxiety now. Not to mention I can breathe better. I dont have to worry about smelling like cigarettes and offending anyone either.
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Good for you, man.

It must be a terrible thing to try to quit, I know so many people who have tried and failed so many times.

Good luck with it in the future.
 
206Raider

206Raider

Well-known member
it seems I have to have some way of keeping my sanity and maybe weed is wrong but it's not bad it's just I'm so housebound and bored I feel I'm goin crazy. I was clean 2 months now it's an everyday thing again but when I was clean I was bored and miserable anyway.
 
Justas

Justas

1
In my opinion smoking doesn't help. I had really bad time 2 months ago and I bought cigs and it didn't helped me... Money wasting machine. One pack is still lying a month old... Does cigs have expiry date? I will have to use them somehow. Any suggestions? :D
 
Hellhound

Hellhound

Super Moderator
Justas said:
In my opinion smoking doesn't help. I had really bad time 2 months ago and I bought cigs and it didn't helped me... Money wasting machine. One pack is still lying a month old... Does cigs have expiry date? I will have to use them somehow. Any suggestions? :D
Click to expand...

Bury them? :p Mother Nature will recycle them somehow.
 
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