What Are The Mental Health Side Effects Of Quitting Smoking?
July 24, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Last week I received a request from a Mental Health Notes reader wishing to see a post regarding smoking and mental illness – specifically, the effects of quitting smoking on people with mental illness:
Alicia, can you please make a posting about the effects of quitting smoking on people with mental illness. The challenges of it, how it can spark an episode, safe ways of quitting etc…This is a really important issue that the “regular quitters” don’t have to deal with. I have had a difficult time finding online information and support on this topic.
Always happy to oblige, I put on my detective’s cap and found the following information and resources for people with mental illness who smoke and want to quit.
General Information about Smoking and Mental Illness
One case study published by the Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique states that within a population that has a low rate of smoking, “Smoking is associated with schizophrenia, but not with mood disorders [...].” Another study, published by the same Centre, states that “patients with schizophrenia show a greater frequency of tobacco smoking than patients with mood disorders.”
Similarly, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has published studies regarding the relationship of mood disturbance to cigarette smoking and the association between high nicotine dependence and severe mental illness, while the American Journal of Psychiatry has published a study regarding cigarette smoking and schizophrenia and the Archives of General Psychiatry provide Major Depression and Stages of Smoking: A Longitudinal Investigation.
So, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the number of smokers soars among groups of mental health patients, and mental health patients may deal with side effects of smoking that other smokers don’t have to deal with (like interaction with medication). Couple that with the health dangers all smokers deal with, and why shouldn’t a mental health patient be interested in quitting smoking?
However, for some mental health patients, the side effects of quitting smoking may be frustrating on an entirely different level. Read on to find out why.
Why Might Quitting Smoking Be Difficult for Mental Health Patients?
According to Quit Smoking Message Not Getting Air Time In Mental Health Care, “health services are failing to provide appropriate smoking cessation strategies.” Lack of support aside, what are the side effects – if any – a mental health patient may endure as s/he tries to quit smoking?
Unfortunately, most of the information I found about mental health side effects to quitting smoking revolved around certain drugs to help people quit smoking, like Chantix. However, in addition to “an intense craving for nicotine,” in its list of nicotine withdrawal symptoms the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia includes:
- Tension
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Drowsiness and trouble sleeping
- Increased appetite and weight gain
All of which can wreak havoc on a person who’s already trying to manage the symptoms of mental illness.
Even more interesting is that the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia also states, “Withdrawal may also sometimes bring on a relapse of major depression, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse problems.”
Um, hello. That’s scary stuff.
So, how are mental health patients supposed to quit smoking and avoid relapses of mental illness symptoms?
Information about Resources to Help Mental Health Patients Quit Smoking
Naturally, you need to talk to your doctor before you start any health-related program – including one designed to help you stop smoking. Given what the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has told us, folks with mental health issues may want to pay special attention to getting a doctor’s advice and supervision.
After talking with your doctor, you may want to check out the following resources to help you quit smoking:
- The American Cancer Society’s Guide to Quitting Smoking
- The American Lung Association’s plethora of information about quitting smoking
- The Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute’s Web site Smokefree.gov
- Nicotine Anonymous
Do you have experience trying to quit smoking with a mental illness? Feel free to share your story in the comments!
Image: morgueFile
While individuals disgnosed with schizophrenia do smoke at a high rate, smoking is also linked to depression. Nicotine Replacement products may help those with a mental illness because the indidvidual is still getting the nicotine which is affecting the dopamine receptors in the brain. For free quitting tips, visit: http://www.StopSmokingStayQuit.blogspot.com
VJ Sleight, Queen of Quitting, a former smoker and Cancer Thrivor
Very comprehensive research and review. Quitting smoking was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I am still using Nicotrol NS because I haven’t been able to break my physical addiction to nicotine. It’s been over 5 years now.
@ VJ Sleight, Queen of Quitting – Depression and smoking are most certainly linked. Thanks for sharing your blog.
@ Jim Crosson – Thank you
I’m guessing it will be one of the hardest things I ever do, too, if I can ever get around to mustering up the…strength (?) to do it. I did once, for about 8 1/2 months, cold turkey. I could kick my tail for starting again. Nice advocacy site, by the way!
Hey…
Your article tells some info to me…
I used to smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day..
I want to reduce the total because of you..
Thanks,
=============
AleX
Addiction Recovery Virginia
@ alex – Thanks for chiming in, I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
I too had the Chain Smoking Problem…
Its Great to have read your article… It was somewhat very helpful for me… Well, its very hard to think but there’s no harm in trying right? … I hope I could lessen my smoking… I’m pretty much afraid of the outcome in the long run.. better start now than never…
———-
Melvin
Chain Smoker soon to be Non-smoker
Addiction Recovery Virginia
@ quaddaemon – Good luck!
Thank Alicia for doing the research. What I am most interested in is ““Withdrawal may also sometimes bring on a relapse of major depression, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse problems.” because that is what happened to me. It was awful and there seemed to be no support out there from the regular channels people use to
quit. The responses that I was getting from my treatment team was to “NOT QUIT.” Well thanks, that’s helpful. So, you’re saying that in order to stay out of an episode I need to not quit? hhmmm. I think those of us that really want to quit need to band together and figure out how to be there for eachother because the regular quitting symptoms that Alicia listed of the: * Tension
* Irritability
* Headaches
* Difficulty in concentrating
* Drowsiness and trouble sleeping
* Increased appetite and weight gain
variety can be a little exacerbated. Like Alicia, I had quit before for almost a year and a half, cold turkey. It went pretty well that time. This time, not so good. I won’t go into the laundry list of symptoms that started!! But anyways, thanks Alicia for bringing attention to this subject. I’m sure I’ll have more to add later on.
@ AngieLov – No problem
I was shocked to read your treatment team advised you to just not quit. That blows my mind! So, they want you (and smokers with mental health conditions in general) to just disregard your physical health in order to not bring on mental health symptoms?! Yet, on the other hand, I’m sure there are plenty of people who are willing to do just that. It probably seems easier for a lot of people to just continue smoking than deal with the negative mental effects quitting brings on for them.
What a vicious cycle.
Hey, you should look into starting an online community for smokers with mental health health issues trying to quit. Like, a support-type thing.
I quickly glanced through all of your comments and personally believe that if you stop smoking it will help rather than hinder mental health problems. It’s all about having the right perspective. I strongly recommend reading Allan Cars only way to stop smoking or visit one of the clinics they are all over the entire world. I think it will help you with some answers as it has been very successful for me who suffers to lesser extent from depression and chronic anxiety than I use to and wants to quit smoking. I am fixed to this book.
Plus here’s a link that looks at smoking and mental illnesses
http://old.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact15.html
Also not sure where you live but I know that there are six Allan Carr clinics in the states alone and many more elsewhere.
@ Sean Johnson – Thanks for sharing the link.
I think the main thing the reader who asked the original question wanted to know more about was the mental health side effects that take place while a person with a mental illness is quitting smoking (rather than the mental health side effects that may or may not last for the rest of a person’s life, even after they’ve quit smoking for a long time).
I definitely think quitting smoking is good for whole health (including mental health: Top 5 Reasons Smoking Is Dangerous To My Mental Health), but the matter at hand is what kind of mental side effects a person with a mental illness may endure during the quitting process.
There is some great information on the page you sent, and I’ll pass it along to my readers in an upcoming post. Thanks!
No doubt Sean Johnson; quitting smoking is the best overall. It’s sort of a tough topic to discuss though because like Alicia said, it’s what happens during the quit. The time I was quit before (why I started again is another story) I felt physically much better.
Luckily, it didn’t set off any episodes. This time, a totally different story. This quit was dangerous to my health and the health of those around me. I’ll have to check out the link you sent. I’ll check back when I have.
I just wanted to give you guys some info on this company I found, Its called Crown7. Im a bar owner and went smokeless 3 month ago, since that happened my business has dropped dramatically. So I was introduced to this company Crown7 by a friend. What they are is a company that has developed a cigarette where you can smoke in bars/restaurants. I am so greatful that I thought I should write you guys about this because I figured hey, Im sure theres other bars owners who might need to know about this company.
http://www.Crown7.com
@ Tony – Thanks for sharing. I’ve heard a lot of business owners in my area have been losing customers (within the past couple of years, laws have been enacted to prohibit smoking in these places).
Most states that have gone smoke free, have NOT lost business because more non-smokers are going places they avoided in the past because of the smoke. The laws within an area need to apply to all the business, not just some.
For free quitting tips, visit: http://www.StopSmokingStayQuit.blogspot.com
VJ Sleight, Queen of Quitting, a former smoker and Cancer Thrivor
@ VJ – I can’t quote statistics on most states (I only live in one, and haven’t bothered to look any up), but for the purposes of my own state, one of my news stations did conduct a poll for business owners (bars, restaurants, night clubs – the kinds of places where smoking was allowed) and ran a story on it, with poll results and interviews and whatnot. The general consensus was that these places had lost a lot of business. (One owner was even going so far as to blatantly ignore the new non-smoking laws because he couldn’t afford the drop in customers – naturally he’s going to court and the news station is supposed to do a follow up regarding his legal case.) None of this comes as any surprise; smoking is big business. I don’t doubt that each state’s (and each area’s) demographics play a role in whether or not businesses are losing business though.
Thanks for sharing the link to your blog. Hopefully it will help others.