Vaping and Depression

[Raynen]

When I began vaping, it helped me quickly get over analogs, regardless of my difficulties when I first started. Thanks to this forum, my PV and I are best of friends

While there have been many benefits from using my PV versus analogs, my sister and Mom actually pointed out their "favorite" benefit besides the fact that I don't smoke: My depression/anger problem. I no longer wake up and say "Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee". I am happy to be home, I'm okay being alone, and when things go downhill or bad, I can deal with it. I don't get very angry over little things like I used to. I'm not over-thinking and over-analyzing everything I do. The list is endless. It's as though a veil has been removed from my life, and I can see clearly see things for the first time in a long time.

Has anyone else seen improvements with overall problems like depression, anger management, etc...?

 

[FreakyStylie]

Truly inspirational! These are the real things that count.

 

[Raynen]

Truly inspirational! These are the real things that count.

Oh, most definitely so! The only "depression" is waiting for the mailman to drop off my stuff! I have yet another package I'm waiting for- it feels like I'll always be my mailbox's best friend hehe!

 

[cozzicon]

When I began vaping, it helped me quickly get over analogs, regardless of my difficulties when I first started. Thanks to this forum, my PV and I are best of friends

While there have been many benefits from using my PV versus analogs, my sister and Mom actually pointed out their "favorite" benefit besides the fact that I don't smoke: My depression/anger problem. I no longer wake up and say "Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee". I am happy to be home, I'm okay being alone, and when things go downhill or bad, I can deal with it. I don't get very angry over little things like I used to. I'm not over-thinking and over-analyzing everything I do. The list is endless. It's as though a veil has been removed from my life, and I can see clearly see things for the first time in a long time.

Has anyone else seen improvements with overall problems like depression, anger management, etc...?

Well there are a lot of psychoactive ingredients either released by tobacco combustion, or in the tobacco itself.

For some people those chemicals can actually be a positive mentally, to others they may be a negative.

From my standpoint, I'm mentally better off without the added chemicals. I know other people who feel those chemicals were beneficial.

I think it's a complex question to ask. The answer is going to depend on multiple factors and the characteristics of people.

Speaking for myself, I'm calmer, more able to make hard decisions, and far less prone to be rash.

For me- it's been a welcome change.

 

[angry-amy]

i had a lot of anxiety attacks in the beginning, but a week in, it cleared up a bit. i am feeling much stronger since. now, thats all fairly subject to change... but i hope not.

 

[Raynen]

The added chemicals were probably the anger-monsters that had gotten to my psyche. It's horrible how much control analogs had over my life...

Well there are a lot of psychoactive ingredients either released by tobacco combustion, or in the tobacco itself.

For some people those chemicals can actually be a positive mentally, to others they may be a negative.

From my standpoint, I'm mentally better off without the added chemicals. I know other people who feel those chemicals were beneficial.

I think it's a complex question to ask. The answer is going to depend on multiple factors and the characteristics of people.

Speaking for myself, I'm calmer, more able to make hard decisions, and far less prone to be rash.

For me- it's been a welcome change.

 

[Automaton]

For me, it's been kind of a wash.

As Cozzi mentioned above, there are lots of psychoactive and/or addictive chemicals in tobacco besides just nicotine. Nicotine really gets more attention than it deserves.

People have varying reactions to coming off them. Some people feel psychologically worse, others better, others the same. It depends on what your individual reactions to those chemicals is. Some of them, like MAOI's, are even chemicals we prescribe to people.

I know that cigarettes kept me more mentally balanced. That's why I started smoking in the first place. So how do I feel 5 months after quitting?

Still balanced. I do feel like my emotional range is *slightly* broader, but not too much. I still don't get depressed like I did before I started smoking. I do, once every couple of months, have a depressed day. But it's just a day. No biggie. The worst thing about depression is the days and months on end. So one day is a cakewalk to me.

But, I also find that I am slightly less anxious. I don't get anxious any less often, but when I do, it's not as bad. I had gotten to a point where my anxiety wasn't disruptive to my life anyway, but it was an effort on my part to keep it that way. I feel like it's not quite as difficult when I have anxious times since I quit.

So, it seems to me that the primary ingredient that made my brain like cigs, was nicotine, but I also think the compulsive/habitual habit of smoking is huge for me. The other chemicals seem to not play as big a role in my own personal addiction.

That is not the case for everyone. Some people really struggle with the MAOI or other chemical addictions, and need to either supplement with smokeless tobacco of up their nic level to insane levels to get off tobacco.

 

[Brat]

For me...it's the same, I'm less finicky in the morning, I don't have to rush to have that first analog in the morning. My old routine used to be something like this:

Cigarette
Shower
Coffee
Cigarette

Now it's like this:

Wake up head to the bathroom, shower.
Get dressed..vape...coffee.

I don't feel like I have to rush to get out of bed and light up that analog. I don't snap at my dog for whining to go out before I finish my analog...I'm generally all around happier...or at least I try to be LOL

 

[BlackMetalBuick]

I'm only a few days in. I won't go as far as to say that my mood has improved because of vaping, and I'm prone to get pretty down sometimes. But just my general sense of well-being has certainly improved now that I'm not smoking. Waking up with my lungs reminding me how many cigarettes I had last night, having smelly clothes to wash, getting in my car in the morning and smelling the nasty interior, I certainly don't miss any of that.

 

[lookin2quit]

For me it's been the opposite. I have bipolar disorder and coming off analogs caused a major depression, which my psychiatrist said was a result of being off the MAOIs from the analogs. Thankfully he was able to adjust my psych meds and all was well after that.

 

[Spills]

I cant say I would go as far as say I was in a "Depression" but I did certainly not have the confidence level that I do now that Im off analogs and vaping. It makes sense that if your physical well being improves part of that would carry over mentally. No cough, more endurance, less tired etc...= More confident on a consistent basis

 

[FreakyStylie]

For me it's been the opposite. I have bipolar disorder and coming off analogs caused a major depression, which my psychiatrist said was a result of being off the MAOIs from the analogs. Thankfully he was able to adjust my psych meds and all was well after that.

That is a really good point. Many different types of mental issues may react with smoking in such a way that a person should talk with their doctor about what they are doing. Quitting smoking is always good, but changing what goes on in your body should always be discussed with your doctor.

 

[NICnurse]

Your post really made me stop and think about my "mental health" along with my physical health from vaping! I am on day 103 of no analogs, vaping only. I have never suffered from depression, but I have struggled with panic attacks, feeling edgy and b**chy, and I could get really angry if I was pushed far enough. I can take a lot of crap, but once the anger built up, I would just come out of the gate and blow up.

Since switching to vaping, I have had no panic attacks, and I feel like I am a lot more even-keeled. Nursing school is stressful. But I have not had the desire to rip a professors head off yet this semester, and I only have 1 week left before semester is over. Usually, by week 5 of the semester, I am ready to "throw down" with one of my instructors. lol

Vaping has been such a positive experience for me. Life changing. I am discussing things that make me mad rather than letting them simmer over time and finally boiling over. I can breathe deeply, my cough is gone, no more brown tar phlegm, I can taste and smell again (sometimes a bad thing when you are a nurse!), I sleep better, and I do not have the crazy cravings I used to have. I wish I would have discovered vaping when pv's first came out. They have truly changed my life.

Edit: I will say that the first 2 weeks of vaping, when I was detoxing from the other gazillion cigarette chemicals, I kinda lost my "filter". Whatever popped into my head came directly out of my mouth. Not so good sometimes. lol. Very glad the filter came back!!!!

 

[Raynen]

Wow, lots of informative and varying responses. I'm glad I have people to talk to.

Ironically, I had a bad day today. It was fun spending time with friends, but the smaller issues were bothering me, and they started to escalate to bigger problems... But I'm dealing, just vaping a LOT. My PV died probably 3 times, fully charged, too, which is a lot for me.