Panic attacks from not smoking?

Question

This is going on my 3rd week of not smoking and it feels like I'm going through post pardum again...I used to have a panic disorder condition and that seems to be back too. I have .25 Xanax to relax me, I just don't want to take this everyday. But it feels like my brain isn't stopping with bad dreams and worrying like crazy! Will this go away? Is this the chemical imbalance from smoking for 15 years?

Answer 1

While the chemical withdrawl from smoking doesn't take long, the behavioral withdrawl can.  Further, since nicotine can have some role in reducing the frequency and intensity of anxiety disorders, it is reasonable to expect that you might have more intense symptoms for some period now that you've stopped smoking.  As an alternative to psychopharmaceuticals (or in addition to them), you might consider seeing a psychologist to receive therapy for your anxiety disorder.  Cognitive behavioral therapy has an effectiveness rating equal to, if not slightly better than, pharmacological therapy.  

Answer 2

Most of it is withdrawal. But you're past the worst of it and you'll find that it becomes more manageable as time goes on -- I'm a bit more than three months out and most of the time I'm OK. People who have quit say though that you'll have some extra anxiety for four months to a year, and it takes a couple of years to feel completely normal.

Once you're done with the withdrawal, you'll still be without the calming effect of nicotine. But nicotine can also increase the risk of panic disorder, so the tradeoff isn't entirely clear. If I were to generalize from where I'm at now, it would be that minor anxiety bothers me more but that major anxiety bothers me less.

Answer 3

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