Source
r/stopsmoking•
serbrian

Did anyone else feel intensely happy early into their quit?

I debated posting this - I know that some people are struggling with their quit early on, and I don't want to make them feel any worse.

With that out of the way, did anyone else actually experience almost a euphoric feeling after their initial withdrawal phase? I'd say that yesterday and today I've been damned near giddy as a school girl - I'm generally not an openly jovial person (though I like to have fun), but for the past 2 days I've been in an extremely good mood.

This has nothing to do with being brainwashed or hypnotized into being a non-smoker - I have done a (failed) quit before, and was a son of a bitch for months.

Am I alone in this, or did anyone else go through the same thing?

Posted Apr 16, 2014, 7:45 AM UTC

718
Nincomphooey418 days•

This is so strange! For a few days now I've been scouring the internet for anything about this, and haven't found anything.

I started smoking 24 years ago and have tried to quit several times. I NEVER felt giddy or euphoric! Irritable, depressed, miserable...

This time around, I do get irritable (but it's not too bad), and I do have depressed spells, but I find myself laughing wildly at things that are probably only mildly funny, and I've been having strange bursts of feeling just plain...great. Like somehow my serotonin levels have shot up.

I'm trying to just not think about smoking, so the giddiness isn't related to thoughts of "I'm doing it this time!!" or anything like that. I have cravings for a cigarette many, many times a day, but I just remind myself of why I'm quitting and wait it out.

I never expected this side effect, that's for sure!!

5
get_down_to_it418 days•

I'm in kind of the same boat. I have only had brief moments of any sort of positive feeling since I quit. It was nice to see that I had not smoked 100 cigs last night on my quit app, but it hardly outweighs the almost constant negative feelings that I have. I know I'm doing a good thing, but I can't shake the terrible depressing feelings that are getting me about every day. I'm really hoping that things start improving soon. I'm dedicated to the quit, but damn its hard.

2
Nincomphooey418 days•

I have read that a good B multiple supplement, Vitamin C and omega-3 help with the re-building of dopamine and serotonin that was depleted by nicotine. I have been taking B-12, B-6, D-3 and a multiple vitamin daily, and I drink a TON of water, but I have no idea if any of these things are the reason that I have such happy spells during the day instead of non-stop depression and irritability, as I've experienced when trying to quit in the past.

When I read that cigarettes boost serotonin, I was really surprised. I feel as if I'm suddenly getting a regular supply of it for the first time in many, many years. And I have a pretty heavy and long history of depression, too. Strange!

Things WILL improve!! Nothing very very good or very very bad ever lasts for very very long. Soon you will look back on this and heave a huge sigh of relief (with healthier lungs!). I'm having pretty bad cravings still, but I imagine myself breaking down and smoking, and man...the thought is shameful. We've come too far now!

2
Loisdenominator711 days•

I still craved cigs and thought about them constantly for about a month, how could i not after smoking on a daily basis for 21 years? It's OK to acknowledge the thoughts, they are harmless and you can choose not to act on the thoughts.

Enjoy the giddiness :)

1
lightpath7459 days•

Absolutely, it's probably your brain enjoying the extra oxygen it's getting instead of carbon monoxide.

3
serbrianOP422 days•

I'm sure you're probably right, but I just can't quite figure out why I didn't have it the last time.

2
lightpath7459 days•

Enjoy it while it lasts, things might get a little bleaker down the road.

3
serbrianOP422 days•

They probably will - it was already pretty rough for the first 6. I expect it will happen, but I'm going to try and stay positive!

2
Loisdenominator711 days•

I felt the same, and I think because deep down I knew this was the time I had finally done it. No brainwashing, no hypnosis, no B.S. I was just so goddamned proud of myself, knowing that I had accomplished what I thought would be nearly impossible, and though it wasn't easy, it was nowhere as difficult as I thought it would be.

Enjoy it, it's a great feeling. You feel you can do anything you set your mind to. Just a word of caution...the novelty of this wears off and you may feel vulnerable. For me it was 3 months in, but I navigated through it by talking it out here.

Happy sailing :)

3
Armison857 days•

I was giddy as a school girl too.

3
Nincomphooey418 days•

How long did the giddiness last? Or are you still giddy? :)

2
Armison857 days•

I've leveled out quite a bit, but my baseline mood is a lot happier than when I smoked. I still get giddy in situations where I get to tell someone I don't smoke anymore, like when I saw my doctor last month for the first time since I quit.

5
SlowCarbSnacktime914 days•

Anyone I know from "that time" or is a healthcare professional, I can't freaking wait to tell them I quit smoking. I will make it a point of discussion in any way I can. I will celebrate dammit.

3
20_years_a_slave525 days•

yes. in fact, I've had an excellent 3+ months. best time in memory.

3
skrulewi428 days•

Roller coaster ride! Up, then down. Then UP! then down... this too shall pass!

2
rfdavid559 days•

I felt the same way, I was relieved to have been free. I might be a weird case as I was on Champix, but quit it on day 6 (the same day I quit smoking)

Some days I still get overly happy with myself for ridding myself of the habit.

2
[deleted]•

The last time I quit long term that happened to me too! I think it was all the extra oxygen, better circulation, and the brain not having to feed the nicotine receptors. I'm so happy for you!

2
Vindicator9000458 days•

I definitely got euphoric the first time I quit, back in 2001. I felt so full of self-worth and self-confidence. It was incredible.

The second time I quit, this year, was the opposite - intense depression, which is slowly going away after 1.5 months.

I've had reason to read lots of studies about mental state during cessation recently, and I really think that mood extremes are normal.

Just be careful that the euphoria doesn't lead you right back into smoking as it did for me the first time.

1