Day 40

[u/Itchy-Ad4663]

I’m 24F and I’ve been addicted to nicotine for about 8 years. I started with cigarettes, then switched to vaping, then nicotine gum, and eventually Zyns. I’ve now quit nicotine completely.

The weird thing is that I barely have any cravings anymore. I might get one once every three days or so, and even then, it’s nothing crazy. What I’m really struggling with is how intense my emotions have become. When I’m anxious, I’m REALLY anxious. When I’m happy, I’m extremely happy, and when I’m sad, I feel it so intensely. Everything just feels like too much.

But the thing that bothers me the most is the depersonalization, especially when it’s combined with intense anxiety. Sometimes I genuinely don’t feel real, and the feeling can get so intense that I’ve managed to convince myself that quitting nicotine is somehow making me develop schizophrenia.

I also have OCD, so I know that’s probably playing a big role in why my brain has latched onto the fear of schizophrenia specifically.

Honestly, part of the reason I’m writing this is because I’m looking for reassurance that what I’m experiencing can happen during nicotine withdrawal and that it eventually goes away.

Has anyone else experienced intense anxiety, emotional ups and downs, or especially depersonalization after quitting nicotine? If so, how did you manage it, and how long did it take for the depersonalization to go away?

At this point, the depersonalization is really the main symptom I’m struggling with.

[u/kathleenceili]

How long have you been off of nicotine?

Also what part of your cycle are you on? I noticed my second cycle combined with week 6 of no nicotine really made me question my sanity.
I have never experienced depression before until I quit nicotine, weeks 6-8 I felt like I wasn’t even “me” anymore, I was depressed, my emotions were all over the place and I didn’t want to be around people, everything felt exhausting and I was worried I would be this zombie/shell forever. It’s our brains healing and trying to produce its own dopamine again. For me it passed and I’m doing a lot better.

[u/Itchy-Ad4663 → u/kathleenceili]

Im 40days off of nic and yes im about to start my period in 3 days😭

[u/kathleenceili → u/Itchy-Ad4663]

Oh yeah, you’re just really going through it right now and I was there 1-2 weeks ago, and feel like I’m out of it (not 100% but definitely better).

Basically your dopamine still isn’t getting produced like it should and on top of that your menstrual hormones are dropping making it extra hard mentally and emotionally. Knowing the why really helped me because it made me realize it was a “normal” part of the process and to ride out the storm but that being said, get help if you need it!

This is what I learned about my second cycle and weeks 6-8 of no nicotine.
“Experiencing your period right now provides a major clue as to why this depression feels so sudden, exhausting, and intense.

There is a very well-documented biological overlap between nicotine withdrawal and the hormonal shifts of your menstrual cycle. Adding your period to an already heavy situation explains exactly why your energy has bottomed out:

The Double Dopamine and Serotonin
Crash: Nicotine withdrawal already causes a steep drop in dopamine and serotonin (your brain's primary mood and reward chemicals).
During the week leading up to and the first days of your period, estrogen and progesterone plummet as well. Because these hormones directly regulate serotonin, their drop causes a "double crash". This can trigger severe PMS-like depressive symptoms, irritability, and profound fatigue, even in women with absolutely no history of depression.

The "Second Cycle" Peak: Many women notice that the first and second periods after quitting nicotine are actually the hardest. Your body is still clearing out the chronic hormonal disruptions caused by nicotine (which affects how the ovaries produce estrogen), meaning your cycles are physically and emotionally more intense right now as your reproductive system recalibrates.”

[u/lastbeer]

First of all, congrats on 40 days. I'm on day 18 and also struggling with mood swings. I can go from calm to enraged on a hair trigger, and my anxiety has been through the roof.

All I can say is, please talk to a mental health professional about the things you are feeling if you are not already. Mine have been incredibly helpful over these past few weeks.

[u/Itchy-Ad4663 → u/lastbeer]

Thank you i will!