[historyteach]

"Quit Tip of The Day!

Anti-Depressants?

Some depression is caused by addiction (and abstinence from it); some is masked by addiction and uncovered during abstinence. You MAY need some type of med, natural or otherwise, to break the underlying depression patterns- OR- you may need to develop alternative methods of dealing with depression/anxiety (like deep breathing, meditation, physical exercise). Cognitive-behavioral therapy, while demanding the most participation at first, can be extremely effective in folks whose depression isn't purely organic in nature. St. John's Wort and Kava Kava are used by many ex-smokers to treat mild depression (though Kava Kava is actually an anti-anxiety herb- not usually helpful in treating more severe depression; it has a very mild tranquilizing effect). Early in your quit is usually too soon to be able to diagnose a chronic depressive tendency. Wait and see how you're feeling around the six-month mark (though you should stay in contact with your doc)."

Hope this helps. I used Zyban, and had a terrible reaction to it the last attempt to quit. Please use caution. Perhaps keeping a record and keeping in touch with your doctor.
(Zyban is the same thing as Welbutrin, and anti depressant. Studies found that some people were helped in their attempt to quit smoking with its use. It is marketed under a different name because Welbutrin is covered by insurance, while Zyban is not.)
However, other studies show that SOME people GET panic attacks due to using Zyban/Welbutrin. It actually CAUSES it is some. My neighbor is a shrink who did research studies on it, and found this to be the case!
As always, listen to your body!
Shalom!