Mental Illness

At least half the people with mental illness or addiction are also addicted to nicotine. They also smoke more cigarettes a day. These are some possible reasons:

The nicotine in cigarettes is very addictive.

You may smoke to help cope with the symptoms of your mental illness or the side effects of your medications.

You may be facing a lot of stress, especially if you don’t have support. Stress and smoking go hand-in-hand.

How to quit

Studies show that, with support, people living with mental illness can quit smoking and stay quit. Here’s how:

• Make a plan
• Get ready for your quit day
• Ask family and friends for support
• Use quit-smoking aids

When you quit smoking, you may feel less anxiety, stress, or depression.

Smoking and Medication

Smoking affects how some medications work. Some medications may need to be adjusted to avoid any unpleasant side effects or problems.

Before you quit, tell your healthcare provider how much you smoke and how you plan to quit. Ask them about how quitting will affect the medications you take.

Quit-smoking aids

Quit-smoking aids like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and medical quit aids work. When you use them with counselling support your chances of success are even better. Talk to your healthcare provider if you want to use these.

Tobacco Free Nova Scotia (TFNS) helps you quit and stay quit. We offer personalized support without judgment. A caring counsellor can work with you, at your pace, to help you make and follow your quit plan. Our counsellors have the skills and experience to help you quit using tobacco no matter what kind of product you use. They can also help you to quit vaping.

Whatever works for you is the best plan. We’re here to talk when you’re ready.

Call our 811 Quit Line

Sign up for Secure Chat

Sign up for weekly motivational text messages

Depression

You may feel some of these things after you quit smoking or vaping:

• low moods
• bad moods
• anxiety
• irritability

You are not alone! These symptoms are often caused by nicotine withdrawal. They should get better in one or 2 weeks. Once you get through these mood swings, you will feel more able to fight your cravings.

If you find yourself feeling down for more than 2 weeks, it could also be depression. If you’ve just had a baby, it could be post-partum depression. It’s important to talk to someone. Reach out to your healthcare provider, a friend, or a counsellor. You can reach one of our counsellors through these services:

• our 811 Quit Line
• Secure Chat

Our counsellors have the skills and experience to help you quit using tobacco no matter what kind of product you use. They can also help you to quit vaping.

Depression can happen at any age and to anyone. It’s common among smokers. No one knows for certain why.

There are effective treatments for depression and other mental illnesses. Your healthcare provider can help you find the treatment that is best for you.

Quitting smoking is a great way to feel better about yourself. When you quit you will have more energy and fewer expenses.

When you decide to quit, make a plan. This will help you to prepare for how nicotine withdrawal makes you feel. More importantly, it will help you to cope with those feelings.

There are 2 strategies that will help you the most:

• getting counselling
• using quit-smoking aids

If you take medication to treat your depression, talk to your healthcare provider before you quit. They may need to change the dose.