From: Science Daily
Quitting smoking is certainly healthy for the body, but doctors and scientists haven’t been sure whether quitting makes people happier, especially since conventional wisdom says many smokers use cigarettes to ease anxiety and depression. In a new study, researchers tracked the symptoms of depression in people who were trying to quit and found that they were never happier than when they were being successful, for however long that was.
Researchers recommend:
- Smokers embrace quitting as a step toward improving mental as well as physical health
- Quitting is not, as some smokers may fear, a grim psychological sacrifice to be made for the sake of longevity
Kahler and other researchers from Brown, The Miriam Hospital, and the University of Southern California studied a group of 236 men and women seeking to quit smoking, who also happened to be heavy social drinkers. They received nicotine patches and counseling on quitting and then agreed to a quit date; some also were given specific advice to reduce drinking. Participants took a standardized test of symptoms of depression a week before the quit date and then two, eight, 16, and 28 weeks after that date.
Research study: http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/11/24/ntr.ntq213
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