Mental Health and Tobacco Use
Support Your Mental Health
Tobacco can make it harder to manage your mental health. Nicotine can increase levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Understand the Connection
Knowing how nicotine affects mental health can help motivate you to quit:
Nicotine Dependence – Nicotine changes how the brain works, causing cravings and withdrawal symptoms like mood swings and anxiety.
Increased Stress, Depression, and Anxiety – Nicotine may feel relaxing at first, but over time it can make stress, depression, and anxiety worse.
Impact on Medications – Nicotine can affect some mental health medications, making them less effective.
Take Care of Your Mental Health While Quitting
When you first start quitting, you might feel more anxious or depressed. These feelings are normal and will get better soon. Here are some tips for quitting:
Track Your Mood
- Write down how you feel each day to see progress and patterns.
- Use a mood-tracking app to help monitor your mental health as you quit.
Be Kind to Yourself
- Remember quitting is a journey, and it’s okay if it’s hard. Be patient with yourself. It can take many tries to quit for good.
- Celebrate small wins, like getting through a craving or a day without tobacco.
Quit Your Way
We have free tools to help you quit, no matter where you are in your journey. When you’re ready to quit smoking, vaping, or using smokeless tobacco products, pick the support that works best for you.
Enroll Online
Take control of your quit journey with easy-to-use online tools. Customize a quit plan, stay motivated, and track your progress using the online dashboard. Start today and build a plan made just for you.
- Free 4-week starter kit of patch, gum, or lozenges
- Text message support
- Chat online with a coach
Call to Quit
Get free, 1-on-1 phone coaching with a trained Quit Coach to make your own quit plan. People who join are twice as likely to quit, and using free nicotine gum, patches, or lozenges can triple your chances.
- 12 weeks of free gum, patches, or lozenges
- Talk with a Quit Coach
- Unlimited support