New treatment to help depressed smokers give up smoking Smoking cessation is an uphill task and when somebody also has depression, it gets even more difficult. To help depressed smokers give up smoking, researchers from the Northwestern University have come up with a new intervention that is a combination of behavioral activation and medication. The findings, published in the journal Addiction in September 2016, explain why it was difficult to manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms for depressed people and why it was next to impossible for them to quit smoking. “We’ve used this new theory of withdrawal in depressed smokers to develop the first targeted approach for smoking cessation in this underserved population,” said the senior author of the study Brian Hitsman, an associate professor of preventive medicine and psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Withdrawal symptoms more complicated in depressed people Depressed smokers have more nagging withdrawal symptoms compared to those without depression. They are most likely to experience low moods, impaired thinking or memory, and problems in engaging in rewarding activities. These symptoms are common in all the smokers but the severity in case of those who are depressed is higher. The depressed smokers also have fewer options to assuage these symptoms, so the rate of relapse is also on the higher side. The depressed smokers tend to have a false notion that smoking can help them get rid of their foul moods, the researchers said. Though smoking brings a temporary relief, in the long run, it worsens the mood of the smoker. “On the other hand, successfully quitting smoking is associated with improvements in mental health,” said the lead author of the study Amanda Mathew, a licensed clinical psychologist. Depression can lead to cognitive impairment Depressed smokers, who try to quit, always face adverse effects compared to non-depressed smokers. They often experience low positive outcomes and high negative effects. The low positive effects include less pleasure from rewarding activities, for instance, socializing or partaking in any physical activity. The negative effects, on the other hand, are quite
prominent, including feelings of angst, anxiety, guilt or sadness. Another highly unwarranted outcome is cognitive impairment, which prevents them from taking any practical step, focusing or retention. The researchers used a combination therapy - using FDA-approved drug Chantix and “behavioral activation� which is a type of behavioral therapy. They are in the process of studying whether combining these two can yield a positive outcome for the depressed smokers in the near future. By now, they claim to have gathered sufficient empirical support for their theory that is going to help treatment procedures in a big way. Recovery road map Depression is an impediment which prevents one from moving ahead in life. Depressed people are more susceptible to abusing addictive substances that can further complicate their condition. If you have someone who is depressed and is grappling with an addiction, reach out to the Recover Mental Health to know about residential rehab centers in your vicinity. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 866-593-2339 for a quick response. One should not delay the treatment or it can worsen the symptoms and things can get out of hand. Whether it is residential drug rehab centers or any other rehab, our experts have the best advice in treatment options. The Recover Mental Health is a resource center dedicated to providing information on everything related to mental health and substance abuse. With over 21,000 listings in our directory, we provide quick and easy access to treatment centers across the United States and its territories as well as Canada.
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