Smoking is depressing?

Category: News & Politics

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8/30/2010 Marc "Hole in the Wall" D. says:

Interesting study in the paper today:  http://www.vancouversu...

They found that smoking may cause a spike in depression.

Do you think it is right?

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   8/30/2010 Mike P. says:

   I think that anything that is addictive (whether nicotine, caffeine, etc) can cause depression due to the withdrawl symptoms (like they say in the article).  So then throw in other external stressful, depressing things, the mood most likely gets amplified.

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   8/30/2010 Johnson C. says:

   Interesting - Googled it and found another article that goes a bit more into depth of the research methodology:
   http://www.healthjocke...
   
   I may need to read the whole study but the causal relationship between nicotine and depression appears weak.  As the researcher's say, smoking draws in 'depressed' youth who 'self-medicate'.  If depression grows deeper over time and the teens are smoking more, is nicotine adding to the depression or is the increased depression calling for more self-medication/smoking?
   
   As a smoker, I meet many other smokers - from my observation, many 'chippers' seem to be attention-seekers to their 'woe-is-me' attitude.  Smoking definitely doesn't help with whatever problem they have, but if someone feels increasingly depressed - it's probably more due to deep-seated emotional issues than nicotine.

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   8/30/2010 Chris B. says:

   Although possible I take stuff like this with a grain of salt.
   
   It's sort of like when you find out something you never thought about causes cancer. At this point everything causes cancer. I'm almost convinced that the only thing that causes cancer is being alive. Although clearly a joke it makes you think, what doesn't make modern humanity sick or depressed?

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   8/30/2010 Mathieu "Button Masher" Y. says:

   @Chris B's ca a full list of Daily Mail published cancer causing and antidote agents: http://kill-or-cure.he.../
   
   Whenever a news report uses the words may, some say, scientists agree, or other simliarly vague terms, their report is under-studied and inconclusive. Be careful.

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   8/31/2010 Marc "Hole in the Wall" D. says:

   @Mathieu - That kill or cure site is wonderful!  Thank you for the link!

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   8/31/2010 Jenni "Yelp is Not a Singles Bar" B. says:

   Interesting study Marc. I wonder if it addressed that teens may start smoking to cope with stress? (Or did I not read it carefully... did a scan my attention span sucks!). You know what totally can cause depression in smokers IMHO - being banished to smoke outside on a day like today! So gross out!
   
   And I agree on the good link Mathieu!

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