Nicotine addiction

T

Tippy

Catholic
Heritage
Several years ago I acquired a rather stupid addiction to nicotine lozenges. At first I thought I had found something amazing - I could feel really good while alone without drinking and I could keep on prolonging the high with more lozenges. But over time the high turned to irritation to full blown anxiety and paranoia that is only temporarily satiated (and then further inflamed by) consumption of more nicotine.

I eventually quit successfully at least partially to moving to a country (Poland) that didn't easily sell these products.

And then I found Zyns or Velo and the like (pouches). The first time I heard about this my reaction is 'that's retraded.' Putting a random bag of nicotine in your mouth? And then taking it out and throwing it away? It just appeared to an insane ritual.

But with some very tedious work tasks coming up I decided stupidly that I would use nicotine as a concentration enhancer.

I am going to argue these pouches are actually worse than cigarettes since once addicted you can have one in your mouth at every waking moment of the day. At least cigarettes force you to go outside generally.

I quit again after having some of the worst anxiety of my life and am now casually smoking to come off the withdrawals.

I don't really smoke correctly (don't inhale) and can quit more easily due to the general hasle of smoking so I hope after this I can be done with nicotine forever.

But it's tempted when you're bored and lonely.

Anyone else had issues with this and come through to the other side?
 
Christos_NIKA said:
There's a lot of weird talk going around lately as well, claiming that while the chemicals in cigarettes are really bad for you, the nicotine isn't. Claims that the nicotine makes you feel great, boosts your testosterone, prevents COVID, and boosts your immune system. Hard to know what to believe anymore.
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I used to smoke two packs of newports (yes newports) a day, I've since quit and become a vape homo which I hate and I'm now trying to quit that which is even harder than the cigs because it's so much easier to use but at least I don't stink anymore and I guess you can argue it's "healthier".....with that term relatively applied. I did a lot of research into this to determine if it was actually better to become a vape homo instead of the cigs as I wanted to make sure there was actually a point in switching and what you said was similar to my findings.

Once you get past all the dumb low IQ targeted fear mongering sites about smoking and find some real information the nicotine, while being incredibly addictive, isn't necessarily bad for you. It's all the other stuff that is in cigarettes which is killing you. I didn't find anything to indicate nicotine was beneficial as I wasn't looking for that but again the nicotine itself isn't what is detrimental to your health.
 
Christos_NIKA said:
There's a lot of weird talk going around lately as well, claiming that while the chemicals in cigarettes are really bad for you, the nicotine isn't. Claims that the nicotine makes you feel great, boosts your testosterone, prevents COVID, and boosts your immune system. Hard to know what to believe anymore.
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Nicotine is good for you.

My memory of it is hazy (ironically), but I believe it helps with memory recall, and may slow the degradation of your neural tissue.
 
When I first started dating my wife she used to smoke and was addicted to it, the only way she managed to quite was a miracle from God I dont know exactly how but the desire left her and she hasnt smoked for many many years.

My cousin had a very strange thing happen to him as a smoker, they prayed for him at church and when he got home he threw up a thick black tar into the sink and he never smoked ever again its been decades.
 
Self control is necessary. The synthesized pouches are the best, least harmful way to use nicotine, but are also the easiest to go overboard on due to the reasons you mentioned.

Take breaks, use the low dosage options, set limits for yourself and don't go beyond them. It's also a lot cheaper if you use them sparingly instead of compulsively.

I never smoked because I like being able to breathe, but before pouches I used Copenhagen long cut, and I could make a single can last two weeks. I quit that because it's too messy and doesn't go over well in certain social situations. Pouches solved that problem but I learned you have to be a master at self control to use them sensibly.

I've found that high intensity exercise can help stave off nicotine cravings.
 
Thymoquinine (black seed / black cumin) destroys addiction, from weed to opiates. Research the recommended amounts to take and depending on what your addiction is, you can use it as part of a regimen to rebalance your brain chemistry.

This study sheds some light onto it:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395189/

I speak from the personal experience of someone I used to know, used it to help overcome withdrawal symptoms from really strong pharmaceutical opioid analgesics. You have to be aggressive in your recovery no matter what you're suffering from.

It is often sold in 5% tinctures, sometimes stronger. In the USA it used to be sold at Vitamin Cottage, or whatever they're called now. In Europe I've seen it at upscale herbalist shops.

God put a cure out there for everything the satanic industries can get you addicted to, just a matter of praying and discerning to find it. When our biological initiative is weaker than the chemical dependencies designed in a laboratory for profit and we are unable to quit cold turkey, then we must look at God's garden and seek the solution there.
 
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Christos_NIKA said:
There's a lot of weird talk going around lately as well, claiming that while the chemicals in cigarettes are really bad for you, the nicotine isn't. Claims that the nicotine makes you feel great, boosts your testosterone, prevents COVID, and boosts your immune system. Hard to know what to believe anymore.
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"if" I was a smoker I would only smoke cuban cigars or a wooden pipe with pure tobacco, the digital cigarette is a very weird thing for me to see people sucking on and the other cigarettes are full of chemicals.

Since I dont smoke I will rather stay away from it all and rather not get onto it.
 
Whenever I drink alcohol, I also crave a cigarette. Thankfully, I've never been much of a drinker. I don't know how people can drink alcohol everyday.

I've cut my smoking down to one pack a week. Been that way for a few months now. Feeling good.
 
MusicForThePiano said:
Thymoquinine (black seed / black cumin) destroys addiction, from weed to opiates. Research the recommended amounts to take and depending on what your addiction is, you can use it as part of a regimen to rebalance your brain chemistry.

This study sheds some light onto it:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395189/

I speak from the personal experience of someone I used to know, used it to help overcome withdrawal symptoms from really strong pharmaceutical opioid analgesics. You have to be aggressive in your recovery no matter what you're suffering from.

It is often sold in 5% tinctures, sometimes stronger. In the USA it used to be sold at Vitamin Cottage, or whatever they're called now. In Europe I've seen it at upscale herbalist shops.

God put a cure out there for everything the satanic industries can get you addicted to, just a matter of praying and discerning to find it. When our biological initiative is weaker than the chemical dependencies designed in a laboratory for profit and we are unable to quit cold turkey, then we must look at God's garden and seek the solution there.
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I don't know about tincture, but I have black seed oil in my fridge. I bought it as an antiviral. I take spoonful with half a spoon of honey taken X 3 a day as a prophylactic when I'm feeling sniffy or feverish. The oil is available online on ebay or Amazon.
 
Nicotine is getting a resurgence I think. A lot of the claims surrounding it are simply not true, I don't think we can even conclusively say if it's carcinogenic or not. There is some cardiotoxicity from it and I know it can effect blood pressure and heart function but if you use it in moderation I don't think it's an issue. I do also recall that nicotine increases a protein called Delta Fos-B which is implicated in dopamine response in the prefrontal cortex, this has some implications too. A quick chat GPT summary:

  • Dopamine Regulation: DeltaFosB enhances the sensitivity of neurons to dopamine. This increased sensitivity can lead to a stronger response to the presence of dopamine, amplifying the reward sensation that nicotine (or other addictive substances) produces.
  • Behavioral Sensitization: As DeltaFosB accumulates, it can lead to behavioral sensitization, where the individual becomes increasingly sensitive to the effects of the drug. This means that even with the same amount of nicotine, the brain’s reward system might produce a stronger response over time.
  • Long-Term Changes: DeltaFosB also induces long-term changes in gene expression that contribute to the persistence of addictive behaviors. For example, it can promote the expression of certain proteins that make the brain more responsive to nicotine, making it harder for someone to quit.
  • Cross-Sensitization: Interestingly, DeltaFosB’s effects are not limited to nicotine. It can also sensitize the brain to other addictive substances, which is one reason why individuals who are addicted to one substance might be more susceptible to becoming addicted to another.
If you're going to use nicotine you should not use it long term and if you have had a history of substance abuse (even caffeine) it can increase your chances of other addictions occuring. So, be mindful of how much/how long you use it, and which route of administration you go with. Vape pens are absolutely horrible though and I would strongly advise against them.

I do go through periods of using lozenges or recently, Zyn, which I didn't know was just nicotine salts, not chewless tobacco. I used to use Swedish snus, which is arguably one of the safest forms of any nicotine/tobacco product, but it's getting taken off the market now so Zyn/lozenges is a good alternative. Zyn is better bang for your buck but more addicting than lozenges. If you can afford lozenges, do it. Ideally, patches are actually the safest and least addictive option, but they're quite expensive.

The thing I've noticed about nicotine too, at least for me, is that I can quit it cold turkey and feel no withdrawals. I think it's entirely psychological. It definitely has its uses, it's particularly great for long motorcycle rides or road trips, or just maintaining productivity. But, I have noticed that I had similar mindset to justify using other drugs (kratom, pot) in the past, and it's possible I am deluding myself now in the same way as with nicotine. Thing is though nicotine has proven neurocognitive benefits that can justify it. There's even evidence it can ward off cognitive decline/dementia. So you gotta take the bad with the good. Andrew Huberman even uses nicotine himself though he also admits to using only 2mg of gum a few times a week, but he may just be sensitive to it. I always seemed to need to use a lot to really notice anything.
 
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I use swedish snus. Nicotine for me helps me to concentrate on solitary tasks for long periods of time, as I currently do maintenance and repair for a lab and I am a one man team.

I have no desire to quit, however your anxiety and other psychological problems are probably from using too much of it. I use, fairly consistently, 8 to 10 of the pouches a day at a 8 to 9mg nicotine strength. It has been months and the use has not increased. Before then, I smoked a pack a day for well over ten years. Swedish snus is a night and day difference for me compared to cigarettes.

I used to deal with people at work who would have panic attack levels of anxiety on a daily basis. Then I learned that they would consume scoops of preworkout, or a very large sugary coffee, and after adding it up, they were having 800+ mg of caffeine in a sitting. I am guessing that you are just bored and having one after another after another. Any stimulant would mess you up with that level of consumption.

I find that having something to do to keep your hands busy helps.
 
I used to be a smoker. To my embarrassment I did actually quit with a vape. Gay I know. But the clouds of fruity smoke aside it did actually help, and the gayness helped too because I didn't want it to be a replacement, I wanted to stop being a fruity cloud merchant as soon as possible. I started off with nicotine in the thing then cut it down and then once I was using it with no nicotine and the thing stopped working I just didn't replace it.

I still have to be vigilant because I am at risk of smoking particularly if I am drinking.

One line that helps me resist the temptation is "if God wanted us to smoke He would have put chimneys on our heads"
 
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