9th day quitter- Have some Questions

[Sal]

Hello, been on the Patch 9 days now. I am also a Cannabis user with a license and use it for personal and Physical issues. Will this prove to be a problem? I see it as a substitute in that at least I'm smoking something. I've tried edibles but they are too expensive and don't seem to do the same thing.

[jillar]

It wasn't a problem  for me until my lungs failed and I ended up on oxygen. Now I can't imagine putting any smoke in my lungs, pot or otherwise. But  if you think it's going to be a problem  for you then it probably  is. Only you know that. Personally  I love the edibles and wish I had discovered them a lot sooner than I did 

I think what you're missing is the hand to mouth actions of smoking. One of the hardest parts of the quit for a lot of us. I used an air cigarette to get past my bad cravings. I would pretend I was holding an actual cigarette and then go through the motions of "smoking" it. And it worked great at tricking my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing. Some use cut straws, pens or even licorice for their air cigarette. Maybe give that a try?

Edited January 10, 2022 by jillar

[intoxicated yoda]

Hi Sal...It's pretty obvious to me you see it as a problem on some level since you asked about it.  In my opinion, if it's getting you off the cigs it's what you gotta do for now but a terrible long term solution.  Same with the patches.  The junkie mind will do all kinds of things to get you back on the drug and it could be real easy to turn smoking something into smoking your favorite brand again.  I mean, didn't we all use cigarettes for personal issues?  You've got a good quit going, don't try to justify yourself out of it.  

[Kris]

@Sal, The only problem I see is that you are still abusing your lungs, not what you are smoking. Once the damage to your lungs, regardless of what you are smoking, the damage can't be undone.  I know this kind of straight up honesty seems cruel, it is not intended.  I was there when my husband lungs stopped working.  He never was a smoker of tobacco, just the other. He also had a skin cancer that moved to his lungs.  Had he never smoked anything we might have had more time together. The number one thing they listed on the death certificate was Acute Respiratory Failure, the second was the cancer.  You are going to have to dig deep on this one.  Smoking anything is bad, you need to give the edibles another chance, as they are the way to freedom from the need to smoke something, your body will adapt.  I can't say it will be easy, I have no idea, we do not have the option in my state.  You have options, use them.

[KEL]

@SalCongratulations on 9 days! That is so incredible. Ironically (and I am sure others can weigh in on this) its those first few days and weeks that are the most difficult but also the most precious. It does get much easier.

I think it takes what it takes but I can recall vaping nicotine as a substitute in my quit four years ago. On day two, I realized it was keeping me in the habit of sucking on something for comfort instead of stopping the habit entirely. For me, it was way too similar to smoking. I relapsed on that quit (obviously) but learned a lot about what I was really addicted to. For me, it was not just the drug of nicotine but the oral fixation and ritual. I had to look at the latter squarely and release it if I were going to successfully get rid of the former.

Again my opinion, having tried all sorts of quit mechanisms over the last four or so years (NRT, hypnotherapy, meditation, vaping, 12-step), cold turkey is the best way. Get off nicotine and any other substance that keeps you thinking about nicotine or the ritual of smoking.

BTW, not sure where you are but edibles are generally cheaper and give greater effect than flower. I am in Colorado and have been tangentially in the "industry" for a long time here and back when I lived in Cali.

Wishing you success and thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. It helps me a lot.

 

[Doreensfree]

My opinion ....

I have never smoked or used anything other than Nicotine ....

I had to rid myself of the whole ritual....I have tried every quit method known to Man ..and some ...

The only thing that has worked for me is going cold turkey ...

Our lungs are not meant to have anything going in except for good fresh air ...

I carnt imagine not smoking Nicotine ..but still smoking ......NOPE !!!!!

[KEL]

@DoreensfreeI have heard that some folks use smoking MJ to get off nicotine. And I have also heard mushrooms help with nicotine addiction. Not sure of the success rates on any of it. 

[intoxicated yoda]

@KELJohns Hopkins has done studies on smoking cessation using psilocybin with success rates of around 80% after 1 year.  There is a microcap biotech company working with them to develop a micro dose psilocybin patch.  I think one of the keys to using psilocybin is that the dose needs to be strong enough to disconnect you from reality for a brief period of time so as the neurons reconnect they make different connections from the ones formed by habitual use.  All in all I think it's got a lot of potential for removing the psychological addiction.

 

PS.  They are also working on refining the psychoactive molecule so the half life is much shorter.  This way you can get the intensity of dose needed and be back to a normal state of mind within a couple of hours instead of needing an entire day for a treatment.  cool stuff.

Edited January 10, 2022 by intoxicated yoda

[Doreensfree]

I've always said here ...All roads lead to Rome ....it doesn't matter how you reach your Freedom 

Just get there

[KEL]

@intoxicated yodaThank you for the information. I do keep a pretty good track on that stuff as well but am a bit reluctant to post about it, always encouraging people to get it from the folks who are doing the research. MAPS is a great organization doing a lot of work with trauma treatment.