1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: mean for our psychology. 5 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 2: Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. Welcome back to 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 2: the podcast. New listeners, old listeners. Wherever you are in 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 2: the world, it is so great to have you here. 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 2: Back for another episode as we break down the Psychology 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 2: of your twenties. Today, we are diving into a topic 10 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 2: I think that hits close to home for so many 11 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: of us, even if we don't always want to openly 12 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 2: admit it or acknowledge it. Honestly, my inbox has been 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 2: just like buzzing with requests for this episode. I think 14 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: I get this at least five times a week. We 15 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: are talking about the psychology of nicotine, and I definitely 16 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 2: saw a rise in requests for this episode after we 17 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: did our twenty Biggest Mistakes People Make in their twenties 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 2: episode and we talked about smoking, and I had a 19 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 2: lot of messages from people being like, how come you've 20 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 2: never done an episode on this, Well, guess what, there 21 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: was one right around the corner. This is that episode. 22 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: So nicotine is one of the world's favorite drugs, and 23 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: it is in fact a drug. It is highly addictive, 24 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: it is highly prevalent, its usage is very prevalent, and 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: the stuff it's packaged in makes it incredibly terrible for you. 26 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: We know that vapes, that cigarettes, that nicotine pouches, they 27 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: are not good for you, no matter how well the 28 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 2: marketing might try and make them same. So why are 29 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: so many of us, despite all of this knowledge, all 30 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: the education we have now now still getting hooked. Well, 31 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: I think there's quite a few interlinked reasons. Obviously, the 32 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 2: use of nicotine is absolutely not a new phenomena. It 33 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,399 Speaker 2: has been used for so many years. It's also sometimes 34 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 2: had medicinal purposes, and it's often synonymous with socializing, with 35 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: stress relief, with status. I think, particularly with vapes even 36 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 2: more so than cigarettes these days, they're super accessible, even 37 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 2: at times affordable. You know, some stores do like multi 38 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 2: buy deals on them. 39 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 3: They look enticing. There's this whole. 40 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 2: Allure around smoking and nicotine, and they have colorful packaging 41 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 2: and fruity flavors, and you know it's not discreete and 42 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: these items, cigarettes, vapes, they become like deeply ingrained in 43 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: social scenes. So that even if you've had all of 44 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 2: this education, it still kind of seems like, well, if 45 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 2: everyone else is doing it well, and why don't I. 46 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: It's like, oh, we're all hitched to the same wagon. 47 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 2: We're all in the same boat. As long as they're 48 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 2: going to face the same health consequences as me, well, 49 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 2: I may as well be part of the in group, 50 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 2: or may as well be enjoying it. Also, nicotine just 51 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: feels amazing. It just feels it feels good. And so 52 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 2: sometimes when you're in the moment and you're enjoying the 53 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 2: cigarette or you're enjoying the hit, it's hard to think 54 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 2: further down the line. So when the other side of 55 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 2: the coin flips over, and when the other side of 56 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 2: this habit comes and kind of bites you in the butt. 57 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 2: It's something that I think we're like, in the current moment, 58 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: we're not too great at acknowledging. And also because of 59 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: the fact that nicotine and smoking and vaping has had 60 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 2: like a revival in recent years, you know, the snowball 61 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: effect of more and more people doing it is making 62 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: it more and more enticing. It might be not very 63 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: surprising for you guys to hear it, but for the 64 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: first in decades, we are seeing nicotine use rates shift 65 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: significantly in younger populations, especially in Western countries. For many, 66 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 2: many years, the use of nicotine products was declining, and 67 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 2: then suddenly there has been this massive increase. There have 68 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: been studies in the UK in the US that show 69 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 2: e cigarette usage and nicotine uses. It is at the 70 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 2: highest it has ever been, maybe amongst eighteen to twenty 71 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: four year olds. So this isn't just a blip. This 72 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: is something that I think we really need to investigate. 73 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: But also not from a point of shame, not from 74 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: a point of like, how dare you do this? How 75 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 2: dare you poison your body? Like you should know better? 76 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 2: I don't think that's a healthier approach. Of course, we 77 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 2: know better for a lot of things, and we still 78 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: do them, and we still do them with things that 79 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 2: are a lot less addictive than nicotine. Nicotine is such 80 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 2: like it is truly like a miracle substance for our brain, 81 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 2: and it does such crazy, wild things to our neurochemistry. 82 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 2: Of course, people are getting hooked, and of course there 83 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 2: is like a whole there is a whole level of 84 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: addiction around it that needs to be discussed. So We're 85 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 2: gonna approach this episode from a perspective of just like 86 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 2: understanding psycho education, knowledge, fun facts, interesting studies, so that 87 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 2: you can kind of, yeah, just learn some war and 88 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: see how you might be able to get out of 89 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 2: a nicotine addiction, how you might be able to help 90 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 2: a friend, how you might be able to quit vaping 91 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 2: once and for all, quit cigarettes. Whatever your intention with 92 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,559 Speaker 2: this episode is, there is something for you. Without further ado, 93 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 2: I'm very excited for this episode. I hope you learn 94 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: a lot. I hope you're as intrigued as I. An. 95 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: Let's get into it, all right, So let's cut to 96 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 2: the chase. How does nicotine actually work its magic or 97 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 2: maybe you should say it's mischief on your brain. Nicotine 98 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,679 Speaker 2: is a tiny, tiny molecule, but it's incredibly powerful because 99 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: it knows how to play perfectly with your brain's natural chemistry, 100 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 2: and it's able to unlock all these different things in 101 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 2: our brain that feel amazing. Nicotine is actually a naturally 102 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 2: occurring substance. It is a nitrogen containing alkaloid that is 103 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 2: found in a tobacco plant at very high levels, but 104 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 2: also in small doses and things like tomatoes in potatoes, 105 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 2: in eggplants, which you may not know, but its main 106 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 2: The main place that we extract it is from tobacco 107 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 2: plants in the levels at which you're going to feel 108 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: something in your body. So when it enters your body, 109 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 2: it is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream and it zips 110 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 2: straight through your brain. It is absorbed especially fast if 111 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 2: you are smoking it because it's already in a form 112 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 2: that your body doesn't need to metabolize. And once it's 113 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 2: in your brain, which happens sometimes within like literally nanoseconds, 114 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 2: it activates your nicotinic receptors. Here's another fun fact. Even 115 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: if you don't smoke, even if you have never touched 116 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: a nicotine product in your life, you still have these receptors. 117 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 2: Every single one of us has these receptors. So when nicotine, 118 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: the product, the substance, the chemical binds to these receptors, 119 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 2: it triggers the release of a whole cocktail of neurochemicals. 120 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: You probably already know dopamine, serotonin. We'll get into those 121 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 2: in a second, but the main one is a neurotransmitter 122 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 2: called acetocholine, which is essential for voluntary muscle movements but 123 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 2: also for focus, which is why when you smoke, vape, 124 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,679 Speaker 2: whatever it is, you may immediately feel more alert, more 125 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 2: in tune with your surroundings, and more concentrated on whenever 126 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: is in front of you. It's why a lot of 127 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 2: people in their twenties often get hooked to nicotine as 128 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 2: a focused substance when they're studying or working. It's why 129 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 2: a lot of people who work nights or our chefs 130 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 2: or work those really intense long haul jobs also get 131 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 2: addicted to this product because it does wonders for your brain. 132 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 2: There's no denying that the other star of the show is, 133 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 2: of course, dopamine. Acidalcolline is where I guess we get them. 134 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 2: We notice the main influence on our attention and on 135 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 2: our focus and on our mood. Dopamine is what. 136 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 3: Really hooks you. 137 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 2: So when dopamine floods your brain's reward pathway, specifically the 138 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,479 Speaker 2: mesolymbic pathway, often called the brain's pleasure circuit, it creates 139 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 2: feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, even euphoria. And it's the same 140 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,839 Speaker 2: pathway that is activated by food, by sex, by drugs. 141 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,719 Speaker 2: So that hit you get from nicotine as soon as 142 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 2: that enters your body and your brain begins to associate 143 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,599 Speaker 2: it with it with pleasurable feelings. It's just going to 144 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 2: keep screaming. We want more of that, we want more 145 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 2: good stuff, We want to feel better, feel more, pleasure more. 146 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 2: Nicotine also influences nora penephrine, which again makes you feel 147 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 2: more awake, more alert, more focused, and also glutamate, which 148 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 2: after the initial stimulant effect, will then have that counterbalance 149 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 2: of gabba which is going to bring you a sense 150 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: of relaxation and reduced anxiety. All of this is happening, 151 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 2: happening very very quickly, and the more you begin to 152 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 2: associate the puff of a vape or the puff of 153 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 2: a cigarette with that feeling, the more the biological mechanism 154 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: of addiction begins to really take a hold. This is 155 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 2: the biological trap of substances like nicotine. With repeated nicotine exposure, 156 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 2: those brain receptors that we mentioned before, they also become desensitized. 157 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 2: So after the initial perhaps weeks or months, maybe even 158 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 2: years of getting that same feeling of pleasure, depending on 159 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 2: how often you're using it, they are going to stop 160 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: responding as strongly to nicotine over time, and so to compensate, 161 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 2: your brain actually creates more of these receptors. This is 162 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 2: a process known as upregulation, and it means that your 163 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 2: brain now needs more nicotine to just feel normal or 164 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 2: to achieve the same effects as you previously did. This 165 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 2: is why I think it's so important that we understand 166 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 2: like the neuic chemistry and the biology of addiction, because 167 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 2: there is some like wild stuff happening in our brain 168 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 2: that we tend to ignore, and we put it all 169 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: down to our discipline, or to our morals, or to 170 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 2: our I don't know, our sense of like agency, when 171 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: we're actually fighting an uphill battle against our brain's natural 172 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 2: desire to experience more pleasure and to experience more dopamine 173 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 2: and here is a highly potent substance that does that 174 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 2: for us. So then when nicotine levels drop, maybe it's 175 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 2: been a couple hours since your last nicotine gum, whatever 176 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:32,959 Speaker 2: it is, those extra desensitized receptors, they are no longer 177 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 2: being stimulated. And this imbalance is what creates really uncomfortable 178 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. So irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, 179 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 2: you get restlessness like you're you get these cravings, even 180 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 2: like sometimes physical aches, and these symptoms are actually really unpleasant, 181 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 2: and we know through through this like repeated learning process 182 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 2: that the quickst way to alleviate them is just to 183 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 2: go back to the product, is just to introduce more nicotine. 184 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 2: This desperate and in fact sometimes unacknowledged kind of behavioral 185 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 2: loop really fuels our physical dependence and creates the compulsion 186 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 2: and creates the addiction. So you know, again, as amazingly 187 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 2: adaptive as your brain is, your brain also actively adapts 188 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:32,319 Speaker 2: to a substance that is actually not that bad for you. 189 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 2: Nicotine is not bad for you. It's what it comes in, 190 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 2: and so you need more and more of it, which 191 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 2: means that you ingest more and more of these terrible chemicals, 192 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 2: terrible other substances that just like wear and tear your 193 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 2: body like not much else can do. Another part of 194 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 2: this physical and psychological dependency or addiction is also stress. 195 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 2: Stress plays a few role because nicotine is a special 196 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 2: kind of drug in that it is both a stimulant 197 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 2: meaning that it makes you happy and energetic, but also 198 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 2: a depressant, meaning that it calms down your nervous system. 199 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 2: I'm sure you guys will have seen the trope on 200 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: TV and in cinema of like the stressed out, overworked 201 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,559 Speaker 2: character lighting up a cigarette with a glass of wine 202 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 2: at the end of the long day. I think it's 203 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 2: pretty fair to say that we as a generation in 204 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: this decade, those of us in our twenties, are as 205 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 2: stressed out generation. 206 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 3: We are very stressed. 207 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 2: It's a time of so much change, so much upheaval, 208 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 2: especially for like again, for our generation, who was dealing 209 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,199 Speaker 2: with a whole litany of things that previous generations didn't 210 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 2: have to deal with. So it might be, you know, 211 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 2: not that surprising that a lot of us actually go 212 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 2: to nicotine as a perceived tool for emotional regulation. A 213 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,359 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen study published in the journal Addiction Biology demonstrated 214 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 2: this by looking at how stress messes with the brains 215 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 2: of smokers, and the results of this study were pretty 216 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 2: illuminating and mind blowing. Researchers gave some smokers in the 217 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 2: study stress hormones to mimic a real life stress response. 218 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 2: Then they asked them to go into an MRI scanner 219 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 2: and to do a memory task. Normally, the part of 220 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 2: the brain that helps with self control, your prefrontal cortex 221 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 2: would light up to help you stay focused doing a 222 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 2: task like this, but under stress, activity here was massively reduced. 223 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 2: Then came the really interesting part. The smokers had to 224 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 2: choose between completing the task for money or puffs of 225 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: a cigarette, not even an entire cigarette. Those who were 226 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 2: taking the stress hormones, they went for the cigarettes way more, 227 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 2: even though they didn't report feeling more cravings. So basically 228 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 2: stress didn't just make them want to smoke. It quietly 229 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: kind of shut down the brain's ability to choose anything else, 230 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 2: even like a cash reward. You're feeling stressed, that is 231 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 2: the first place your brain is going to go. And 232 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 2: since our reducing stress takes a priority in our mind, 233 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 2: of course, that is the habit that you're going to 234 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 2: continue to choose, even when it's sometimes at the expense 235 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 2: of doing something that's perhaps more productive. This can also, 236 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 2: you know, crucially lead to a false sense of control 237 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 2: over our stress, and not just over our stress, but 238 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 2: you know, if you're going through a breakup, over your sadness, 239 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 2: if you're going through like a real identity change or 240 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 2: identity shift, your sense of existential dread, or your sense 241 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 2: of just like general life stress, nicotine often feels like 242 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 2: it helps with these feelings. It gives you a real 243 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 2: moment of calm. It gives you a moment of focus, 244 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 2: sometimes of peace in these situations. Can't deny that. But 245 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 2: does it actually help with the stress in the long term. 246 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 2: This short answer is no. 247 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 3: It really doesn't. 248 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 2: The immediate relief that you may feel when you smoke 249 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 2: or vape, it isn't genuine stress reduction. More often that 250 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 2: relief comes from two things. The fact is is that 251 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: you're actually putting your body under more stress because you 252 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 2: are addicted to a substance in constantly going through like 253 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 2: a miniature version of withdrawal from that substance unless you 254 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 2: are constantly using it. And it could also be that 255 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 2: it's not the nicotine that's helping you. It's the fact 256 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 2: that you're taking a moment out of your day, or 257 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 2: it's the fact that you have a sense of ritual 258 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 2: that's reducing your stress. It's not actually the nicotine entirely. 259 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 2: In reality, chronic nicotine use is actually associated with increased 260 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 2: anxiety and stress over time. A study published back in 261 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 2: two thousand and one, so a little while ago but 262 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 2: still relevant, it actually found that teenagers who regularly smoke 263 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 2: were significantly more likely to report higher stress levels compared 264 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 2: to those who had quit smoking. This is because the 265 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 2: nicotine disrupts the brain's natural stress regulation systems, making you 266 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:21,679 Speaker 2: more prone to anxiety when you're not using it. The 267 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 2: perceived control is a trick your brain plays on you 268 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 2: because it wants the nicotine. You can kind of see 269 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 2: how this cycle becomes really tricky to break right. The 270 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 2: more you use it, the more stress you feel when 271 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 2: you can't use it, So the greater the pull towards 272 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: the substance is, and the more singular your coping strategy becomes, 273 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 2: whereby a cigarette or nicotine is the only thing that 274 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 2: you want. I think another element of nicotine addiction or 275 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 2: nicotine usage really comes down to the fact that at 276 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 2: different at times and continuously, smoking has been marketed and 277 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 2: perceived as cool, as rebellious, or like a symbol of 278 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 2: being part of the in group. This social dimension is 279 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 2: actually a huge psychological hook, particularly when we're in our 280 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 2: teenage years, but also when we're in our twenties and 281 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 2: you just really want to belong. You want to feel 282 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 2: like you know you're part of a group, you're part 283 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 2: of a crowd, that you're aligned with people. We can 284 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 2: think about this through looking at psychologists to Herbert Kellman's 285 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: different types or levels of conformity, which he theorized and 286 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 2: worked on in the nineteen fifties. Basically, he came up 287 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 2: with this theory of how we adjust our behavior to 288 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 2: match those around us, and you going to be applied everywhere. 289 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 2: Like this theory applies to cults, it applies to bullying, 290 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 2: It applies to why we like certain artists, why we 291 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 2: choose certain clothes. It also can be applied to why 292 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 2: we spoke. So the first level of conformity is compliance. 293 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 2: This is when you publicly go along with the group's behavior, 294 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 2: even if you don't privately agree with it, because you 295 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 2: want to gain rewards or avoid a sense of social punishment. 296 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,719 Speaker 2: So you pick up a vapor at a party because 297 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 2: everyone else is doing it. You have the cigarette outside 298 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 2: because everyone else is outside. You don't want to be 299 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 2: the only one inside. You're conforming to fit in, you're 300 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 2: conforming to be accepted, but maybe at that point you're 301 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 2: not truly enjoying it or liking it. Interestingly, compliance stops 302 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,360 Speaker 2: when there is no group pressure to conform, so you're 303 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 2: not going to have a cigarette unless you're in the 304 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 2: social situation. Next is identification. You conform because you like 305 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 2: or respect the group or person and you want to 306 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 2: maintain a desirable relationship with them, and you also want 307 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 2: to be more like them at all times. So maybe 308 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 2: you're older sibling vapes or like the cool girls in 309 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 2: the locker room like all tunick. You adopt the behavior 310 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 2: because it strengthens your bond with the group at all times. 311 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 2: You're probably performing the behavior even when they're not around, 312 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 2: or you're not getting pressured into it as much explicitly. 313 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 2: Thirdly is internalization. This is the deepest level of conformity, 314 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 2: and it happens when you actually come to privately accept 315 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 2: the belief or the behavior as your own because you 316 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 2: genuinely believe that it is beneficial, that it aligns with 317 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 2: your persona, it aligns with your values. This happens with 318 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 2: nicotine when you know you perhaps have been introduced through 319 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 2: those other mechanisms, and then you suddenly start to feel 320 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 2: the biological and psychological pool yourself, and so it becomes 321 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 2: integrated into how. 322 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 3: You view your life. 323 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 2: You know, you believe that smoking makes you calmer. You 324 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: believe that vaping helps you focus. You believe that you 325 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 2: know it makes you look a certain way. You're habit 326 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 2: has at that stage become deeply embedded into your self perception. 327 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: And it's also happening at the same time as a 328 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 2: lot of underlying biological mechanisms. The reasons for doing a 329 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 2: behavior changes over time, and it changes as your neurochemistry 330 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 2: is changing in response to this highly addictive substance. We 331 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 2: know that alongside this as well, So you're dealing with 332 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 2: this biological component, this stress component, this social component, and 333 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 2: then we have the marketing component. Tobacco and vaping industries. 334 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 2: The tobacco and vaping industry are incredibly good at what 335 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 2: they do in terms of getting more people smoking, and 336 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 2: they exploit these psychological vulnerabilities and very sophisticated, insidious ways 337 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 2: that often targets young people, often leverages social desirability and 338 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 2: the desire for belonging. So we're going to talk about 339 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 2: just how powerful these mechanisms are, but also how you 340 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 2: can I guess, act against them and maybe even escape 341 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 2: the pool and the addiction to nicotine. After this shortbreak, 342 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 2: flavored vapes, sleek designs, social media influences, and I guess 343 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 2: also the widespread retail availability of nicotine products are all 344 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 2: tactics designed to attract a new generation of users that 345 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 2: a new generation that needs to replace the generation that 346 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 2: used to smoke more Traditionally, these designs and flavors, they 347 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:46,959 Speaker 2: have been cooked up in a lab and they are 348 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 2: often specifically engineered to appeal to younger, novelty seeking demographics, 349 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 2: which is one of the reasons we're seeing such a 350 00:22:55,200 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 2: growth in a younger audience taking up vaping. Huge part 351 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 2: of why vaping and nicotine is having a moment and 352 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 2: rising was its initial marketing as a healthy alternative to cigarettes, 353 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 2: or a safer way to quit smoking, or even just 354 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 2: a harmless recreational activity. This narrative was incredibly effective in 355 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 2: capturing a more health conscious generation that we found ourselves in. 356 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 2: And the thing is they weren't lying when they said 357 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 2: that it was healthier. It was healthier because there was 358 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:34,679 Speaker 2: no longer tudinal studies proving otherwise, and because it was 359 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 2: just a different way of consuming the same product with 360 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 2: a different baseline of chemicals that didn't have as much 361 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 2: research as cigarettes, they were really able to play the 362 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 2: naive card. 363 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: You know. 364 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 3: It's it's really crazy. 365 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 2: When you get into like the history of the tobacco 366 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 2: industry and how its little grimy fingers are in literally 367 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 2: everything every industry. 368 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:02,199 Speaker 3: That you can think of. 369 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 2: I think public perception even now is often confused about 370 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 2: the relative harms of vaping versus traditional cigarettes, with many 371 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 2: of us wrongly believing vaping is harmless or significantly less 372 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 2: harmful than it actually is. You know, it tastes like blueberries, Like, 373 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 2: how could this possibly be unhealthy for me? And this 374 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 2: deliberate blurring of the lines is a powerful marketing tool. 375 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 2: It's leveraging misinformation to normalize and popularize usage. It's burying 376 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 2: research papers, it's burying people who say something against this 377 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 2: product by you know, undermining their credibility or by getting 378 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 2: paying off another group of researchers or another university to 379 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 2: write a positive paper. You know, they could shell out 380 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 2: millions of dollars to get the results they want for 381 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 2: this product they're trying to make money off of. And 382 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 2: here's where this is really really concerning is that like 383 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 2: vaping is actually and has been found to be more 384 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 2: addictive than traditional cigarettes, and it has people consuming higher 385 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 2: dosages and more nicotine than they would if they had 386 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 2: been smoking, especially for people who were trying to quit smoking. 387 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 2: They've done studies comparing the level of nicotine. I guess 388 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 2: the levels of nicotine they were inhaling slash consuming before 389 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 2: when they were smoking versus now when they're vaping, and 390 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 2: it's higher some individuals. And I know this is a 391 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 2: bit more anecdotal, but I've spoken to people who are 392 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 2: finding it so hard to quit vaping that they have 393 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 2: gone back to traditional cigarettes as a perceived stepping stone 394 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:54,719 Speaker 2: towards quitting nicotine in general vaping mainly like they find 395 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 2: that cigarettes and their use of cigarettes are actually easier 396 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 2: to control because you can't do it in public spaces 397 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,439 Speaker 2: as easily. You can't or slash. You don't want to 398 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 2: smoke in your home or in your car or in 399 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 2: front of people, so there's more of a barrier to 400 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 2: constant usage. If you want some evidence that this is 401 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 2: actually happening, or that it's not just observational, there was 402 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 2: one twenty twenty study I found from researchers at the 403 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 2: University of Southern California, which basically analyzed over three thousand 404 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 2: Twitter posts looking at common themes related to quitting Jewel 405 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:30,399 Speaker 2: the vape brand it's kind. 406 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:31,679 Speaker 3: Of gone a little bit out of style now. But 407 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 3: not only were. 408 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 2: Over a quarter of the posts talking about different methods 409 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 2: to quit using jewel, but there was quite a big 410 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,920 Speaker 2: proportion of them joking about how they were going to 411 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 2: try picking up smoking cigarettes to do so. I also 412 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 2: saw a recent Reddit thread from someone basically conducting an 413 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 2: experiment on themselves by going back to cigarettes and attempts 414 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 2: to quit vaping to see if it was going to 415 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 2: be successful. They tried all these other things, they couldn't 416 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 2: do it. Even just a quick look over the other 417 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 2: comments that followed that showed that this was not a 418 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 2: unique situation. A lot of people were saying that the 419 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 2: strength and the availability of over the counter vapes, and 420 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 2: the social acceptance and the fact that they taste great 421 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 2: and they don't smell us terrible has made them even 422 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 2: more dependent on nicotine than they ever were before. The 423 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:25,440 Speaker 2: initial promise of vaping that it was a healthier alternative, 424 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 2: that it was going to help people. I think it's 425 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 2: just simply created a new complex addiction pathway. Here's another 426 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 2: element of this that I just considered as well. 427 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 3: I need to introduce this. 428 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 2: Our brains are really clever at making us believe we 429 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 2: don't have a problem, So now we're also phasing our 430 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 2: own minds, right, Our brains have this really great way 431 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 2: of convincing us that we could quit at any time, 432 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 2: that we're not smoking as much as we think we are, 433 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 2: that you know, we haven't under control, as a way 434 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 2: to keep us hooked because it does make us feel good, 435 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 2: even when rational we know that we're kind of lying 436 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 2: to ourselves. I had this friend who used to smoke 437 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 2: five cigarettes a day, but only five, Like she would 438 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 2: only have five cigarettes a day, and she would always say, 439 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 2: like when I turned twenty five, I'm gonna quit. And 440 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 2: one day we got approached by these like marketing people 441 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 2: on the street doing a survey when we were at UNI, 442 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:22,479 Speaker 2: and they came up to us and they were like, 443 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 2: do do either of you guys smoke? 444 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 3: We're conducting some research. And she said no. 445 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 2: She's like, no, I don't and she fully like afterwards, 446 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 2: I asked her, I was like, why did you say no, 447 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 2: Like you do smoke, and she was like, oh, no, no, no, 448 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,919 Speaker 2: like I don't smoke because I only smoke five a 449 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 2: day and I only smoked them when I'm out, and 450 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 2: I only smoked them on weekends or like when I'm drinking, 451 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 2: which back then we were in college so we were 452 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 2: drinking all the time, but she was like, no, There 453 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 2: was this cognitive dissonance. I don't smoke. I'm not a smoker, 454 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 2: even though she had literally had one five minutes before. 455 00:28:55,640 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 2: Cognitive dissonance is a powerful psychological discomfort we feel when 456 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 2: our beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors clash. In the context of nicotine, 457 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 2: the clash is very glaring, and that's a great example 458 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 2: of it right there. The deeply held belief of I 459 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 2: know that smoking and vaping is bad for my health 460 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 2: goes up against the fact that we are continuing to 461 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 2: smoke and vape. This creates an internal tension, kind of 462 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 2: mental unease, where two things can't be true, like those 463 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 2: two things that we know this is bad for us, 464 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: we know we care about our health, and yet we 465 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 2: continue to do it. They can't all exist at once 466 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 2: without making us uncomfortable, and so our brain does a 467 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 2: few things to kind of reduce the discomfort and kind 468 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 2: of rationalize our behavior or lie to us. So, for example, 469 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 2: we might minimize the harm its causing and say things like, oh, 470 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 2: it's actually not that bad, like oh, my grandma she 471 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 2: smoked a packaday and she never got care answer like 472 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 2: this is this is a lie some people just doesn't 473 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 2: hurt some people. We might think everyone does it, so 474 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 2: I won't be alone in dealing with the health consequences. 475 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 2: So surely again, like this isn't gonna hurt me, and 476 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 2: if it does, it all hurt other people as well. 477 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 2: We might convince ourselves that we aren't actually smokers. You know, 478 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 2: a smoker is someone who smokes more than five cigarettes 479 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 2: or who smokes, you know, a pack of day, And 480 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 2: if I'm not smoking that much, well then I'm not 481 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 2: a smoker. We might focus on the perceived benefits. 482 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 3: You know, well, it. 483 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 2: Helps me relax and destress, and stress is more stress 484 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 2: is more dangerous than smoking, so actually I'm doing myself 485 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 2: a favor. We might also place it on external factors, 486 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 2: like well, I'm going through a breakup, or my job 487 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 2: is stressful right now, or everyone around me is smoking, 488 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 2: so I have to. It's not about me that's making 489 00:30:55,480 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 2: the choice. It's my circumstances, and the biggest one is 490 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 2: the promise of future action. So it's okay to do 491 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 2: this right now because I know I'm going to quit 492 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 2: when I'm twenty five. I know I'm going to quit 493 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 2: after this big exam after this holiday. I know I'm 494 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,080 Speaker 2: going to quit, you know what, I feel ready, and 495 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 2: that I could do that at any time, just that 496 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:21,000 Speaker 2: I don't actually have a problem right now. These rationalizations 497 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 2: are basically lies, often unconscious lies, we tell ourselves to 498 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 2: maintain a consistent self image and to again reduce that 499 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 2: internal psychological discomfort. They've become very powerful mental barriers, making 500 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 2: it easier to keep using nicotine, even in the face 501 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 2: of overwhelming evidence that it's going to harm us. Quitting 502 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 2: nicotine is notoriously difficult, precisely because it has and it 503 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 2: is known as a multi layered addiction. It's physical, it's psychological, 504 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 2: it's social, it's behavioral, it's cognitive, it's so it's just 505 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 2: it's cultural. There's so many levels to this. It's not 506 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 2: just breaking one chain, it's breaking many, many intricately woven 507 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 2: ones that want to keep you locked in on this behavior. Again, nicotine, 508 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 2: as it's in a pure form, is not actually bad 509 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 2: for you. There are nicotinic receptors in all of our brains. 510 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 2: It is acting on very positive chemicals in our brain. 511 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 3: That are helpful. 512 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 2: It's what it comes in that is so bad for us. 513 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 2: The intense discomfort of withdrawal symptoms as well. That is 514 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 2: a massive barrier, and that is why we continue to 515 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 2: consume what we know is a bad and harmful product, 516 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 2: even when we don't always want to. Your body genuinely 517 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 2: feels unwell. The quickest way to relieve that is more nicotine. 518 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 2: Of course, then it becomes deeply entwined as well with 519 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 2: that emotional regulation we were talking about. For long term 520 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 2: users as well, nicotine can also become deeply embedded in 521 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 2: their personal and social identity. I am a smoke, I 522 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 2: am a vapor. This is part of my look. Letting 523 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 2: go of that identity can feel like losing a part 524 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 2: of yourself. And that's not a silly thing. That's not 525 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 2: a small thing either. And if all your friends and 526 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 2: all your family still uses nicotine, again, the social pressure 527 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 2: direct or indirect, the fear of missing out on shared 528 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 2: rituals can make it incredibly challenging. So how do we 529 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 2: actually start to unlearn what is simply, at its core, 530 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 2: just a bad habit that is held up by a 531 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 2: lot of underlying mechanisms. We've already spoken about, how do 532 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 2: we unlearn the bad habit? So we need to target 533 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,959 Speaker 2: all three levels of this addiction, the physical, the psychological. 534 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 3: And the behavior. 535 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 2: And it's a conscious act of reprogramming your brain and 536 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 2: your daily life to respond differently to the triggers or 537 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 2: I don't know, I guess yeah, the triggers is the 538 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 2: best word your triggers for you using nicotine initially, breaking 539 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 2: the physical cycle is really crucial. Approaches such as nicotine 540 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 2: replacement therapy using patches, gums, lozenges, and halos, whatever it is, 541 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 2: can really reduce physical withdrawal symptoms, giving you the psychological 542 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 2: space to focus on the more cognitive and behavioral aspects. 543 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 2: This helps your body kind of wean off the physical 544 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 2: dependency and lessen the physical cues that might tell you 545 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 2: that you need to vape or need a cigarette. This 546 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 2: might take you a couple of times, because you know 547 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 2: there are so many other things that are going. 548 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 3: To be pulling you back. 549 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 2: That's okay. Every time that you try is still a 550 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:48,319 Speaker 2: win in my mind. Even if you end up going back, 551 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 2: that's still a couple of days that you gave your 552 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:54,239 Speaker 2: lungs a break or that you you know, had a 553 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,879 Speaker 2: bit of space just to like analyze what was really 554 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:01,239 Speaker 2: causing this behavior. So, however, many times it takes. Once 555 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,879 Speaker 2: you get ahold of the physical triggers, you can then 556 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 2: start to identify and disrupt the behavioral triggers. The first 557 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 2: step to this is, of course, self awareness. I know 558 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 2: it's going to sound so simple, but really pay attention 559 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:16,960 Speaker 2: to when and why you want to use nicotine. What 560 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:21,800 Speaker 2: are your most common psychological triggers. Is it certain specific 561 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 2: times of the day, certain specific emotions like sadness, like dread, 562 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 2: like stress like anxiety? Is it particular places, social situations, 563 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 2: even certain objects like when you're on your phone. Just 564 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 2: take a notice of when you have that overwhelming feeling 565 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 2: of like I need to cigarette right now or I 566 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 2: need to vape right now. You can then try to 567 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:53,240 Speaker 2: temporarily avoid strong triggers, if possible, by just asking yourself 568 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 2: to ignore it for a minute, for a minute, and 569 00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:59,919 Speaker 2: then a minute in fifteen seconds and then just go 570 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 2: buy the seconds. I always think of that Kimmi Schmidt. 571 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,399 Speaker 2: I think it's Kimy Schmidt quote. That's like, you can 572 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:11,319 Speaker 2: do anything for thirty seconds. You can avoid smoking, you 573 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:15,760 Speaker 2: can avoid vaping for just thirty seconds and then another 574 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:20,800 Speaker 2: thirty seconds. More importantly, though, actively develop and practice healthy 575 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:23,240 Speaker 2: replacement behaviors for those triggers. 576 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 3: So we talked. 577 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 2: About the physical replacements. But if you habitually smoke and 578 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 2: vape with your morning coffee or when you're stressed or 579 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,280 Speaker 2: whatever it is, try and replace that behavior with something 580 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 2: else so you still have the ritual. So when you 581 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 2: are like having your morning coffee instead of vaping, try 582 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 2: and like just journal, have a pen in your fingers instead. 583 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 2: If you find yourself vaping when you're at Worth because 584 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:56,360 Speaker 2: you're distracted or you're bored, get some gum. Start chewing gum. 585 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 2: Like that's I know it sounds small, but you've got 586 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 2: to like almost confuse your brain and be like, this 587 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 2: is what we used to do, and this feels remarkably similar. 588 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:09,800 Speaker 2: It's almost ninety percent there, but like the ten percent 589 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 2: that's not there, like we can just hopefully ignore that 590 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 2: and hopefully feel like this is close enough. You know, 591 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 2: if you used to take smoke breaks at work when 592 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 2: you got stressed, take a five minute walk around the 593 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 2: block instead. Even pair this like walking around with buying 594 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 2: yourself a snack or buying yourself a treat, so you're 595 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,560 Speaker 2: getting that little dopamine boost whilst replacing the thing you're 596 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:37,760 Speaker 2: getting a reward from I also think setting a goal 597 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,239 Speaker 2: that you could only do if you are not just 598 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 2: smoking one something you really want to do is really 599 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 2: really amazing. So for example, there are people who like 600 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 2: have kids, and they think, well, I want to be 601 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,040 Speaker 2: able to do this with my children, and I won't 602 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 2: be able to do that if I keep smoking. That's 603 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 2: a great motivator. Start training for like some kind of 604 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 2: endurance race, or trying to get fitter, or trying to 605 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 2: do something that you just can't do if you're smoking, 606 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:04,920 Speaker 2: even like. 607 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 3: Long haul flights. 608 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 2: If you're really addicted, you obviously can't smoke or vape 609 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,359 Speaker 2: on a plane, and maybe that's holding you back. What's 610 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 2: something that you know you could only do if this 611 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:19,040 Speaker 2: product was no longer in your life. Since nicotine often 612 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 2: serves as a physical and emotional crutch as well, we 613 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 2: need to cultivate healthier ways to manage stress and boredom 614 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 2: or anger or sadness or. 615 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:29,759 Speaker 3: Whatever it is. You know. 616 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 2: The thing is is that I can't tell you what 617 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 2: that strategy is going to be for you, because it's 618 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 2: actually just like an entirely personal preference. For some people, 619 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,800 Speaker 2: it's exercise. For some people, it's meditation. For some people, 620 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:47,320 Speaker 2: it's like physical like hobbies that involve your hands, like knitting, 621 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 2: like coloring in, like sudoko. It's talking to a friend. 622 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 2: Maybe it's just therapy. The goal here is to replace 623 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 2: an unhealthy coping mechanism, because smoking is a coping mechanism, 624 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 2: with a beneficial one. Because we know, we also know 625 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 2: that our brain likes to rationalize our behaviors, as we 626 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:08,239 Speaker 2: just spoke about, it's also important to try and restructure 627 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 2: these as well, actively challenge those lies and rationalizations and 628 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 2: false beliefs with the truth. You know, For example, we 629 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:21,879 Speaker 2: might tell ourselves that nicotine helps me destress. This could 630 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:26,760 Speaker 2: be restructured to something like nicotine relieves withdrawal, which feels 631 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 2: like destressing, but in fact, I know my overall anxiety 632 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 2: is going to increase long term. You know, we might 633 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,720 Speaker 2: be saying to ourselves, Oh, but I'm not really a smoker. 634 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 2: Maybe you could say instead, a smoker is someone who smokes, 635 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 2: and what am I currently doing? I'm smoking. So if 636 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:52,480 Speaker 2: I don't I don't know admire the identity of a smoker. 637 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:55,759 Speaker 2: If I don't see this as who I am, I 638 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 2: have to acknowledge that it is who I am, and 639 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 2: that I'm in like I'm tied up with those things 640 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 2: and those parts of this activity that I don't find admirable. 641 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 2: What does that say about my self? 642 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 3: Concept? 643 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:11,919 Speaker 2: Just really question the deceptive narratives your brain tells you 644 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,360 Speaker 2: and call it out for being sneaky. I think under everything, 645 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 2: a belief and an actual desire and your own ability 646 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,439 Speaker 2: to quit is also super important. No one can quit 647 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,720 Speaker 2: unless they actually want to, and unless they actually believe 648 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,200 Speaker 2: they can. You can give people one hundred thousand tips 649 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 2: and tricks to stop vaping, but unless you want to 650 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 2: do it, which I assume you do considering you're listening 651 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:39,120 Speaker 2: to this episode, you won't. So think about your why. 652 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 2: There is something calling you to want to quit or 653 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:46,160 Speaker 2: to reconsider this relationship. Is it because you want to 654 00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 2: live a long and healthy life. Is it because you 655 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,880 Speaker 2: want to complete some kind of fitness goal. Is it 656 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:53,280 Speaker 2: because you're starting to realize that this habit is actually 657 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:56,240 Speaker 2: really uncle and that people are judging you. I think 658 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 2: at times when you are doubting your ability and whether 659 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:05,880 Speaker 2: this is the right choice, just returning to this why 660 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:09,640 Speaker 2: really helps anchor you in that personal drive you have 661 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:11,520 Speaker 2: for quitting. On the back of that. I know we've 662 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:14,840 Speaker 2: kind of introduced this in small dosages, but it's so 663 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:19,040 Speaker 2: helpful just to set small achievable goals. For example, like 664 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 2: I said, just going thirty seconds or an hour without 665 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 2: trying this, like one smoke free day, rather than just 666 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:28,879 Speaker 2: going cold turkey. I know a lot of people say 667 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:34,360 Speaker 2: go cold turkey. I still think that like every small thing, 668 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 2: every small positive move in the right direction, every time 669 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:39,960 Speaker 2: you show yourself that you can, even if it's just 670 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:43,800 Speaker 2: for smaller and smaller than larger and larger increments of time, 671 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:47,879 Speaker 2: The more you build self trust, self efficacy, the more 672 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 2: you see that, like, your life is not empty without 673 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 2: this substance. As we said earlier, you know this isn't necessarily. 674 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:57,080 Speaker 3: A quick fix. 675 00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 2: It might not have you quitting in the moment, but 676 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:05,719 Speaker 2: it is a worthwhile interruption to the addiction cycle. Here's 677 00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:10,160 Speaker 2: a crucial, compassionate truth. Relapse is a common part of 678 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 2: the quitting journey for many many people. It is not 679 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 2: a sign of failure. Research and clinical guidelines show that 680 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 2: most smokers make multiple attempts, sometimes upwards of fifteen before 681 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,719 Speaker 2: achieving long term abstinence. Seeing it as a setback rather 682 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,520 Speaker 2: than a full defeat. Seeing this as part of the 683 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:32,120 Speaker 2: journey that's going to get you to fully quit is 684 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:36,879 Speaker 2: crucial for success. If you relapse, please resist the urge 685 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,880 Speaker 2: for self criticism or shame because it only makes it 686 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 2: harder to get back on track. When you're like, well, 687 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 2: I can't believe I did this. You know again that 688 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:46,680 Speaker 2: part of your brain that wants to protect your self 689 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:49,799 Speaker 2: esteem is going to say something like, well, obviously this 690 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:51,480 Speaker 2: is a sign that we're not strong enough, and so 691 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:54,279 Speaker 2: we could we should keep doing this. Obviously this is 692 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 2: a sign that this is part of who we are 693 00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:58,640 Speaker 2: and that we need this, so we should keep doing it. 694 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 2: This keeps you stranded in the behavioral loop, in the compulsion. 695 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:08,160 Speaker 2: It's so easy to throw in the towel at times 696 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,400 Speaker 2: like this, but don't let one lapse turn into a 697 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 2: full blown relapse. Immediately try and get yourself to recommit 698 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,920 Speaker 2: to quitting aust your strategy. This is an important learning, 699 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:24,279 Speaker 2: this important lesson as to what drove you to relapse, Like, 700 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:26,400 Speaker 2: there is a trigger there that was ignored, There was 701 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 2: a compulsion there that was just too hard to overcome. 702 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 3: What is it? How can you gain mastery. 703 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:36,120 Speaker 2: Over that the next time? And Finally, this is the 704 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:39,480 Speaker 2: biggest tip I have for I think any kind of 705 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,160 Speaker 2: quitting of any kind of behavior that you don't like, 706 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:46,960 Speaker 2: tell your friends, tell your family, tell the people you 707 00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:49,919 Speaker 2: are around the most that this isn't this is something 708 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 2: you want to do, that this is something that you 709 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,759 Speaker 2: are committed to doing, because it gives you accountability. If 710 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:58,280 Speaker 2: you say to your friends, I really want to quit smoking, 711 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:01,920 Speaker 2: I just feel like there's more of a barrier or 712 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 2: a sense of, you know, judgment sometimes if you're not 713 00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:10,719 Speaker 2: especially friends who don't smoke or friends who don't vape. 714 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 2: Of course, if you tell your friends who do smoke, like, oh, 715 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna quit, you know something, sometimes they don't want 716 00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:19,279 Speaker 2: you to quit because it continues to validate that they're 717 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:23,239 Speaker 2: gonna be okay. So just tell people who you who 718 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:26,400 Speaker 2: you know have opinions on this habit, who will encourage 719 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 2: you and help you stay kind of loyal to your goal. 720 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:35,120 Speaker 2: It can be such an important form of extrinsic motivation. 721 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:38,160 Speaker 2: So I think that's all we have time for. I 722 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 2: hope that this episode informed you. 723 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:41,520 Speaker 3: I hope that you learn something. 724 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,680 Speaker 2: I hope that you understand nicotine as a substance more. 725 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 2: But also the addiction behind it more as well, And 726 00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 2: I hope you have compassion and empathy for yourself but 727 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,680 Speaker 2: also the other people who are struggling with this. I know, 728 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 2: like nicotine usage is on the rise. That's very scary, 729 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,040 Speaker 2: but I don't think that like all hope is lost. 730 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:01,760 Speaker 2: And I know it's like times at the moment sometimes 731 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:03,839 Speaker 2: it feels like a cigarette or whatever it is is 732 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:06,719 Speaker 2: the only hope. But I promise it's not. And I 733 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,919 Speaker 2: promise that yeah, one day you'll be able to be like, wow, 734 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:12,120 Speaker 2: I can't believe I smoked back then. Oh yeah, I 735 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:14,759 Speaker 2: used to be a smoker, but you're not anymore. So 736 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:18,680 Speaker 2: that's my wish for you. If you enjoyed this episode, 737 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:21,000 Speaker 2: share it with a friend who you think might need 738 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:24,440 Speaker 2: to hear it. Maybe your friend who is sigarettely smoking 739 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:27,560 Speaker 2: but won't tell anyone, or might like my friend who 740 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:30,839 Speaker 2: said she wasn't a smoker because she smoked only five 741 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:32,880 Speaker 2: cigarettes a day. Whoever it is who needs to hear, 742 00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:35,799 Speaker 2: share a link with them. Make sure that you were 743 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:38,200 Speaker 2: following along wherever you are listening, and give a five 744 00:45:38,280 --> 00:45:40,959 Speaker 2: star review if you feel cold to do so. And hey, 745 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:44,160 Speaker 2: if you're still here watching our emoji. 746 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:44,799 Speaker 3: B leave. 747 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 2: I don't want to make it like a cigarette emoji 748 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:49,959 Speaker 2: because that's too basic. Leave a little puff of smoke 749 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 2: emoji down below so I know that you made it 750 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:54,360 Speaker 2: this far. Thanks for listening to the end. That's so 751 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:57,240 Speaker 2: nice of you. I appreciate that so much. But until 752 00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:00,279 Speaker 2: next time, stay safe, be kind, be gentle with yourself. 753 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:02,960 Speaker 3: You've got this. We will talk very very soon. 754 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:08,480 Speaker 2: Mh.