Long post about vitamins and cigs. Skip the boring parts but read the warnings.
The addiction had me in its grip. I was so bold to start smoking, thinking that I could just quit whenever.
I had to quit numerous times, and eventually what helped was the combination of nico-derm, no money to buy cigs, and time. You might say I cheated, because I couldn't afford cigs but somebody helped me get nicoderm. It just sort of fell together, so I was stupid, persistent, and eventually lucky.
Mostly, it is the tar in the cigs along with the various additives that really do people in. The addiction could mean one of several things. It might mean that your body is just wired for addiction to nicotine but probably not. (ADHD people are at the highest risk of getting addicted. They tend to love smoking, partly because of its medicinal properties and side effects.) It could mean that some personal growth is needed -- more friends, more happiness, more success, greater sense of peace etc. That's why teens are more susceptible than grownups. It can also point to a long-term vitamin deficiency, inactivity, or other condition in which your brain is looking for something.
If you're a smoker or are addicted to anything, taking vitamins could save your life; so get started. I've already been quit for almost three years, however when I was going through my practice quits there were certain vitamin combinations that seemed to help a lot. I recommend figuring out a concoction of vitamins for yourself and taking them daily. If you live near a city, then they should be relatively easy to acquire. At first you may forget to use them, but
keep them nearby in the mornings and you'll likely learn to appreciate taking them. The best thing about taking vitamins is that they have a cumulative positive effect over time, so don't be surprised if in addition to an initial improvement your body also begins to respond better and better to the vitamins over a period of weeks and months. Your body learns how to put them to work. (A vitamin deficiency also has cumulative effects, though keeping some minimal vitamin levels should stave these off.)
Warning: Do not follow my vitamin habits below. I'm just showing you what vitamins I like. There could be problems if you are taking medications: for instance the B vitamins speed up your metabolism and change how quickly medication lasts in people! You don't want to mess around with that, so coordinate your medications and your vitamins professionally.
Ok, but here is what I've got: I start with my Vitamin B's, (preferably slow release so it lasts all day). There are several types of B, but I can usually get several in one capsule. A lot of B-1 (Called 'Thiamine') is important to combat mental or emotional exhaustion due to stress, so I get a separate B-1 to bring my daily B-1 up to 100milligrams, which is a lot. I cannot get B-1 by itself in slow-release form, however it probably lasts all day at 100mg. I have a regular all-in-one vitamin to cover most of the basics like A, C, E, and minerals. I add in Calcium & 1000milligrams of vitamin D. Calcium is absorbed slowly; so I take it twice or three times a day if I remember to. The calcium is a muscle relaxer, so it helps me not to feel chest/shoulder/arm/neck pains and improves muscle coordination. I'm male, so I also take a separate Selenium pill to cut my chances of getting prostate cancer
in half. Now I add a slow release tryptophan, which is a natural mood enhancer found in Turkey meat. This combination I have found to be very helpful and relatively inexpensive where I live.
