Nicotine Under-rated!

I suffer from bi-polar and schizoaffective disorder, but found this in the news:

"There are studies that demonstrate advantages of smoking in medical conditions, including psychological illness. Epidemiologists have validated what many mental health practitioners have long noticed: The smoking rate among people with schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders is far higher than average. It is widely believed that people with certain mental health problems are self-medicating with [tobacco] because the nicotine helps their minds function better. However, persons who wish to derive the benefits of nicotine for these conditions, or to help them deal with the stress of loved ones in distress, should be able to use non-tobacco forms of nicotine such as the patch."

P.S. I smoke cigars mostly, but when I have a cold or flu (and a cough, like now) and can't smoke, I put tobacco in my Green Tea. With sugar, it tastes just fine and seems to keep me more alert and alleviates my mental symptoms. The "patch" costs about $80 while a cigar is about a buck! Works for me . . .

 

Or they're more prone to addiction.

 

I agree with spooner.


But do whatever helps you get through your day brother. If it's tobacco tea, so be it.

 

40% of cigarette smokers have a mental disorder....

 

By God! That's relief! I'm in the 60% of cigar smokers who are perfectly happy. Thanks!

 

i think mary jane works for me i have bi polar also

 

not shure but i believe this is bull.
could you give me your source

 

hmm.. I agree w/Hobes... can you give a source, please?

 

I think this came from Time Magazine.

 

I think the reality is that about 90% of people with a mental disorder smoke...but there's no scientific proof of smoking causing mental health problems.

A drug won't create something that isn't already there.

It's just that most people with MH problems self medicate with nicotine. Crazy, we learned in psych that 99% of schizophrenics over 21 are smokers.

 

cant understand why someone would want to give a positive angle on cigarettes - got shares in British American Tobacco??
If nicotine is so great for this condition then use the gum - smoking is crap and will kill you with one of its 676 other chemical poisons - ps nicotine is used in weed killer (used to be)

 

I think it helps lessen the side effects from antipsychotics. But even off meds schizophrenics smoke more, they tend to have some mutant gene that codes for something that is somehow related to nicotine...sorry for the vagueness I don't remember the details.