Does anyone have any tips for managing stimulant use? I currently use fairly copious amounts of caffeine and nicotine - both I find extremely difficult to go without for 24 hours. My tolerance to nicotine has built to the extent that I don't feel like I receive much cognitive boost from it anymore.
I've tried taking breaks cold turkey with the idea that I can start using both again in smaller amounts once my tolerance is reset, but never get further than a few days. I actually find both about equally difficult to stop or cut down on - if I had to give up one or the other forever it'd be hard to choose.
My ideal is not to stop using either completely, but rather to use lower doses of them, less regularly and more effectively - so preferably not every day, and for specific purposes. For example, nicotine to deliberately build a habit, or caffeine to boost motivation and performance for exercise. I realize there is no free lunch with stimulants but right now I feel like I'm using them in quantities far more than optimal.
EDIT: thanks all for the advice!
XtbzyiMfQkyuo
24d ago
I would prefer monogamy but it's not a dealbreaker. I'd be more comfortable probably if she was bisexual/lesbian and wanted to have sex with women in addition to our relationship - in fact I don't think I'd have any issue with that.
XtbzyiMfQkyuo
24d ago
Very late reply but thanks! I think looking for a woman who has low sex drive or is asexual is the way to go for me. I could probably perform when necessary but sex has to be a very small part of the relationship. I'm probably a 5.5 out of 6 on the Kinsey scale (almost but not quite exclusively homosexual).
XtbzyiMfQkyuo
24d ago
There is a genuine cognitive boost / sharpening, but this gets less and less the more dependent you become on it in my experience. There is also some evidence for it being neuroprotective against things like Parkinsons. Nicotine is also extremely habit forming to the point where some people deliberately use it to try to form a habit (e.g. exercising regularly), but I don't think this can really work if you've already built a tolerance. Check out this Andrew Huberman podcast on nicotine for a good overview of the pros/cons - https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/nicotines-effects-on-the-brain-and-body-and-how-to-quit-smoking-or-vaping
Using nicotine regularly at any high-ish dose really is making a deal with the devil, as you quickly become dependent on it - the withdrawals are pretty bad. I used nicotine for years occasionally, maybe three to four times a month, then eventually fell into daily Zyn use and now am trying to dial it down with little success. You're probably already addicted to some extent if you are using four a day. It's not like caffeine which seems to have a decent effect no matter how long you've used it - once you've built a tolerance, at high doses it becomes more sedating than stimulating (Nesbitt's paradox). I feel little to no cognitive benefit nowadays beyond knocking back withdrawal.
I'd recommend using it sparingly to keep the maximum effects. Also using a low dose (<=2mg) rather than a high dose - high doses (>10mg) felt similar to cocaine to me when I first started using them, so I got addicted. Maybe roll a dice each day and only use it if you roll a six? If you defer whether you use it or not to some external random variable, it should be harder to become addicted without noticing and you'll keep the benefits.
XtbzyiMfQkyuo
1yr ago
I'm a gay man in his 30s who is interested in dating or forming a long term relationship with a woman. I had girlfriends when I was a teenager but it never worked out due to sexual incompatibility, which I sort of regret. My libido has never been particularly high so I think I could forego sex. An intimate/emotional relationship with a woman is something I'm interested in pursuing, I'm interested if there are other people here who would have advice or are in the same position?
I would be totally upfront of course with any woman I was courting and imagine there must be women out there who would be OK with it, though really unsure about how to mention this on my dating app profile, or bring it up when dating. I'm not sure how to go about it though.
Ah the carbs thing I never considered, will have to think about trying that!
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