Tobacco as an Aid for a Constantly Racing Mind

thesmokingtexan · Aug 8, 2014

For my whole life I have had to deal with a racing mind where my thoughts constantly changing and chasing new ideas. It is hard for me to stay focused on one thought or task and I have compensated for this at work by making “to do list” to keep me on track otherwise I finish the day and realize that I having been working hard but have really not completed anything because I was constantly changing tasks during the day. I have been told by my doctor that this describes ADD however I have never official been diagnosed and have decided it is just a sign of superior intelligence. However, it does create a problem with relaxing. Unless I close my eyes and consciously focus on not thinking (some would call this meditation) my mind never stops racing and evening getting it to stop when I am consciously trying is difficult and tiresome. However I have found that when I am sitting down with my pipe the flow and racing of thoughts in my head comes to a standstill and I am able to relax without my mind racing or I am able to think about and focus on one issue. I do not know if it is the nicotine that is helping to focus and slow my mind or the actual process of having to slow down to enjoy the pipe. I believe this is why it was so difficult for me to quote smoking cigarettes because the cigarettes gave me a momentary break from my own racing mind so without them my mind was in a constant marathon.

I have a friend who I have not seen in a long time who has Tourette’s (not an extreme case) and will have the commonly associated ticks of movements or noises. He has told me a long time ago that he smokes cigarettes to calm his mind down and help reduce the ticks. He said that he has quit smoking before and his ticks got worse and no type or amount of medicine has been as beneficial to him for controlling his ticks as the tobacco was. I wish I was still in touch with him so I could introduce him to the wonderful world of pipes.

I am curious of anybody else has difficulties in these types of areas and has found that tobacco has helped focus the mind and / or slow down the racing thoughts.

puffy · Aug 8, 2014

At my age my mind remembers the things that my body used to but no longer can do.Some of those things I wish I could still do..Mostly when I'm sitting smoking a pipe I think of the calmer more peaceful things in life,past and present.Unless of course I remember the time that a certain young lady with a very sweet smile talked me into taking her on a roller coaster.

derfargin · Aug 8, 2014

The treatment for ADD is actually the opposite as to what you think it would be. To successfully treat ADD the patient is given a stimulant.

Stimulant therapy is the most commonly used treatment for Attention-Deficit Disorder/ Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD.
Stimulants are an effective way of managing ADHD symptoms such as short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. They may be used alone or in combination with behavior therapy.
These drugs improve ADHD symptoms in about 70% of adults and 70% to 80% of children shortly after starting treatment. Improvements include reduced interrupting, fidgeting, and other hyperactive symptoms, as well as improved task completion and home relationships.

quoted from a ADD knowledge base site.
Nicotine is a stimulant, as is sugar, and caffeine. Which is why many folks that have ADD,(including those not diagnosed) tend to "self-medicate" with the aforementioned easily acquired substances.

thesmokingtexan · Aug 8, 2014

I guess your right. Thats why all those kids in High school were poping adderall to use like speed. Interesting that the effect of ADD is treated with an upper. I would ahve thought it would require a downer of some type.

thesmokingtexan · Aug 8, 2014

Your burst of "look there is a squirrel" made me laugh out loud.

derfargin · Aug 8, 2014

Yes the therapy is very counter intuitive for sure. However, I know it works because I've seen what it does when it goes untreated vs when it's treated.
There are lots of prescription stimulants out there to treat ADD, and there isn't any one that works for all. Lots of time's its very much a "try this one, see how you do, if that doesn't work lets change the dosage. If that doesn't work, try a different stimulant, lather, rinse, repeat." It's tough for people with ADD to deal with that process because of their condition.
If you're going to get treated for it medically, make sure you start small with the dosage and work your way up. Lots of times Dr's who don't have a background with stimulation treatment get the dosage wrong, and you may have a bad experience with it, and therefore stop treatment all together.
Not trying to turn this thread into a PSA, but ADD is much more common than most people think.

thesmokingtexan · Aug 8, 2014

I am not looking to get treated I have been living life for 35 years now and just learned how to keep myself organized I was just curious if others have noticed the tobacco having a help effect

derfargin · Aug 8, 2014

Understood. I was just contributing the part regarding nicotine as a stimulant and it's relation to the "treatment" of ADD.

bentmike · Aug 8, 2014

Yes I'm with you Texan, My thought processes come and go a mile a minute. As you say the pipe ritual slows things down and my thoughts and reflections become more manageable. A good cigar really has this relaxing effect on me.

phred · Aug 8, 2014

Just after I began smoking a pipe, I wound up unemployed. While I was in that state, I spent a good deal of time studying for (and passing, with flying colors) one of the standard certification exams in my field (IT). I credit the fact that I would smoke a bowl in the morning while studying, then have lunch, then smoke another bowl in the afternoon while studying with my ability to retain the information that I was taking in. :D

woopigsooie · Aug 8, 2014

I couldn't tell you if it helps or not because I've been using tobacco (mostly smokeless) since high school. I have been diagnosed ADHD and to be honest haven't found much that helps. It can be extremely frustrating because things that seem to be so easy for others, seem almost impossible for me. A couple of examples would be: reading a book that doesn't immediately grab my interest and staying busy at work when I am there by myself.
When I was a teenager I have a doctor suggest that I start drinking coffee, this seems to work for me. It doesn't give me a single minded focus but it does help me to slow down the mind enough that I can function without the zombie like trance that I feel from medication...

shutterbugg · Aug 8, 2014

Psychiatrists keep thinking up new sets of symptoms and giving them fancy names so health insurance will cover the treatment cost, then pharmaceutical companies think up new drugs to deaden whatever part of the brain is responsible for those symptoms so they can make trillions. In my youth they didn't call it ADD or ADHD, they called it not paying attention, and the cure was a headslap by the teacher.

mso489 · Aug 8, 2014

Self medication can work up to a point, to adapt better to ones daily situation. What you don't want is to assume the self medication

is sufficient and/or working well, if it isn't, and sometimes a good professional (who is sometimes, I agree, hard work to find) can provide a

good reality check on this. Don't try to go too far alone on this and get in trouble. I too use pipe smoking as a steadying ritual, in this case,

while I am caretaker to my spouse who has medical issues. It's relaxing and makes sure I have some actual "selfish" time, which is sometimes

not otherwise available or certain. I know this activity is "for me."

shutterbugg · Aug 8, 2014

^ In my day it wasn't an option

My old man was like Red in "That 70s Show". If I had trouble concentrating, his response was "How'd you like to try concentrating with my foot up your ass?" Different times

hawke · Aug 8, 2014

thesmokingtexan, yes smoking helps the "racing mind" or ADD as they call it today. Some good things are associated with it. Creativity for one and the ability to super focus. This person can be oblivious to a tornado outside or have a drive to complete something. Einstein was extremely ADD. Yet this same person can be distracted easily. A squeaking fan or radio music in a distance can distract, unless this person is in the super focus mode.
Serotonin is a chemical in the brain which helps it maintain a electrical connection. As it is not needed anymore it goes back into a reservoir(or re-taken) so to speak and reused later. The ADD brain does not hold serotonin as long as non-ADD people. Therefore Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors help. Zoloft is one. Caffeine drinks like Mountain Dew, energy drinks, coffee, etc as stated by others do well. And nicotine as I call it... numbs the brain or slows it down which is more soothing to the ADD person than non-ADD people. The desire for nicotine to me is not just the addiction, its the soothing effect. Ive proven this by means I will not bore you with here. Just as a non-alcoholic cannot understand the craving or need to continue drinking by alcoholics, the non-ADD brain cannot comprehend the condition of those that have it. They think, just stop drinking, I did. Or slow down, get a hold of yourself.
So as you can see by the posts, you are not alone and some just dont get it.

thesmokingtexan · Aug 8, 2014

We'll it defiantly help to give me break and I am glad I was finally able to quit smoking cigarettes but still enjoy tobacco

txbeerboy · Aug 8, 2014

What you have described is not ADD. Every one of us has probably gone through what you are describing. It is called being over whelmed. It is an inability to prioritize at the moment. Everything seems important and it all needed to be done like yesterday, and you don't know whether to take the bull by the head or tail. It is not ADD. Don't start taking medication for this problem. There is nothing wrong with your mind. Just keep smoking your pipe and relax. : puffy

:

numbersix · Aug 9, 2014

I find that pipe smoking allows me to just sit - something that I find hard to do most times. If I don't have a pipe in my hand, I am usually seeing a hundred and one things that need taking care of and I start taking care of them! : puffy

:
So for me, a pipe is a much needed diversion to keep my occupied while I do nothing (and doing nothing is fine with me).
I saw this the other day and it made me laugh.

mso489 · Aug 9, 2014

Old joke about meditation: Don't do something, just sit there!

tucson · Aug 15, 2014

I am Bipolar. When manic, I do have the racing thoughts, starting tasks that never get finished, and so forth. I find that cigars and pipes help me focus. FWIW

Tobacco as an Aid for a Constantly Racing Mind

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