Fighting my nicotine demon and the summer I turned pretty // EP 85

Key Concepts

• Quitting smoking cold turkey
• ADHD medication withdrawal (Vyvanse)
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Withdrawal symptoms: rage, psychosis-like symptoms
• Correlation between ADHD meds and nicotine cravings
• Air1 grocery store: expensive but potentially healthier options
• Impulse control and online shopping
• The Summer I Turned Pretty: Belly's character and relationships with Conrad and Jeremiah

Quitting Smoking and Medication

The speaker details her decision to quit smoking cold turkey as a birthday gift to herself, aiming for better health and longevity. She admits to disliking smoking but doing it out of addiction, stemming from past work stress and university habits. She acknowledges the grossness and unimpressive nature of smoking, especially now that it lacks validation in her current lifestyle.

• Cold Turkey Approach: She emphasizes her all-or-nothing personality, making weaning off impossible.
• ADHD Medication Link: She noticed a strong correlation between taking her ADHD medication (Vyvanse) and intense nicotine cravings.
• Withdrawal Symptoms: Quitting all three (nicotine, ADHD meds, caffeine) simultaneously led to severe withdrawal symptoms, including intense rage, which she found alarming and uncharacteristic.
• Medical Consultation: She consulted her doctor after experiencing psychosis-like symptoms and was advised against abruptly stopping her ADHD medication.

ADHD Medication and Personal Sparkle

The speaker discusses her ambivalence towards her ADHD medication, acknowledging its benefits in organization and productivity but also feeling it diminishes her "sparkle" and creativity, which she considers essential for her job.

• Trade-offs: She questions whether the organizational benefits outweigh the cost of feeling less creative and more reliant on stimulants.
• Assistant Alternative: She considers hiring an assistant to handle organizational tasks, allowing her to embrace her natural "insanity."
• Eating Habits: She notes that her medication suppresses her appetite, leading to unhealthy eating patterns and reliance on caffeine for energy.
• Long-Term Health Concerns: She expresses concern about the long-term health consequences of relying on stimulants and neglecting proper nutrition.

Caffeine and Health Warnings

The speaker humorously recounts learning about a cancer-causing chemical released during coffee bean roasting from a warning sign at her local coffee shop. She digresses into a commentary on the prevalence of health warnings in the US, questioning their effectiveness when products containing harmful chemicals are still sold.

• US Warning Labels: She finds the US system of warning labels both amusing and perplexing, highlighting the contradiction of allowing potentially harmful products to be sold as long as consumers are informed.

The Week from Hell and Cat Antics

The speaker describes the past week as a "week from hell" due to the combined withdrawals. She also mentions her cat, Boba, started screaming again after she and her partner went to Palm Springs.

• Cat's Behavior: Boba's screaming, which had been reduced by getting another cat, Dexter, returned after a cat sitter stayed with them.
• Overstimulated Mummy: She felt like an overstimulated mom and had to camp out in her car to get away from the cat.

Air1 and Lifestyle Upgrades

The speaker recounts getting sick and shopping at Air1, an expensive grocery store, for remedies. She was surprised by how quickly she recovered from COVID after taking the remedies.

• Expensive Remedies: She bought expensive items like oil of oregano and $115 manuka honey.
• Quick Recovery: She recovered from COVID in three days, which she attributes to the expensive remedies.
• Guilt Complex: She feels guilty about spending money on herself and prioritizes saving for her family's future.
• Impulse Control: She notes that she lost impulse control when she stopped taking her ADHD medication and bought silk bed sheets.
• Lifestyle Upgrades: She questions whether she should afford herself lifestyle upgrades like expensive groceries and silk bed sheets.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Rant

The speaker launches into a passionate rant about the TV show "The Summer I Turned Pretty," particularly criticizing Belly's character and her relationships with Conrad and Jeremiah.

• Belly's Actions: She condemns Belly for being involved with both brothers, especially given their family circumstances (mother's death, difficult father).
• Jeremiah's Betrayal: She is particularly critical of Jeremiah for pursuing Belly after knowing that Conrad is in love with her and has asked for his blessing.
• Taylor's Treatment: She criticizes Belly for being a bad friend to Taylor, neglecting her emotional needs and hijacking their breakfast to talk about her engagement.
• Sexual Tension: She expresses her desire to see Conrad and Belly have sex on screen but is disgusted by the thought of a sexual scene between Belly and Jeremiah.

Conclusion

The speaker's podcast episode covers a wide range of topics, from her personal struggles with quitting smoking and medication to her opinions on lifestyle upgrades and her passionate critique of "The Summer I Turned Pretty." The episode is characterized by its raw honesty, humor, and unfiltered opinions. The main takeaways are the challenges of breaking addictions, the complexities of managing ADHD medication, the guilt associated with spending money, and the speaker's strong opinions on pop culture.