My guy friend played pro baseball so he got into chewing tobacco, but even though he doesn't play anymore he still chews. He knows it's gross, and I've tried to help him quit but nothing seems to work. I don't want him getting cancer of the mouth. I understand that it can be an addiction, but does it also relieve stress? Because I can tell when he's nervous he chews & spits. Why does he still do it though?
2006-10-03 03:21:12 · 7 answers · asked by feisty 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
There are 2 reasons - the nicotine and the oral fixation.
Nicotine will give you a buzz the first couple of times you use it, but that fades quickly. Nicotine will also calm nerves in those addicted, primarily because the addiction is causing the anxiety.
The oral fixation is similar to others who chew on pencils, bite their nails, or eat excessively. Some people have extra sensitive nerves in their mouth that give them urges to keep their mouth busy and dip (along with spitting) relieves this.
I know, I used dip for 20 years. I quit many times, long enough to get the nicotine out of my system, but it was the oral fixation that kept getting me hooked back on.
Get your friend a couple of tins of herbal snuff. Hooch Snuff makes the best imo, as it feels like tobacco. You can get it at http://www.hoochsnuff.com/. This will help with the oral fixation as he gets off the nicotine. Have him try the titration method, which is mixing the real tobacco with the herbal 50/50 and then increasing he amount of herbal over time until it is all herbal. IMO this is the best way to go. Eventually his use of the herbal will decline as well.
Good luck to you and him.
2006-10-03 10:41:43 · answer #1 · answered by JohnC 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask him to not do it around you. Simple as that.
Ask him also to see a dentist every 6 months to make sure his mouth and gums do not get cancerous.
Nicotine is a hard addiction to nip in the buds, and for those who do not have the addiction or have never been addicted to a substance do not know how difficult it is to quit. I quit drinking about 20 years, ago, and quit smoking about 16 years ago. Nicotine addiction has the same physical addictive qualities as crack cocaine or heroin. The pull emotionally and physically is extremely strong.
Will power is useless against it. The only way to quit is One day at a time. For nicotine it is one second at a time until you reach about a month. Doing the patch or the gum only extends the time one has the chemicals in the system.
It's best to quit cold turkey and substitute gum for chew. Nothing a girlfriend or a wife can say or do will keep a person from using it. They have to want to stop on their own.
Yes, nicotine does eleviate stress to some degree.
Been there done that. (One day at a time)
2006-10-03 03:35:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He might be addicted to it. I have never chewed tobacco, but I have heard that it works as a stress reliever. You get a sort of high off of it.
2006-10-03 03:30:31 · answer #3 · answered by seanski_2110 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chewing tobacco is addictive, just as cigarettes are.
2006-10-03 03:29:03 · answer #4 · answered by Jenn M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You already answered this...it's an addiction
2006-10-03 03:31:38 · answer #5 · answered by eastern_mountain_outdoors 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Might be best to ask him...
2006-10-03 03:29:39 · answer #6 · answered by dardekkis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
same reason people smoke
2006-10-03 03:30:43 · answer #7 · answered by tommy w 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋