Warning--Bad Stuff Might Kill You
I've spent an inordinant amount of time lately perusing the medical records of one of our less-than-prestigious clients. The guy is a drunk who got fired for showing up drunk for work and generally doesn't give a rat's ass about much of anything other than whether or not he has enough beer to get him through til his next trip to the Quik-E-Mart.
One note describes his pack-a-day smoking habit and then states "(warned about stopping)." I'm sure I could give the speech they gave him verbatim, as I've heard it numerous times myself. "You really should quit, smoking can cause cancer and this and that and ingrown toenails and a whole host of other issues..."
I ask--is there anyone out there firing up a fag and thinking, "wow, this is really good, AND good for me, too!" I mean, seriously--are there any smokers out there who don't know it's not exactly the equivalent of jogging 5 miles a day and eating wheat grass? Jesus, they tell you right on the pack that it's not good for you. (Yes, I understand there are smokers who are illiterate. Still, I'm sure they've heard the news in one format or another.)
I started smoking when I was a 17-year-old high school senior. My friends found it repellant. My boyfriend broke up with me over it. My parents would have kicked my ass (totally hypocritical considering they were heavy smokers until I was in high school). I did it because I enjoyed it for some reason. It was a nice fit for my anxious, obsessive, Type-A personality. I had a lot of "artsy" friends post-high school, and it fit in with them. I became active in community theatre, and it fit in with that. (Until the theater owners banned actors and stage crew from smoking backstage when it was pointed out a thick cloud of smoke typically lingered over the stage during every performance.)
I'm now an Old Mom. Smoking doesn't fit in with that. Unless you take into consideration the high stress level that comes from parenting an almost-5-year-old boy with emotional issues and his psychotic biological father. Smoking fits in great with that.
I know I should quit. I also know I should eat breakfast, find a form of birth control that won't leave me with osteoporosis in 20 years, exercise more, sleep more, and do a host of other things that will allow me to enjoy my golden years. I'm just afraid that if I try to quit now, the added stress of nicotine withdrawal might send me over the edge.
I wonder if they let you smoke at the local mental health facility...
One note describes his pack-a-day smoking habit and then states "(warned about stopping)." I'm sure I could give the speech they gave him verbatim, as I've heard it numerous times myself. "You really should quit, smoking can cause cancer and this and that and ingrown toenails and a whole host of other issues..."
I ask--is there anyone out there firing up a fag and thinking, "wow, this is really good, AND good for me, too!" I mean, seriously--are there any smokers out there who don't know it's not exactly the equivalent of jogging 5 miles a day and eating wheat grass? Jesus, they tell you right on the pack that it's not good for you. (Yes, I understand there are smokers who are illiterate. Still, I'm sure they've heard the news in one format or another.)
I started smoking when I was a 17-year-old high school senior. My friends found it repellant. My boyfriend broke up with me over it. My parents would have kicked my ass (totally hypocritical considering they were heavy smokers until I was in high school). I did it because I enjoyed it for some reason. It was a nice fit for my anxious, obsessive, Type-A personality. I had a lot of "artsy" friends post-high school, and it fit in with them. I became active in community theatre, and it fit in with that. (Until the theater owners banned actors and stage crew from smoking backstage when it was pointed out a thick cloud of smoke typically lingered over the stage during every performance.)
I'm now an Old Mom. Smoking doesn't fit in with that. Unless you take into consideration the high stress level that comes from parenting an almost-5-year-old boy with emotional issues and his psychotic biological father. Smoking fits in great with that.
I know I should quit. I also know I should eat breakfast, find a form of birth control that won't leave me with osteoporosis in 20 years, exercise more, sleep more, and do a host of other things that will allow me to enjoy my golden years. I'm just afraid that if I try to quit now, the added stress of nicotine withdrawal might send me over the edge.
I wonder if they let you smoke at the local mental health facility...
posted by Mitzi Green at 3:24 PM
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