Top 5 Reasons Smoking Is Dangerous To My Mental Health
March 12, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Today is No Smoking Day over in the UK. *waves across the ocean to Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei*
In honor of that, I wanted to write about the mental health risks associated with smoking – you know, because the physical health problems are pretty well covered. However, I was unable to find much reliable and concrete information about it. Sure, there was the occasional mention of lower IQs and the current surveys dealing with people with mental illness and their smoking habits, but, none of that suited me.
So, instead, I’ve decided to list the top five reasons why smoking is dangerous to my mental health.
Top 5 Reasons Smoking Is Dangerous To My Mental Health
#5 – Smoking does not make me happy. Regardless of the little thrill I get each time I can put an end to a nicotine-free time period by lighting up, smoking doesn’t really make me happy. What’s the point of doing something that’s both bad for my health and doesn’t make me happy?
#4 – Smoking makes me worry. It seems like I learn something new about smoking every other day. It’s been linked to blindness, psoriasis, and sleep disturbances. As if cancer weren’t enough?! Seriously. I don’t have the time or energy for all this worry. (On that note, smoking has turned me into quite the hypochondriac. Every chest pain, every stomach ache, every sore throat – it’s always cancer, I just know it.)
#3 – Smoking gives me too much to deal with. Not only can smoking affect my health, but it can also affect my physical appearance. Wrinkles, yellow teeth, discolored fingernails…yuck. Why spend money on beauty products if I’m just going to sabotage myself by smoking? Plus, I’m too narcissistic for this crap. Premature wrinkles and decaying teeth are just not things I want deal with – especially if I’ve caused them myself!
#2 – Smoking stresses me out. Do I have enough cigarettes to make it through the night? Does my new boss allow smoke breaks? Gas went up how much?! There’s no way I can smoke and drive today! Yes, these are all things that have gone through my mind at some point, and honestly, it’s quite stressful. No one should have to factor in little sticks of tobacco, paper, and cotton when balancing their finances and planning their daily schedules.
#1 – Smoking makes me feel guilty. This is the number one reason why smoking is dangerous to my mental health. I feel guilty all the time! Over everything! Spending hard earned money on cigarettes, polluting other peoples’ air (and my pets’ air) with cancer-causing cigarette smoke, disrespecting my body and everything in it, hurting family members and friends by speeding up my death – you name it, and I feel guilty about it.
So, what about the rest of you smokers? How does smoking negatively impact your mental health? Or, how did smoking negatively affect your mental health to the point that you finally quit?
The UK’s official No Smoking Day Web site offers a wealth of information and resources to help you quit smoking. Whether you’re from the UK, America, or Timbuktu, they’re worth checking out!
The above flickr image is owned by Ian Burt and being used according to these Creative Commons conditions.
/me waves back
Do you know I’ve never ever even smoked one cigarette! I may have only held one unlit cigarette in my entire life just to smell it.
Well,Alicia,it’s a certainty that you won’t feel guilty anymore. You’ll be all self righteous and talk a lot about how healthy you feel.
But when you see somebody dragging that smoke, it’ll make you crazy. You may even bcome a tobacco Nazi. But your health will remain the same.
Well, Joe, forgive me if I’m wrong, but the flaccid sarcasm in your comment almost makes it feel as if you’re a smoker who, for whatever reason, is personally offended by my thoughts and feelings about my habit and addiction?
Get over it. Go wage war against folks who want to quit smoking elsewhere.
lol @ Joe Camel
What a moron. If you want to smoke, that’s you’r business. I hardly think Alicia was trying to pass judgment on YOU. She was sharing her own experience and if you have a problem with that, clearly you need something a bit stronger than nicotine to set your mood straight.
You’re damn right smoking is my business.
The reason you want to quit is that you’ve swallowed the Fraud of the Century, like millions of poor fools worldwide. Your brain and probably your nose are owned by corrupt politicians,
Joe Camel, you have the right attitude! Smoke as much as you want to, it’s your business. I remember Morton Downey Jr. rebelliously bragging on tv that he smoked 5 packs a day with no ill effects. Of course he quit smoking immediately soon after when he found out he indeed had lung cancer and of course it killed him. Exercise your rights, Joe Camel! Smoke! Nobody cares, not even you. If you believe that your rights and addiction are worth dying for, who are we to try and stand in your way? Good man.
yah smoking is one of the reasons why peole are not happy…it can cause an effect to us….
@ rhea – It definitely does have a negative effect. For me, even though I think it calms me down, it really just stresses me out in the long run.
Alicia, can you please make a posting about the effects of quitting smoking on people with mental illness. The challenges of it, how it can spark an episode, safe ways of quitting etc…This is a really important issue that the “regular quitters” don’t have to deal with. I have had a difficult time finding online information and support on this topic.
@ Angie – That would be an interesting topic, indeed. I’ll start looking around to see what I can come up with this weekend, and hopefully I’ll get something up about it this week. Thanks for asking!
i didnt smoke before bt i knw that smoke is not good 4 us or our body.i had a friend that always smoke bt when i try 2 stop her she always say she cant stop it, and i told her she can stop it if she stay away from student who are smoking.Bt she still dont want it.She feel sick when our class watch what happen 2 people who always smoke, then she say she things that she would quit now.
but can’t it be dangerous if you stop smoking too.