stress and drinks/smoking

[Chrysalis]

We keep been told that drinking is bad for us and smoking is bad for us, but here is a thought someone I know died of a heart attack at just 43, he never drank unless special occasions and didnt smoke. Stress is a major killer probably the biggest killer we have as when you stressed it causes all kinds of problems and increases likelyhood of heart attacks, strokes and cancer. Yes smoking and alcohol are both effective at reducing stress even if its temporary. If used in a controlled manner do you think these actually extend life? in other words if everyone was non smokers and didnt drink would we have a lower life expectancy.

[Rob]

I don't think anyone has even shown that even the smallest amount of smoking has any benefit to health.

Alcohol, in moderation is less clear cut. Whether it's the alchohol, or more likely other things in the tipple of choice, there seems to be an argument that moderate use, i.e. glass of wine a day, could have some benefit.

But it's overall lifestyle that is important. Stress is bad, We all need to take time to chill out, and switch off. Sedentry lifestyle is also bad, but overdoing the excercise is also not a good idead - how many younger bods do you see limping around with some sort of self inflicted sporting injury

[Salu]

You're right in saying stress is bad for your health but so is smoking and much more so. Moderate alcohol is fine; excess is damaging. To use these to promote health is an interesting concept but in my opinion unfounded. Although smoking may give a temporary relief of stress it is a psychological adjunct and not of any real benefit in the longer term. Smoking as I have stated before on this forum is responsible for causing or exacerbating over 100 different medical conditions and will certainly harm you in some way depending on your immune system. It may not kill you but it most likely will. Avoid it like a plague.

A heart attack at the age of 43 in a non smoker is most probably due to familial hypercholesterolaemia which is a hereditary high level of cholesterol which causes a build up of “plaque” in the arteries. These can then crack and the body thinks it has a leak so sends the command to form a clot over the crack. This then blocks the artery which decreases blood flow to a part of the heart causing “cramp” or angina. If this artery becomes fully blocked it cuts off the blood supply completely and kills part of the heart – a “heart attack”. Depending on which artery is affected it can cause the heart to stop beating and fibrillate which is then called a cardiac arrest.

[Chrysalis]

The thing is lets say someone dies as a result of lung disease it gets blamed on smoking and the person is say 69, who is to know they wouldnt have died 10 years earlier of a heart attack due to stress because they werent taking any stress reducing products.

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

The thing is lets say someone dies as a result of lung disease it gets blamed on smoking and the person is say 69, who is to know they wouldnt have died 10 years earlier of a heart attack due to stress because they werent taking any stress reducing products.

Smokers who quit live longer than smokers who don't.

[Chrysalis]

well my mum has asthma smokes 20 a day and is in her 60s, so you just made a sweeping comment that isnt true. Its a theory. Smoking itself causes problems I dont deny but I think it just fixes one problem and causes a new problem.

Stress and anxiety are huge cuases of illness.

Alcohol perhaps is a different matter tho?

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

well my mum has asthma smokes 20 a day and is in her 60s, so you just made a sweeping comment that isnt true. Its a theory. Smoking itself causes problems I dont deny but I think it just fixes one problem and causes a new problem.

Stress and anxiety are huge cuases of illness.

Alcohol perhaps is a different matter tho?

Come on we all know one relative who smokes 40 a day, lives to be 90 and never had so much a cough but for everyone of them how many did we know who died of cancer, heart disease ect brought on by the fags, probably a lot more than we knew who died of stress related diseases.

[Dan_Sette]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

The thing is lets say someone dies as a result of lung disease it gets blamed on smoking and the person is say 69, who is to know they wouldnt have died 10 years earlier of a heart attack due to stress because they werent taking any stress reducing products.

Except..except...except.

You are ignoring the medical effects of nicotine.

It is reasoned that smoking apparently relieves stress for two reasons:

1 psychological. The stressed person who smokes is giving themselves a moments "break" from the stress, largely by doing something other than what is causing the stress. Namely, finding the packet, lighting up and "enjoying" the first drag. This is made even more relaxing in the work environment where smokers have to go outside / to a special area to smoke. Frankly, non smoking stress sufferers would benefit from the same treatment. Namely walking away form their desk for ten minutes, giving them time to calm down from the stressful situation.

2 It dumps adrenalin into the bodies sysytem, provoking the "fight or flight" reaction and thus appearing more able to cope with the situation.


but..but.. people who are stressed have high blood pressure levels and increased heart rate (which is what brings on potential heart attacks)

Smoking releases nictotine into the bloodstream. Nicotine changes how your brain and your body function. It causes the adrenaline release which further increases blood pressure and heart rate. On top of the effects of stress it is a lethal combination.

So, no, in answer to your original point, there is no time that smoking reduces stress (just the opposite) and can be claimed to be good for you.

D

As someone who is currently suffering from stress, anxiety and depression and taking medication for it, i find that smoking relaxes me. I sometimes go and get rat arsed.

What makes me very angry is the attitude of some people against smoking. If you dont like it fine, dont like, no one is forcing it upon you, dont smoke, but for ****s sake let the people who genuinley enjoy smoking have a smoke in peace.

I live in a heavily industrialised town, the chances of me contracting some nasty lung disease are fairly high anyway, I suffer from high blood pressure, I smoke occasionally and then I smoke filtered cigars. I drink very occasionally, i go to the gymn, and am more carefull about what I eat, and you know what? life like this ****ing sucks and is barely worth living, there is no fun anymore.

We cant do this because it might cause that, and that might cause this and oh well you are going to die younger because you dont live in London. ENOUGH is what I say. Lets enjoy our short time on this earth perhaps if we were allowed to enjoy ourselves and not have oppressive people screaming in our faces about what we do is damaging our own health then perhaps stress levels would drop.

I recently visited my doctor and according to the BMI, I am morbidly obese. You know why? because it doesnt take into account the fact that I am big built from when I was a semi professional sprinter. thats scientific fact, thats how well the BMI think one chart fits all.

as a slogan I once saw says: Quiting is for wimps, it takes balls to face cancer. lets all just chill huh?

We could live a puritan life and drop dead at 30 from some sort of gentical abnormality we didnt know about, lets enjoy our life, however short it is destined to be.

[jellybaby]

Originally Posted by timewarrior2001

As someone who is currently suffering from stress, anxiety and depression and taking medication for it, i find that smoking relaxes me. I sometimes go and get rat arsed.

What makes me very angry is the attitude of some people against smoking. If you dont like it fine, dont like, no one is forcing it upon you, dont smoke, but for ****s sake let the people who genuinley enjoy smoking have a smoke in peace.

I live in a heavily industrialised town, the chances of me contracting some nasty lung disease are fairly high anyway, I suffer from high blood pressure, I smoke occasionally and then I smoke filtered cigars. I drink very occasionally, i go to the gymn, and am more carefull about what I eat, and you know what? life like this ****ing sucks and is barely worth living, there is no fun anymore.

We cant do this because it might cause that, and that might cause this and oh well you are going to die younger because you dont live in London. ENOUGH is what I say. Lets enjoy our short time on this earth perhaps if we were allowed to enjoy ourselves and not have oppressive people screaming in our faces about what we do is damaging our own health then perhaps stress levels would drop.

I recently visited my doctor and according to the BMI, I am morbidly obese. You know why? because it doesnt take into account the fact that I am big built from when I was a semi professional sprinter. thats scientific fact, thats how well the BMI think one chart fits all.

as a slogan I once saw says: Quiting is for wimps, it takes balls to face cancer. lets all just chill huh?

We could live a puritan life and drop dead at 30 from some sort of gentical abnormality we didnt know about, lets enjoy our life, however short it is destined to be.

A good mate of mine died last week from a stroke bought on by stress aged 42, his kids had been abducted by his wife and took abroad, the stress finally killed him off, he was a fit bloke, he was a nurse in our local hospital, he played football each week.

[smicer07]

Originally Posted by timewarrior2001

As someone who is currently suffering from stress, anxiety and depression and taking medication for it, i find that smoking relaxes me. I sometimes go and get rat arsed.

What makes me very angry is the attitude of some people against smoking. If you dont like it fine, dont like, no one is forcing it upon you, dont smoke, but for ****s sake let the people who genuinley enjoy smoking have a smoke in peace.

I live in a heavily industrialised town, the chances of me contracting some nasty lung disease are fairly high anyway, I suffer from high blood pressure, I smoke occasionally and then I smoke filtered cigars. I drink very occasionally, i go to the gymn, and am more carefull about what I eat, and you know what? life like this ****ing sucks and is barely worth living, there is no fun anymore.

We cant do this because it might cause that, and that might cause this and oh well you are going to die younger because you dont live in London. ENOUGH is what I say. Lets enjoy our short time on this earth perhaps if we were allowed to enjoy ourselves and not have oppressive people screaming in our faces about what we do is damaging our own health then perhaps stress levels would drop.

I recently visited my doctor and according to the BMI, I am morbidly obese. You know why? because it doesnt take into account the fact that I am big built from when I was a semi professional sprinter. thats scientific fact, thats how well the BMI think one chart fits all.

as a slogan I once saw says: Quiting is for wimps, it takes balls to face cancer. lets all just chill huh?

We could live a puritan life and drop dead at 30 from some sort of gentical abnormality we didnt know about, lets enjoy our life, however short it is destined to be.

That's what 16 year old smokers say.. "well I could be run over by a bus tomorrow anyway". Take some responsibility. I hope, at least, you don't have children.

[Hugh]

Originally Posted by timewarrior2001

... snip ... as a slogan I once saw says: Quitting is for wimps, it takes balls to face cancer. lets all just chill huh?

TW2K1, if you do get cancer, what about your family? - you don't live in a solipsistic world - your actions have effects on others.

The above slogan was probably sponsored by Phillip Morris and BAT.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

The thing is lets say someone dies as a result of lung disease it gets blamed on smoking and the person is say 69, who is to know they wouldnt have died 10 years earlier of a heart attack due to stress because they werent taking any stress reducing products.

Doesnt smoking raise your heart rate? has been tested on babies in the womb ( whilst mother is smoking )

So surely raised heart rate=shorter life?

---------- Post added at 14:57 ---------- Previous post was at 14:55 ----------

Originally Posted by foreverwar

TW2K1, if you do get cancer, what about your family? - you don't live in a solipsistic world - your actions have effects on others.

The above slogan was probably sponsored by Phillip Morris and BAT.

Tell that to the friends of a 39 year old guy from around here.
His problems started 4 months ago after his mothers funeral, he was completely misdiagnosed from the start, he's to be buried next week.

Originally Posted by smicer07

That's what 16 year old smokers say.. "well I could be run over by a bus tomorrow anyway". Take some responsibility. I hope, at least, you don't have children.

Actually I DO have children, not that its ANY business of yours.

And the fact remains, my children will not be wrapped in cotton wool and leading miserable lives, in case somehting hurts them. My children will have an immune system because I wont be running to the doctors every 10 minutes for more anti biotics for them.

My children will be allowed play outside, they will be encouraged to exercise.

But I am a parent that knows only too well how fragile life is, when my then 2 year old son was run over in a hit and run, he had 2 wheels of the car go right over his abdomen.


I assume most people believe because I smoke then I must smoke in front of children, that goes to show how narrow minded and completely out of touch those people are and it also prooves that you should NEVER jump to conclusions about someone.

My attitude stands, I would rather my children had a happy, carefree life than a sheltered up bringing and living to be 100 +

I experimented in drugs when I was younger, I had a motorbike that I used to ride on fields with, I worked in my school holidays on my uncles farm. Lets say I have experienced a lot that life has to offer and because of that I feel I am justified in my beliefs.
I've done some very very stupid things, and I have done some very very courageous things.
I was brought up that if I fell off a wall and knacked my arm, then it wqas my own stupid fault, When I fell out of a tree and landed on my chin, my parents didnt try and sue the local council. When I contracted Measles when I was 3 my parents didnt panic and dmenad answers I was put to bed and the doctor was called. Same with chickenpox, and mumps.
When I fell off a motorbike onto a gravel track and took ALL the skin off my forearms and palms and finger tips I didnt go to hosptial, I was cleaned up, had the grit scraped out and had one of those wonderfull none stick dressings applied, which promptly stuck.

So when I OCCASIONALLY smoke I do so because I wish to, and yes if any snotty nosed little **** came up to me saying hey your poluting my air, I tell them to **** off and find some cleaner air....away from me. Lets face it in Teesside its harder to find clean air than polluted air.
Its the same people that go out on a weekend and pickle their brain in Vodka and redbull then beat some innocent person half to death because they looked at them.

no I am smart enough to live my own life and make informed decisions for myself and my own children thankyou very much.