when you are stressed about school, do you smoke cigarettes?

boulergirl, CNA · Oct 11, 2004

I know someone who de-stresses with a "Rum and coke"--he's a police officer.

As for me, I've never smoked, but I did run out and buy a pack of wine coolers one day after a very stressful situation at work. Ended up taking me a week to drink those coolers--I was that afraid of getting drunk--and the situation resolved itself.

Usually my de-stressors are eating sweets, venting out loud, pacing, getting online, daydreaming, or watching TV.

I have co-workers who smoke. Usually they try to kick the habit, but the stress of being short-staffed tends to drive them back to it.

boulergirl, CNA · Oct 11, 2004

I know someone who de-stresses with a "Rum and coke"--he's a police officer.

As for me, I've never smoked, but I did run out and buy a pack of wine coolers one day after a very stressful situation at work. Ended up taking me a week to drink those coolers--I was that afraid of getting drunk--and the situation resolved itself.

Usually my de-stressors are eating sweets, venting out loud, pacing, getting online, daydreaming, or watching TV.

I have co-workers who smoke. Usually they try to kick the habit, but the stress of being short-staffed tends to drive them back to it.

Sheri257 · Oct 11, 2004

The strangest thing about quitting smoking is that I really started to hate the smell. I never thought that would happen. Go figure.

:confused:

Sheri257 · Oct 11, 2004

The strangest thing about quitting smoking is that I really started to hate the smell. I never thought that would happen. Go figure.

:confused:

allnurses Guide · Oct 11, 2004

I am a smoker, was before school, during school, and am now after school. My stress level was through the roof during school (as it is with everyone), but I found other ways to deal with stress. I'm sorry, but I do not think that a "mild" anti-anxiety medication is the way to go - at least not if you don't need it. Doctors (in my opinion) are all too quick to prescribe anti-anxiety, anti-depressant medications to those who do not necessarily need them. While there are those who need them (and I am very familiar with this - extensive history of depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar on my side of the family, AND my husband's), there are those who do not. Mental illness is an absence or over-abundance of brain chemistry that causes behavioural signs and symptoms. If your brain chemistry is okay to start with, why mess with it?
Is the stress you are experiencing similar to what your classmates are going through? Or is it more extreme? Thoughts of self-harm? If it is similar, then it is a normal response and you may find stress relief through other means first. Deep breathing worked for me. Seriously. Got me through the worst of nursing school. Some of my classmates turned to working out in the gym or at Curves. Some "partied". Several of my classmates went to their doc for something to help them sleep only to be prescribed an anti-depressant.
If you are going through something beyond the normal stress response to nursing school, please, RUSH to your doctor.

Lydia . . thank you for this. I was thinking the same thing as I read the responses. A physician says it is better to be hooked on Xanax than cigarettes? :confused: Are there not other options? Do you really think it is either cigs or drugs?

Taking a look at why we reach for mind-numbing substances instead of handling normal stress with safer and healthy options is surely something we need to do. A life habit of reaching for food, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes is not good for us. Especially as nurses, we should be promoting healthy alternatives.

I myself reach for food in stressful situations and don't think that is healthy, especially if I teach that behavior to my kids. Working out a better way of handling stress certainly makes more sense to me. I use exercise to unwind. Get out and talk a walk or head over the the gym to work-out or take a jog. You don't have to be a super-athlete to get out and do something physical and it really does promote a healthier lifestyle.

School is stressful. I agree. But it is normal to feel stress during school or any big life commitment.

steph

allnurses Guide · Oct 11, 2004

I am a smoker, was before school, during school, and am now after school. My stress level was through the roof during school (as it is with everyone), but I found other ways to deal with stress. I'm sorry, but I do not think that a "mild" anti-anxiety medication is the way to go - at least not if you don't need it. Doctors (in my opinion) are all too quick to prescribe anti-anxiety, anti-depressant medications to those who do not necessarily need them. While there are those who need them (and I am very familiar with this - extensive history of depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar on my side of the family, AND my husband's), there are those who do not. Mental illness is an absence or over-abundance of brain chemistry that causes behavioural signs and symptoms. If your brain chemistry is okay to start with, why mess with it?
Is the stress you are experiencing similar to what your classmates are going through? Or is it more extreme? Thoughts of self-harm? If it is similar, then it is a normal response and you may find stress relief through other means first. Deep breathing worked for me. Seriously. Got me through the worst of nursing school. Some of my classmates turned to working out in the gym or at Curves. Some "partied". Several of my classmates went to their doc for something to help them sleep only to be prescribed an anti-depressant.
If you are going through something beyond the normal stress response to nursing school, please, RUSH to your doctor.

Lydia . . thank you for this. I was thinking the same thing as I read the responses. A physician says it is better to be hooked on Xanax than cigarettes? :confused: Are there not other options? Do you really think it is either cigs or drugs?

Taking a look at why we reach for mind-numbing substances instead of handling normal stress with safer and healthy options is surely something we need to do. A life habit of reaching for food, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes is not good for us. Especially as nurses, we should be promoting healthy alternatives.

I myself reach for food in stressful situations and don't think that is healthy, especially if I teach that behavior to my kids. Working out a better way of handling stress certainly makes more sense to me. I use exercise to unwind. Get out and talk a walk or head over the the gym to work-out or take a jog. You don't have to be a super-athlete to get out and do something physical and it really does promote a healthier lifestyle.

School is stressful. I agree. But it is normal to feel stress during school or any big life commitment.

steph

greatshakes · Dec 10, 2005

Hi,

I started smoking again after 4 1/2 years of being smoke free once my hisband got his dx and I found I'd failed an assignment but what helped me then was St John's wort. Didn't want to have to take anything but It cvertainly stopped me being nervous nelly. worth a try.

MIA-RN1, RN · Dec 10, 2005

Hi,
I started smoking again after 4 1/2 years of being smoke free once my hisband got his dx and I found I'd failed an assignment but what helped me then was St John's wort. Didn't want to have to take anything but It cvertainly stopped me being nervous nelly. worth a try.

My husband and I used to joke when we quit smoking 9 years ago that the only time we would start again was when we got cancer. Well, he got cancer almost 4 years ago (leukemia) and we decided that smoking would be the worst thing to do! He's in remission and I am in nursing school and the 10 pounds I've gained in the last year and a half are way better than smoking would have been.

I've heard about St John's wort but I ended up on Zoloft a little over a year ago and its made a huge difference for me!

student_girl · Dec 10, 2005

As far as I know, yoga and meditation are the absolute best for stress! Just 15 minutes a day doing the sun salutation, or any other figure, leaves me stress-free for nearly the whole day.

.

...but I do smoke...:imbar

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Dec 10, 2005

A nursing instructor told me that when a people are stressed, they smoke. Right now, I am smoking because the stress of exams and passing school. Maybe, it is not worth it going through nursing school like this and being stressed. Anyone have any insights on what I should do to calm my nerves.

I overeat when I am stressed. I don't smoke, and hate the smell but both habits are not good. Drink tea instead and chose healthy snacks.