Back home now. The stress is gone ... sort of.

[Carnation]

Wired, you are using alcohol as a crutch.
Try to find something else to reply it. Like an exercise routine. You can follow videos online.

[Lencoboy]

This is true for me Lenco. Smoked on and off for years and stuck with the habit atm. You're right, times of stress an ex smoker will often reach for a smoke.

Funny how you never mentioned smoking as well.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Funny how you never mentioned smoking as well.

Yeah it's s**t mate. I'd quit in a heartbeat but I get so angry and agitated life becomes unpleasant. This is the trap. Part of my brain tells me "what's the point, if there's damage it's already done". There's hereditary Cancer in my family line and the males die before 60 whether they smoke or not. Makes you think why worry.

But, clearly I do worry because I don't want to be drinking

You've planted that seed of guilt in my brain though, because I know what I'm doing isn't healthy. I've just put the tobacco away and see if I can get through today without smoking. Good one mate. Talking about it helps me.

[Lencoboy]

Yeah it's s**t mate. I'd quit in a heartbeat but I get so angry and agitated life becomes unpleasant. This is the trap. Part of my brain tells me "what's the point, if there's damage it's already done". There's hereditary Cancer in my family line and the males die before 60 whether they smoke or not. Makes you think why worry.

But, clearly I do worry because I don't want to be drinking

You've planted that seed of guilt in my brain though, because I know what I'm doing isn't healthy. I've just put the tobacco away and see if I can get through today without smoking. Good one mate. Talking about it helps me.

I apologise if I've made you feel guilty.

The point I was making earlier was more about people who had never previously smoked before in their lives but suddenly took up the habit either due to being consumed with stress or to fit in with friends, colleagues, etc (or possibly even for both reasons).

I seem to recall that happening a lot back in the 90s and even well into the 2000s to a certain extent, but I don't recall many existing non-smokers (at least within my own circle) really making that big a deal of it at the time, including my own parents. In fact, some of them even believed it was non-PC to question/object to it, especially before 2007.

[Catkins]

Honestly Wired don't worry about the smoking just now. Concentrate on one thing (drinking) and work on that, don't overload yourself.

[Carnation]

I agree with catkins wired