Does anyone use smoking as a "coping skill"?

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I'm sure we all know smoking probably isn't the best way to cope with stress. But smoking has been the one thing I cling to in stressful social situations. I think smoking is nasty, really, and I hope to find it in me to quit (someday). So my question is, does anyone else smoke to deal with AS symptoms? Also have any of you had any luck quitting? Did you have to replace it with something?

-KristaMeth

Sounds like it might partly be a stimmy impulse.



Yeah, i think the turning point was looking at the stuff under 30* magnification. try it - it really is disgusting!

I did when i was in high school

I smoke 2-4 bong hits per hour. Probably 10-30 hits per day.

I can't smoke cigs, they make me sick.
Does that count?

Actually I am on hiatus from weed right now, I decided not to smoke in 2007. I smoked that much weed for 10+ years prior to 2007. And yes I am looking forward to 2008.

Yeah, I use smoking as a coping strategy in some situations. For instance, if I'm standing in front of a building somewhere waiting for my friends, I resort to smoking to keep myself from looking like a loser. As I found out the hard way, standing around in front of a building waiting for someone is looked down upon in the NT world. Apparently, if you're not a security guard, it makes you look like a loser. (Alpha-males, however, seem to be exempt from this "rule".) But when I'm smoking, it suddenly looks like I have a real reason to stand in front of the building. Even if smoking is allowed inside, saying "I just like smoking outside; I find it more relaxing" is a perfectly valid excuse (according to NTs). But it all makes me wonder: since NTs are the ones who make all those "rules", don't they find them as much of a hassle as aspies do?

What is a bong hit - how many to the gram, at what strength?

I dont smoke to consciously cope with my AS issues, but I do come to realize it has its advantages in some situations. As Aspie1 mentionned, it gives you something to do when otherwise you would look like a doubtful loser. It can also prevents others from calling me a nerd or a wimp, as smoking is not stereotypical of these groups of people. I am a nerd and a wimp, by the way.

A bong hit is smoking with a water pipe, mine is a nice glass 2 footer.
I would estimate 6-9 bong hits per gram.
And I smoke only the most potent available. As I live in Southern California the weed here is very strong. I used to grow my own usually, otherwise the cost can be prohibitive.

How many days until 2008?

Wow, no weed for a year? I can't even imagine, and I'm not even going to pretend like I could to that, haha...

I used to smoke a VERY great deal. As much as I could afford, maybe 50 a day. Even though I found smoking, and everything to do with it (like ashtrays) really sickening all my life.

I don't know if it specifically "helped me cope with AS symptoms", but like any addiction, it certainly became an all purpose "crutch for all reasons" through the years.

The thing it helped me with was coping with an abusive controlling family, in a very basic way. My mother hated smoking, so that her conflict with my (very strong) addiction kept me out of their clutches, for example, the very idea of staying in her house (where she would have forced me to give up) was abhorrent.

I gave up in 2001 because I was diagnosed with early onset Emphysema. I knew I was seriously ill for 3 years and that I had Emphysema for over a year.

The strange thing is I honestly thought I would NEVER be able to give up under ANY circumstances, but when he gave me the diagnosis I just said "Write the prescription so" before I even thought about it.

I gave up using Zyban (wellbrutin). They have this really weird affect whereby you are still an addict etc, but you honestly cannot be bothered/remember to smoke.

I knocked myself out with sleeping pills for the first couple of days and the worst of the withdrawals, then embarked upon intense housecleaning, aimed at removing as much nicotene, and smell of nicotene, as I could.

I'd say getting used to not smoking be a lot harder than quitting, if it wasn't for ALL THE LOVELY MONEY I suddenly had to spend a couple of weeks later.

M

I've smoked for 20+ years before I stopped doing that, and I quit quitting long before smoking.

I think there were several 'coping' aspects, such as the ritual of rolling and lighting a cigarette and then smoking it. Then smokers (is that the word) as a group, a subculture that you belonged to, exchanging (sharing) tobacco and other resources, as well as time together, sharing moments.

Stopping turned out to be fairly easy, far easier then I was made to believe it could be. Few cravings, some side effects, mostly with sleeping. Don't believe the fairy tales, you don't need to 'prepare' yourself before stopping, you know it's bad for your health and you know that all the 'advantages' about it are just excuses. Just stop smoking.

So how are you doing now?

Never smoked again...and I have been through some serious "life crises" and stresses since.

The only one that nearly got me was a guy on the phone from a debt collection agency who was, legally, WAY out of line and running...for some reason I WOULD HAVE KILLED for a smoke after I dealt with him, but that was in 2002.

The way MY head gets it is that smoking started to harm me...and knowing that, and getting away from it, to smoke again would be like one of those silly girls who keep going back to a guy who beats them up...

Besides, just the THOUGHT of what it would cost me in money horrifies me...

FIFTEEN EUROS A DAY...

I could be drunk all day for that...buy a bottle of my favorite perfume AT LEAST once a week...max out my credit card every few days...

...and I KNOW I can't afford all that stuff...

Still wouldn't trust myself to get too "close" to anyone who smokes though...if you catch my drift? (Not that there is a queue forming or anything!)

M

I smoke. I don't know that it has to do with coping, but I think my AS traits make it much harder to quit. It's a routine, and I'm very stuck on routine, and things not changing. It's something to do with my hands, instead of flicking my fingers, and such.
I'm really hating it anymore. It stinks, it's unhealthy, and it so, so very costly.I wish that I had never started in the first place.

Ive been smoking on and off through out my life. Lately Ive found I cant even handle it anymore, as normally I need to smoke a lot to get rid of the stress Im feeling. I dont need to chain smoke per se but it does help sometimes when its really bad. But anyway, eventually I started to feel pain in my throat and chest so I got really freaked out. Dunno what will become of me, but unless I get a life I doubt it would matter.. Maybe I should start again some day. Try smoking Pall Malls if you can, they seemed to give me the least amount of problems.
I think I got a little off topic but anyway, Ive also found that its hard for me to say no to certain drugs. Anything thats an opiet I cant even handle so I wont go there (or anything stronger) obviously.. But I dont exactly have any "contacts" anymore, its actually been quite some time. Sure, smoking weed is a great way to lift your emotions thus manifesting a higher motivation level, but it also requires responsibility.. As in not becoming a complete stoner because you would end up spending a rediculous amount of money, doing a significant amount of damage to your brain (how so is different for everyone), and you run out of food faster
So yeah, to answer your question, if I get the chance to get my hands on something light Ill do it. If I get the chance to be irresponsible Ill do what I can to take it easy instead..
All together, I believe pot is supposed to be a happy drug. What I mean is that its meant to be smoked just for the sake of having a good time with your friends (if you have any), rather than a form of self medication because your depressed all the time or for whatever reason.. But its hard to think that way obviously when your feeling so low.
However like said, I quit smoking.. But more than likely Ill find myself starting again.. As I always seem to do lol.. Things never seem to go well with me.

Last edited by username88 on 06 Oct 2007, 11:44 am, edited 2 times in total.

username88,

You sound so much like me...except for the pot...It always just gave me dyspepsia and made me doze off, which never really helped...

You did well to quit smoking though...

M