Just needed to be heard for a little while

whitewing

*Goes back to look*

Ah yes, one of my friends at uni used that all the time.

Waves_and_Smiles

So you did Pyxis! I am still very used to slang so I just read it as 'normal' words. My mother and grandmother used quite a lot of it. I remember being told to put my titfor on as a child. (tit-for-tat, hat).

Interestingly like a lot of cockneys of their generation they were very against swearing. The most they would say would be cor blimey, flipping heck and blooming heck. Anything else was seen as very rude.

Pyxis

Yes,
I grew up saying, "Give us a butchers, then!" I can actually remember the moment when I realised what I was saying! I was twenty-something!

whitewing

May also be worth keeping an eye on this WaS.

http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/15/1/88

It is well established in studies across several countries that tobacco smoking is more prevalent among schizophrenic patients than the general population [1]. For example, in the US, 80% or more of schizophrenic patients smoke, compared to approximately 20% of the general population

ETA:

http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/6/5/327.full

Some more info on smoking and schizophrenia, including a moneysaving quote to keep things topical to the forum

Cigarettes are not cheap. We have recently carried out some simple arithmetic in relation to smoking and schizophrenia (McCreadie & Kelly, 2000). Our patients smoke on average 26 cigarettes per day. At £2.79 per packet, this works out at £1300 per year. Very few of our patients work. We reckon that probably up to one-third of state benefits is spent on cigarettes. Of the cost of a packet of cigarettes, 87% is tax. Thus, patients, through their smoking habits, are contributing very substantially to the cost of their own care.

Waves_and_Smiles

Ah yes, smoking is ridiculously common with mental health problems. When I used to attend the day centre we all smoked and were allowed to do inside. It was like walking into a fog which used to bother me because even though I smoke I find it affects my eyes very badly.

whitewing

Would you stop smoking (under very controlled conditions) if you thought it would reduce the chance of psychosis? (I've never really smoked so I am probably very biased, but based on what I've skimmed through tonight, I would have thought it would be worth trying to stop at some point in the future. I know that you have said previously that you'd need to be monitored in a hospital because of the effects on medication. How much of an improvement would you need to see to think that it would be worth the inconvenience of stopping?)

Waves_and_Smiles

I would happily stop now if I could do it without risk. I have wanted to stop for years hence cutting it down to 10 a day but I would need to be hospitalised because it will send my psychiatric drugs haywire. The spell in hospital is what is putting me off but I do consider it from time to time and one day I am sure that I will say let's do it. Probably in the next couple of years as I have a high heart attack and stroke risk on my dad's side the family so I can't leave it safely for much longer. I am already the oldest living relation not to have had either problem yet, before me was my dad who had a stroke at 43. Everyone else had had them earlier and 2 cousins and my dad's brother just suddenly had a cardiac arrest in the street and died on the spot (cardiomyopathy). I am very aware that I am juggling with my health.

haybel19

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

Ah yes, smoking is ridiculously common with mental health problems. When I used to attend the day centre we all smoked and were allowed to do inside. It was like walking into a fog which used to bother me because even though I smoke I find it affects my eyes very badly.

How are you eys WaS? Are the drops helping?

Waves_and_Smiles

They eye drops are wonderful, haybel! I am not scared of them at all now and they make a huge difference. Is this how other people's eyes feel? I never knew! I thought everyone experienced blinking as a piece of dry cloth being pulled across your eyes!

haybel19

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

They eye drops are wonderful, haybel! I am not scared of them at all now and they make a huge difference. Is this how other people's eyes feel? I never knew! I thought everyone experienced blinking as a piece of dry cloth being pulled across your eyes!

Really glad they are helping. I have dry eyes a few times (common side effect of RA) is this similar ?