Well lucky you, LH! I still have the scars on my leg from an encounter last spring.
Poison ivy is a bit like tobacco in that if you recognize it for what it is, treat it with respect, and stay away from it if you're allergic to it you'll have no problems. It's a bit unlike tobacco in that tobacco DOES have some redeeming qualities!
Person with Schizophrenia, thank you for posting. I know what you say is true ... all of the few people I've known with schizophrenia not only smoked but "self-medicated" in the manner you describe. In the same way when I feel anxiety or depression, I notice I want to smoke more often.
Unfortunately the use of drugs, "self-prescribed" or otherwise, does not address the cause but only the symptoms of depression or schizophrenia - more or less successfully, but always temporarily.