Šalje: QuitSmokingTips [bwprice@quitsmokingsupport.com] Poslano: 1. studeni 2000 0:25 Prima: List Member Predmet: QuitSmokingTips: Volume 2 Number 42 QuitSmokingTips - http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com ==================================================================== QuitSmokingTips - Tuesday October 31st,2000 Volume 2 Number 41 http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com support@quitsmokingsupport.com ==================================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: SmokeSaver - A powerful interactive guide to help you quit! Common Questions About How To Stop Smoking Nicotine Equals Stress Relief? Not So Fast, Experts Say ==================================================================== If you feel that the material in this newsletter may be of benefit to anyone that you know please feel free to pass it on! Be sure to visit our AMAZON.com bookstore where you can purchase an excellent selection of quitting smoking books as well as anything else that amazon.com offers such as merchandise, DVD's, CD's.! http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/amazon.htm Be sure to read "The Ten Top Things People Don't Know About Smoking and Quitting" at: http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/nicotine.htm ===================================================================== SmokerSaver turns your computer into a virtual therapist. By replacing your screen saver, SmokerSaver drops in on you several times a day, every day ? bite-sized instalments that accumulate into a comprehensive 30-day course. This powerful interactive guide shadows you throughout the day, initially assessing your habit, then advising you, monitoring your progress, supporting and inspiring you, until you reach your ultimate goal of being a non-smoker. Release early November. Visit http://www.SmokerSaver.com to pre-register for the course, and get a $10 discount on the normal price of $38.00 ?no obligation. ===================================================================== Make sure you visit: http://www.quitsmoking.com "The Quit Smoking Company" Excellent Information and Products to Help Smokers Quit ===================================================================== COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO STOP SMOKING Below you'll find some answers to some of the questions most frequently asked by smokers who are considering stopping. Q: Won't I gain weight if I stop smoking? ˇNot every person who stops smoking gains weight. ˇThe average weight gain is small for people who do gain (5-8 lbs.). ˇDon't diet now?there will be time after you become a nonsmoker. ˇExercise is an effective way to cope with withdrawal and to avoid weight gain. ˇAvoid high-calorie snacks. Vegetables and fruits are good snacks. ˇThe risks to health from smoking are far greater than the risks to health from a small weight gain. ˇA small increase in weight may not hurt your appearance. Smoking is unattractive, causing yellow teeth, bad breath, stale clothing odors and, possibly, wrinkled skin. Q: If I smoke only low-tar/low-nicotine cigarettes, do I need to stop? ˇThere is no such thing as a safe cigarette. ˇMany smokers who use these cigarettes inhale more often or more deeply to make up for the low nicotine levels. This smoking pattern may increase your risk of some form of lung disease. Q: Is it better to stop "cold turkey" or over a long period of time? ˇThere is no "best way." ˇMost successful former smokers stop "cold turkey." ˇStopping over a long period of time can extend the symptoms of withdrawal. ˇTalk to your doctor about using nicotine replacement or non-nicotine medication to help deal with any withdrawal symptoms from stopping "cold turkey." Q: What about insomnia? Some smokers report having problems sleeping after they stop smoking. If these symptoms are related to nicotine dependence, they should disappear within 2-3 weeks. Q: Why do I cough more now that I've stopped? About 20 percent of former smokers report an increase in coughing after they stop smoking. This is a temporary response that may be caused by an increase in the lung's ability to remove phlegm?so it actually represents a recovery of your lung's defense mechanisms. Q: If I stop, can I smoke a cigarette occasionally? No. Most former smokers quickly become re-addicted to nicotine. Don't risk getting hooked again. Q: Will my body recover from the effects of smoking? Although some lung damage may be permanent, your body has an amazing ability to repair itself. Many of the negative health effects of smoking are reduced over time as you stay smoke-free. Q: Should I tell other people I'm trying to stop? Yes. Enlist the support of family, friends and co-workers. Q: What should I do when I get an urge or craving to smoke? Some people relieve cravings by chewing gum, sucking on a cinnamon stick, eating a carrot stick, deep breathing or concentrating on an activity that keeps their minds and hands occupied. ˇCravings for cigarettes are a normal part of withdrawal. ˇMost cravings last for only a few minutes and then subside. ˇCravings become less common over time. ˇTalk to your physician to see if nicotine replacement can help. Q: What other withdrawal symptoms will I have? ˇSome smokers have few or no withdrawal symptoms. ˇOther common symptoms include anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, mild headache and gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation. ˇFew smokers experience all these symptoms. ˇLike other symptoms, they are only temporary. Q: When I don't smoke, I feel restless and can't concentrate. Why? ˇThese are normal symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. ˇThese symptoms are most acute in the first 3 days after stopping. ˇThese symptoms will disappear after a few weeks. Q: If I use nicotine replacement will I become addicted to it? ˇMost people are able to reduce the amount of nicotine replacement they use gradually, without discomfort, until they stop completely. ˇA small percentage of people do use nicotine replacement for longer than the recommended 3 to 6 months. ˇNicotine replacement does not damage the lungs, and nicotine itself is not known to cause cancer, so it is much less harmful than cigarettes. Adapted from material developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and used with permission. ===================================================================== Nicotine Equals Stress Relief? Not So Fast, Experts Say Smoking Rituals Themselves May Ease the Pressure By Sean Martin - WebMD Washington Correspondent Reviewed by Dr. Tonja Wynn Hampton (Chicago) -- Reaching for a cigarette to relieve stress? Of course! It's widely believed that nicotine helps calm you down. Speaking at a tobacco and health conference here, Alan Leshner, PhD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cited the substance's effect against anxiety. But some experts at the conference weren't so sure that nicotine should get the credit. It's actually a "muddled picture" whether nicotine genuinely relieves stress, according to Jon Kassel, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Laura Straud, a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University School of Medicine, said that available human research does not suggest that nicotine has a direct biological effect against stress. And pharmacologist and Harvard Medical School instructor Carol Paronis noted that numerous studies with animals have not shown that nicotine provides anxiety relief. So why do so many people smoke to escape stress? If nicotine is not responsible, "the behaviors that accompany smoking probably have a big effect," Paronis said. The "ritual" of lighting the flame and ashing a cigarette may be calming, she said. And ironically enough, tougher workplace smoking rules may make the act of smoking more pleasant; Paronis noted that individuals can leave the pressures of their job for free moments outside. In addition, Kassel tells WebMD that his research suggests that whether someone is in the presence of "pleasant distractions" determines whether nicotine and smoking reduce anxiety. Kassel explains, "If you're anxious and you smoke in the presence of pleasant distractions, nicotine induces a state such that your attention is drawn [there] and away from the [thoughts] that would otherwise be fostering anxiety." On the flip side, Kassel says, "If you're nervous and you're smoking in your home alone, with nothing to distract you, your attention almost becomes more focused on the unpleasant things." In fact, he reports from some of his research, that individuals' anxiety increased when they smoked. Meanwhile, Straud tells WebMD that naturally stressed individuals may be primed to be more likely to feel relief from drugs such as nicotine, since stress acts through similar brain pathways. This phenomenon hasn't been explored yet in humans, but Straud hopes to look into it in future studies. ==================================================================== Take care and have a great week! 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