Nicotine - Extinguishing Your Habit

Extinguishing Your Habit

Are nicotine patches and nicotine gum an easy way to quit smoking?

The patch may offer hope to the four out of five American smokers who would like to extinguish their habit. Some one billion dollars’ worth of the bandage-like transdermal patches have been sold since they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1991. They work by releasing nicotine into the body through the skin, which alleviates some of the withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, that are associated with quitting smoking.

The patch is obtained by prescription, and it costs significantly more than the pack of so of cigarettes that it replaces (the patches are changed every 24 hours). Usually, a doctor will start a patient with the largest, strongest patch, and then taper off to smaller patches within a coupe of weeks. Currently, four nicotine patches are on the market – Habitrol, Nicoderm, PROSTEP and Nicotrol.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that smokers who used the transdermal patch and had counseling were able to stop smoking more easily than those who had counseling without the patch. In the study, two groups of smokers were taken through a 12-week regimen. Half ad counseling and used a nicotine patch and the other half had counseling and no patch. After six months, 26 percent of those who used the patch and counseling were not smoking, while only 12 percent of those who were patchless stopped.

Some skeptics argue, however, that the patch’s effectiveness depends less on the patch than on the smoker. The more motivated a smoker is to stop smoking, the more likely he will stop for good. A recent report in the Medical Letter found that patches were effective in relieving initial withdrawal symptoms, but that their long-term effectiveness was “unimpressive.”

There can also be serious side effects for backsliders who smoke while using the patch, including headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, weakness, blurred vision, nightmares, and accentuated dreams. And some people have burning or itching in the area where the patch is placed on the skin.

One alternative to the patch is nicotine gum. Prescribed by a dentist, nicotine gum helps smokers quit the same way the nicotine patch does, by curbing the physical withdrawal symptoms. As with the patch, those who decide to use nicotine gum must first stop smoking.

You must get rid of the nicotine. Photo by Elena

Patients should chew the gum very slowly until they feel a tingling sensation in the mouth, which is caused by the release of nicotine. The gum should be chewed for 30 minutes at a time; patients should chew enough of it to stave off withdrawal symptoms. Typically, patients chew 10 to 15 pieces a day, but they should never chew more than 30 pieces a day. The gum should be chewed every day for a month or so, while the patient gradually reduces the number of pieces chewed. In three to six months, the patient should no longer need the gum. The effectiveness is the same as it is for patches, and it sometimes gives people an upset stomach.

Whether smokers choose gum, a patch, or sheer will power, the American Cancer Society recommends that they set a specific day, a Quit Date, to stop smoking. The day should be during a time when the smoker will be under little stress, such as during a vacation.

A week before the Quit Date, the American Cancer Society suggests that smokers begin a diary of their smoking habits by writing down in detail every time they reach for a cigarette, including the time, place, how the smoker felt, and why he or she decided to light up.

When the big day arrives, the smoker should tell as many people as possible that he or she is trying to kick the habit so they can give support when needed.

Black Creek Pioneer Village VI

Black Creek Pioneer Village Part VI

As a living history museum, the Village offers one of the richest heritage experiences in the Toronto area.

Visitors can live real experience of early pioneers lives. They can enjoy festive ambiance in the spirit of the 19th century. Everything was different from today. For example, dining at the Inn was different from today's restaurant experience. Or else the family goes to bed early in the 19th century, because fuel is costly and they have nothing to do in the darkness. Pioneers Harvest festivals are celebrated here each year. Many other activities include braiding, constructing a log cabin, clothing in the 1860s, weaving, plant dyes, patchwork quilts, furniture construction, carding wool, roofing, bed and much more. An 1860s mid-Victorian garden featuring geometric, shaped "island beds" invites visitors. Natural, lush green space can be the backdrop for your wedding ceremony.

Pieces have been purchased with funds from the Conservation Foundation of Greater Toronto, the Heritage Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and Wintario.

The pictures were taken by Elena.

We like things in our society to be painless: painless responsibility, painless payments, painless divorce, painless progress. And while many of us acknowledge "no pain, no gain", many will try to find an easier way.

It is hard to to lose someone we have counted on for support and indeed the confidence to face the world. When that does happen we find ourselves struggling to cope with many unexpected and surprising emotions.

Sometimes the statements made after a loss are intended to make the situation less painful - as are the words not spoken. While such sentiments may help to ease the headache, we should realize that we cannot lose someone we loved without experiencing some level of pain.

There is no easy way around the misery of grief: it must be worked through.

Many of us do not realize that hurting is part of healing. We have been conditioned to believe that we should be strong and deny our pain. Men in particular may internalize their feelings. Yet, in spite of your best efforts to put on a brave face, you feel many emotions of an intensity that surprises you.

Loss is painful. Grief may be an unimaginable heartache, affecting us physically, emotionally and spiritually. (Mackenzie House, built in 1837).

Words cannot express how distressing it is to lose the affection and the presence of the loved person in your life. (The Main or Maple road surrounds the Black Creek Village).

While you may have happy memories, you may feel cheated because your dreams and plans will never be fulfilled. (Oil lamp. A bowl of animal fat with a wick used as a lamp).

Drugs and alcohol may seem like a way to deaden the pain, but they merely delay the reaction until later, when we may no longer have the support of others to help us through.

To deny pain is to hold on to it. Only by experiencing the pain - to go through it, to feel it, to express and speak about it - can we truly learn from it at be set free to move on. But we cannot avoid the hurt.

Occasionally, you dream about the person lost. And we are not yet ready to let go: therefore we spend a great deal of time thinking about our loved one. Hoping they will return, we find ourselves unconsciously searching for them. We cannot believe they are gone, so we find ourselves looking for them in a crowd or on the street. Sometimes we think we recognize them and our heart leaps.

Sometimes we pick up the phone, and for an instant the voice sounds familiar. Hearing the door open, or footsteps on the stairs, for a second we think our loved one has come back. But then we realize it isn't so.

Your mind isn't playing tricks. (The horse was an excellent farm worker and its sound feet made it suitable also for town haulage).

You are longing for your loved one to return. But in wain. The place is still desert,

Motivational Strategies for Losing Weight

Motivational Strategies for Losing Weight

The media is flooded with images of thin starlets and even thinner supermodels. Of course, it is only natural to want to look good. After all, social psychologists have rated attractiveness to potential partners as one of the reasons of people’s choices of partners. Human beings are meant to be together, to live together as groups and societies. From an evolutionary perspective, living in larger groups conferred an evolutionary advantage, offering protection from carnivore animals. For example, chances of someone noticing a dangerous predator soon enough, or while others are sleeping is much more likely in large groups than for individuals alone.

Along these lines, fighting off a larger animal was more likely to be achieved by a group of individuals that by one individual alone. Indeed, evolutionary psychologists state that whichever traits conferred an evolutionary advantage were passed on, and thus, are more likely to be present among today’s population. The argument fits into the larger survival of the fittest Darwin’s theory.

But what does that have to do with losing weight and staying thin? Perhaps, the fact that one of the motivational strategy most often cited in living a healthy lifestyle is enlisting social support. While losing weight and keeping the lost pounds off may sound difficult at first, it is possible with the right amount of planning, effort and commitment. Healthy dieting and other lifestyle choices add up to make a difference. By the same token, going to the gym with a good friend is much more likely to be an enjoyable activity, than working out by oneself.

Keeping a clear vision of your goals may help you succeed. Keeping active and moving a lot is likely to contribute to weight loss. Image: Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Another advice often given by psychologists is not to beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon. For example, if you eat that piece of candy, don’t catastrophize, it does not mean that you completely undid your diet plan and that you are destined to remain fat forever. Similarly, a kinder language towards oneself is also in order. Rather than calling yourself fat, you may use words like overweight or a few extra pounds to describe yourself. Finally, self-love, a positive self-image, commitment and willpower are some of the ingredients needed to stay motivated in shaping up and losing weight.

Brain Chemistry Alteration Due to Antypsychotic Drug Treatment

Brain Chemistry Alteration Due to Antypsychotic Drug Treatment

Several drugs alter brain chemistry, including prescription drugs. For example, depression or Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by low levels of serotonin. Due to a combination of genetic, environmental and biological causes brains of individuals suffering from depression produce less serotonin. The condition may be treated by CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and antidepressants. Antidepresssants include SSRIs or selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine, brand name Prozac. Interestingly, psychological studies have shown that MDD or depression has a better prognosis when therapy is used in combination with medication, as opposed to medication alone.

Estimates are use to calculate excessively large quantities, such as brain cells or stars in all the galaxies. Image: Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Along similar lines, antypsychotic medication also alters brain chemistry to reduce psychotic symptomps. Disorders with psychotic features include but are not limited to schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorders, schizoaffective disorder, affective psychosis, delusional disorder and bipolar disorders. Psychothic features in turn include delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs held against all evidence to the contrary, whereas hallucinations correspond to perception in the absence of any actual stimuli. Antipsychotic drugs such as Seroquel, Risperidone and Latuda are typically prescribed to circumvent the symptomatology of some of the mental illnesses mentioned above.

The Psychology of Losing Weight

The Psychology of Losing Weight

Willpower is decomposed by psychologists into cognitive control and self-regulation. Perhaps the most cited experiment about self-regulation is the one which led to the delay-of-gratification construct. Better known in the popular media as the ‘marshmallow test’, this laboratory experiment consisted of a choice for preschoolers. Thus, preschoolers were shown a mini-marshmallow, which was placed on the table. The experimenter told the children (one at a time) that they had a choice: either eating the mini-marshmallow right away or wait until the experimenter came back and get two mini-marshmallows. The experimenter then left the room.

Naturally, some children resisted the temptation and got two marshmallows later on, while others did not. The results led researchers to conclude that self-regulation occurred as shown by the ability to delay gratification and consequently get a bigger reward (two mini-marshmallows). However, what is most interesting about this study is what happened much later. Interestingly enough, the children who were able to delay gratification, by distracting themselves, for example, showed better cognitive, social and economic outcomes later in life.

A fat businessman in a decor mixing modern components with old-fashioned ones. Illustration by Elena

Surely, willpower is very important in life. From losing weight or keeping fit, to writing exams and securing gainful employment, willpower and the ability to self-regulate comes in very handy. For instance, losing weight, for most people, is a simple endeavour, in theory. To lose weight people need to consume less calories than they expend. Thus, eating healthy and going to the gym (or exercising in other ways) is all that is required to achieve the desired results. Nonetheless, it is a very hard undertaking because of the willpower element. Indeed, sugary and fat treats are much more desirable than egg whites and broccoli, and getting up early on a Saturday to work out at the fitness club seems much less fun than sleeping in and watching TV. Notwithstanding, if one keeps in mind the long term goals and practices delay of gratification, one is on the path to achieving their training and diet goals.