If someone uses nicotine again and again, such as by smoking cigarettes or cigars or chewing tobacco, his or her body develops a tolerance for it. When someone develops tolerance, he or she needs more drug to get the same effect. Eventually, a person can become addicted. Once a person becomes addicted, it is extremely difficult to quit. People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting, and fewer than 1 in 10 people who try to quit smoking succeed.

When nicotine addicts stop smoking they may suffer from restlessness, hunger, depression, headaches, and other uncomfortable feelings. These are called “withdrawal symptoms” because they happen when nicotine is withdrawn from the body.

Nicotine also activates areas of the brain that are involved in producing feelings of pleasure and reward. Recently, scientists discovered that nicotine raises the levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the parts of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Dopamine, which is sometimes called the pleasure molecule, is the same neurotransmitter that is involved in addictions to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Researchers now believe that this change in dopamine may play a key role in all addictions. This may help explain why it is so hard for people to stop smoking.

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Technorati Tags: Addiction, nicotine, Smoking cessation, Tobacco smoking

By Donate Fagiano

It is difficult to admit that we have faults. It is, at times, the last avenue for us-admittance that we have problems and that we need help. If you believe you have a gambling addiction then your reading of these words is the all important first step. If you don’t think that you have a gambling problem, read on and, then at the end of this article, see if you feel the same way. Think carefully! Do you or someone you love need to overcome the real problem of gambling addiction.

Three Clues

Clue # 1 You think gambling is going to make you rich.

Big mistake! If you have this mentality then you will be spending a long time in the dregs of addiction. Here is a little fact: most professional gamblers are not rich. Sure there are some who are, but the majority just gets by (look this up if you are skeptical). Sure they live off their winnings and don’t have to work a 9-5 job, but they are professionals, they have dedicated their lives to the art of entertainment gambling. And besides, professional gamblers are moderate in that they do not gamble compulsively.

Clue # 2 You think that your gambling will help pay your bills.

Have you ever had a friend who thought that they were going to gamble his/her way back to solvency? I have and it was not a pretty sight. My friend came to me after a weekend in Atlantic City and asked me for a small loan (some friend). If you think that gambling is going to pay your bills then you have a gambling problem. If you think gambling may be able to make you an extra hundred or so bucks then you are realistic in your assessment of what you might make as an entertainment gambler.

Clue # 3 Your loved ones (family, friends, colleagues) are affected by your gambling.

Part of life is giving up what you know you can no longer possess for the benefit of something else you can’t afford to lose. When your family, friends, and/or colleagues are negatively affected by your gambling sprees, it is time to realize that you have a gambling problem and need help to control your addiction. If you have kept your gambling a secret and your loved ones are unaware of your problem then ask yourself this question: Are they being affected by my penchant for gambling. Remember, your loved ones don’t need to be consciously aware of your problem in order to be affected negatively by it.

Life is too wonderful to be enslaved to any addiction. But don’t worry, you are not alone. The first step is to call this free and private hotline 1-800-522-5700, or find a G.A. near you on the web.

Donate Fagiano is probability theorist who specilizes in statistical analysis and gaming theory. He is the creator of the entertainment gambling website http://www.merlinsmind.com

Donate spends his time writing and researching when he is not spending quality time with his family. He lives in the South of France.

Technorati Tags: gambling, gambling-addiction

Thinking of quitting smoking? Research shows non-smokers have a lower rate of alcohol and drug relapses than smokers.

•    About 33% of all smokers try to stop smoking each year.

•    More than 90% try to quit without any nicotine cessation treatment.

•    Most smokers will make several attempts to quit.

•    Ultimately, about 50% are successful over their lifetime.

(U.S Dept of Health and Human Services)

I hate statistics when it comes to addiction recovery of any type because of the false conclusions people can draw from them.

Here is the flaw in all those statistics. They assume independent variables. An example is flipping a coin; all factors being equal, over the long run, we expect heads 50% of the time, and tails 50% of the time.

Any addiction recovery is a dependent variable. If statistics say 50% of people recover from something, it is not a random chance of which group you will be in. Your individual actions will determine your success.

When I entered recovery, both smoking and drugs and alcohol, I could care less about statistics. I adopted the belief that if others could do it, I could too. You can’t stop me. I know that is cocky and immature, but it worked enough for a start.

How about it? Statistics say you have a fifty/fifty shot on quitting smoking, but you get to choose which fifty you want to be in. you may want to consider natural ways to quit smoking.

Technorati Tags: quitting smoking, smoking

Just take a chance – you might win big!

Gambling addiction and the lure of easy money is powerful. What if you could spend a single dollar and win millions in the lottery? You start out buying one ticket, then another and another – but you never win anything substantial.

You might win twenty dollars and use it to buy more tickets. Once you get the gambling bug, it’s a short step from buying a lottery ticket at the convenience store to pulling a chair up to the slot machines in a casino.

With so many online gambling sites, it’s easy for anyone to gamble even those who are underage, and teenage gambling addictions are growing. The sites say you have to be over 18 or 21, but who’s checking the IDs?

Teens are three times more likely to get addicted to gambling than adults. Some rack up thousands of dollars in gambling debt before they’re even old enough to get a driver’s license!

Gambling is a hidden addiction because it’s more likely to be done in secret than on a night out to a casino with friends. As the addiction increases, gambling interferes with work, social, mental and physical aspects of your life.

Up to 4% of Americans have a gambling addiction. If you find that you crave the thrill of risking money and hoping to win big, then you’re an action gambler. But if you’re more likely to gamble when you’re upset or in some type of life crisis, then you’re an escapist gambler. Women are more likely to be escapist gamblers while men are usually action gamblers.

If you realize that you’re driven to gamble and it’s taking over your life, then you need to get help. You can’t beat this on your own. Gambling is an addiction as powerful as drugs or food. Here are some tips to help you break the addiction to gambling:

1. Tell your spouse, significant other, parent or someone close to you. Ask for their support as you confront your problem.

2. Reduce your access to money. Cut up your credit and debit cards. Carry only small amounts of cash in your wallet.

3. Change your path. Stay away from places that are triggers to gamble.

4. Stay away from people who encourage you to gamble. If necessary, change your cell phone number or email address so that they can’t contact you.

Contact the nearest Gambler’s Anonymous group. You and your family members need to attend this group to know what to expect. And find an experienced counselor who can work one-on-one with you.

Check out my friends blogs with gabling addiction postings:

What I now know to be true

Into My Second Year Gambling Free

More of my story – Gambler’s Anonymous

Dr. McNeilly looks into new ways to treat gambling addiction

Senior gambling addiction , NYC Independent Media Center, 4/25/07 …

Technorati Tags: Addiction, gambling, gambling-addiction

When food becomes more about emotional hunger than physical hunger, you could be at risk for developing a food addiction. A dysfunctional relationship with food can involve over-eating or starving.  In either situation, food is a weapon turned on the self in ways that are unhealthy and sometimes life threatening to an individual.

These aren’t the occasional situations like over-eating at a holiday buffet or joining in on the late night pizza party. That kind of over-eating is situational and you can get back to normal eating with minor effort.

Food addiction goes beyond those situations – it’s a craving that drives a person to eat well beyond what it takes to satisfy basic hunger cues. With food addiction, the real hunger is emotional, not physical.

The dynamics of food addiction are similar to that of alcohol addiction or smoking. Each of those addictions involves a craving for something that’s damaging to the body in excess.

You can go cold turkey to give up smoking or alcohol as part of changing behaviors, but you can’t give up food. Refusing to eat leads to another kind of eating disorder, so it’s no improvement.

Unlike alcohol or smoking, food isn’t what’s harmful – it’s the way food is used that causes the problem. Food addicts actually get little pleasure from eating. They aren’t pigs without discipline they’re people who are locked in a negative relationship with food, often suffering guilt after a binge.

Food addicts often hide food and eat secretly so that friends and family won’t know how much they’re eating. They sometimes eat foods that are stale, overcooked, undercooked or half frozen.

Food addiction is never just about eating habits. It’s as much a psychological issue as it is a physiological one.  Not all food addicts are overweight, either! Many are underweight to normal weight.

If the food addiction becomes bulimia with binging and purging, then the individual may not gain weight because of induced vomiting or excessive use of laxatives.

Like a drug addict constantly on the lookout for a fix, the food addict is always thinking about food. This person will talk incessantly about food, finding a place for lunch, getting a snack at break time or stopping at a fast food drive through on the way home from work before dinner!

Food addicts need medical and psychological help to overcome this disorder. You need a complete physical to identify and treat any problems such as diabetes, food allergies or thyroid.

You also need counseling with a mental health professional who specializes in eating disorders. Changing the way you deal with food starts with filling the emotional void that’s driving your food addiction.

Technorati Tags: Addiction, dysfunctional-relationship, emotional-hunger, food-addiction

By Mike Lindsey

Are you looking for tips on stopping smoking?

And would you like to know what are some ways to help quit? Is there a best way to quit smoking? Now let me remind you that when we come to the actual quitting process, that it is not going to be easy. Please do not consider yourself to be superhuman so be ready to get external help if you need it. As I told you earlier, there might be physical, mental and emotional changes when you stop smoking. But you do not have to worry. There is plenty of help available nowadays. Below are some tips on stopping smoking:

Medical Help:

If you can get professional medical help, then its even better. Getting professional medical help does not mean that you have to under go prolonged medical treatment. Your doctor or even your dentist will be able to guide you and provide you with all the solutions to your queries. They will able to suggest methods of handling the withdrawal symptoms and even prescribe medicines that can help you, and they can give you even more tips on stopping smoking.

Medicines:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five medications to help you quit smoking:
1. Bupropion SR Available by prescription
2. Nicotine gum Available over-the-counter
3. Nicotine inhaler Available by prescription
4. Nicotine nasal spray Available by prescription
5. Nicotine patch Available by prescription and over-the-counter

Taking these medicines will not just double your chances of succeeding but will actually increase your chances by a whooping 80%. But of course it is highly recommended that you start using these medicines after consulting a medical practitioner.
Counseling:

You might also consider possibilities like group counseling or telephone counseling. Group counseling has a wonderful effect, because there is nothing that feels as good as having others who face the same problems that you are encountering. When you hear the fears of others, and how difficult t is for them to pull no, you will feel surprisingly encouraged. Group counseling will provide you a wonderful arena to compare notes with other fellow quitters and you can watch and monitor your progress.
For more Tips to Stop Smoking visit http://www.healthy-news.com

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NEW YORK, NY, October 23, 2007

The nicotine in tobacco products poses a significant danger of structural and chemical changes in developing brains that can make teens more vulnerable to alcohol and other drug addiction and to mental illness, according to Tobacco: The Smoking Gun, a new white paper released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and commissioned by The Citizens Commission to Protect the Truth, a group of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Smoking and Alcohol and Illegal Drug Use

Compared to 12- to 17-year olds who don’t smoke, those who do are more than five times likelier to drink and 13 times likelier to use marijuana than nonsmokers.
Compared to those who never smoked, those who began smoking at age 12 or younger are:
More than three times likelier to binge drink;
Nearly 15 times likelier to smoke marijuana; and
Nearly seven times likelier to use other illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

Smoking and Mental Health Disorders 

The CASA analysis also found that among teens ages 12 to 17, twice as many smokers as nonsmokers suffered from symptoms of depression in the past year. Teens who reported early initiation of smoking were more likely to experience serious feelings of hopelessness, depression and worthlessness in the past year.

The report also notes that smoking at a young age is related to panic attacks, general anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We have long known that nicotine is extraordinarily addictive and that youth can become addicted extremely quickly,” said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr.P.H., president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation. “This new report underscores what we know about the developing brains of teens who are highly vulnerable to personal, social and media influences to begin smoking and why it is so vital to reach them with information about tobacco before they start to smoke. Because 80 percent of smokers begin before age 18, when their young brains and bodies are so susceptible to the effects of nicotine, it is imperative that we stop what for so many will result in lost years and lives to tobacco addiction, disease and death.”

The public health case against tobacco for hiking the chances of damaging our childrens developing brains in ways that can increase their risk of alcohol and other drug abuse and mental illness is clear, noted Califano, who started the national anti-smoking campaign in 1978. The time has come to curb cigarette advertisements and promotions by the nicotine pushers and step up campaigns like the American Legacy Foundations effort to protect our nations children.
The Citizens Commission to Protect the Truth, a group of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Republican and Democrat from every Administration over the last forty years, was formed in March 2004 to prevent youth from smoking. Among its efforts, the Commission shines a spotlight on the continued need to fund truthÒ, the only independent national youth counter- marketing campaign with demonstrated results in keeping children and teens from smoking. For more information on the Commission, visit its Web site at http://www.protectthetruth.org.

CASA is the only national organization that brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines needed to study and combat all types of substance abuse as they affect all aspects of society. CASA has issued 66 reports and white papers, published one book, conducted demonstration projects focused on children, families and schools at 204 sites in 76 cities and counties in 30 states plus Washington, DC and two Native American tribal reservations, and has been evaluating the effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatment in a variety of programs and drug courts. CASA is the creator of the nationwide initiative Family Day A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM — the fourth Monday in September the 22nd in 2008 that promotes parental engagement as a simple and effective way to reduce childrens risk of smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs. In May of 2007, CASA Chairman Joseph A. Califano, Jr. called for a fundamental shift in the nations attitude about substance abuse and addiction with the publication of his book, HIGH SOCIETY: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About It. For more information visit http://www.casacolumbia.org/

Technorati Tags: Addiction, binge-drink, drug-addiction, nicotine, teen-smoking