Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Quitting Smoking For Dummies or Prostate

Quitting Smoking For Dummies

Author: David Brizer MD

The decision to quit smoking is far from a casual one. Quitting smoking involves your complete commitment; it must become your number-one priority. Mustering all the support you can get, you need to decide to turn up the flame on your survival instincts, your belief in a healthy future, and your will power and faith that you can and will quit.

The sooner you stop smoking, the better your chances of avoiding some of the unwelcome consequences of smoking. You body and brain begin to recover almost immediately. Cigarette cravings aside, your body wants to stop smoking, and the moment you cut loose the smokes, your respiratory system begins to clear itself out. Here are just a few of the benefits you can reap from kicking the habit:



• A longer life with a lower risk of cancer and other deadly diseases

• No more sore throats, congested lungs, and persistent cough

• The ability to exercise and "get back into shape"

• Kissable breath and clothes that don't smell like you just came home from a bar

• Being able to really taste good food

• Pleasing your family and friends and no more being the outcast



Like all smokers, you've probably tried to quit a half dozen times, only to relapse. Perhaps you'd given up all hope of being able to quit, but now you're getting pressure from others, such as family members, to end your smoking career completely. But how do you take those first steps? And how do you follow through with your commitment to quit smoking? Quitting Smoking For Dummies can help.

Quitting Smoking For Dummies takes a total approach to help youquit smoking – short of yanking the cigarettes from your hands. It gives you the cold, hard truth about why you're addicted and how smoking harms your body – and it helps you develop a plan for finally quitting. Here's just a sampling of the topics you'll find covered:



• Understanding the various forms of tobacco – and their effects

• Figuring out why you're addicted

• Analyzing the health risks of smoking

• Developing a strategy to quit smoking

• Exploring nicotine replacement therapies

• Staying clean: Avoiding the relapse

• Getting help from support groups and programs

• Special considerations for pregnancy and teen smoking



So, the question to ask yourself is, "Why wait to quit?" You're going to have to eventually; why not start now? With Quitting Smoking For Dummies, you can start your recovery today, and look forward to a long and healthy life.



Table of Contents:
Introduction1
About This Book2
Conventions Used in This Book2
Foolish Assumptions3
How This Book Is Organized3
Icons Used in This Book5
Where to Go from Here6
Part ITaking Stock: your Decision to Quit7
Chapter 1Calling It Quits9
Making the Call9
Visualizing the New, Healthy You10
Getting a Fresh Start12
Coming to Terms with Your Addiction14
Knowing When You're Ready to Stop17
Finding Quitting Aids to Help You17
Prescription and over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs)19
Alternative quitting methods20
Chapter 2Filtering Out the Many Forms of Tobacco23
Naming Your Poison: Different Smokes for Different Folks23
Cigarettes24
Smokeless tobacco24
Pipes27
Cigars28
Breathing Deep: The Lowdown on Low-Tar and Low-Nicotine Cigarettes30
Getting the Effects of Tobacco30
Physical effects31
Mental effects33
Social effects33
Financial effects35
Legal effects36
Political effects37
Cultural effects37
Chapter 3Knowing Why You Get Addicted39
Looking at the Benefits and Risks of Smoking39
Naming Your Poison42
Understanding What Addiction Is43
Defining addiction, dependence, and abuse44
Defining other key terms45
Knowing How Neurotransmitters Function--and How Substances Like Nicotine Mess Things Up48
Analyzing Drugs (Including Nicotine) and Why People Use Them49
What do drugs do?51
Why do people use drugs?51
Looking at the Various Theories of Addiction53
Chapter 4Figuring Out Why You Smoke57
Smoking Out the Smokers: Who Smokes?57
Recognizing Why You Started58
Understanding Why You Smoke Now59
Smoking to be cool (cigarettes aren't!)60
Smoking to control weight61
Smoking to control stress63
Understanding the Addictive Personality65
Seeing Your Brain on Nicotine67
Smoking 'til You Choke69
Chapter 5Evaluating the Health Risks of Smoking71
Breathing: A Mini-Primer71
Looking at Smoking's Effects on the Respiratory System74
Smoking Out the Health Risks of Tobacco77
Smoke gets in your eyes (and mouth and heart and lungs ...)78
Cigarettes and cancer: A match made in heaven79
What nicotine does to your body80
Evaluating Your Own Health Risk81
Quitting While You're Ahead82
Chapter 6Adding Up the Damage85
Evaluating the Actual Cost of Smoking85
Adding up what a pack a day costs in a year86
Adding up what each pack costs society at large87
Realizing the triple savings of quitting88
Probing Public Health Issues88
Debates in the United States89
International issues89
Massaging the Media: Advertising and Cigarettes90
The impact on kids91
The impact on families93
Scanning the Statistics94
Smoking around the world94
The U.S. smoking scene95
Smoking Even if You Don't Want To: Secondhand Smoke96
The stir about secondhand smoke96
Getting smoke out of public places98
Appreciating the Ripple Effects99
The morning after99
Recognizing the guilt100
I've quit a thousand times101
Rejecting rationalizations and looking inside yourself101
Part IIPacking It In: Taking the Leap105
Chapter 7Breaking a Bad Habit107
Looking in the Mirror: Analyzing Your Smoking Patterns107
Realizing that there is no such thing as a seasoned smoker110
Recognizing common smoking patterns111
Evaluating What Went Wrong Before112
Identifying common triggers--and the specific ones that get you112
Staying positive about past failures115
Overcoming Your Fear of Failure116
Chapter 8Taking Your First Steps119
Quitting Time119
Leafing the Nostalgia Behind120
Letting Go121
Putting Smoking to Rest123
Doing Without: The Cold-Turkey Method125
Cutting Back Gradually125
Varying Your Nicotine Routine127
Giving It Up--and Getting Something Else Instead127
Dealing with the Changes You'll Be Going Through128
Inner Strategies for Success130
Chapter 9Using Nicotine Replacement Therapies133
Clearing the Air about Nicotine Replacement Therapies133
Comparing Success Rates135
Playing It Safe with NRTs136
Patching Things Up with Over-the-Counter Nicotine Patches136
Chewing Cravings Away with Nicotine Gum139
Giving Nicotine Lozenges a Try140
Talking It Out with Your Doc: Prescription-Only Options142
Considering nicotine inhalers142
Using nicotine nasal spray142
Trying out anticraving medication (Zyban)143
Combining Quitting Aids144
Chapter 10Trying Alternative Methods for Quitting Smoking147
Getting By with a Little Help from Your Friends: Support Groups147
Trying Hypnosis to Get Yourself to Stop149
Contemplating Meditation or Self-Hypnosis150
Learning to appreciate and control your breathing151
Letting go: How to meditate152
Exorcising Nicotine with Exercise154
Trying Acupuncture155
Experimenting with Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements155
Getting in Touch Spiritually157
Checking Out Other Methods158
T'ai chi158
Yoga159
Feng shui159
Aromatherapy160
Part IIISticking with Quitting161
Chapter 11Fighting on All Fronts163
Psyching Yourself Up to Quit163
Creating a strategy for success164
Sticking with your decision166
Preparing Yourself for the Change166
How your body may change168
How your emotions may change169
Surviving Your First Week170
The first 24 hours170
You've made it through the week!174
Chapter 12Staying Clean175
Practicing Early Relapse Prevention175
Assessing your relapse risk176
Recognizing relapse rationalizations176
Nailing stinkin' thinkin'178
Handling Relapses180
Losing the battle, but winning the war180
Catastrophizing180
Tackling Triggers182
Putting smoking cues on disconnect183
Learning from your (and others') mistakes183
Identifying common relapse mistakes184
Understanding recidivism and denial184
Staying Focused185
Focusing your energy on other things186
Taking charge: You are king of your thoughts187
Seeing the Big Picture189
Reframing Relapse: A Day without Nicotine Is a Successful Day!190
Handling Secondhand Smoke When You're a Quitter191
Conquering the Dragon: Cognitive Skills for Success192
Taking the High Road: Will Power versus Kill Power193
Chapter 13Getting Help from Support Groups and Programs195
Finding a Quitting Buddy195
Making Networking Work196
Supporting Your Success with Nicotine Anonymous197
Overcoming your fears of fitting in198
Learning to scrutinize your behavior and its effects199
Adjusting to the group mentality200
Embracing the 12 Step (or some other) approach200
Sampling Smokenders201
Starting Your Own Support Group (or Finding Peace by Keeping to Yourself)202
Discovering Sources of Inspiration202
The Cigarette Papers204
The Passionate Nonsmoker's Bill of Rights204
Locating Helpful Web Sites205
The American Lung Association207
The American Cancer Society207
Other great sites208
Joining in the Great American Smokeout210
Chapter 14Self-Medicating Mood Swings213
Deciphering Depression213
Situational (reactive) depression214
Major depression215
Unipolar and bipolar mood swings216
Alleviating Anxiety217
Putting down panic219
Understanding the Principle of Drug Karma220
Managing Mood Swings221
Undergoing cognitive therapy222
Combating panic and depression with medication223
Chapter 15Getting the Skinny on Weight Gain and Healthy Living227
The Truth about Quitting Smoking and Weight Gain228
Understanding Obesity and the Factors That Cause It229
Genetics or environment: Which makes you fat?230
Saying bye-bye to bingeing231
Mouthing off on quick-fix foods231
Getting a Handle on Weight Gain232
Managing weight gain medically233
Doing your part by exercising regularly233
Eating right235
Supporting Your Health Habit235
Exercising your way to a new you235
Practicing self-care236
Part IVLooking at Special Groups237
Chapter 16Focusing on Smoking, Fertility, and Pregnancy239
Monitoring Mom's Health239
Smoking and Sex240
Smoking and Fertility241
Smoking during Pregnancy: Everyone Loses242
Reviewing the risks to the fetus244
Looking at smoking-related complications to the pregnancy and the mother245
Quitting Smoking during Pregnancy246
Thinking about nicotine replacement therapy247
Being aware of depression's role247
Smoking and Breast Feeding248
Maligning Marlboro Moms: The Long-Term Effects of Maternal Tobacco Use248
Chapter 17Smoking and Teens251
Examining the Evidence251
Imitating What They See253
"Do what I say, not what I do"253
Peer pressure and low self-esteem254
Preventing Your Teen from Picking Up the Habit254
Sizing up your teen's attitudes and tendencies256
Getting across the gateway idea257
Helping your teen realize that nicotine is a drug258
Forming healthy family attitudes toward smoking259
Helping your teen say no to tobacco260
Aiding Teens Who Smoke261
Chapter 18Helping Someone You Care About Quit263
Convincing Someone to Quit263
Finding Out Whether a Person Is Ready to Quit264
Helping Someone Implement a Quitting Plan265
Providing support266
Being a quitting buddy267
Staying Ahead of a Stalemate: How to Rescue Yourself268
Identifying codependency269
Avoiding codependency270
Dealing with Secondhand Smoke271
Part VThe Part of Tens273
Chapter 19Ten Signs That You're Ready to Quit275
Catching Your Breath275
Watching Your Wallet276
Walking a Mile for a Camel276
Feeling Like a Social Misfit277
Being Unable to (Fill in the Blank) without a Smoke277
Catching Criticism from Others278
Smoking More and Enjoying It Less279
Reacting to Comments from Others280
Missing Your Senses of Smell and Taste280
Wanting a Healthier Future281
Chapter 20Ten Rationalizations That Keep You Hooked283
I'll Quit When I'm on Vacation283
I'm Not on Vacation284
My Life Is Too Stressful285
Smoking Helps Me Eat Less286
Smoking Calms Me Down287

Interesting book: Best of the Best from South Carolina Cookbook or Nell Hills Entertaining in Style

Prostate: A Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them

Author: Patrick C Walsh

This year, 200,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. An even greater number will seek help for problems caused by prostate enlargement and inflammation. This book is for them--and for the wives, sisters, and daughters who often take responsibility for educating men about health matters and encouraging them to see a physician. Written by the world-renowned Johns Hopkins surgeon who devised the new, nerve-sparing surgical procedure for treating prostate cancer (generally known as the "Walsh procedure") and an award-winning medical writer, here is an accessible and authoritative resource about the three most common prostate disorders: prostate cancer; benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, commonly known as enlarged prostate); and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate).

The good news of the book is that effective treatment--and relief of symptoms--is available for all of these disorders. It's especially good to know that prostate cancer, when caught early, is curable. By alleviating men's fears about treatment and assuring them that many men can lead normal, active lives after prostate surgery, the authors hope to encourage men to seek medical attention for their prostate problems and help them to understand the options that are available.

Library Journal

"Every three minutes, a new case of prostate cancer is diagnosed in the United States. Every 15 minutes, a man dies from it." Thus, the message of this book that "most prostate trouble can be preventedand, if caught early enough, all prostate problems can be cured, even cancer"is good news indeed. State-of-the-art medical knowledge is provided by Johns Hopkins Urologist-in-Chief Walsh, clearly written by science writer Worthington, and informatively illustrated by Leon Schlossberg. The authors acknowledge that "medical care in this country is uneven," so their goal is "for you to come away from this book informed, prepared and able to discuss your situation intelligently with your doctor." This comprehensive reference on the prostate and its disorders complementsand surpassesSylvan Meyer and Seymour C. Nash's recent case study approach in Prostate Cancer: Making Survival Decisions (LJ 11/15/94).James Swanton, Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine, New York



1 comment:

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