For those who remember the days when “the munchies” were a basic given if you indulged in a little pot-smoking, the news seems counter-intuitive. However, according to studies, new research appears to show that marijuana smokers may actually face lower risks for obesity than those who never inhale.

The study cited was conducted by French researchers, using American data. They examined the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), and correlated marijuana use to obesity rates (as reported by varying segments among the participants). About five percent of the participants in the initial survey reported using cannabis at least once in the previous year. The researchers used this factor to divide the group, and then determined the average body mass index (BMI) within both groups, to measure the relative obesity.

They found that nearly one-quarter (between 22 and 25 percent) of those not smoking pot were definably “obese”; meanwhile, among those admitting to some cannabis use, the rate was only about one-sixth (16 to 17 percent), a difference well beyond statistical variances. What’s more, among those who reported smoking more marijuana, or more frequently (three days a week in a small sample of respondents), only about 14 percent of them were obese.

This was no pre-determined study, intended to promote cannabis-use, however; the research team was mostly began examining the data with the expectation of proving yet another reason why cannabis is not good for you. The results they got were so surprising, they repeated the process, studying a second (smaller) set of survey data, this time from the National Comorbidity Survey, and got the same results. In all the two studies involved over 50,000 subjects.

Yann Le Strat, a psychiatrist at Louis Mourier Hospital in France (and an addictions therapist with his own anti-drug perspective), was one of the chief researchers involved. He was quick to offer alternative suggestions for these results, when interviewed by MyHealthNewsDaily. He noted, for example, that both surveys had involved participant responses to survey questions, rather than rigid laboratory conditions, and speculated that some pot smokers might have under-reported their weight situations, thereby skewing the results.

He also postulated a possible link between pot smokers and better dietary habits, or even more exercise, although he placed less viability on the latter premise. “On a personal point of view,” he reportedly said. “I would be surprised that cannabis use is associated with a higher rate of physical activity, but this cannot be ruled out.”

Given the effects of marijuana use on enhancing the appetite, this “better diet” theory seems specious at best. Not only among recreational users with “munchies,” but in many medical marijuana clinical situations, (where cancer patients are regularly using cannabis to overcome the nausea brought on by chemotherapy and other treatments), the tendency after ingesting cannabis tends toward bingeing, not fasting or nibbling a bit. (Meanwhile, the calming and relaxation (almost vegetation) concurrent with most pot-smoking renders the “exercise” premise almost delusional.)

There’s also confirmation that “Cannabis use is known to increase appetite.” It cites studies now under way, which are attempting to develop synthetic drugs to block brain receptors activated by cannabis compounds, in hopes those drugs might one day help to reduce hunger. “However,” the article concludes, “very few studies have looked at the link between cannabis use and obesity.”

The possibility that some components of cannabis might actually help people to lose weight was also considered. However, Le Strat’s response to this idea (rather than urging an end to the War on Some Drugs) was to recommend further pharmaceutical research, to isolate those components into yet another “pill.”

The study results were published August 24^th in the American Journal of Epidemiology. One of the authors has reportedly also submitted an application for a patent in Canada, under the title, “Use of Marijuana and Compounds Therein for Treating Obesity.”

Other links to this story:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20102773-10391704.html

http://theweek.com/article/index/218940/fight-obesity-with-marijuana

http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/08/marijuana-slims-pot-smoking-linked-to-lower-body-weight/

- Steve Trinward, Wellness Correspondent

A notable example is that of Stevie Nicks, best known as the sultry alto voice in the rock band Fleetwood Mac. According to an article in The Telegraph  (as well as other sources since,  through which Ms. Nicks has spoken out), the singer has virtually become a poster-child for the dangers of Klonopin, normally considered to be one of the least potent members of the tranquilizer family. (Klonopin has been regularly prescribed by psychiatrists for years, many of them the same psychiatrists who’ve apparently now fallen prey to the Big Pharma marketers’ antipsychotics siren-song.)

According to Drug Rehab Advisor, Klonopin (the main brand-name for Clonazepam) is generally prescribed for seizures and panic attacks. However, the site’s text notes (and this is not well known among patients for whom the drug is being prescribed), “medical experts say it should not be taken for more than nine weeks, or about a 2 month maximum.” (Note: Although Klonopin is technically “only a tranquilizer” with no recognized “antipsychotic” properties, it is being prescribed by those same headshrinkers, and the process of leaving its clutches may be quite indicative for those attempting to shake regular use of these more powerful Big Pharma concoctions.)

After spending most of the ‘70s and early ‘80s as a regular user of cocaine, in 1986 Stevie took the advice of a doctor (who told her in effect that if she continued snorting coke, her nose was going to fall off!) and quit abusing that substance. A 30-day stint at the Betty Ford Clinic in Palm Springs, CA (consisting mostly of regular meetings, lots of positive affirmations and her own personal epiphany) helped her to shake that habit completely, and she returned to the performing world within the month.

Unfortunately, as she says in the Telegraph article, nobody would believe she was recovered and not in danger of relapsing, until she agreed to consult a shrink who would pronounce her as “healed.” Nicks finally did so, and that psychiatrist prescribed a dose of Klonopin—“to calm my nerves a little,” as she puts it. “I was nervous; I’m a nervous person,” she admits. (Klonopin is a member of the Valium family.) “So I finally just said, all right. It’s [just] a tranquilizer, right?” After a year, with her doctor continuing to increase the dosage, she found herself putting on weight and losing all interest in her work.

The years went by and Nicks continued to both bulk up and find no joy in the music that had been her life for so long before; she also found herself having uncontrollable spells of shaking throughout her entire body. In 1993, after seven years on the drug, and adding over 30 pounds to her tiny 5-foot-1 frame, she decided it might be the Klonopin. She then asked Glenn (her personal assistant) to take her entire pill-allotment scheduled for the next day. After an hour he reportedly told her, “I can’t fix the stereo and I don’t think I can drive home.” She then called her psychiatrist and the following conversation reportedly occurred:

Stevie: “I gave Glenn everything you’ve prescribed for me.”

Shrink: “Are you trying to kill him?”

Stevie: “Are you trying to kill ME?”

She immediately checked into the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Venice Beach. Nicks recalls other celebrities also there at the time, some withdrawing from heroin addictions and

walking out drug-free in a week or two.) Her own experience was different: “I nearly died. I moulted. My hair turned grey. My skin started to completely peel off. I was in terrible pain. You can detox off heroin in 12 days, and coke is just a mental detox. But tranquilizers — they are dangerous!”  It took her 47 days to detox from this low-level tranquilizer!

Nicks calls that time “the worst period of my life. They stole my forties! It was eight completely wasted years of my life.”

Stevie Nicks’ tragic tale should be a warning for everyone: if they’re telling you “you really need to get on this drug” … it might be time to get a second opinion!

By Steve Trinward

Second Life

Some people find help with the use of computer games. You may or may not have heard of something called “Second Life” which allows the user to become part a virtual world. Here, they can actually attend AA meetings in a tree house, find people who they have commonalities with, and share their experiences.

They are allowed to create avatars, and through this online version of themselves, share what they otherwise couldn’t in the real world. This world of Second Life also gives others education on mental illnesses. For example, your avatar is able to experience what a schizophrenic patient goes through. This is just one example of how some people find the use of technology helpful in their recovery.

Smart Phones

Currently, there are several different types of phone apps being tested to help users to stay clean. One of them for example, called “Addiction-CHESS,” allows a patient to gain instant access to a counselor. They have a “panic” button that they can hit if they are under pressure. With this setting they can either signal the counselor, or record something positive such as a quote, or their child’s voice. Without technology, this would certainly not be possible, but since it is, it is proven very beneficial. This particular app is going through a pilot study lasting four months. It was created by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers. Thus far, it has reduced the patient’s likely hood to go back to drinking. It is important to note that while this app and others are helpful tools, they are not alone used in recovery. Patients will still need to undergo counseling and other helpful techniques to help improve their chances of successful recovery.

The Technology of Text Messages

You always see people texting while you are out and you may even find yourself doing it quite often as well. That is because texting is yet another technological advance used in the communication of others, so why not apply it to helping people I recovery. A nonprofit treatment center for drug addicts and alcoholics performed a study to test this. The Hazelden Foundation provided motivational text messages in support for individuals going through recovery. The young adults who enrolled to use this program found the text messages to be a beneficial tool in their recovery. They also offered a texting “helpline” which allowed a case manager to follow up. Again, without technology, these individuals in recovery wouldn’t have access to support at the palm of their hand.

Treatment from a Telephone

Text messages aren’t the only place we see technology assisting in the recovery process. That telephone or cell phone sitting right beside you also provides treatment. Not only can it assist in addiction and depression, but in cancer patients, and others who are dealing with both physical and emotional pain. The Journal of the American Medical Association discussed a research study observing over 400 people who suffered from physical pain, depression, and both pain and depression. They used something called Telecare which is receiving care from the use of a telephone. The patients preferred this because it allowed them to open-up since they weren’t right in front of the therapist. It was concluded that after the use of Telecare, 57% of the patients felt less pain, while about 20% still felt levels of depression. It is clear that this technology can help, and did.

The Future

As technology expands it is difficult to know where this will all lead. Thus far, it seems technology can be very helpful in the recovery of not only addicts and alcoholics, but of patients enduring all sorts of mental and physical illnesses. While you will always have your skeptics, the only way to know if this can help you is to try it. The way that many see it is, if it helps at all, it is a good thing! If it takes a phone app to pass up a drink while eating dinner out with your family, or a telephone to help ease severe pain, then so be it! It will be interesting to see where this technology leads us!

If you have encountered any experiences with technology that has helped in your recovery, we would love to hear about it! We always want to share our opinions and experiences because you never know who it is going to help.

References

http://www.news.wisc.edu/18950

http://www.schoonerhealth.com/files/40248867.pdf

What the Experts Say

Many studies have been done in the area of stress and tobacco, and what experts have found is that tobacco does not actually relieve stress at all, and in fact, it may actually raise your stress level. You may not understand how this is possible, since you feel obvious relief and more relaxed after smoking a cigarette.

The research shows that smokers actually experience more stress than non-smokers in any given situation. It is your dependency on nicotine that causes this increase in stress in the long run.

What Smoking Is Really Doing for You

It is true that you feel physical relief and stress relief when you smoke that cigarette, but you aren’t really relieving stress that is not nicotine based. In other words, the only thing that you are getting relief for is your nicotine addiction – your need for the nicotine. The stress is still there, you just don’t notice it as much because you’ve just fed your nicotine addiction.

Smoking Brings More Stress

Not only do you have the stresses that come from everyday living, but as a smoker, you have the added stress of your nicotine addiction. The cost of cigarettes and the inability to smoke when and where you want to all add stress.

Do you find yourself looking for the smoking section outdoors when you go to an office or an event? The chances are very good that if you stop and think about it, you are already feeling stress over when and where you will be able to smoke.

Additionally, studies have found that people who smoke have more mood swings, with the low points being between cigarettes. You are happiest when you are smoking because you are feeding your addiction – not because the tobacco is doing anything at all to lower or lessen everyday stressful situations.

Should you stop smoking, you will feel stress for a few days, and possibly even for a week or two. Once the physical addiction is broken, however, you will find that your overall stress levels take a sharp decline.

How Kids View Alcohol

Kids think it’s cool to get drunk. It’s what their friends are doing. It’s what they see adults do on television. Kids don’t think they are kids. They want to be seen as grown up and sophisticated, and this is especially true for teenagers. Therefore, if they are exposed to anything that makes them think that something is cool or sophisticated, they are perfectly willing to give it a try – even if they hate the taste of it.

What Can You Do?

First you need to realize that your state of financial security, living in a good neighborhood, or sending your kids to the best schools will have no bearing on your child trying alcohol. If given the opportunity, and without the proper instruction, they will at least try it once.

Talk to your child at home about the dangers of alcohol. If you drink, and your child knows this, discuss the fact that alcohol is only to be used by adults, and then only in a responsible manner. Of course, this argument may not do it for your child, but you can try. Avoid drinking alcohol in the presence of your child if possible.

Also, realize that teaching your children right from wrong and good from bad is your responsibility. This is not the responsibility of the school, society, or some other parent. Find out if there are programs in your area about alcohol awareness and enroll them, but again, do not rely solely on these programs. Make sure that you know who your kids are hanging out with, and what they are doing. Of course, you shouldn’t leave kids alone at home with the liquor cabinet wide open either.

When Should You Do It?

If you think that you can wait until your child is fifteen or sixteen before you start educating them about the dangers of drugs or alcohol, you are delusional. You need to step out of that fairy tale world you are living in and step into reality. Kids as young as ten years old are drug addicts and alcoholics. Never make the mistake of assuming that your child cannot possibly become interested in these substances at that young age.

You Help Drug Addicts by Taking Care of Yourself First

You cannot help anyone if you are not taking care of yourself.  You need to have emotional balance and stability in your own life.  Protect yourself from the chaos of emotions that come with a drug addiction.  You might find help for yourself by attending an Al-anon meeting. By taking care of yourself you are also setting an example of health and stability for the addict.  Set the example of putting your personal health, happiness, growth and success first in your life showing the addict that there is a better life without drug use, you may not realize that they notice the successes in your life, but it can truly impact them to change.

Help Drug Addicts by Not Enabling Them

Many people do not realize that they are enabling an addict to stay an addict simply by trying to help them.  One of the best things you can do to help an addict is to stop rescuing them and stop trying to help by doing so.  Help them by removing support which enables them to continue the drug use.  Set boundaries and be prepared to stick to them.  You have to decide what you are willing to accept and what you are not.  Once boundaries are set, you have to stick to them.  Have the strength and determination to set boundaries and enforce them.  Never give an ultimatum unless you are willing to live with the consequences.  For example, do not say “stop drugs or you must leave and I never want anything to do with you again” unless you are completely prepared to live without this person in your life should they choose to continue drugs, because there is a good chance they will choose drugs.

How Can You Help Drug Addicts with Detachment

The first response to an addict’s behavior is reacting in some emotional way, yelling, crying, and getting angry or upset.  When you do this you are moving the focus from the problem onto you and your emotions.  By not reacting to them you are not encouraging them to continue drug use, you are actually helping them and yourself.  The addict needs to view their own action and what they are.  If they are caught with drugs and go to jail, don’t bail them out.  If they lose their job, their home or can’t pay the bills do not give them an out.  When you do not react the addict is not able to move the focus off of them and their drug use and they are forced to see the addiction for what it is.  Detachment is when you rise above the addiction and do not allow it to affect you and your life.

The All-Inclusive Definition of Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy is anything that essentially gives you the nicotine that your body craves, without having to resort to tobacco usage. This could include nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nasal sprays, inhalers, and even artificial cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

The idea behind the concept is that your addition to nicotine is still being fed, but is slowly being tapered off. You might think that the better and less expensive way to do this is to just limit the number of cigarettes that you smoke, but that isn’t the case.

Why Can’t I Just Cut Down?

If you are still smoking, you are not breaking one very vital aspect of the smoking habit – the act of lighting the cigarette, holding it, flicking the ashes, and smoking in general. All of this is a habit, even if they are not part of the actual addiction to nicotine. By using nicotine replacement therapy products, you break the habits that you have formed while smoking. You can even break the habits formed concerning the set times that you pick up a cigarette, such as when you drive your car or after eating.

Can’t I Just Stop Cold Turkey?

This is always an option, but it can be a very hard option. An addiction to nicotine is just like anything else, and there will be withdrawal symptoms. You might experience headaches, irritability, inability to sleep, nausea, dizziness, sweats, or any number of other withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine replacement products are designed to help you avoid withdrawal symptoms, allowing you to break the habit and the addiction in small steps – until you no longer need tobacco or the replacement therapy of choice. Not all nicotine replacement therapy products are appropriate for all people. Check with your doctor to find out which NRT product is best for you before proceeding, and see if your doctor can prescribe it to you, since that will usually force your insurance company to pay for the product – or at least a portion of the product.

1. Effects on the Brain

Alcohol’s effect on the brain can be both short term and long term. The immediate effects of alcohol include depressed reflexes, impaired senses and memory, blurred vision, unconsciousness, dizziness, nausea, decreased heart rate, respiratory depression and even coma. Alcohol abuse during adolescence can impair brain development in an individual. Sleeplessness or insomnia, dementia, brain shrinkage and strokes are other hazards associated with alcohol abuse.

2. Depression

Alcohol abuse is closely linked with depression. According to recent researches, the more the amount of alcohol you consume, the greater you are at risk of depression. People suffering from alcohol abuse tend to lose self confidence and enthusiasm. Even though it is not clearly established that alcohol triggers depression, it has been observed in people getting treatment for alcohol dependence that depression symptoms notably reduce during the period in which they abstain from alcohol, thereby suggesting that alcohol might be one, if not the sole, cause for depression.

3. Liver Dysfunction

Alcohol abuse leads to liver related disorders since it is where the alcohol is broken down. Even moderate alcohol use can cause liver dysfunction that may further result in loss of appetite and malnutrition. Prolonged alcohol abuse causes cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis and fatty liver. Fatty liver is a condition when fatty degeneration of the liver takes place as a result of excessive alcohol intake. In some cases, alcohol may damage the liver entirely and incurably, leaving liver transplant as the only option. Alcohol abuse also leads to liver cancer and several other disorders of the digestive system including pancreatitis, kidney stones, gallbladder stones, cancer of esophagus etc.

4. Physical Injuries

Alcohol abuse goes hand in hand with physical injuries in the sense that when you are intoxicated you are more prone to accidents, violence, unintentional physical harm and self inflicted injuries. Since alcohol retards one’s reaction time, therefore driving while under the influence of alcohol can prove to be fatal sometimes. Alcohol abuse can also lead to violence and crime, since it tends to trigger aggressive behavior and interferes with an individual’s problem solving capabilities in stressful situations.

5. Social Effects

Apart from the physical damage attributed to alcohol abuse, the social consequences of the same can be equally devastating for an individual. Alcohol abuse does not only affect the individuals who indulge in drinking but also their families and loved ones. Alcohol abuse can prompt anti-social behavior and can affect relationships, lead to poverty, domestic violence etc. Alcohol abuse affects productivity at work, and such people tend to take more leaves than usual. Children of alcoholic parents tend to suffer from traumas as they often witness cases of violence inside the house.

Today the law prohibits the advertising of cigarettes by the media. However, according to statistics, every year there are at least one million new smokers.

Myth #1 – I Can Give Up Smoking Any Time, If I Want To

Nicotine is a substance that causes a major dependency, and most people who are trying to quit smoking need more conviction, time and willpower. The chemical substances move from the lungs to the brain and stimulate the production of dopamine, a substance that induces the feeling of euphoria (happiness). Although nicotine induces a good feeling, the body needs increasing amounts of nicotine to maintain the feeling in time.

Myth #2 – Cigarettes Affect Only The Ones Who Smoke, They Don’t Affect The Others

The risks of the passive smoking have been extensively studied. According to the studies, the nonsmoker people exposed to cigarette smoke are at risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, asthma and other chronic diseases. It is estimated that passive smoking kills 49,000 nonsmokers each year. Approximately 46,000 die from cardiovascular disease, and about 3,000 from lung cancer.

If cigarette smoke was eliminated from the environment, it would decrease the risk of ear infections, asthma attacks or other respiratory problems.

Myth #3 – Cigars Or Tobacco Chewing Do Not Affect The Health Because The Smoke Is Not Inhaled

Cigarette smoke is not the only cause that leads to death. The death rate among the people who smoke cigars is 34% higher than the rate of cancer deaths among nonsmokers. The cigar smokers are at risk of developing COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and show a 10 times higher risk compared to the nonsmokers, to die because of various cancers: laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, esophageal cancer etc.

Myth #4 – Smoking Improves The Mood

There are people who believe that smoking can improve their mood, a totally wrong assumption. If a person has already fallen into a depression, the cigarettes do nothing but to emphasize that state, leading to clinical depression, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders. According to studies, the teenagers who smoke are four times more likely to suffer from depression, than those who do not have this habit.

Myth #5 – Only A Few Cigarettes A Day Do Not Affect Our Health And Do Not Lead To Addiction

No matter the number of cigarettes smoked in a day, the smoker will be exposed to danger. Each cigarette contains about 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine that reaches the brain within 10 seconds of inhalation. Immediately after the first blast, the body releases adrenaline, which can lead to high blood pressure, increased respiratory rate, etc.

The Study Details

Published in the “American Journal of Epidemiology”, for the study data were used 116 678 U.S. registered nurses since 1989. In essence, the study revealed that women smokers are 2.1 times more likely to develop the pre-menstrual syndrome in the next 2 to 4 years, than the nonsmokers are. It is also important the frequency of smoking, one of the study findings show that the more a woman smokes, the higher the risk of developing this syndrome.

The findings reinforce the idea that the smoking increases the risk of aggravation of the pre-menstrual syndrome and represents an additional reason, to stop smoking, especially for the teenage girls and young women.

Another interesting finding of the study is that women who started smoking during the adolescence have a greater risk of manifesting the symptoms mentioned above. For example, the women who started smoking before the age of 15 are 2.53 times more likely to contact the pre-menstrual syndrome.

It is possible that those women who started smoking earlier in their life  and therefore had smoked more, not to be as affected as those women who start smoking at a certain point in life. Additional research is needed on the impact of smoking at the different stages of a woman’s life.

The Hormone Link

Most of the times, pre-menstrual symptoms are not very well understood by the medical community, although many doctors consider the role of hormones as being significant. The medications that affect the hormone levels in the body, for example, can bring serious disorders in a woman’s menstrual cycle; they can also cause pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms.

It has already been proven that smoking affects the levels of certain hormones; there is a certain link with this bad habit. The previous studies have shown that smoking may affect the levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and other hormones, many of them are involved in the development of the pre-menstrual syndrome. Some studies have shown that smokers have shorter menstrual cycles and more irregular than the nonsmokers do. Smoking can also reduce the levels of vitamin D in the body, which can also increase the risk of the pre-menstrual syndrome.

Conclusions

The harmful effects of smoking on the long term are already known. This study reveals the side effects of smoking on the short term. The researchers estimate that the pre-menstrual syndrome, affects about 20% of women with influences in their personal relationships and their daily activities.

Only if you are aware of the full extent of the  effects of smoking you can decide giving up this bad habit. Unless you succeed to do this yourself, you can resort to specialized counseling.