The University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) explains that Chantix is a prescription-only medication that helps smokers quit in two ways. The medication blocks some of the rewarding effects of nicotine (the addictive drug in tobacco products), and at the same time it tackles the withdrawal most people feel after they quit.

Easing withdrawal symptoms can certainly boost the morale of someone who is desperately trying to quit. Many describe that what they need from a prescription medication is something to take the edge off. Also, by taking away some of the positive effects of nicotine, it follows that smokers should lessen their dependence on the nicotine high.

Chantix, as stated above, must be prescribed by your doctor. It is a series of pills taken over a period of twelve weeks. The company recommends that the full twelve weeks be finished, even if a person can quit in the first few weeks. Also stressed was the fact that doses should be taken after eating, with a full 8 ounce glasses of water.

As with any medication, there are side effects. Using Chantix can cause nausea, skin problems, allergic reactions, and sleep problems; however, the most controversial side effect concerns changes in behavior.

CNN Money states that “The FDA and manufacturer on Jan. 17, 2008 added a warning for healthcare providers to use caution prescribing Chantix for patients with pre-existing psychiatric conditions, and to monitor all patients using Chantix for psychological symptoms.” What this means is that some people who take Chantix may commit suicide.

But what about the drug’s effectiveness? A study funded by Pfizer, and conducted by Dr. Douglas Jorenby of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, shows that during the twelve weeks that patients were on the drug a little less than half were able to quit smoking. This seems positive, but after one year the number of smokers who have still quit falls by half to roughly one in four.

What a person who wants to quit smoking must remember is that breaking the addiction to nicotine is hard. It has even been compared to breaking an addiction to heroin. Nicotine is that powerful.

CTRI states that “there’s no magic medication to cure addiction to nicotine; however, medications can increase your chances of quitting two- or three-fold.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Chantix for use by Americans. This says a lot, as they are a trusted institution, one that looks out for the well-being of citizens. Those struggling to quit smoking may find success with this medication.
It all comes down to weighing the benefits against your particular risk factors. Therefore, it’s important to discuss any medication with your doctor to be sure you’re using it safely, at the correct dosage and for the appropriate duration. And if you decide to use Chantix, any unusual changes in behavior need to be reported to the doctor immediately.

It’s also important to be aware of what quitting may do to your mental state. The good news is that you won’t feel this way forever.

Nicotine withdrawal has many mental and physical effects. Smokefree.gov says symptoms include:

* Feeling down or sad
* Having trouble sleeping
* Feeling irritable, on edge, grouchy
* Having trouble thinking clearly and concentrating
* Feeling restless and jumpy
* Slower heart rate
* Feeling more hungry or gaining weight

It’s easy to see how withdrawal can be mistaken for depression. The difference is that withdrawal symptoms usually go away after one or two weeks. They’re also less severe than depression symptoms — they shouldn’t interfere with your daily life.

However, depression is still a possibility. In fact, smokers are more likely to suffer from it than non-smokers. Other risk factors are stress, medical problems, and simply being female (though some experts believe male depression is just harder to detect). It’s not clear whether smoking contributes to depression, or depressed people turn to smoking seeking relief.

If your “withdrawal” symptoms drag on too long, you should get screening for depression. A quiz is available here to help you get started.

Believe it or not, going back to smoking won’t help your depression. Treatment has a good chance, however.

You can look forward to a smoke-free year of good mental health.

Many diet pills contain some of the most highly stimulating supplements on earth: ephedra, caffeine, and ma huang. Because of the temporary energy burst that can follow consumption of stimulants, consumers often believe that they are experiencing increased metabolism, which does aid in weight loss. Afterward, however, there is most often an energy crash, which can sometimes lead to feelings of sadness and depression. Since nutritional supplements such as vitamins and weight loss pills are not considered drugs, they are not regulated by the FDA, so sometimes the stimulants occur in higher than normal doses. This can cause serious side effects, including high blood pressure, insomnia, fatigue, nervousness, and even heart failure.

Dependency on weight loss supplements most often has an underlying psychological basis, which is one of the main reasons diet pill addiction is so difficult to treat. If you or someone you know may be suffering from diet pill dependency, seek help immediately from a qualified substance abuse counselor or physician, especially one who has had experience in treating people with eating or diet disorders.

Most often the media report on steroid abuse among professional athletes, but illegal consumption of anabolic steroids is not confined to sports celebrities. Young men and women obsessed with improving their body image take steroids in spite of the well known risks.

Some facts to consider before you consider steroids:
1. Steroid use carries significant negative side effects, including liver cancers, elevated cholesterol and blood sugar, heart attack, and stroke.
2. Steroids actually stunt growth in teens and adolescents by causing growing bones to fuse at an accelerated rate.
3. Steroids can cause heightened aggression and severe mood deviations.

Until a few years ago, it was generally accepted that anabolic steroids were not addictive, however, recent research contradicts that notion. Studies showed a potential for steroid addiction in hamsters. There is clear evidence of psychological compulsion for steroid use in humans. Someone with negative self-perception easily could become dependent on a substance designed to enhance body image.

A person who regularly is engaging in the illegal use of steroids runs a number of risks in addition to the physical and mental health issues mentioned previously. There is a steep penalty for even possessing steroids, which is a federal offense that carries a minimum fine of $1,000 and possible jail time.

Stopping steroid use can be risky as well and should be done with medical supervision. Steroid withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and in some cases may result in severe depression leading to thoughts of suicide. This is especially dangerous in teens and adolescents, who often experience depressed moods even when their body chemistry is not altered by illegal substances.

People struggling with weight loss issues often have a more difficult time reducing calories in their diet when their cravings are carb-driven. This is because consuming too many simple sugars and starches can lead to an addiction to the “sugar high” they produce. This dependency is known as “carboholism” and can be just as debilitating as addiction to alcohol or drugs. The “need” for simple carbs actually can lead to withdrawal-like symptoms when not sated. As a result, low-carb/no-carb dieters may become anxious, irritable, depressed, and even obsessive about obtaining the substance they are denying their bodies. For many, it becomes a lose-lose situation since the symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal are as bad as the health risks created by consuming “bad” carbs.

Carbohydrate addiction is thought to be a physiological response to a deficiency of the brain chemical, serotonin, which affects mood. Serotonin decrease has been shown to lead to depression and manic or aggressive behaviors. While there may not be a (legal) home remedy for increasing serotonin levels, carbohydrate intake can be controlled at home. Making a few smart food swaps can help curb the cravings while giving the body more good-carb fuel to burn.

The simplest way to cut out bad carbohydrates is to stop eating most white foods. That’s it. Just cut out refined sugar, white rice, refined pastas, white potatoes and anything made with white flour. Replace them with their complex-carb cousins. Since the body actually needs some simple carbohydrates, eat fruit. These small steps will go a long way in helping to cope with carboholism.

Set your mind to quit smoking. This is probably the most difficult  of all that is listed here. It is easy to fool one’s self that one’s mind is set on quitting, but deep inside it’s not really the case. But once one’s mind is really set on quitting, it will be less difficult to follow other steps that may help you to quit.

Cut it slowly. You can start by smoking one less cigarette each day until you reach the point where you smoke your last. For some people this is quite effective, it is actually a way of conditioning one’s mind to the inevitability of the end of the habit.

Avoid fellow smokers. If you are on the process of slowly lessening the number of cigarettes you smoke each day, it is easier to keep yourself from lighting up when you don’t see someone who is smoking. Many smokers have wasted weeks of progress because they have seen someone smoke in front of them and their resolve melted.

Use some substitute for cigarettes. Of course, if you are a hard smoker, it may seem that nothing can substitute cigarettes, but it is better to use something like mint candies or chewing gum than just using your will to control your habit.

Exercise. As you slowly progress through cutting the number of cigarettes you consume, put some more exercise into your daily routine. Exercise can help a lot in warding off some of the withdrawal symptoms.

Avoid social gatherings, like parties, where alcohol and cigarettes are abundant when you are still in the process of quitting. It is very easy to throw away a month’s worth of progress in quitting smoking when you are under the influence of alcohol.

Get someone to quit smoking too. It is easier to quit when you have someone, a fellow smoker, who is also trying to quit. You will have more resolve to quit than when you are alone in your endeavor.

Unfortunately, these statistics have little affect on an alcoholic. The most common signs of alcohol abuse include feeling compelled to drink, drinking in secret, needing greater amounts of alcohol to have the desired effect of feeling high, withdrawal symptoms without alcohol, and feeling that alcohol is starting to dominate their life, but they often make up what they think are reasonable excuses in their mind as to why they need to drink, even though the excuses are unrealistic to a non-drinker. Many people can drink moderately with no problem, while others may only need a small amount to slide toward alcohol addiction. No one knows why some people are more vulnerable than others to alcohol addiction. Recovery from drug and alcohol abuse is a complicated process. Just as every person’s addiction has different causes and different degrees, every person’s recovery is also different. Fortunately there are many organizations that offer programs and and resources to beat drug and alcohol abuse.