From: Ray Bannon Subject: AS3 FAQ Table of Contents Date: 05. kolovoz 2000 15:24 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) FOR ALT.SUPPORT.STOP-SMOKING (AS3) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last Updated: July 8, 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that assures the successful outcome of any venture - William James This FAQ (a collection of Frequently Asked Questions) appears in 4 parts, which together contain a list of common questions and some answers and opinions about nicotine addiction, tobacco use, smoking cessation, and staying smoke-free. The first section contains information about the group, its resources, customs, and quirks. The remainder contains practical information about nicotine use, help with every phase of smoking cessation, and descriptions of various quitting techniques. The FAQ is posted to the Alt.Support.Stop-Smoking (AS3) newsgroup once per week by Ray Bannon , but it is also available on the World Wide Web at http://www.swen.uwaterloo.ca/~bpekilis/as3/ (hosted in Ontario, Canada), and a european mirror site at http://www.silkquit.org/as3/, hosted in Denmark. Most of the material in this FAQ has been gathered from posts which originally appeared on the AS3 newsgroup and is based primarily on information from the personal experiences of the individuals in this newsgroup, none of whom are professionals in the field of habit control, unless noted. Excerpts from various related books, publications, and Internet sites are also included in this FAQ. Send questions or comments via e-mail to Ray Bannon, Editor-in-Chief (bannonr@serv.net) Also, some of the uncredited writing of this FAQ was done by Ian Fraigun, Barry Pekilis, and Liorah Golomb the previous Editors. Thanks to all for their generous support! This FAQ is a work-in-growth, and contributions are always of interest. If you would like to make a submission, please send it to me and I will be pleased to consider it. I reserve the right to edit any accepted submissions, but in cases where I suggest substantial changes, I will consult with the contributor before inclusion in the FAQ. Disclaimer-type statement: While I cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided in the Alt.Support.Stop- Smoking Frequently Asked Questions documents, I have done my best to assemble factual material from good sources. I welcome your corrections and comments; please e-mail them to me at bannonr@serv.net. CONTENTS The AS3 family, and how we can help you and each other Part 1 1. What is a FAQ? 2. What is Alt.Support.Stop-Smoking? 3. What are the basic rules of "Netiquette"? a.Lurking b.Flaming c.Cross-Posting d.Quoting e.Posting E-mail 4. How do I access the newsgroup? 5. Why Alt.Support.Stop-Smoking? 6. I need help! Why isn't anyone answering my post? 7. Who runs the group? 8. Does AS3 have a political agenda? 9. What's the discussion like? Are you all biting each other's heads off in a nicotine-withdrawal frenzy? 10. When can I start posting? 11. What are some of the quirky phrases and eccentricities I'll find on AS3? 12. Where can I get one of those nifty meters? a. for Windows b. for the Mac 13. How can I tell if I'm addicted and what does it take to become addicted? 14. When I quit, will I be a NON- or an EX-smoker? 15. What is the Quit List? 16. What is the Milestones List? 17. What is the AS3 COMPOST ? 18. Where can I find the AS3 WWW homepage? 19. What archived material compiled by the AS3 newsgroup can I get FREE of charge? 20. Are there other related groups or information sources? 21. Are there recommend any books on quitting? 22. Is there anything fun about quitting smoking? Techniques, Troubleshooting, and Tips Part 2 23. Why is quitting smoking so difficult? 24. I smoke lights. Aren't they safer? 25. Are cigars any better? 26. Should I switch from smoking to smokeless (chewing) tobacco? 27. How can I prepare to quit smoking or chewing tobacco? 28. How long will the physical withdrawal last? 29. Can't I have just one last one? Part 3 30. What is the best method for quitting? a. Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) b. Cold Turkey c. The Patch d. Nicotine Gum e. Nicotine Nasal Spray f. Cutting Down g. Acupuncture/Acupressure i. Before quitting ii. After quitting h. Hypnosis i. Herbs j. Cream of Tartar k. Zyban a/k/a/ Wellbutrin and Other Antidepressants, w/ or w/o NRT l. Mecamylamine and the Patch m. Allen Carr n. Programs o. Alternative Healing Part 4 31. How do I avoid relapsing during stressful times? 32. I dreamt I smoked! 33. What about weight gain? 34. But I don't *want* to gain weight! 35. Just how does smoking harm my health? 36. Just what am I inhaling/ingesting when I smoke? 37. What are some of the less publicized health risks of smoking? a.Blindness b.COPD c.Depression d.GERD e.Dermatological Aliments 38. How do the numbers from smoking-related deaths compare to other causes of death? 39. What is metastasis? 40. What if I quit . . . will I ever get better? 41. OK, I quit. Why do I feel worse? 42. On the other hand . . . why do I feel so potent? 43. I've smoked for so many years, what's the point of quitting now? 44. How can I urge someone to quit smoking, or encourage someone who is trying to quit?