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March 14, 2011  In This Issue... - This Cancer Cure Video Circled the Globe in 31 Minutes
- Drug-Free Treatment Helps Banish Emotional Pain -- EMDR Therapy Treats PTSD, Trauma, Abuse Aftermath and More
- No Plunger? No Problem. Secret to Unplugging Your Toilet
- Cancer From Smoking Once In a While... Yes, It Can Happen!
This Cancer Cure Video Circled the Globe in
31 Minutes Every 60 seconds someone dies from cancer -- and every 3 minutes, someone new is diagnosed with cancer. That someone could even be you. If you know anyone who’s suffering from cancer, you must watch this 5-minute video. This is the video that the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want you to watch. When this video was first put online, it was viewed by 129,000 people within 31 minutes. Send the link to everyone who has cancer. You might even end up saving someone’s life. Watch the video now at http://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=142741&AdID=544824.
Drug-Free Treatment Helps Banish
Emotional Pain This is the type of story I love -- offering a simple, natural, noninvasive treatment for a serious health problem that might otherwise land a patient in a hospital or on dangerous medication. In this case, a form of psychotherapy that uses a patient’s eye movements -- or, alternatively, simple tones or taps -- is being used routinely for military combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it has many applications for nonmilitary folks as well -- maybe even for you. Called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), this therapy is an innovative blend of traditional psychotherapeutic approaches and... well, those not-so-usual methods that I mentioned above. It was developed in the 1980s, but, because it’s somewhat unconventional, it met some resistance. Now a significant body of research supports its value. The theory is that repetitively stimulating the senses activates parts of the brain that help people who have had disturbing experiences get rid of the anguish associated with (or, in EMDR parlance, "process") traumatic experiences so they can function better in everyday life. I interviewed Francine Shapiro, PhD, the pioneering psychologist who developed and introduced EMDR in the late 1980s. Dr. Shapiro told me that EMDR can be used in many ways, including... - For treatment of classic PTSD, which can occur after traumatic events such as combat, and also after such "everyday" traumatic events as accidents or abuse.
- For a variety of other troubling conditions, such as panic attacks, fears, relationship problems, anxiety, insomnia and depression.
- It can also be used to ease performance anxiety, for instance, for musicians, athletes, actors, public speakers and executives.
The Process First let’s spend a minute discussing this idea of processing memories and experiences as being fundamental to emotional health. If you’ve experienced disruptive events that remain "unprocessed," they can become destructive, blocking your ability to function normally -- in fact, the theory is that this is what often underlies emotional and behavioral problems. Dr. Shapiro explained that the goal is to help people filter what’s useful from their life experiences, and let go of the rest so they can function without the damaging impact of emotional reactions. How Does EMDR Work? The "bilateral stimulation" or "dual stimulation" (the stimuli plus the memories) at the core of EMDR helps the neurophysiological system (the mind/body connection) free itself of blockages -- the goal is to disconnect the memory from the negative emotions and thoughts. According to Dr. Shapiro, some researchers believe that the bilateral stimulation links into the same processes that occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. "We dream during REM sleep, and that is the time that the brain processes disturbing information," she said. Dr. Shapiro offered this example. A woman who was raped many years ago now has a loving and supportive partner. But intimacy is difficult because the woman re-experiences the same terrifying emotions, troubling images and physical sensations that occurred during the assault. These unprocessed memories make it impossible for her to function well in her relationship. EMDR enables victims, such as this woman, to take in what is useful (their strength as survivors) and discard what’s useless (the feelings of fear, shame or guilt). Then they can go on to enjoy healthy intimate relationships with people they love. Therefore, Dr. Shapiro explained, an EMDR treatment will address... - Memories... the unprocessed disturbing memories that create difficulties.
- Current disturbances... the present-day situations that trigger similar feelings of distress.
- Future actions... the skills that people need to perform better in their lives, such as how to handle relationship difficulties or deliver an excellent presentation at work.
What to Expect EMDR can work quickly and does not involve the use of hypnosis or drugs. Treatment sessions typically last 60 to 90 minutes. Good results may be achieved in as few as three reprocessing sessions, but more typically require five to 15 weekly sessions. The amount of time needed depends on the complexity of the case. The first meeting: You’ll discuss your history so the clinician can design a treatment plan to meet your needs. This involves identifying memories that need to be reprocessed, which may be one particular event (say, an earthquake or a terrible accident) or perhaps choosing one to represent many (such as for a person who spent years in an abusive relationship). Dr. Shapiro noted that some people need to filter through several or many disturbing experiences to identify the root of their distress. Also at this first session, the clinician will discuss what to do so that you will be comfortable during and between treatments. During EMDR reprocessing sessions: The therapist will ask you to bring a chosen memory to mind in a certain way... then will move his/her fingers rapidly back and forth about 18 inches in front of your eyes (or use another repetitive stimulus, such as tapping or lights)... and ask you to follow the movements with your eyes. Different sets of eye movements target the memory in order to reassociate it with more positive thoughts, such as "I am strong" and "It wasn’t my fault." Gaining Wide Acceptance Dr. Shapiro told me that nearly two dozen studies now affirm EMDR’s value, and health organizations are recognizing this. For example... - The American Psychiatric Association, the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense all endorse EMDR for post-traumatic stress.
- In a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, researchers found that for PTSD rape victims, EMDR was as effective as -- and more efficient than -- more traditional therapy, which required daily "homework" in order to be successful.
- Three sessions of EMDR produced positive changes in people who had symptoms from trauma, or even from more ordinary "life experiences," according to a study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
- The Israeli National Council for Mental Health recommends EMDR for the treatment of terror victims.
This therapy may provide gratifying results for people who are suffering greatly from terrifying events in their lives. You can learn more about EMDR at www.emdr.com (and you can find a trained and qualified clinician for EMDR at www.emdr.com/clinic.htm). Many health insurance plans cover EMDR, but always check with your insurer first to make sure. Source(s):
Francine Shapiro, PhD, originator and developer of EMDR therapy. Dr. Shapiro is executive director of the EMDR Institute in Watsonville, California, and a senior research fellow at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto. She has been an invited speaker at psychology conferences worldwide and has written and coauthored more than 60 articles, chapters and books about EMDR.
No Plunger? No Problem. Secret to Unplugging Your Toilet "My toilet was stopped up. My guests were on their way. And I couldn't find a plunger!" Lucky for me, I'd learned the secret: Just squirt some liquid dish detergent, wait 15 minutes, and my home and guests were good to go. How often have you been caught in a situation like this -- or any of thousands of other household mishaps? Spills, breaks, lost items -- family heirlooms nearly ruined. Too often, right? Joan and Lydia Wilen, better known to TV viewers as "The Wilen Sisters," have the secret to saving the day on these and thousands of other potentially disastrous mishaps. Learn more...
Cancer From Smoking Once In a While...
Yes, It Can Happen!
I’ll bet you know at least a few people who are quite proud of the fact that they smoke only occasionally. A few cigarettes at a party and then no more smoking for weeks -- not bad! The idea, of course, is that the occasional cigarette or two will not inflict smoking’s terrible toll on a person’s health. But, sorry to say, I have bad news for them and, for that matter, anyone who lights up, however often. A study from the Masonic Cancer Center and department of pharmacology at the University of Minnesota discovered that smoking even one cigarette starts to damage the smoker’s DNA within minutes... and the news gets worse. The result of this particular damage is a heightened risk for lung cancer.
The Path of Destruction
This study investigated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are one among the many constituents of cigarette smoke known to cause cancer. (Note: We’re also exposed to PAHs in our environment from incompletely burned fossil fuels -- it’s in vehicle exhaust, coal, agricultural burning, grilled meat, etc.)
How the research worked: Using a special device to measure the substance as it passed into circulation, researchers took blood samples to track the PAH in question (called phenanthrene) as it made its way through the bodies of 12 volunteer smokers. They found that within 15 to 30 minutes after the volunteers had smoked a cigarette, the phenanthrene taken into the body had transformed into a form that attacks DNA. That the transformation occurred this quickly surprised even the researchers -- in the paper, they noted it was the same rate they would have expected from injecting the PAH directly into a smoker’s bloodstream.
"Definitely" Dangerous
I spoke with Stephen S. Hecht, PhD, professor of cancer prevention, the lead author of the study, who told me that the damage PAHs cause include cell mutations, loss of tumor-suppressor gene activity and activation of oncogenes (genes that contribute to converting healthy cells into cancer). He also said that other studies have shown that PAHs are one of the most dangerous types of carcinogens -- "near the top of the list," he told me. When I asked him whether having a single cigarette, just one a month or so, could possibly be enough to trigger damage that could contribute to lung cancer, he was adamant. "Definitely," he said.
While it’s true that occasional smokers do not consume as much poison from smoking as regular smokers do, it is clear that for the sake of their health, giving up whatever pleasure they get from now-and-then smoking is well worth the effort. And, since smoking is so highly addictive, even occasional smoking also increases the chances that what is now an infrequent indulgence will become a steady habit. The message is clear -- abstinence is the only way to go.
Source(s):
Stephen S. Hecht, PhD, professor of cancer prevention, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Be well, 
Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News
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