Category Archives: Detoxification

Drug abuse in the Military Forces

July 15, 2014

Drug abuse in the military forces – What is not known to the public

These are our men and women entrusted with securing our boarders. we have a duty to protect them from drug addiction for them to protect us effectively.

When defining drug addiction you will probably include in your definition the fact that addiction does not discriminate on personality or status or otherwise, this is very true and practical. The effects of drug abuse in our military forces has not been a topic of discussion the public for a very long time but his does not mean that the men and women in uniform do not suffer from the scourge of drug addiction. It may be true that the rate of illicit drug abuse may be lower among the military personnel compared to the civilians, but studies reveals that excessive use of alcohol and cigarette smoking are more dominant with the military forces compared to the civilian.

The kind of life lived in the confinement of barracks is that of forced respect to the superiors. It is forced because in most cases the rules require the officers to give a “yes sir” response irrespective of whether this is the correct response to be given. We all know that respect is earned and never forced on anyone. Again this trend normally causes stress to the officers who have no say whenever they are being deployed during wartime. Zero-tolerance policies and stigma pose difficulties in detecting and treating substance use problems in military personnel this is also compounded by lack of confidentiality which discourages many who may require treatment from pursuing it.

Those with multiple deployments and combat exposure are at greatest risk of developing substance use problems. They are more apt to engage in new-onset heavy weekly drinking and binge drinking, to suffer alcohol- and other drug-related problems, and to have greater prescribed use of behavioral health medications. They are also more likely to start smoking or relapse to smoking.

Illegal and Prescription Drugs

The question of drug abuse in the forces much as it is real it has not been very much rampant compared to the abuse among the civilians. The use of illicit drugs has been very minimal mainly because of the strict adherence to the zero tolerance rule for drug use among the department of Defense (DoD) this is according to the studies conducted by DoD. This decrease has been on the decline since this rule was first introduced about two decades ago. This zero tolerance policy is at the moment being applied without notice to the soldiers by running frequent tests on the soldiers. The consequences of testing positive to any illicit substance are very stern and the soldiers found positive can be unceremoniously be dismissed from the force besides being prosecuted in the court of law.

It is also interesting to note that despite efforts made to contain the use of illegal substances in the forces the same has not been properly done to the abuse of prescription drugs which statistics has revealed to be on the increase and is being abused almost on a willing basis and in relation to the civilian population. The same report of DoD indicated that misuse of prescription drugs in the forces went up progressively from just 2% in the year 2002 to 11% in 2008 that is a hooping 9% increase with opioid pain medications being misused the most by the service members.

This great misuse is attributed to the fact that these drugs are easily available and are commonly prescribed to them from time to time for pain relieving reasons. The urge to using the pain relieving prescription drugs is necessitated by the fact that service men normally attain injuries in the line of duty and are consistently straining as a result of bearing the burden of carrying heavy equipment during multiple deployments rendering them to have consistent body aches.

Drinking and Smoking

The men and women in uniform are also rooted in the use of alcohol and cigarette smoking as compared to the civilian population. Studies established that close to half of active duty service members (that is about 47%) reported binge drinking. This behavior is common especially with those service men and women with high combat exposer.

Suicides and Substance Use

Suicide rates in the military were traditionally lower than among civilians in the same age range, but in 2004 the suicide rate in the U.S. Army began to climb, surpassing the civilian rate in 2008. Substance use is involved in many of these suicides. The 2010 report of the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force found that 29 percent of active duty Army suicides from fiscal year (FY) 2005 to FY 2009 involved alcohol or drug use; and in 2009, prescription drugs were involved in almost one third of them.

Addressing the Problem

There can never be a problem without a solution. From our discussion it is evident that drugs abuse is alive and kicking within the forces. Finding solutions must be prioritized to keep our states safe because we all know what addiction can do to our lives and especially if the victim is one entrusted with the protection of lives of many defenseless citizens. Therefore it is important that:

  • The authorities must ensure that proper investigations is done and adopt increasing the use of evidence-based prevention and treatment interventions and expanding access to care.
  • There is need to broadening insurance coverage to include effective outpatient treatments and better equipping healthcare providers to recognize and screen for substance use problems so they can refer patients to appropriate, evidence-based treatment when needed.
  • It is also necessary that measures be taken towards limiting access to alcohol on bases.
  • It is also important that in addressing substance use in the military there is need to ensure patient/individuals confidentiality and shifting a cultural climate in which drug problems are stigmatized and evoke fear in people suffering from them.
  • Proper controls must be put in place limiting the duration of prescriptions for opioid pain relievers to 6 months and having a pharmacist monitor soldier’s medications when multiple prescriptions are being used

Finally doing all these are very necessary however it must be known that substance abuse is a medical condition which needs medical solution. Seeking the services of an experience medical doctor is very important. A visit at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a medical facility founded by Doctor Akoury is the best place you can be when addiction knock your door. At this facility doctor Akoury together with her experience team of experts will not help your condition get better but they will also focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This is the place you need to be for ant addiction related problem and you will have your life back in and with the real addiction professionals.

Drug abuse in the military forces – What is not known to the public

 

 

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Effects of Crack Cocaine

July 14, 2014

Effects of Crack Cocaine-Drug Addiction

Cocaine

Crack cocaine addiction, it does not matter how you take it the bottom line is that it is death in waiting. Good news is that you can stop it.

It is everybody’s wish to be healthy and remain so in their whole life time. This desire is always under attack from all directions by all manner of things. Drug addiction is one of the most dreaded conditions that reverse the live healthy wish. In an attempt to trying to unlocking the this we have chosen to use this link to post informatory addiction articles to educate the public of the dangers involve in life if one associate with drugs. There are so many drugs being abused today however for the purpose of our discussion we will zero into cocaine and revel how it affect the addicted individuals and the general public. Our discussion will be in broken in two segments that is:

i.        Short term effects

ii.        Long term effects

Short term effects of crack cocaine

  • Crack cocaine will temporarily lift your spirit as an addict but this feeling when the concentration dies off in your blood stream the addict experiences extreme depression and craves for more of the substance.
  • Individuals addicted to crack cocaine normally skip meals and often don’t have enough sleep.
  • They also experience high heart rate, muscle spasms, convulsion etc.
  • This dug can make users feel obsessed, irritated, unfriendly and nervous even when they are not high.
  • The risks of experiencing heart attack, suffer stroke, seizure or respiratory failure are systematic with crack cocaine users irrespective of quantity used. These can be very fatal killing the individual.
  • Smoking crack further presents a series of health risks. Crack is often mixed with other substances that create toxic fumes when burned. As crack smoke does not remain potent for long, crack pipes are generally very short. This often causes cracked and blistered lips, known as “crack lip,” from users having a very hot pipe pressed against their lips.

Long term effects of crack cocaine

Besides the common dangers related to cocaine use, addicts are likely to suffer respiratory complications, alongside coughing, shortness of breath bleeding and lung damage.

Long-term effects from use of crack cocaine include:

  • It causes severe damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. Users are more likely to have infectious diseases.
  • Continued daily use causes sleep deprivation and loss of appetite, resulting in malnutrition.
  • Smoking crack cocaine also can cause aggressive and paranoid behavior.
  • Since crack cocaine also interferes with the way the brain processes chemicals, one needs large quantities of the drug just to feel “normal.”
  • Those who become addicted to crack cocaine lose interest in other areas of life.
  • Crack cocaine causes depression and when this becomes intensified, the addict can do anything to get the supply. They can be very extreme even to the point of committing murder. If for whatever reason the supply is not fourth coming, depression can drive the addict to the wall of suicide.

Physical and Mental effects- Short term

Because it is smoked, the short term effects of crack cocaine are more immediate and more intense than that of powdered cocaine as discussed below:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
  • Contracted blood vessels
  • Increased rate of breathing
  • Dilated pupils
  • Disturbed sleep patterns
  • Nausea
  • Hyperstimulation
  • Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
  • Hallucinations, hyperexcitability, irritability
  • Tactile hallucination that creates the illusion of bugs burrowing under the skin
  • Intense euphoria
  • Anxiety and paranoia
  • Depression
  • Intense drug craving
  • Panic and psychosis
  • Convulsions, seizures and sudden death from high doses (even one time)
Physical and mental effects-Long term effects
  • Permanent damage to blood vessels of ear and brain, high blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes and death
  • Liver, kidney and lung damage
  • Severe chest pains
  • Respiratory failure
  • Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
  • Malnutrition, weight loss
  • Severe tooth decay
  • Auditory and tactile hallucinations
  • Sexual problems, reproductive damage and infertility (for both men and women)
  • Disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion
  • Irritability and mood disturbances
  • Increased frequency of risky behavior
  • Delirium or psychosis
  • Severe depression
  • Tolerance and addiction (even after just one use)
Effects on the young Children

It is so painful that very innocent babies in their mother’s wombs become victims of cocaine. When pregnant women uses cocaine in whichever form the mother and the unborn child will all be in danger. This may increase the risk of losing the pregnancy especially in the early stages of the pregnancy. The consequences of cocaine use by pregnant women may result in the unborn baby suffers stroke, heart attack or have permanent brain damage.

Drug dealers/supplies

Research has established that most young people in drugs today got into it because of pressure from their friends. They wanted to belong, feeling cool and famous. These pressures from friends are known by the supplies and they will use this as your weak point to lure you into drugs because they are only motivated by their need of making money. You must be careful with the drug dealers because all they care about is money, money and more money. They care less if the drugs ruin your life as long as they get money.

The truth you need to know

To help you be safe you must get to know the facts at fingertip so that you do not fall prey to these heartless drug dealers.

 

  • You must distance yourself from drugs by all means.
  • Drugs are basically poisons. The quantity taken determines the damage caused.
  • A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up).
  • A greater amount acts as a sedative (slows you down).
  • An even larger amount poisons and can kill.

This is true of all drugs. Only the quantity needed to achieve the effect differs nonetheless many drugs have other liabilities like: they affect the mind directly distorting the user’s perception of what is happening around them and as a result, the person’s actions may be odd, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive.

Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. So, while providing short-term help in the relief of pain, they also wipe out ability and alertness and muddy one’s thinking.

Finally all the medicines we use are drugs whose objective is to correct something about the way your body is working with a view of trying to making it work better. These drugs are sometimes necessary but all the same they are still drugs: they act as stimulants or sedatives, and too much can kill you. So if you do not use medicines as they are supposed to be used, they can be as dangerous as illegal drugs. Therefore you must ensure that you are always seeking guidance from the experts to avoid doing wrong things. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care you will get all the information and guidance you need and you will also be attended to by a team of experts who will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Effects of Crack Cocaine-Drug Addiction

 

 

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Liver Detoxification and Cancer Treatment

July 13, 2014

Importance of Liver Detoxification in the Fight against Cancer

Liver DetoxificationYou may now understand how important detoxification is in cancer treatment as I have written about that earlier. The toxins that get into our bodies are a host to many diseases and cancer is not excluded. Cancer is a disease that we acquire from our interactions with environment. The toxins that we acquire from the air we breathe, the foods we eat among other things do us more harm. However today I am exploring on the importance of detoxification of liver to cancer treatment. Welcome aboard and together let’s know how important liver cleansing is in the fight against cancer.

Why the liver?

The liver is a vital organ in the body without which normal bodily functions will not be accomplished. The liver is the second largest organ after the skin weighing about 3 pounds and plays a vital role in such important bodily processes such as digestion, excretion, metabolism, storage, immunity and production.

The liver plays an important role in monitoring the amount of glucose that is in circulation.  The carbohydrates we eat get broken down into glucose which is vital source of energy for the cells. The blood that enters the liver is always very high in glucose content which has to be put in control. The liver by the help of its hepatocytes absorbs the excess glucose and stores it in the form of glycogen. It has the ability of storing large quantities of glucose and releasing it in good quantities to provide energy. This helps protect the body from dangerously containing high levels of glucose in circulation. As most of you know by now, cancerous cells rely heavily on glucose for their energy supply, they are more responsive to the glucose in the bloods stream than the healthy cells so incase the glucose content is high in the blood, a conducive environment is created for the survival of the cancer cells but a healthy liver helps in controlling the glucose circulation in the blood.

Liver as a detoxification organ

The liver is a very important detoxification organ, the hepatocytes of the liver purifies the blood as it passes through the hepatic portal circulation. The hepatocytes is charged with getting rid of any toxins from the blood before the toxins are transferred to other parts of the body. Hepatocytes has enzymes that help in deactivating the toxins especially alcohol and drugs. The liver also plays an important role in keeping the levels of hormones at the optimum by removing hormones that are produced in excess by the respective glands.

Liver Detoxification

Importance of detoxifying the liver

It is important to detoxify the body organs during cancer treatment or even as a way to keep away from cancer. Liver is one of the most important organs that need to be detoxified to make the fight against cancer more effective. As mentioned earlier the liver influences the amount of glucose in circulation, helps in digestion and production of some proteins. The liver is also an important immune organ that needs to be healthy at all times to ensure safety of the body from diseases invasion.

Here are some of the reasons why liver detoxification is important in cancer treatment.

When the immune system is weak, which is especially caused by high level of stress hormone; cortisol, the body becomes a good environment for the formation of cancer cells. The high cortisol levels forces somatids which are necessary for life in the blood to turn into harmful pathogens. This pathogen finds entry into the healthy body cells to feed on the stress-induced glucose reserves affecting the supply of oxygen to the cells and causing cell mutations. The pathogenic bacteria also go to the liver to feed on the large amount of glucose stored in there. After feeding on the glucose, it excretes highly acidic wastes into the liver damaging the liver’s ability to repair and strengthen the immune system. The liver also becomes over burdened with the high toxic content in it.

The damage that is caused to the liver in case of cancer explains why most cancer patients suffer liver dysfunction. When the liver is diseased the immune system becomes weaker and weaker. When lots of somatids are turned into the cancer causing bacteria and it spreads to the rest of the body it becomes rather hard to treat the disease as the cancer cell formation cycle will still continue.  It is therefore very important to get rid of the toxins in the liver and restore its functions so as to hasten cancer recovery.

Liver detoxification can be done naturally by eating foods that are high in antioxidants hence can help in detoxifying the liver. Some of these foods that foster liver detoxification includes: Garlic, green tea, green leafy vegetables, Avocados, apples, olive oil, walnuts, lemons, cruciferous vegetables, turmeric, asparagus, Artichokes and coffee enemas.

In conclusion

The liver is a vital organ that ensures that all the bodily functions are accomplished, it also functions as a defense organ since it has great impact on the strength of the immune system. When it is heavily laden with toxins it loses its ability to purify the blood and control the amount of glucose in circulation which escalates cancer risk. Therefore liver detoxification is an important process in cancer treatment and recovery. Eating right foods can help you to detoxify your liver. You need reliable information that can help you stay cancer free. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) avails helpful information on cancer and other diseases contact her and learn how better you can take care of your health.

Importance of Liver Detoxification in the Fight against Cancer

 

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Helping your friends who use drugs

July 12, 2014

Helping your friends who use drugs-Being your friend keeper

Addiction

We can all be drug free if we choose to help one another fight their addictions

Have you ever asked yourself what the kind of society we will have if drugs are not a bused and no one is addicted to drugs? Try visualizing that in your mind and imagine seeing yourself being the reason behind that atmosphere where drugs and addiction is never heard of, this is the society we are advocating for and you can be very instrumental in making it happen. We have been posting very informative articles on this link relating to addiction among other life changing topic and just recently we posted one detailing the consequences of drugs abuse and drug addiction which I will encourage you to look at even as you continue learning more about your role in helping those of your friends who may be struggling with drug addiction.

The problem of addiction in our societies today must not be left for the medical doctors and health professionals only to tackle. This problem must be fought from all directions, since it can affect anyone without discriminating on who to affect so everybody should be involved and you are part of that group of everybody. The question you are likely to ask is “how or what can I do to help?” in this article we will be discussing some of the things you can and should do to contribute in the fight against drug addiction and the following are just some of the things you can do:

Treatment
You owe your fiend the duty of care in all dimensions and especially that friend using drugs. People using drugs often find it difficult to consent seeking treatment, if your friend is one you can take the advantage of being their friend to prevail upon them to accept treatment because this will help them stop abusing the substances they abuse. There are many ways of administering treatment which may include talk therapy, medicine or even both. Receiving treatment will help them resist the urges or desire to use drugs again and also helps them be in control of their lives. The objective of treatment is to have the addict recover from their addiction and start living life without drugs. Your condition does not matter treatment is there for everyone whether you are a new drug user, heavy user or an addict you can be treated and get better. Take that bold step and be a hero by convincing you friend to seek help (treatment) and that will be a positive contribution on your part.

Understand the dangers
It is important to note that you can only help someone if you know and understand the dangers of the problem at hand. We have in our previous article discussed some of the consequences of addiction you can make reference to. On your part you must have clear understanding of how destructive drugs can be to you physically, psychologically, emotionally and economically. Having the clear knowledge will help you avoid drugs and be sober even as you look forward to helping those in drugs already.

Helping yourself and someone you love

Remember drugs addiction can affect anyone and you are not excluded and so let us start with you before you can go helping somebody. If you have ever tried using drugs before and felt bad about it, it is important that you share this with someone trusted immediately preferably your parents. This must not wait any longer because it may graduate to other serious problems your parents or any trusted adult will know what to do and they will ensure that you helped before things go from bad to worse.

However if it is your friend or any of your family members who has or is beginning to start using drugs or is associating with bad company, you must not keep quiet because you can help in the following ways:

  • Talk to an adult -bring this to the attention of somebody senior it could be your teachers, school counselors or social workers these people will have ideas that can help you talk to your friend about their drug use. Seek for useful information and ideas to help them if you do not want to name anyone. They are specially trained to deal with teens and drug use.
  • Take a risk -sometimes it may be necessary that you take some manageable risk because talking to your friend about his drug use may not be an easy thing to do, as this can make him angry. Nonetheless try and spending some quiet time with him (not in quiet, hide outs that will put you in trouble), and let remind him of the dangers and potential problems he is getting into. Ensure that you speak to him only when he is sober but if he is angry, you may have to stay away from his company. But continue to care for him and share ideas with him.
  • Remind them that help is available -Sometimes people want confidential help, because they do not want anyone to know about their situation. This is OK. Try and research and find them a counseling service around. You can always ask adults (teachers or parents) about places for teen counseling, and give your friend the information to seek the confidential help.
  • Be careful yourself -You can also be tempted into drugs one day. Knowing the facts like what you are doing now is a great way to stay away and say NO! Be careful and keep distance with bad company. Do not even entertain them. If your good friends have fallen to drugs, be careful they do not drag you into it and to be safe drop them from your list of friends fourth with.

Finally having been a good a ambassador of fighting drug addiction by helping others through vital information it is important that your friends get to know that when addiction hits hard treatment from addiction professionals will be very helpful and Dr. Dalal Akoury who founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an expert in addiction and together with her team of experts will help you get well in real time while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Helping your friends who use drugs-Being your friend keeper

 

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Peach Compounds and Cancer Treatment

July 12, 2014

PEACH COMPOUNDS INHIBIT BREAST CANCER GROWTH

Breast cancer is a worldwide catastrophe’ distressing most women. The condition is quite dangerous and has affected a large number of females, in serious situations it has claimed lives of very many people each year. There are several factors that may enhance occurrence of this disease and currently global campaigns are held globally each aiming at urging women to go for breast cancer checkups. A famous old adage goes, prevention is better than cure and true it is. There are many ways to rid yourself of the ailment. Paramedics have carried out all day and night research seeking for ways through which women can prevent the disease before it encroaches and develops to irreversible stages in their bodies. This piece of writing gathers accurate information from different sources aiming to prove that peach compounds can help a great deal in preventing growth of cancer cells.

The best drugs are natural, any doctor advices their patients to go for vegetables and fruits for a healthy living. The same applies here. It is agreeable that almost if not all fruits are yummy and nutritious. Well, that is not disputable. Nonetheless, the peak of curative fruits lies at the peach. These sweet simple fruits can work wonders in your body. Laboratory tests from leading cancer specialists have clearly confirmed with no doubts that compounds contained in these fruits aid in inhibiting development of breast cancer.

Peach Compounds

A food scientist from Washington State University and his contemporaries at Texas A&M have confirmed that peaches contain compounds that can inhibit growth of cells that cause cancer of the breast and their ability to multiply throughout the body. They laid emphasis on the significance of good quality nutrition in preventing cancer.

More gripping research that featured in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry proved that the compounds could as well be recommended as a new addition to therapies that help in reducing the risk of metastasis commonly known as spread of carcinogens. However they insisted that it does not have to come from a supplement or compound.

Peach Compounds Can help you fight breast cancer

“Just 2-3 peaches a day, which could easily be achieved with a blender, juicer or blaster – can result into an astonishing result” says a cancer specialist. “Do three peaches a day.” Adds the WSU assistant professor for food science, Giuliana Noratto. In addition, she insisted that other foods are equally important. She said, “Having enough veges and fruits can provide our bodies with these compounds, consequently, they might have a similar preventive effect.” Another word of hope she mentioned was that “there exist a variety of traditional plants with medicinal values and a perfect well-balanced diet can that can lead you the right way in getting rid of such ailments.”

Peach CompoundsCurrently the doctor is researching on compounds in barley, wheat, apples and other dairy products that could play an ardent role in preventing obesity-related diseases. In 2009, medical investigations showed that plum and peach extracts concealed breast cancer cells grown in Petri dishes.  For the new study, the panel of researchers implanted cells leading to breast cancer beneath the skins of the mice under scrutiny. The technique, referred to as a xenograft, is often used to study the growth of cells causing breast cancer in a living animal demonstrating the process by which tumors start and progress. After one week, they fed mice with doses of peach polyphenols, which secures plants from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

The “internal sunscreen” upshot of green veges and fresh fruits have been noted over and over. Noratto and his colleagues intended to see if these compounds would have a ‘killing’ effect in carcinogens. 12 days later, mice that had fed high levels of polyphoenols had smaller tumors with few blood vessel formations that could assist cancer cells spread to other body parts. These tumors also had less evidence of enzymes that take part in the spread of carcinogens and invasion of cancer.

Being the author of all the studies, Noratto released a statement saying that there are several studies that showed peach compounds as antioxidants and as a result can protect DNA against damage that can lead to cancer related diseases. According to her, Different researchers have experienced the same phenomenon and concluded the same. Noratto added that and her colleagues wanted to know if the compounds might have started as a torrent of signals that could encourage the growth of cancer cells to “kill themselves”.

During their research, the team never had metastasis in mind, the whole realization came as a surprise as they went on with the analysis of lungs and the fact that the peach compounds repressed the growth of cancers. The panel found out that these compounds also inhibited the levels of metastasis on the lungs which is important in reducing growth of cancer. Now you know how to prevent it before it advances to its worse stages, go peaches and stay healthy.

PEACH COMPOUNDS INHIBIT BREAST CANCER GROWTH

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