Having a guide to drug addiction recovery

June 20, 2015

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Defeating drug addiction

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery is not only very important but healthy in giving direction on how you will be handling your addiction problem

For consistency in the fight against the prevalence of drug addiction, all of us need to purpose to having a guide to drug addiction recovery process. Knowing what to do, when to do it and how to have it done is very important. Therefore when it comes to drug addiction, it even becomes more significant to be on top of everything. Doctor Akoury states that addiction recovery programs generally include any process that treats patients for a dependency on psychoactive drugs or behavioral addictions. In the case of the former, this typically includes alcohol, opiates, barbiturates and amphetamines. The general purpose of drug rehab is to allow the patient to stop abusing these drugs, which can have serious financial, legal, physical and psychological consequences. Many specific types of drug addiction treatment exist, although they can generally be divided into medical and psychological methods. Psychotherapy is usually used in drug rehab programs, but medical treatments are typically used only for some types of drug addiction.

Drug recovery programs generally try to teach the patient ways to live in a drug-free environment. They encourage the patient not to associate with people who are still using drugs, and some programs explicitly prohibit this behavior. These programs typically emphasize the concept that recovery from drug dependency is a continuing process without a specific resolution. Some programs may advocate a reduction in the use of illegal drugs rather than outright abstention, although this is typically not a sustainable treatment plan in the long term. However, programs that deal with illegal drugs typically recommend abstention due to the legal consequences of consuming any amount of these substances. Some plans such as the 12-step programs used by Alcoholics Anonymous also encourage patients to change habits that may have led to their drug addictions.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Disease Model

The disease model is one of the methods that have been use time immemorial in viewing drug addiction and it is still applicable currently. Under this model, the understanding is that the patterns of behavior leading to drug abuse have some biological causes that are intensified by environmental factors. In this model of drug addiction the understanding is that all addicts are not able of abstaining from drug abuse by themselves. Drug rehab programs based on this model require patients to admit their addiction and cease the behaviors that caused them to use drugs. These programs also instruct patients to obtain a support network of friends and family members in their effort to remain clean and sober. The 12-step programs are strongly based on the disease model of drug addiction.

In one of the studies conducted in 1999 and published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research shows that participation in 12-step programs is an accurate predictor of success after one year of abstinence. However, these programs have also received significant criticism based on the spiritual orientation of these programs. A socio-cognitive analysis of substance abuse appearing in a 1999 issue of Psychological Science challenges the psychological basis for 12-step programs. A class-action lawsuit in 2006 opposed the constitutionality of court-ordered 12-step programs. These programs are most successful with alcohol abuse, which was their original focus. They are less successful with opiate addiction, which tends to do best with maintenance therapy.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Facility Types

In the advent of fighting drug addiction, it is important to note that drug rehab facilities may take many specific forms including some of the following:

Counseling
Extended care
Medical care
Mental health
Outpatient programs
Recovery houses
Residential programs
Support groups

Some centers cater to population groups based on criteria such as age, gender and religion. Organizations such as the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors classify treatment providers according to the providers’ spiritual beliefs. Most treatment centers currently treat multiple issues for each patient rather than just the addiction. Medical treatment for drug addiction in particular is generally viewed as ineffective by itself. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that detoxification should be the first step in a drug rehab program and be followed by behavioral and medical therapy. NIDA also recommends that these therapies be followed up by a program to prevent relapse. Patient motivation is generally regarded as a critical factor in the success of a drug rehab program regardless of the specific methods used.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Psychological Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most common types of psychological therapy used in the treatment of drug abuse. The purpose of this therapy is to allow patients to recognize the situations that are most likely to result in a relapse and help them to cope with the situations. Family therapy is intended to improve a family’s functioning to support the patient’s recovery. The intent of motivational interviewing is to increase the patient’s motivation to enter a rehab and recovery treatment program. This technique relies primarily on positive reinforcement as an incentive for abstaining from drugs.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Chemical Therapy

The medical treatments for drug dependence can generally be grouped according to the brain system affected by those drugs. For example, the same medications are used to treat opiate addiction regardless of the specific opiates the patient is abusing. Methadone is the traditional medical treatment for an addiction to opiates, which includes cocaine, heroin and morphine in addition to similar prescription drugs. Buprenorphine is a more recent medical treatment for opiate addiction. These medications are used as a detoxification aid and as maintenance addiction therapy as a patient can take them indefinitely. Maintenance therapy is especially important for addiction illegal drugs, given the high relapse rate of opiate addiction.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Counseling

Finally in her over two decades of practice, doctor Akoury agrees that counseling is one of the traditional treatments of drug addiction that has been used for decades and it is still effective even today. Counseling as mode of treatment may deliver good result in the addiction recovery even though this process may be more difficult when the patient has a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is most often performed in a group setting where the patients have some traits in common. Individual counseling is more likely when the patient has unique psychological issues. Counseling often takes the form of regular sessions, typically on a daily or weekly basis. Additional counseling sessions may occur as needed, such as crisis counseling or drop-in counseling. Intervention is a similar process in which family members request that a counselor convince the addict to enter treatment. And when going through all these it is important for you to always be in close touch with the professionals in addiction. You may want to schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury to help you in your struggle with addiction today and she will be of great help to you and your family.

Having a guide to drug addiction recovery: Defeating drug addiction

The benefits of Detoxification to various drugs

June 18, 2015

The benefits of Detoxification to various drugs: The process it takes to detox

The benefits of Detoxification to various drugs is the starting point of a meaningful treatment of drug addiction

With the advent of drug addiction in our societies, efforts are being made every day to deliver lasting solutions to this problem of drug addiction. One of the treatment processes of drug addiction is detoxification which is seen to be the first step. Of course this comes after the patient has come to the acknowledgement of the problem thereby giving the authority to commence any meaningful recovery treatment process. Somebody ones ask me that “what are the benefits of detoxification to various drugs if the victim is in denial?” surely this is worthy and we want to build on it to establish the real benefits that will come as a result of detoxification process. We are privileged to have Dr. Akoury, a veteran expert in addiction, MD and also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment in US to take us through the discussion of unlocking the truths about the benefits of detoxification to various drugs. This expert has been of help to many in her over two decades of practice and she will be the same to you. All you need to do on your part is to schedule for an appointment with her now for the commencement of your journey to drug addiction recovery.

And now to the discussion doctor Akoury says that medical detoxification is a process that applicable in the systematic and safe withdrawals of people from addictive drugs. The process of detoxification is not a home-made thing but it is a medical process which is usually done under the care of a physician. It is important to note that drinking alcohol or using drugs can cause physical dependence over time and stopping them can result in withdrawal symptoms in people with this dependence. The detoxification process is therefore designed to eliminate the immediate bodily effects of stopping drug use and to remove toxins left in the body as a result of the chemicals found in drugs being abused or alcohol.

The benefits of Detoxification to various drugs: The plat form of doing detoxification

It is important to note that this treatment process of detoxification is done in close supervision by the physicians and it can be done on both an outpatient basis at mental health centers, addiction clinics or private clinics or inpatient at a hospital or residential treatment center.

Inpatient detoxification allows the patient to be closely monitored, prevents use of the substance of abuse, and can speed up the process of detoxification.
Outpatient detoxification has the advantage of being less disruptive to the patient’s life and less expensive.

The choice of setting depends on many factors such as the drug of abuse, amount and length of history of abuse, psychosocial issues, patient’s age, and co-existing medical and/or psychiatric conditions among others. While treatment centers often have their own detoxification facilities, others make arrangements for their patients to use detoxification programs at nearby sites, including hospitals and clinics. There are several substance of abuse but for the purpose of our understanding of the importance of detoxification doctor Dalal Akoury is going to shade some light on the following:

Alcohol detoxification
Cocaine detoxification and
Opiate detoxification

The benefits of Detoxification to various drugs: Alcohol Detoxification

We have already mentioned that medical detoxification is a process that is used to systematically and safely withdraw people from addicting drugs, usually under the care of a physician. And that drinking alcohol or using drugs can cause physical dependence over time and stopping them can result in withdrawal symptoms in people with this dependence. We also mentioned that the detoxification process is designed to treat the immediate bodily effects of stopping drug use and to remove toxins left in the body as a result of the chemicals found in drugs or in alcohol.

The intensity of the problem is that many patients struggling with drug addiction are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms during withdrawal from alcohol and can undergo detoxification without medications if they receive supportive care and monitoring. However experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center conquers that inpatient medical detoxification services are the most appropriate for alcoholics who are at risk for serious complications of withdrawal or those with co-existing medical conditions. In consultation with your doctor, it is advisable that these patients and those with previous alcohol withdrawal seizures, delirium tremens, or moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms should receive benzodiazepines to reduce the risk of adverse events. Remember that other than benzodiazepines, other medications have also been used in the detoxification process including clonidine, which can help reduce symptoms such as tremor, mild depression, elevated blood pressure, anxiety and tension, and carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant medication used to prevent seizures or delirium.

Even though time spent with the doctor is the only difference between inpatient and outpatient detoxification, studies has established recently that, outpatient detoxification has also shown to be as effective as inpatient treatment and less costly for people with less severe alcoholism. This requires daily follow-up and monitoring. It is therefore worth noting that outpatient detoxification is commonly performed by using a tranquilizer such as chlordiazepoxide 50 mg, oxazepam 15 to 30 mg, diazepam 10 mg, or lorazepam 2 mg every 6 hours for the first 24 hours. However additional medication can be provided as is medically necessary and doses can be decreased as symptoms resolve. Supportive care for patients undergoing detoxification includes providing treatment for nutritional and electrolyte deficiencies, monitoring withdrawal severity and abstinence, and providing referrals to alcoholism recovery programs and self-help meetings. All these are services that on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury will all be at your disposal.

Finally we have only discussed alcohol detoxification in this article, nevertheless we are going to continue with the discussion with the remaining two in our next article and I know you don’t want to miss that too. In the meantime it is also important to note that doctor Akoury is also running projects including trainings through organized conferences for professionals in the addiction discipline. Currently AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, will be conducting the first Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference for doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference will be August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new frontier in Addiction Medicine will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”. This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss, for more information you can log in to www.integrativeaddiction2015.com or email sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com. We will be glad to have you in the conference and it will be great to learn from the best of the best who are specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine.

The benefits of Detoxification to various drugs: The process it takes to detox

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime

June 16, 2015

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime: Offering the much needed solution

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime is quite debatable whether to treat or prosecute

Most of the drugs that are commonly abused are not only addictive, but are also illegal. Their users are sometimes very much helpless and all that they need is a helping hand in their illicit behavior. We have organizations who are doing all it takes to rehabilitate these people back into the society as sober and productive people. This they do with a lot of legal, emotional and psychological challenges. The challenges come as a result of the illegality of these drugs that are constantly being abused by most addicts. To such groups, these people needs help and not to be locked behind bars while at the same time the law is and must be seen to be applicable to everybody equally and with lots of transparency. This is the dilemma most of us are finding themselves in hence the need to get to the distinction between drug addiction and crime and especially those crimes that are associated to substance abuse.

In this regard it may be a very difficult topic to discuss but all the same, we are still going to discuss it with the help of doctor Dalal Akoury MG and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. We have already seen that the law must take it full course yet again addiction is also a problem that needs to be fixed. The one million dollar question is the jail the best place for helping hard core drug addicts? I don’t think so addicts need to be in hospital and not in jails because even though jails are said to be correctional facilities, they do not offer the perfect environment for treatment of any form of addiction. Most convicts are very angry not just with the authority for their predicaments bur are also anger with their loved ones and friends who initiated the court proceeding that led to their being imprisonment.

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime: Addiction and Crime Punish or treatment

The big question in this context is to punish or not to punish and the other side of it reads that to treat or not to treat. These are the dilemmas that many of the civil societies and even the various governments are struggling with. I really don’t know what is going on in your mind right now but before we continue in that direction of establishing the proper distinction between drug addiction and crime, the problem of drug addiction is a thorn in the flesh of everyone and jail or hospital a lasting solution must be found. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are not keen in being drugged into the debate of prison or rehabilitation because they have made a conscious decision to attend to the problem as it is.

People suffering from addiction are our children, mothers and fathers and the business of treatment is our priority says doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the founder of the facility. The primary objective of this facility is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Therefore if you are struggling with any form of addiction, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your treatment. That is our goal and we want to do it to all people professionally and in confidence.

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime: The professionals’ conference

Besides offering treatment to all patients AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Akoury’s care also focuses their effort on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. By offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to all people including other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars doctor Akoury is succeeding in delivering the much needed solution to the problem at hand. Therefore any qualified professional can now be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment that is only growing from strength to strength. And as a matter of fact AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, will be conducting the first Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference tailored for professionals including doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference will be held in August 23-25 at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new frontier in Addiction Medicine will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”. This is such an opportunity that you don’t want to miss for more information on about the details of the conference log in to www.integrativeaddiction2015.com or send an email to sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime: The grieving society

The debate about what to be done for the addicts will continue because people will never think the same and that is natural. Therefore the grieving society may feel that people who have committed criminal offences be made to pay for their crime irrespective of whether they were under the influence of drugs at the time of crime or not nonetheless from the medical desk it is a unanimous agreement that people who have committed crimes in order to pay for their addiction may surely benefit more from help by administering treatment to them rather than having them locked up in the prisons. The challenge or problem with prison is that while these offenders are confined in these facilities, it is always believed that they will not have any access to the drugs thereby making their rehabilitation much easier but many at times this is not the case, there is evidence that drugs can be accessed in prison easily through corrupted officers who smuggle in drugs to the prisoners even in their confinement, meaning that the vicious circle continues because such convicts are still able to continue with their bad addictive habit. And for this reason it is not about the distinction between drug addiction and crime or what punishment to give but administering treatment for lasting solutions that will kill the re-occurrence of the vicious circle. To do this talk to us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and we will be of great help to you.

The distinction between drug addiction and Crime: Offering the much needed solution

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse

June 16, 2015

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse: Is there hope for polysubstance abuse victims?

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse will only become effective when all forms of addiction are completely dealt with

Polysubstance abuse like any other forms of addition is affecting everybody without any favor based on race, religion, educational background or social status. Age doesn’t matter too since children and teenagers are also equal victims. With this vast scope of vulnerability, it will only be fare if we all pool together to help in the fight against all kinds of drug abuse including this one that forms the basis of our discussion. In our quest of addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse, we are going to rely on the expertise of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. It is therefore very important to note that adult polysubstance abuse and according to available statistics, is often associated with other mental health conditions. Homelessness, personality disorders, and psychiatric disorders such as major depression, psychosis, and bipolar disorder are common. The overlap of polysubstance dependence and psychiatric problems points to a lot of self-medication. Typically, among multiple substance users, individuals used alcohol or marijuana at an early age and then added other substances (or changed their drugs of choice) without quitting their original substances.

Further to that, among young people, polysubstance abuse is often the norm, and not the exception. Doctor Akoury reports that the most commonly abused polysubstance by adolescents include heroin, marijuana and alcohol. However the other drugs which are also used include MDMA (ecstasy), dextromethorphan, multiple forms of opiates, cocaine, hallucinogens, and inhalants. In a study where young people were involved, it was established that one-half of the young people had used an illicit street drug by the end of their senior year. This has now translated into the need of administering treatment to about two million young people for the abuse of alcohol and drug addiction. The point of concern is that even those this big number is in dire need of medication, it is regrettable that only 8 percent of the victims actually get it. Besides that the study also established that nearly one-third of young people are addicted to psycho-stimulants and are also suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with 20 percent said they gave their medications to others.

One treatment facility said that 33 percent of the adolescents currently in treatment had polysubstance addiction and the elderly are another population that clearly has a problem with polysubstance abuse. The vulnerability of the elderly indicated that they have more medical conditions that often require prescriptions. Over time with debilitating illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease the tendency to over medicate (taking more of a drug, more often, forgetting when and if medication was already taken) increases the likelihood of polysubstance abuse. If this is combined with alcohol, the results can be devastating, even fatal.

Elderly women tend to keep their substance abuse and chemical dependency secret. Alcoholism occurs later in women’s lives, perhaps due to problems associated with divorce or separation. Women who are over 55 have less tolerance for alcohol and are therefore more prone to addiction. They are also less likely than men to seek treatment and also use prescribed psychoactive drugs. From the narratives we can conclude that polysubstance abuse is increasingly becoming more prevalent among the street drug user population. Some of the different substances abused include heroin, prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, cocaine, crack, alcohol, and marijuana.

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse: Detoxification for Polysubstance Abuse and Addiction

It is must be noted that before the administration of any treatment that addresses the underlying causes of polysubstance addiction, detoxification must first be done. Detox is more complex and problematic with polysubstance addiction for several reasons. An accurate history of total substances abused must be obtained, and the patient may not be able or willing to provide complete details. Determination of the actual substance being used has to be made using screens for breath, urine, and blood.

Some patients can be treated on an outpatient basis, but others, particularly those with alcohol, sedative, hypnotic, opioid, and anxiolytic abuse may require hospitalization or inpatient detox. Repeated abstinence failures or severe anxiety, depression, or psychotic symptoms lasting 1 to 3 days after abstinence may also require inpatient substance abuse treatment. On admission of the patient, detoxification for opioids will began to show classic alcohol withdrawal symptoms, some professionals will administer treatment routinely to their detox patients with thiamine until a determination could be made that there was no history of alcohol use. Experts are confirming that diagnosis and treatment of patients who have been on psychotropic medications while they were already addicted is more difficult. Therefore if a patient doesn’t know, or is unable to discuss, use of opioid drugs and it’s been days since their last drug use, opiate withdrawal symptoms can lag and urine screens my not be able to detect the drug.

Treatment for mixed addiction that also includes alcohol use may include benzodiazepines during the acute phase of alcohol withdrawal. Benzodiazepines can help decrease tremors and prevent or reduce increases in heart rate and blood pressure.

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse: Evaluation Factors

If you are concern of the duration treatment will take, then it is important to note that the length of the treatment program can only be determined by how long and what type of substance dependence the patient has, whether or not organ damage exists, any underlying mental illness, the patient’s desire to change and willingness to undergo treatment, adequacy of the patient’s social support system, treatment choice, and plans for ongoing care.

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse: Polysubstance Addiction is there hope?

Finally it is worth noting that fighting polysubstance abuse is not easy owing to the multiple of substances involved. It is very much different in relation to cases where a single substance is in question however it can still be done successfully. The likelihood of success depends on the individual’s determination and discipline to follow through on the requirements to abstain completely from substance abuse. Such determination and discipline does not come easily, especially for hard-core or long-term abusers and addicts. There may be repeated relapses before stability becomes a part of the recovering addict’s life.

After treatment, recovery from polysubstance abuse and addiction just like for any addiction requires ongoing diligence and participation in a support network. While understanding the difficulty involved in treatment and recovery of this nature doctor Dalal Akoury established AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center facility to help in the treatment of all kinds of addiction. Doctor Akoury cares for you and she is riding on more than two decades of experience. Calling on doctor Akoury will benefits you greatly irrespective of the kind of addiction you may be going through. Doctor Akoury is one of the veteran experts in addiction enabling patients make the best results by receiving a combination of medications, natural therapeutic approaches and psychosocial therapies to synergistically align the body, mind and spirit, to ultimately provide a long-term life change and healing. This is the home of all addiction solutions and all you need to do is to schedule for that appointment today.

Addressing the problems of polysubstance abuse: Is there hope for polysubstance abuse victims?

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