Shopping addiction treatment strengthens relationships: What you stand to gain by solving shopping addiction problem

Shopping addiction like any other addiction must be addressed medically and that way relationships will be strengthen

For a very long time it has not occurred to people how shopping addiction can impact negatively to our social lives. Many social activities are bound to suffer if this (shopping addiction) is not addressed. Whereas it may not have any direct health complication, the social injury it will inflict can be very devastating. Therefore anyone who is struggling with shopping addiction is likely to have serious social problems with the people around them in terms of their finances, relationships and your even mental health. To avoid this doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, a health facility whose primary objective is to help people across the globe find life more enjoyable through effective and professional addiction treatment is registering that getting help is the best decision that one struggling with this can take to benefit wholesomely for the rest of the years to come.

I am aware that a number of people love visiting shopping malls within their borders and abroad because shopping has become like a hobby to them. However when this hobby goes to the extreme where one goes shopping even for the things they don’t need or have already bought then it translate into an addiction called compulsive buying disorder. At this point the addicts becomes so much into it that they literally find it too difficult if not impossible to prevent on their own. If this description suits your situation, then you need help because sooner or later this will cause real issues in your life including issues relating to financial, legal, or psychological problems. Unless these are addressed says doctor Akoury “you will continue struggling with them and because of this (your compulsion to shop), you should consider attending shopping addiction treatment immediately. The good news is that besides AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center there are so many other treatment facilities and programs available for this sort of issue, and it can be much more beneficial than continuing to ignore the problem. With compulsive buying disorder treatment, you can end your addiction to shopping for good.

Shopping addiction treatment strengthens relationships: Do I need shopping addiction treatment?

Somebody once said that behavioral addiction is the silent killer people often ignore as they run to solving what is seen as chronic health complications like diabetes heart disease and the likes. But take a moment and look at the weight in this statement in relation to our discussion. We have already stated that many individuals like shopping and may take it in as a hobby and sometimes can even be obsessed with the whole thing. Yes shopping is not bad, but it is important to remember that when it reaches the point of obsessions, even though we may not understand them in others, it can make people happy, however, the addiction part of it will not. The compulsive action of shopping involved in this disorder makes a person buy things even if they do not want to or do not have the money and the consequences of such behavior can really cause social breakdown.

Shopping addiction treatment strengthens relationships: Signs and symptoms of compulsive shopping

Knowledge is power and therefore it is good that you’re informed of these signs of shopping addiction for you to take remedial action promptly. Therefore If you are wondering whether or not you may be addicted to shopping, look for these signs of compulsive shopping in your life and take timely action to salvage the situation before it is too late:

Are you thinking more than you want to about shopping? – This could happen in environments where shopping should not be thought of like when you are in class, at work, or otherwise engaged in another activity. If in such environments all that rings in your mind is shopping instead of concentrating on your current work you could be developing shopping addiction.

You prefer to shop alone to avoid embarrassment or distraction – If you are constantly buying more than you need or should buy, you may feel uncomfortable doing so with other individuals. Furthermore, if you feel that other people are always a distraction to your shopping, it may be more of an anxious activity for you than a fun one.

Your shopping time is prolonged that necessary – If this description suits you then you need to take action. Check your shopping trend does it cause you to miss other important appointments consistently? Do you always loose truck every time you are shopping, take note this could be a strong indicator of shopping addiction and you should consider treatment.

You buy things you don’t need or want or always buy more items than you planned – if you are that person who always quick to purchase new items even if you don’t need them this could be a sign of compulsion that shows that you are not in control of your shopping. And if you constantly buy more than you intended to buy to the point that it affects your monetary situation, this is another bad sign.

You hide what you buy to avoid conflicts at home – Also if you hide the debt that you are in because of your constant buying, this is another sign of addiction. Addicts can become very secretive and justify actions that they know are wrong in order to keep fueling their addiction.

Finally doctor Akoury concludes that anyone who is addicted to shopping may also experience “pre-purchase tension or anxiety” which diminishes immediately the thirst for shopping is quenched by taking time out to shop. The social implications that comes with shopping addiction is one that you do not want to find yourself in and therefore the sooner you take shopping addiction treatment seriously the better. You may want to schedule for an appointment with experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury for a more elaborate and professional treatment.

http://regenerativepotential.com/integrativeaddictionconference/

Neural circuits of preoccupation/ anticipation “craving” stage

September 19, 2014

Addiction and It Stages

Drug addiction is a slow developing disorder that is long lasting characterized mainly by the urge to seek and take the drug, loss of control in limiting intake and development of a negative emotional state of anxiety and irritability. When the drug is prevented, the user exhibits withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction has been viewed as a condition that involves element of both impulsive and compulsive behavior that is brought about by the addiction circle. The circle is made up of three stages: the intoxication stage the negative or the withdrawal effect, and the anticipation stage/ preoccupation which is the craving stage.

The neural circuits of the brain affected

Study on human behavior has revealed discrete circuits that play a major role in binding a major stage of the addiction circle. The ventral tegmental area and ventral striatum is the main focal point for the intoxication stage. The extended amygdala plays the role in the withdrawal while the orbitofrontal cortex–dorsal striatum, prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, hippocampus, and insula are involved in craving and the cingulate gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal, and inferior frontal cortices in disrupted inhibitory control which is the preoccupation/anticipation stage. Drug addiction therefore alters the normal functioning of the neural circuits which may begin with changes in the mesolimbic doper mine system and the process of neural adaptations from the ventral striatum to dorsal striatum of the frontal cortex and eventually deregulates the prefrontal cortex and extended amygdala.

neural circuits

Of late there have been studies aimed at understanding the genetic cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the transitions from once-in-a-while drug use to the loss of a person’s control of a drug abuse and to the final stage of a relapse even after trying to abstain. Drug addiction has aspects of both impulsivity and compulsivity disorders. Impulse control disorder is precisely an increased sense of tension before engaging in an impulsive act and a feeling relieved at the time of committing the act. They are categorized as the positive and strengthening mechanisms. On the other hand compulsive disorders are characterized by anxiety and stress before taking part in a compulsive redundant behavior and relieve from the stress by carrying out the compulsive behavior. The compulsive disorders are greatly associated with negative reinforcement’s mechanisms.

Impulsivity and compulsivity.

As the stage of addiction moves from one cycle to the other, the user moves from a stage of impulsivity to a stage of impulsivity and compulsivity. As a result, they are no longer positively reinforced by the drug but negatively influenced. These three stages of addiction are attributed to interacting with each other getting more intense and finally leading to the pathological stage called addiction. The brain neural circuitry system is engaged at each stage of the addiction cycle and changes with increased intake of the drugs of abuse hence producing the disorder known as addiction. Since the brain responds to stimulus the entire system becomes oriented specifically toward drug related stimuli leading to an increased drive for seeking and taking drugs.

Executive dysfunction

Executive dysfunction is a range of cognitive, emotional and behavioral difficulties which occur after the frontal lobe of the brain is injured. The executive function include abilities such as: planning and organization, social behavior, controlling emotions, safe awareness among others. Drug abuse alters the normal functioning of the frontal lobe of the brain and leads to executive dysfunction. This leads to deficits in cognitive skills which involves thinking, personality and social behavior. Executive dysfunction also makes it difficult to solve problems and as a result drug addicts do not make accurate judgments or find solutions if things are going wrong. They are also irritable find it hard to concentrate lose their r memory and do not get enough sleep. It is very hard for people with this this problem to get along with others as they appear antisocial and can be misunderstood as depression lack of motivation, selfishness and aggression.

Future treatment targets.

neural circuits GABA receptor substance that does not act as agonist or antagonist but affects the gamma-amino butyric acid receptor-ionophore complex. The GABA receptors play a role in almost every single activity of the brain. Ultimately glutamate and GABA do the information processing; they’re the ones that encode sensory inputs and thoughts (GABA directly modulates the effect of glutamate). There is the cognitive enhancement which requires the knowledge of cognition and what it involves. This cognitive enhancement could be aimed at improving short-term memory, improving information processing improving recall, or enhancing long-term potentiation. Each of this involves different circuits that involve multiple neurotransmitter systems.

Homeostatic resetters refers to the process of removal of toxic substances from the body of an individual through a process called detoxification in that at the end of the process the body returns to homeostasis after a long term use of an addictive substance.

CRF is brain stress systems that is engaged during the withdrawal/negative affect stage. This will reduce the dopamine activity and also help in restoring the frontal lobe of the brain. Therefore, the CRF increases in the effects that occur with sudden withdrawal from drugs and have motivational significance not only for the anxiety effects of acute withdrawal but also for the increased drug intake associated with dependence.

Glutamate modulators are used to reduce the habits of addiction by greatly improving the mood of the user and treating major depressive disorder. Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. There has been studies carried out which have shown altered glutamate levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with mood disorders. Administering glutamate to this patients will therefore greatly improve their mood.