Tag Archives: Depression and brain health

addiction treatment

Natural brain balance and addiction

May 18, 2017
Natural brain balance

Natural brain balance and addiction which is very significant in destroying life of drug users

Natural brain balance and addiction: Homeostasis

How does substance abuse affect the brain? This is very fundamental. There is no doubt that the natural brain balance is greatly affected by substance abuse. This change is scientifically known as homeostasis which is a biological process. All biological systems including the human body will attempt to maintain a “normal” balance, known as homeostasis. Doctor Akoury says that the brain functions as the administrator of this balance by making various adjustments where necessary to maintain a balanced, well-functioning, biological system. Each person’s “normal” balance is individually determined. Drugs abuse and activity addictions lead to changes in this normal balance.

Chronic over-stimulation of the brain interferes with the maintenance of the brain natural balance (homeostasis). When the brain has difficulty maintaining homeostatic balance, the wonderfully adaptive brain makes adjustments. It does this by creating a new balanced set-point. The creation of a new balance is called allostasis. This may not be very clear to many, but let me make it simpler by using a daily life illustration. Take for instance if you add more weight to 20 units, you will try fitting into your clothing’s despite the discomfort. But with time this will not be bearable and so you will have to adapt to the new body size by buying new clothes that will fit you well. Once this is done you will be more comfortable and at this point, you will get used to the fact that your clothes are now the large size and not medium or small sizes as it used to be and in the process your homeostasis balance changes from medium to large. And with this adjustment, you become comfortable again.

Take note that the reverse can also take place in the future where the added 20 units may be lost to keep healthy and when that happens you will be compelled to make further readjustment to your clothing size by buying smaller sizes. Therefore even though at this moment you will be healthy due to the loss, you will still need to make an unpleasant and costly adjustment by buying smaller clothes. This is very similar to the unpleasant adjustment the brain must go through when people try to give up their addiction. Although this is a positive change, we will be uncomfortable while the brain makes readjustments to suits the present circumstances.

Natural brain balance and addiction: The brain’s ability to cope

From the concept illustrated above, the brain’s wonderful ability to make the readjustments is worth noting. It’s these changes that account for many behaviors associated with addiction like:

  • The powerful and lustful need to obtain drugs or continue with the indulgence of harmful activities despite the harms to self or loved ones
  • The difficulty of quitting an addictive drug or activity
  • The obsessive, all-consuming nature of addictions such that little else in life matters

This is because addiction caused the natural brain balance to change and accommodate the addiction. Once changed, the brain requires the addictive substance or activity in order to maintain this new homeostatic balance. Drugs and alcohol are not helping us in any way. Instead of the poor health and social discrimination, we get from drugs, let’s seek for solution by scheduling an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for a one on one sharing of what you are going through and she will in the most professional way offer you lasting solutions to all your concerns.

Natural brain balance and addiction: Homeostasis

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The pain of addiction

Depressing pain impediments

May 11, 2017
Depressing pain impediments

Depressing pain impediments is like a chain that holds you down and cause everything around you to stop

Depressing pain impediments: Chronic pain and depression

Understanding depressing pain impediments is worthy of every ones attention. If this does not concern you for whatever reasons, something is not right. People who are struggling with both chronic pain and depression will tell you that such are pain that you would not wish for your enemies. Nonetheless, it will interest you to note that depression is a common psychological issue facing people who are suffering from chronic pain. This problem if not addressed timely can really complicates the patient’s conditions and treatment. The most worrying thing is that prevalence of these problems is escalating on a daily basis. Like for instance according to the American Pain Foundation, they have registered that about 32 million people in the U.S. alone have had pain lasting longer than one year. And about one quarter to more than half of all the population that complain to their doctors registering depression. And on average up to 65% of those depressed individuals are also complaining of pain and yet again those people whose pain limits their independence are especially likely to get depressed. These statistics are a reflection of how depression and pain are a serious threat globally. It has now become an epidemic that must be addressed from all quarters if we want to enjoy comfort in life.

Depressing pain impediments: Is there a cycle of depression and pain?

One would not be punished for saying that pain is a trigger of depression. In fact it has been established from various studies that pain can provoke an emotional response in everyone. Like for instance if you are struggling with some pain, you may also have high anxiety, irritability, and agitation. These are very normal accompaniment feelings when you are hurting. Even though this is so, the good news about all this process or relations is that under normal circumstances, as pain subsides, so does the stressful response. However with chronic pain, you are likely to constantly feel tense and stressed. That is to say, with time, the constant stress can result in different emotional problems associated with depression. And according to doctor Dalal Akoury MD a veteran addiction expert and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, if you are suffering from these chronic pains and depression, it is possible that behind such feelings, you are likely to experience some of the following problems: Altered mood, work issues, fatigue, physical deconditioning, financial concerns, chronic anxiety, weigh gain or weight loss, anger, social sleep disturbances, isolation, legal issues, confused thinking, family stress, reduced sexual activities, fear of injury, decreased self-esteem and irritability.

Finally, looking at the list above, it is obvious these are not health experiences one should go through. You can therefore make wise decisions today to be safe from all these by scheduling an appointment with doctor Akoury for a one on one professional advice and treatment that will help you have your life reinstated to normalcy.

Depressing pain impediments: Chronic pain and depression

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Stress

Diverse stress effects in human

April 19, 2017
Diverse stress effects

Diverse stress effects in human cuts across all profession indiscriminately

Diverse stress effects in human: When it heart the most

Stress is one element that can cause serious injuries to sexual function in many ways. That notwithstanding, sexual arousal is a parasympathetic nervous system response, whereas orgasm and ejaculation are a sympathetic nervous system response. According to doctor Dalal Akoury MD President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, high stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, decreasing stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system and not allowing arousal to take place. Insulin is the only hormone that lowers blood sugar, whereas cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, glucagon and growth hormone all raise blood sugar. And even as we look at the diverse stress effects in human, the following are some of the stress hormones; cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. This is how different effects of stress on human health will increase blood sugar, causing insulin levels to rise, to lower the blood sugar and ultimately causing insulin resistance.

Diverse stress effects in human: Gastrointestinal tract

Stress will also have effects on the gastrointestinal tract. It will decrease hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) and mucus production, slow the motility of the small intestine and increase the motility of the large intestine. When you have a decrease in stomach acid and mucus production, this will decrease the amount of gastric protection of the stomach. The high cortisol levels from stress will decrease immune function, therefore making it a favorable environment for Helicobacter Pylori to proliferate, and causing a gastric ulcer. If the small intestine is slower to recover from stress the motility is impaired and constipation results. When the large intestine is slower to recover from stress, motility is increased and diarrhea results.

Diverse stress effects in human: Threats of cardiac unrest

Stress will increase cardiac risk in many ways. It will increase blood pressure. It can increase cholesterol for the production of the stress hormones as already mention. The stress hormones (catecholamines) are detoxified through methylation this could decrease the methylation capacity to detoxify homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine are very toxic to the cardiovascular system. As stated earlier, cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine raise glucose levels. The higher blood sugar level will cause the release of insulin. Insulin will increase cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and decrease HDL. The increase in body fat caused by stress as already mentioned is another cardiac risk factor.

Cortisol has a half-life of 100 minutes meaning that if you are under stress and have a cortisol release, in 100 minutes you will have 50% of that cortisol still in your system, after 200 minutes 25% and so on. If you are under constant stress you will continuously have high cortisol levels and have the physiological responses of that cortisol. Finally and like had indicated that it will not matter the kind of stress that affects you. All have the same effects and the body response to them in the same way. If you are under any kind of stress, it would be very important that you look for immediate solutions to prevent other illnesses that may be triggered by stress itself. In this case, scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury would be the first step you can take towards getting lasting solutions for a better health thereafter.

Diverse stress effects in human: When it heart the most

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motor neuron cells

Brain unique functions and addiction

April 4, 2017
Brain unique functions

Brain unique functions and addiction have no relations and must not be compromised

Brain unique functions and addiction: Neurons and brain communication pathways

The study of some of the elements that cause health problems in our life can be very interesting. Understanding the brain unique functions and how it can be altered by addiction to various substances is very important. The brain communication pathways become the biggest victims whenever there is an attack resulting from drug abuse. The brain’s electro-chemical communication system is a communication system that sends information through a vast network of interconnecting neurons. Through this, the brain begins to develop a preferred or standard conduit of sending signals between neurons (neural pathways). Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD President and founder of the facility can now confirm that in the past it was believed that the brain’s neural pathways will be completely formed by the time we reached adulthood.

Brain unique functions and addiction: Neurons adaptation to changing environments

Progressively the scientific findings have established that this is a continuous process and in fact, the human brain continues to create new neurons and form neural pathways throughout our entire lifespan. That is why neurons are seen as dynamic cells that are constantly adapting to changing circumstances. It, therefore, means that if an injury or damages happen to an individual’s brain (such as a stroke or injury) the neurons will make new communication route around the damaged area. Scientifically doctor Akoury reiterates that this ability of recreation of neurons is known as neuronal plasticity.

Brain unique functions and addiction: Neuronal plasticity

Doctor Akoury reiterates that neuroplasticity is responsible for the regulation of our learning processes which enables us to adapt to our surroundings conveniently. To better understand neuroplasticity let us consider using this illustration. The brain forms neural pathways in a way that is similar to the formation of a demarcated hiking pathway. The more we travel a path, the faster, easier, and more familiar that path becomes. As the routine continues it becomes more visible, smoother, and easier to travel on. And with time this becomes a preferred route for many. This is also how neural pathways are formed. With time the brain forms familiar neural pathways which then become habitual routes. And in the event that the familiar route is blocked the brain responds swiftly by forming a new route around the blockage.

From the illustration, suppose you walk through the bush each day to visit a friend. You use the same trail each time and one day as you travel along your familiar path, you discover a huge tree has fallen over. It’s blocking your passage. You will need to forge a new path to go around the tree. At first, this new path will be narrow, difficult, and slow. It might even be uncomfortable. However, with time, it will become a well-worn, comfortable path. It will be just as easy as the original path. This can be affected by the use of drugs in many ways and to avoid that, it is only logical that you schedule an appointment with doctor Akoury to help you in keeping your brain unique functions uninterrupted for continuity.

Brain unique functions and addiction: Neurons and brain communication pathways

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Bipolar complications and depression

March 31, 2017
Bipolar complications

Bipolar complications and depression causes brain instability

Bipolar complications and depression: The brain instability

If you have never known what bipolar complications are, then it will benefits you to appreciate that normally it is identified by incidences of excitability (mania) interchanging with the cycles of depression. The mood swings between mania and depression are normally very sudden. Doctor Dalal Akoury, MD founder and President of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center says that bipolar disorder results from instability in the sections of the brain charged with moods regulation. During manic periods, persons struggling with bipolar disorder may be excessively impulsive and energetic, with a flamboyant sense of self. The depressed stage brings overpowering feelings of anxiety, low self-respect and suicidal thoughts.

Because of the seriousness of bipolar disorder, many of the victims will often require time in inpatient depression treatment centers. The essence of this is to help them to be free from life stressors, get appropriate medication management and learn healthier coping skills. Ideally if you will schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury, this is what we will offer to you during treatment professionally and with a lot of dignity.

Bipolar complications and depression: Types of bipolar disorder

There are two principal types of bipolar disorder. Individuals with bipolar disorder have had at least one fully manic episode with episodes of major depression. (At one time, bipolar disorder was called manic depression).

Individuals with bipolar disorder II rarely suffer full-fledged mania. Instead they suffer periods of hypomania (increased levels of energy and impulsiveness that are not as extreme as the symptoms of mania). These hypomanic episodes alternate with episodes of major depression. A mild form of bipolar disorder called cyclothymia involves periods of hypomania and mild depression, with less severe mood swings. It is further important to note that bipolar disorder affects men and women equally and usually appears between the ages of 15 and 25.

Bipolar disorder symptoms and signs

The manic phase of bipolar disorder may last from days to months and include the following symptoms:

  • Binge eating, drinking and drug use
  • Easily irritated
  • Elevated mood
  • Hyperactivity
  • Increased energy
  • Inflated self-esteem
  • Lack of self-control
  • Little need for sleep
  • Over-involvement in activities
  • Poor temper control
  • Racing thoughts
  • Reckless behavior
  • Sexual promiscuity
  • Spending sprees
  • Tendency to be easily distracted

These symptoms of mania are seen with bipolar disorder I. In people with bipolar disorder II, hypomanic episodes involve similar symptoms that are less intense. The depressed phase of both types of bipolar disorder involves very serious symptoms of major depression include:

  • Struggling concentrating, memory lapse and poor decision making.
  • Eating disturbances
  • Fatigue
  • Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and guilt
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss
  • Loss of self-esteem
  • Overeating and weight gain
  • Persistent sadness
  • Persistent imaginations of death
  • Sleep disturbances like excessive sleepiness or inability to sleep
  • Withdrawal from activities that were once enjoyed and from friends

Finally, bipolar disorder increases the risk of suicide to the directly affected victims. While in either phase, a person may abuse alcohol or other substances, which can worsen the symptoms. Sometimes there is an overlap between the two phases. Manic and depressive symptoms may occur simultaneously or in quick succession in what is called a mixed state. But in all these instances, you will need help. This is what doctor Akoury and her team of experts will do effectively to restore your health professionally.

Bipolar complications and depression: The brain instability

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