ADDICTION and INTIMACY!

July 24, 2015

Addiction and Intimacy the Relationships

Isn’t it common knowledge excessive consumption of alcohol has more often than not been a major reason behind many family; scandals, fights, separations, divorce or worse deaths? Well finding the golden balance between drug abuse, addiction and intimacy is tricky. Even though supposed to avoid the prejudice to say it is one of the most difficult things to balance between addiction and intimacy, it is tempting to assert this is the truth. These require commitment that is terms of time and finances. It is more difficult to manage an intimate relationship while deep into addiction. The following is an account of addiction triggers and how they influence intimacy.

Elements of Addiction and Intimacy

Addiction is an intricate condition of the brain, usually categorized as a disease that involves reward and motivation cerebral systems structurally and chemically altered. The condition involves a number of behavioral and substance related things an individual finds difficult to control. It is a chronic brain disorder that despite several attempts to leave, one constantly finds him/herself falling back to. Usually, addiction manifests itself in various forms. This is dependent on a wide range of behavioral and substance related triggers among them: gambling, sex, food, work, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, bhang, and the latest one, computer and the internet.

Intimacy on the other hand is an interpersonal relationship between two individuals. It involves both emotional and physical engagements. Whereas emotional intimacy refers to how a person’s being feels closer to the other, physical intimacy essentially is about sexual involvement. An intimate relationship requires a good balance of various dear elements among them: trust, care, affection, expectations, beliefs, cognitive perceptions, opinions, experience, and commitment. Intimacy comes along with a number of human benefits that all together show its significance in our lives. These incudes: a deeper understanding of self, spiritual growth, feelings of completion, and sexual reward.

Addiction and Intimacy

Substance Addiction and Intimacy

Excessive use of drugs often leaves one obsessed. Excessive substance abuse often takes control of one’s body. The result of such addiction literally is little or no space for other commitments. Further drug abuse often drives one into a state of illusion and selfishness. Drug abuse is also said to reduce feelings of true affection and love. With time drug addicts are said to think not beyond their own needs, to satisfy their addiction. Sometimes they spend most if not all their money drinking alcohol and or taking drugs, forgetting the simple things that once mattered in their relationships and the needs of their partners.

Addiction and Intimacy explains that sometimes, drug addicts wake besides strange sexual partners. Often it starts as a simple one time occurrence which the victim feels remorseful but soon it becomes a habit. Of course you can imagine effects of the same including unplanned pregnancies and possible infection with sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) or HIV-AIDS. In extreme situations, substance abuse may generally lead to loss of sexual interest and ability to perform well at it.

Behavioral Addiction and Intimacy

Relationships bring people of different backgrounds together. It may be difficult to know from the start everything about one’s partner. However at times it is easier. One may not accept some behavior exhibited by the other. But still they agree to get into relationships with expectations to influence one another to change. At times they achieve desired behavioral attributes in the said partners, but at times they seem to do the same things repeatedly it becomes difficult to control. One great hindrance to behavior change is addiction. When a person is addicted to gambling for instance, they will always want to do that. They will do whatever it takes, including keeping it a secret from their partners. In the end the partner who expected change may become wary hence confrontation, separation or divorce. Once a relationship reaches such levels, intimacy is lost.

Intimacy and Addiction Recovery

In order to maintain intimacy, an addict may have to take the bold step of recovery. Once the victim gives up addiction, they begin to restore their life. Intimacy therefore becomes one area they work on seriously. It is actually one of the toughest to fix. However with a good recovery plan coupled with the right forums such as the upcoming August integrative addiction medicine conferences, they may as well be able to meet various professionals who will help them fix their intimacy, their partner’s, or that of their friends or neighbors. One expert sure to attend the conference is Dr Dalal Akoury of Integrative Addiction Institute and International Organization of Integrative Cancer Physicians.

Addiction and Intimacy

Intimacy and Addiction Recovery Tips

Other than recovery, following are tips on addiction and intimacy that would be very useful in learning how to overcome.

Avoid getting into a relationship within the first year of recovery. Simple, you have enough to deal with yet another sexual relationship may do the honors to destroy it all.
It is important to have realistic expectations. During recovery or even immediately after, it is important to know the relation will not be back on its knees in a fortnight.
Effective communication between the partners is essentially also an important part of recovery.
As earlier stated, counseling is a good way to recover. Only this time it is recommended both partners attend the sessions as directed by the doctor.
Loss of sexual libido might as well be caused by another thing all together. It is therefore important talk to a specialist.
In some cases the situation may be so bad, it would be best to end the relationship all together, however caution has to be taken especially if children are involved.

For more information on the above, click http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com. The link will be your guide to sign up for the conference as well give you a backgrounder about speakers lined up for the mega integrative addiction conference.

Addiction and Intimacy, the Relationship?

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain

July 21, 2015

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain: What is chronic pain?

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain is something that needs to be done continuously for stability in life and health

Chronic pain can be described as any pain that lasts much longer than would be expected from the original problem or injury. Up on registering chronic pain in the body, the body is likely to respond in various ways. There are certain facts that we need to understand clearly and we are going to be relying on the expert’s opinions from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. And to start us off doctor Akoury says that chronic pain may be characterized by abnormalities in brain hormone, low energy, mood disorders, muscle pain, and impaired mental and physical performance. Chronic pain worsens as neurochemical changes in your body increase your sensitivity to pain and at this point you begin to have pain in other parts of your body that do not normally hurt. Ordinarily nobody would want to be subjected to any kind of pain and that is going to be our focus under the topic of “addressing complications of depression and chronic pain.” So many questions have been raised by many of you and doctor Akoury is going to respond to them as we progress into the discussion. In the meantime you may want to schedule for an appointment with the expert (doctor Akoury) today for a one on one professional advice.

Addressing complications of depression and chronic pain: What happens with chronic pain and depression?

This is a worthy concern and for sure when you are struggling with both chronic pain and depression, you’ll definitely have plenty of company. It will interest you to note that depression is one of the most common psychological issues 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 says doctor Akoury.

Addressing complications of depression and chronic pain: 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 struggling with some pain, you may also have high anxiety, irritability, and agitation. These are very normal accompaniment feelings when you’re 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’re likely to constantly feel tense and stressed. Nonetheless with time, the constant stress can result in different emotional problems associated with depression. Doctor Akoury says that if you are suffering from these chronic pains and depression then you are likely to experience some of the 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.

Addressing complications of depression and chronic pain: Why is there an overlap between depression and chronic pain?

Scientifically some of the overlap between depression and chronic pain can be explained. It has been established scientifically that depression and chronic pain have a common denominator and that is, they both share some of the same neurotransmitters brain chemicals that act as messengers traveling between nerves. Depression and chronic pain also share some of the same nerve pathways.

Besides that it is important to note that the impact of chronic pain on an individual’s life can also contribute to depression. In fact chronic pain can exact pressure and force you to struggle with tremendous losses, such as the loss of exercise, sleep, social network, relationships, sexual relationships, even a job and income. These losses can make you feel depressed and bring a total change in your life and even to that of your loved ones. With this depression will then magnify the pain and reduces your coping skills. It therefore means that when you used to exercise and be active when you felt stressed, with chronic pain you can no longer deal with stress in this manner.

Experts while carrying out research, they compared people with chronic pain and depression to those who only suffer chronic pain. It was established from that research that those who suffer with both depression and chronic pain report: more intense pain, less control of their lives and more unhealthy coping strategies. Therefore since chronic pain and depression are so intertwined, they are often treated together. In fact, some medications can improve both chronic pain and depression. That is why you need to seek for a more professional input if any of these discussions suits your situation. You may be wondering on where to begin, we are here to help you do the right thing and with the right people. Remember that Dr. Akoury made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective 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. This is what doctor Akoury intends to achieve if only you can schedule for an appointment with her today.

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain: What is chronic pain?

Effective treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal syndrome

July 4, 2015

Effective treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: Incorporating precautionary elucidations

Effective treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal syndrome when done professionally will lead into the victim being completely healed to become addiction free

It is not going to be the first time we are talking about effective treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome on this link and certainly it is not going to be the last time either. For the purpose of winning the war against drug addiction from our societies, this has become necessary and as experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we have made a resolve to work from the front in this journey of kicking out all manner of addictions from our societies. With the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the founder of this facility, we have made inroads by creating awareness about drug addiction using this platform and the result is encouraging from the humbling feed backs we get. Ours is to do all it takes including the incorporation of all preventive precautionary elucidations to ensure that life is saved and lived to the fullest by everyone. We may not know what you are going through, but if you are reading this article today and it is addressing any of your conditions or that of any one you know, then scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury will be the starting point towards getting your life back in the most professional way. Doctor Akoury is passionately involved in the direct treatment of victims of substance abuse an exercise she has been doing for more than two decades now and each time she attends to a patients, all we get is results, health, life and appreciation from totally recovered addicts. This is one experience you do not want to miss. Therefore if this communicates something to you then make that call today and join the family of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center celebration club of success in addiction recovery.

Effective treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: Real treatment approaches

Whereas prevention is the best in all health conditions, we are often not able to walk the talk effectively and therefore we still find ourselves being victims of various health conditions which we would have ordinarily prevented. Since this has come, the only noble thing to do is to administer treatment to the victims and put more emphasis in exercising preventive measures for the future. Therefore in our case of effective treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome doctor Akoury is reporting that if you have a mild or moderate withdrawal symptoms, treatment should be done immediately. When you visit your clinic, it is possible that your doctor may recommend an outpatient treatment setting particularly when you have supportive family and friends. This setting (outpatient detoxification) is safe, effective and pocket friendly in relation to inpatient detoxifications at a hospital or any other health facility offering the same. Nevertheless even though many may prefer outpatient because of it cost effectiveness and the closeness with the family, the doctor may also opt for inpatient treatment if you don’t have a reliable social network, you are pregnant or have a history of any of severe withdrawal symptoms, withdrawal seizures or DTs, multiple previous detoxifications and certain medical or psychiatric illnesses. And remember that the goals of treatment are threefold, that is to say reducing immediate withdrawal symptoms, preventing complications and beginning long-term therapy to promote alcohol abstinence.

Effective treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal syndrome: Prescription drugs of choice

In most cases during treatment of withdrawal syndrome many doctors will prefer certain prescription drugs of choice which may include benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), lorazepam (Ativan), and oxazepam (Serax). Doctor Akoury says that such medications will help you in controlling the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome like shakiness, anxiety and confusion and reduces the risk of withdrawal seizures and DTs. In patients with mild to moderate symptoms, the anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine (Tegretol) may be an effective alternative to benzodiazepines, because it is not sedating and has low potential for abuse. To help manage withdrawal complications, says doctor Akoury at this point your doctor may consider adding other drugs to a benzodiazepine regimen which may include the following:

An antipsychotic drug, which can help relieve agitation and hallucinations
A beta-blocker, which may help curb a fast heart rate and elevated blood pressure related to withdrawal and reduce the strain of alcohol withdrawal in people with coronary artery disease
Clonidine (Catapres), another blood pressure drug
Phenytoin (Dilantin), an anticonvulsant which doesn’t treat withdrawal seizures but may be useful in people with an underlying seizure disorder

Effective treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal syndrome: The Future of Integrative Addiction

As we progress into the discussion, it is important to note that doctor Akoury’s effort in the elimination of drug addiction is not just targeting the direct victims, but also to the professionals attending to them. In this regard 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 is schedule for 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”. The key note speech will be delivered by doctor Dalal Akoury MD whose discussion will be focusing on the hijacked mind, how does it get there and how does is leave? Sean Devlin, DO, HMD, will be focusing on “How to Recognize Addiction: Emergency care room and Addiction. Preliminary diagnostics and coping with life-saving measures when patients have overdose on substances of abuse/alcohol and drugs. That is just the brief of what you will be expecting and for more information you can log in www.integrativeaddiction2015.com Or call the Event Planner on Tel: 954 540 1896 you can as well send email to sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com

Effective treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal syndrome: Assessment of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

If alcohol withdrawal syndrome is suspected, your doctor will take a complete medical history and ask how much you drink, how long you’ve been drinking, and how much time has elapsed since your last drink. He or she also will want to know if you have a history of alcohol withdrawal, if you abuse any other substances, and if you have any medical or psychiatric conditions. During a physical exam, your doctor will identify alcohol withdrawal symptoms and any potential complicating medical conditions such as irregular heartbeats, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, infections, liver disease, nervous system impairment, and pancreatitis. He or she also may order blood tests to measure complete blood count, alcohol and electrolyte levels, liver function, and a urine screen to identify drug use. The results of the medical history and physical exam will help your doctor decide if you have alcohol withdrawal syndrome and, if so, its severity. With this information, your doctor will be able to address your precise condition and deliver your health back. You may also want to talk to us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for a much more and elaborate professional advice about anything you may not have understood from this article.

Effective treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal syndrome: Incorporating precautionary elucidations

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction

June 24, 2015

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Why it has become necessary to treat

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction can make you lose your self esteem and bring your serious health complications

In life we are often faced with different threats that bring a lot of discomfort to our health and well-being. While discussing the dangers of stress and anxiety in addiction we noted that stress is closely associated with drug addiction and all for the wrong reasons. This collaboration is wreaking havoc to human health and we were able to identify some conditions that come with this relationship. Some of those conditions included gastrointestinal Problems, eating and Stress and diabetes. And as we progress in to the last part of this discussion, we want to dig deeper into other problems that come with the threats of stress and anxiety in addiction. Therefore doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is going to share with us some of the effects in relation to pain, sleeping disturbances, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, memory, concentration, and learning among other relevant conditions to the topic of discussion.

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Pain

Pain is a common phenomenon in very situations of life. It can be physical or even psychological but in all these it will still remain to be painful. Currently the relationship between pain and emotion is still under investigation by the experts. This investigation or study is facing challenges in the sense that many factors like how different personalities responds to pain and emotion, and the fear of pain and stress itself. However available evidence point to the direction that that chronic pain may impair the action of neutrophils and thereby weakening the immune response. Let’s consider the following pain for a better understanding:

Muscular and Joint Pain – in this case it is believed that stress may intensify chronic pain caused by arthritis and other conditions. Psychological distress also plays a significant role in the severity of back pain. Some studies have clearly associated job dissatisfaction and depression to back problems, although it is still unclear whether stress is a direct cause of the back pain.

Headaches – Tension type headaches are highly associated with stress and stressful events. Sometimes the headache does not start until long after the stressful event has ended. Additionally, stress can contribute to the development of headaches or cause headaches to occur more frequently. Some research suggests that people who experience tension-type headaches may have some biological predisposition for translating stress into muscle contractions. Among the wide range of possible migraine triggers is emotional stress although the headaches often erupt after the stress has eased.

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Sleep Disturbances

The tensions of unresolved stress frequently cause insomnia, which prevents stressed people from sleeping or causes them to awaken in the middle of the night or early morning. This appears to be due to the fact that stress causes physiological arousal during non-rapid eye movement sleep.

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Sexual and Reproductive Dysfunction

Sexual Function – Stress can reduce sexual desire and cause women to be unable to achieve orgasm. The stress response leads to a drop in androgen (male hormone) levels, sometimes contributing to temporary erectile dysfunction in men.

Premenstrual Syndrome – Some studies indicate that the stress response in women with premenstrual syndrome may be more intense than in those without the syndrome.

Fertility – Chronic stress may affect fertility. Stress hormones have an impact on the hypothalamus, which produces reproductive hormones. This effect may lead to changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle, as well as a reduction in a man’s sperm count. Stress can also reduce sex drive.

Effects on Pregnancy – Old wives’ tales about a pregnant woman’s emotions affecting her baby may have some credence. Stress may cause physiological alterations, such as increased adrenal hormone levels or resistance in the arteries, which may interfere with normal blood flow to the placenta. Maternal stress during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk for miscarriage, lower birth weight, and an increased incidence of premature births. Some evidence also suggests that an expectant mother’s stress can even influence the way in which her baby’s brain and nervous system will react to stressful events. One study found a higher rate of crying and low attention in infants of mothers who had been stressed during pregnancy.

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Memory, Concentration, and Learning

Stress affects the brain, particularly memory, but the effects vary widely depending on whether the stress is acute or chronic.

Effect of Acute Stress on Memory and Concentration – Studies indicate that the immediate effect of acute stress impairs short-term memory, particularly verbal memory. On the plus side, high levels of stress hormones during short-term stress have been associated with enhanced memory storage, improved working memory, and greater concentration on immediate events. The difference in effect may be due to how cortisol impacts glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

Effects of Chronic Stress on Memory – If stress becomes chronic sufferers often lose concentration at work and home, and they may become inefficient and accident-prone. In children, the physiologic responses to chronic stress can interfere with learning. Studies have connected long-term exposure to excess amounts of the stress hormone, cortisol to a shrinking of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center. It is not yet known whether this shrinking is reversible.

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Substance Abuse

People who are under chronic stress often turn to illicit activities in the hope that they will get relief they can also indulge in misuse of alcohol or tobacco for relief. These substances are actually self-destructive in their own right and when accompanied with stress the damage caused by these habits becomes severe in relation to the same happening under ordinary circumstances without the presence of stress. Besides that many people also resort to unhealthy eating habits, smoking, or passive activities, such as watching television when they are stressed. Remember that alcohol affects receptors in the brain that reduce stress and luck of nicotine increases stress in smokers, which creates a cycle of dependency on smoking.

The experts reiterates that the cycle is self-perpetuating a sedentary routine, an unhealthy diet, alcohol abuse and smoking all these promotes heart disease. They also interfere with sleep patterns, and lead to increased rather than reduced tension levels. Drinking four or five cups of coffee, for example, can cause changes in blood pressure and stress hormone levels similar to those produced by chronic stress. Finally we have by now seen that the friendship between drug addiction and stress is not in any way good for human health. The two must be separated and most importantly we must desire to eliminate them. You can begin the journey of this worthy elimination by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your treatment that will restore your life back to the fullest.

The threats of stress and anxiety in addiction: Why it has become necessary to treat

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

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