Positive psychology in addiction treatment

July 24, 2014

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Drug Addiction

Positive psychology in addiction treatment. It is much healthier to treat addiction when there is common understanding of the problem at hand.

Everyone would want to be given hope that their life situation is not permanent and there is light at the end of the tunnel. When professionals are administering treatment they often give their patients words of hope and keep it that way even when they are convinced that chances of living the hospital bed is diminishing every passing second after all the patients only visited the facility to get better and being hopeful is very necessary in treatment of any kind of health condition. However there are instances when this has not been the practice in some quarters like in addiction related problems we know for sure that there is high possibilities of relapsing during and after recovery a process that may occur repeatedly and can be very discouraging. When one relapses consistently such a person needs to be encouraged to soldier on and be given hope that this is normal and will be defeated with time. To do this it will be important that we cultivate the positive psychology in both the addict and the health care provider.

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Definition

Therefore let us understand what positive Psychology is all about. First this is a new initiative in the arena of psychological research and intervention defined as the scientific study of the strong points and virtues that enable individuals and communities to flourish. The initiative is founded on the understanding that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to promote what is best within them and to improve their experiences of love, work, and play.

In effective addiction treatment, positive psychological approaches play an important role in achieving long-term addiction recovery goals. Usually addicts are told that:

They have a disease which they will have to manage for the rest of their lives.
To expect relapse and that from a statistical perspective, most will die from their illness.

This is extremely demoralizing prognosis to provide to someone who has presented a problem to you for help. This is not the way to go and a positive psychologist would rearrange the conversation and the situation by instilling hopeful suggestions that addiction is a behavioral disorder and even the most rooted behaviors can be changed with proper treatment and change of life style among other applicable factors. While not denying the negative statistics surrounding addiction recovery, reframing of the opportunity to recover into something achievable is empowering and motivating giving hope to many who may be suffering from substance abuse.

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Self-discovery

Positive psychology is a continuous process and is boundary less so long as the patients still need help. Therefore after giving these quality encouragement to the addict patient by suggesting that recovery is possible not just for a select few, the positive psychologist will then begins to work with the addict to re-evaluate life and initiate a process of self-discovery where the addicted patient get to know the kind of activities and relationships of great importance to and for them.

Like I said before with this positive psychology there are no limits. For instance example, consider a physically challenged person on a wheelchair all his or her life being pushed to your office for advice in life telling you that what they want to do is to be serving seals, what would you tell them? Many may condemn then because they cannot walk and so may not be productive in an assignment. This is the wrong way of handling people by doing this you will for sure achieve great injury and demoralization to this people, instead you may instill hope in them by suggesting and encouraging them to look into what it would take for them to save seals. You may inspire them that since they are not able to walk and be physically active what about if they be involved through the internet in those types of activities and raise funds to support the work! Being visionary is the kind of process being applied to the people suffering from addiction to help them a world and life beyond substances they abuse and to give them achievable goals to work towards with the sole objective helping them keep to their recovery.

Meaningful recovery is achieved when the pain of the past is worked through and goals for the future are set and worked toward. Part of the problem of addiction generally may include: An inability to envision a different future, future in which happiness, good work, and strong relationships are the fabric of daily life. With the application of positive psychology, the therapists are able to inspire and help addicts plan for and believe that they can attain the kind of future of which they previously could not even dream. This is the spirit that is transformative and realistic. If you have been with me on this link you may have read from our previous articles putting emphasis to every one of the duty of care owed to one another, this is an endless commitment that you and I should embrace for the good of our well-being. In attempting to achieve this doctor Akoury a known addiction professional of several decades founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where total care and treatment is administered to all in need while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE this is ware to be for all kinds of addiction related problems.

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Drug Addiction

Guidlines for Prevention of Substance Use

July 21, 2014

Guidelines for Prevention of Substance Use – Drug Addiction

Giving goo guidelines to your children on matters relating to substance abuse and drugs go along way in shaping their future.

When one has grown to the age where they can on their own will chose to indulge in substance abuse then we can comfortably say that such individuals are able to make positive decisions of stopping the indulgence. Often young people are faced with a number of challenges in life but of all these challenges much as they have some effects on you they can never be any ware close to the effects of experience when one uses alcohol or drugs. The decision you take about alcohol and drugs will influence your health, school performance, your job, career or your relationship and freedom. The effects of alcohol and drug abuse are fatal and life threatening. Because of the seriousness consequences it is important to know that as an individual young or old you first ore yourself the duty of care to be responsible for your own well-being and then to others around you. When discussing the guidelines for substance abuse prevention and especially in our young ones we must take note of these two very important factors:

At what age do you first use alcohol and drugs?
Family history of alcoholism and drug addiction.

Guidelines for Prevention of Substance Use – Age of First Use of Alcohol and Drugs

Indulgence in alcohol consumption and drugs use at attender age when the brain is still developing and has not fully matured will definitely increase your risk of being an addict in the future for alcoholism and drugs. When you begin using drugs or consuming alcohol early say 15 years of age, because of the state of your brain at this time you will be more likely increase your risk to develop alcohol abuse or dependence compared to those making their first taste of the same at the age of 21 or more. This theory has been confirmed by several researches done of late.

Guidelines for Prevention of Substance Use – Family History of Alcoholism or Drug Addiction

Normally the choices individuals make to use alcohol or drugs are often influenced by their surroundings, peer, family and the availability of the drug in question. The moment an individual begins using these substances whether they are illicit or not their risk of developing alcoholism and drug dependence is largely influenced by genetics. It is necessary to note that alcoholism and drug dependence are not moral issues and therefore they are not based on choices or lack of willpower. Plain and simple, some people’s bodies respond to the effects of alcohol and drugs differently. If you have a family history of alcoholism or addiction, you are four times more likely to develop a problem.

Therefore as young people it is only necessary that you take measures to protect yourself and reduce the risk of alcohol and drug abuse. The following are some of the guidelines you may use:

Be confidence to Say No – don’t just do thing because the majority is doing it. Chose only to do what is right regardless of what your friend may be encouraging you to do. Be principled and stand with your decision even if you are the only one. If someone is pressuring you to do something that’s not right for you, you have the right to say no, the right not to give a reason why, and the right to just walk away.

Associate with Your Friends but Avoid Negative Peer Pressure – choose your friend very carefully avoiding those that are likely to be of bad influence like the company of smokers and alcohol abusers. It is said that birds of the same feathers flock together. Associate with people whom even if you were to mimic their behaviors there will be no harm or risk of being addicted to drugs.

Make Connections With Your Parents or Other Adults – as you grow up, having people you can rely on, people you can talk to about life, life’s challenges and your decisions about alcohol and drugs is very important. The opportunity to benefit from someone else’s life experiences can help put things in perspective and can be invaluable.

Enjoy Life and Do What You Love but Don’t Add Alcohol and Drugs – Learn how to enjoy the satisfactions of life and the people in your life, without compromising on alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and drugs can damage who you are, limit your potential and complicate your life. Whenever you are bored get out and engage in an active in school and community activities such as music, sports, arts or a part-time job.

Follow the Family Rules about Alcohol and Drugs – as you grow up and want to assume more control over your life, having the trust and respect of your parents is very important. Don’t let alcohol and drugs come between you and your parents. Talking with mom and dad about alcohol and drugs can be very helpful.

Get Educated about Alcohol and Drugs – you cannot rely on the myths and misunderstandings that are out there floating around among your friends and on the internet. Your ability to make the right decisions includes being educated.

Be a Role Model and Set a Positive Example – Don’t forget actions speaks louder than words and your actions will be setting the foundation and direction for your life and where are you heading to.

Plan Ahead – as you make plans for the party or going out with friends you need to plan ahead. You need to protect yourself and be smart. Don’t become a victim of someone else’s alcohol or drug use. Make sure that there is someone you can call, day or night, no matter what, if you need them and do the same for your friends remember we are pooling together.

Speak Out, Speak Up, Take Control – take responsibility for your life, your health and your safety. Speak freely about what alcohol and drugs are doing to your friends, your community and encourage others to do the same.

Get Help – if you or someone you know is in trouble with alcohol or drugs, look for AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury who is an addiction professional of many decades and together with her team of experts she will help you bet better in many natural ways but still focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE and remember you are not alone.

Guidelines for Prevention of Substance Use – Drug Addiction

The Consequences of Drug Abuse

July 11, 2014

The consequences of drug abuse-Drug Addiction

Drug addiction consequences. Drug addicts often find themselves in the wrong sides of the law. Being arrested and re-arrested can be avoided by avoiding drugs.

If you have been with us on this link for sometimes now you must have read a lot about addiction in several articles we have been posting and we want to continue informing you of the many consequences of indulging in drugs. The consequences are many but for the purpose of this article we will categorize them in to five segments as follows: Legal, health, social and finances consequences. We are going to be discussing each briefly giving the insight of the consequences in each category.

Legal consequences
humanity has from creation lived in strict observation of rules and regulations. This system has been passed from generation to generation and today all nations globally operate within certain perimeters of laws. These laws include laws governing drug abuse detailing the consequences of any infringements which may include a lifetime in the confinement in prison, hefty fine or both. When one if found on the wrong side of the law other things likely to follow will be:

Criminal Record: the affected person will have a criminal record on your file and this will tarnish your reputation with the authorities and the society.

Career and employment: -the affected person will lose many employment opportunities since most employers require certification of good conduct.

Licenses: – with criminal record on your head you are likely to miss certain opportunities in business like getting license to operate a liquor business or drive a taxi.

Travel: -with the advent of global terrorism having criminal record will restrict your travel and movement as many countries will not give you visa to set foot in their land.

Social Status: -people do not want to associate with criminals less they be branded criminals too birds of the same feathers flock together) this will injure your relationship not just with people but very close ones to you like those of your co-workers, neighbors and your relationships with your family and friends. In other words criminal records assassinate ones character completely.

Consequences Related to health
One of the greatest assets in human life if that of peace of mind and it is easily affected by drugs and addiction related problems. The effects are either physical or psychological.

Physical Health -Drug abuse can adversely affect every major system in the human body like alcohol and cigarette smoking may cause fatal illness like cancer.

Psychological Health – Mental health problems such as depression, developmental lags, apathy, withdrawal, and other psychosocial dysfunctions frequently are linked to substance abuse among adolescents. Others include conduct problems, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and suicide. For example marijuana use which is common among young people has been shown to interfere with short-term memory, learning and psychomotor skills.

Addiction – often people think they can never get addicted, but this is not true as addiction can knock on the doors of anyone at any time. Someone who is addicted normally suffers lose of control and sound judgment and when they stop using the substance, they are likely to suffer severe psychological or physical symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, unhappiness and stress.

Social Consequences

Drugs affect the brain directly and the human brain is design in a way that it controls almost everything we do. This action of drug addiction will therefore affect:

Relationships: bad behavior associated with drug abuse will negatively affect your relationships with your loved ones.
Families: substance abuse affects the emotional, financial, and psychological well-being of the whole family. Normally teenagers who use drugs withdraw from their family members and family activities, their actions in the process set bad examples for any younger siblings this is because their judgment and decision-making ability becomes greatly impaired, they may become more hostile toward family members and even steal from them to get money for drugs.
Peers: Your peers will stay away from you. No one will like to have bad influence, and they will feel scared around you. You will lose worthy friends, and find yourself keeping bad ones.
School: Chances are that you will drop out of school because your brain is affected, and you are no longer in control of your school work. You may rebel and get a suspension and so you will be vulnerable to committing crime and the results of this is very clear.

Financial Consequences
It goes without saying that when one becomes addicted to dugs they will need money for supply and when there is no money they will begin to start selling their personal belongings, phones, music iPods, personal jewelry etc. to finance their addictive needs. It must be noted that as the small drug users struggle to maintain their supply it is the bigger drug dealer who is making money out of this situation and with this money they organize more sophisticated crimes and the whole community or nation suffers the consequences.

We can never get to conclusion when discussing the consequences of addiction in human life and so there will always be room for further discussions on this but for the purpose of bringing this article to an end we must make all necessary effort to ensure that we and our loved ones do not suffer these consequences. How to do this will greatly depend on individual will power to abstain from all addiction related substances. Therefore seeking lasting solutions will be very desirable and talking to the experts on matters relating to addiction will be the starting point. AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be very helpful to all people willing to distance themselves from the consequences of addiction. AWAREmed is a facility founded by doctor Dalal Akoury who is a medical doctor and has had experience over several decades in matters addiction. Visiting this facility under Doctor Akoury’s care will be the most valuable thing you can do to free yourself from these consequences. While receiving treatment here, doctor Akoury and her team of experts will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE making you to be safe and free from all these consequences.

The consequences of drug abuse-Drug Addiction

Stigmatization of Addiction

June 12, 2014

Stigmatization of Addiction-Find out more

Addiction is a disease like any other victims of addiction needs your support and care stop discrimination and stigma towards them.

I strongly believe that where you are in your neighborhood or in your family you have come across someone suffering from a given illness. Depending on the magnitude of the problem at hand special considerations will be taken to help ease the pain and suffering of the patient. This is normally a common and positive gesture that we extend to sick people. To be more specific let us take cancer as an example. It will not go unnoticed the great concern people will have if one of their friends or relative has been diagnosed with cancer. All the family members will express their sympathetic gasps of concern and be around the patient trying to find out the treatment options and the very detail information related to the significance of the diagnosis. Alongside all this special dedication to prayers, get well cards flowers will be sent to the patient all too express sympathy and concern.

Stigmatization of Addiction-Drug addiction

Addiction, just like cancer, is a fatal disease the only difference is how it has been stigmatized and this is a huge source of hindrance for many to understand it and give the victims the kind of support they may need.
Unfortunately addiction being a mental illness, garnering the support of others can be taxing and difficult. Majority do not understand mental illness to the degree that they understand and relate to illnesses based in physiological malfunctions. Mental illness does not come in a package seared with scars, a cast on a leg, or intravenous feeding tubes protruding from the victim’s wrists and to the nose. People suffering from this problem normally tends to be secretive and make all efforts to hide the true diagnosis from everyone and more so to their employers. Because emotions couple with mismanagement of a mental illness or lack of proper treatment put together necessitate that the patient be a way from the employment environment. In some cases, the need to be away may present itself with greater urgency than the individual’s physically ill appears due to the stigma surrounding addiction.

In recent years, negative ideas and connotations surrounding addiction have definitely improved, particularly since the earlier part of the century. Alcoholics are no longer sent off to psychiatric wards and mental institutions; a breadth of knowledge on the subject is readily available. Scientific and psychiatric communities alike recognize alcoholism as a legitimate disease. Treatment methods include regular attendance at 12-step meetings, forming a relationship with a higher power, reaching out to others in a support network, and staying active in one’s recovery. The biggest success stories boast stories of a renowned sense of spirituality. In terms of addiction, the plight is the same. Drug addicts recover from a debilitating addiction through spiritual means; by reaching out for help; and by being accountable to a group of individuals who have trudged the same road. However, knowledge based in the recovery process from both addiction and alcoholism is often limited to specialists in the relevant fields or family members of addicts and alcoholics only.
One of the barriers preventing afflicted individuals from seeking addiction treatment lies in the stigma surrounding addiction. Addiction stigma is directly correlated with the language frequently used to describe addiction-related topics. Addicts suffer from low self-esteem. They become withdrawn and isolate in their bedrooms anything to avoid being out in public or immersed in social situations. They want to stop, but find they cannot. Terminology that perpetuates the stigma of addiction only serves to intensify these deep-seated negative feelings. For example, the following list is inclusive of terminology that exacerbates an addict’s sense of guilt, shame, and isolation:

Calling an addict a “junkie” or an “abuser” doing so leaves no discrepancy between the human being and their disease; implies a lack of will power or character.
Drug Abuse in general, addicts abuse drugs; but using the term “abuse” can have long-term negative effects, due to the connotation of the term. It attributes the disease of addiction solely to the individual, ignoring environmental and genetic predispositions.
Referring to an addict’s test results as “dirty” causes the addict to feel filthy; unclean; undeserving of love and support.
Claiming that an addict “has a drug habit” doing so evades the medical assessment of addiction; negates the fact that addiction is characterized by a physical allergen, a mental preoccupation, and a spiritual sickness.
Labeling an addict a “user” leaves the addict feeling shameful, alone and a supposed drain on society’s resources; can also be misleading due to its part in describing individuals who have experimented with drugs but not necessarily suffered from a full-blown addiction.
Over time, we encourage the general public to conduct further research on the disease of addiction. Through increased access to addiction information, and factual awareness on the subject, individuals will learn to replace terms like “junkie” in describing an addict seeking recovery services with “a patient undergoing treatment for a substance misuse disorder”.

Stigmatization of Addiction-Media influence

The media is not doing much to help solve the problem of addiction stigmatization either. Today nearly all the different forms of media outlets are full of negativities in relation to addiction, the kind of movies, television shows etc. does not highlight the effects of addiction in a dignified way as they do to other illnesses like cancer which we looked earlier. This is one campaign that the civil society and all likeminded people should involve in to bring about the much needed change of attitude towards addiction as a disease.

Learning institutions is another avenue which can be very helpful in the fight against stigma and to recognize addiction as a serious disease of which like any other disease needs professional care and treatment. This can be done by incorporating the use of non-stigmatizing terms such as:

Harmful use of drugs and not “reckless use of drugs”
Hazardous drug use
Risky drug use
Substance free rather than “dirty” when referring to drug-free screening results
Replacing “user” with “person involved in risky substance used”
Medically monitored treatment regimen as an alternative to the term “substitution therapy” which refers to the addicts receiving counter-indicative drugs throughout the detoxification process; inaccurately describes addicts prescribed antidepressants in early sobriety
Instead of “drug habit” use terms such as “an individual engaged in active addiction”, or an individual suffering from “a substance misuse disorder”

In all this experiences we as a society have a duty to offer care and support to those suffering from addiction. In bid to offer the much needed care and support doctor Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility which is fully dedicated on offering solution while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. These are the kind of people we need to fight and eradicate stigma completely. If you ask me to recommend for you someone with great experience on addiction and much more I would not hesitate to recommend doctor Dalal Akoury, oh wait a minute I just did. Go for it friend and live your life to the fullest.

Stigmatization of Addiction-Find out more

Kinds of Addictive Substances

June 9, 2014

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Their effects discussed

All kinds of addictive substances cause addiction and their effects on humans life is dangerous

When we talk of addiction it is more likely that you will think of an illegality, crime and use of drugs disorderly. Addiction has been associated with all manner of negativity and suspicion. But in all these suspicion it is important to note that substance abuse is characterized by a pattern of use that causes significant impairment or distress, in addition to any one of these additional diagnostic criteria: using substances in situations where it endangers the user; a failure to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home; having multiple drug-related legal problems; or continuing to use substances regardless of the problems it causes in the user’s life. The different types of substance abuse have various features depending on the type of drug abused and for the purpose of this article we will categorize the addictive substances into five major units:

Stimulant abuse
Depressant abuse
Psychedelic Abuse
Marijuana Abuse
Alcohol Abuse

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Stimulant Abuse

As the name suggests, stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, as well as elevate blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. Stimulants historically were used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems, obesity, neurological disorders, and a variety of other ailments. But as their potential for abuse and addiction became apparent, the medical use of stimulants began to wane. Now, stimulants are prescribed to treat only a few health conditions, including ADHD, narcolepsy, and occasionally depression in those who have not responded to other treatments.

Stimulants include illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as legal substances such as nicotine, caffeine and over-the-counter stimulants. Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs,” stimulant use causes the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, stimulating the brain’s reward and pleasure center. This stimulation reinforces the drugs’ abuse, as users attempt to feel good through increases of dopamine and norepinephrine and to avoid the “crash,” medically known as dysphoria that occurs after stimulant use depletes the levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain. Abuse of stimulants depletes energy and creates intense drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also induce paranoia, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, aggression, violence and psychosis. Stimulant abuse and addiction develop quickly.

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Depressant Abuse

Depressants include opiates such as heroin, morphine and opium, as well as sedative-hypnotic medications such as Xanax, Ativan and Valium. Depressant has the characteristic of slowing down the central nervous system, diminish inhibitions, create relaxation and decrease pain.

Opiate abuse carries a high risk of overdose and addiction, as well as health problems. Abuse of sedative-hypnotic drugs easily creates psychological and physical dependence as well. Abuse of these drugs in combination with alcohol can be lethal. Indeed, multiple drug abuse is common with abusers of this class of drug, as users combine various depressants throughout a day or week to try to achieve an optimal psychological and physiological state.

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Psychedelic Abuse

Psychedelic abuse includes using in dole psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms; phenylalkylamine psychedelics including mescaline; and other types of psychedelics such as ketamine, or “Special K,” and PCP, notes “Uppers, Downers, All-Arounders.”
Psychedelics, called hallucinogens in the medical literature, distort the user’s perceptions, thoughts and sensations.
Abusers who have underlying mental health issues face particular risks as these substances can trigger latent mental health problems.
These drugs vary dramatically in potency. Because intensive research has not been done on them as has been with other substances their effects of abuse are not very clear (less well known).
MDMA abuse may cause lasting damage to the serotonin-producing neurons in the brain, in addition to depression and serious health risks.
Ketamine abuse can lead to convulsions and coma.
LSD abuse causes such impaired judgment and reasoning that serious injury and death can result even at low doses. Acute anxiety reactions can also occur.

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Marijuana Abuse

The most commonly abused illegal drug, marijuana induces short-term euphoria, physical relaxation, distorted perception and thought, increased appetite, and impairment of memory and physical coordination. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, users of more potent marijuana may experience giddiness, illusions and hallucinations. Because of the impairment in coordination and thinking, driving and other activities while under the influence pose a risk. Tolerance quickly develops so that those abusing marijuana need higher doses to achieve the same high. Long-term marijuana abuse may cause respiratory problems and immune system suppression. Alongside that longer-term abuse may also stunt emotional maturity and learning, and it can increase anxiety and even cause temporary psychosis.

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol is the most abused drug and it affects every organ in the body, and it is the oldest and most widely used psychoactive substance.
Alcohol abuse includes binge drinking and other problematic patterns of drinking which fall short of addiction but meet the criteria for abuse.
Alcohol abuse is linked to increases in aggression, impaired judgment, diminished inhibitions, mood problems such as depression and anxiety, health problems, sexual dysfunction and relationship problems.
Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism primarily in the lack of withdrawal symptoms when an alcohol abuser stops drinking. However, alcohol abuse creates significant distress or impairment in the abuser’s life.

All addictions problems are as a result of these addictive substances it is important that we make efforts to keep distance from elements that can lure us to addiction. Talking to addiction experts is important as it helps you get information about the safety precautions. Doctor Akoury the founder and chief executive of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an expert of vast experience that can be of great help to you. Under her care you will be put real time medication focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This way you will in no time get your life back and live it to the fullest.

Kinds of Addictive Substances-Their effects discussed

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