Existing addiction recovery programs

June 22, 2017

Existing addiction recovery programs are tailored to help you regain your health professionally

Existing addiction recovery programs: The ultimate consequences

The consequences of drug and alcohol addictions are strenuous and can impact negatively on your personal relationships and make it hard to focus on your work and even in school programs. The consequences of addiction have made so many people have their health, finances and eventually their lives being turned upside down painfully. We are all aware that drug addiction is a global problem and finding the existing addiction recovery programs is a good point to start with. However knowing the root causes of individual drug abuse is also very important in the fight against drug and alcohol addiction. And that is why experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center recommends that if you’re struggling with a substance abuse issues, it is never too late to get help from a drug recovery program. You can call us today (843 213 1480) and we will help you go through this professionally.

Existing addiction recovery programs: Drug and alcohol addiction

The prevalence of this problem is very evident in most countries like for example in America, it is estimated that up to 22.5 million people age 12 and above have used illicit drugs just in the last month alone. That is according to the information gathered by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). On further analysis of these, it comes out that the figure represents 8.7% of that age group. Of those who admitted having used illicit drugs in the last month, approximately 18.1 million used marijuana, 6.1 million used psychotherapeutics, 1.4 million used cocaine, 1 million used hallucinogens, 0.6 million used inhalants and 0.3 million used heroin. In this study, alone many of the people surveyed used these drugs recreationally, but many others used them because they were struggling with addiction.

From those findings, we can now not bury our heads in the sand and pretend that everything is alright. Doctor Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center say that we must desire to be as preventive as possible. However in the event that drug use gets out of control, the best response is to seek treatment immediately in a reputable drug rehabilitation facility with good recovery programs. Therefore if you are worried about your drug use or that of a loved one, we can help you make the change if only you could schedule an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today.

Existing addiction recovery programs: The causes of addiction

Drug addiction can be very complicated, and it can affect brain functioning in a so many ways. Because if this variance, some people will be able to use alcohol or medications responsibly, while others are much more vulnerable to dependence. Doctor Akoury shares with us some of the factors that are likely to increase your vulnerability of having a drug or alcohol addiction:

The history of family members who have struggled with addiction before
If you went through an abusive or neglectful childhood
Mental health issues including depression
If you were introduced to the use of drugs at a relatively young age

Besides those factors listed above, it is still very important to appreciate that all kinds of people can suffer from addiction regardless of whether or not these risk factors are prevalent in their lives. That, therefore, means that those factors are only guidelines but not all will lead to drug or alcohol abuse. Making a periodic visit to your physician for a check-up and professional evaluation about your health and most importantly about your addiction risks is very necessary.

Existing addiction recovery programs: The ultimate consequences

Detecting alcoholism manifestations

June 22, 2017

Detecting alcoholism manifestations in one’s life is essential and will help solve many domestic problems

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: Self-Testing

Am I an alcoholic? This is a very good question tailored towards preventing, treating and detecting alcoholism manifestations in one’s life. It is by asking such question and getting the right responses that will help in finding a permanent solution to the scourge of alcoholism. Speaking to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is evident that sometimes it can be hard to draw the line between safe alcohol use and alcohol abuse or dependence. Professionally doctor Akoury registers that there are several ways of detecting alcoholism presence in life. She suggests that you can carry out a self-testing method to ascertain whether you are alcoholic or not. Professionally, you may have a problem with alcohol if you answer “yes” to some of the following questions:

Do you need to drink a lot more for you to feel the effects of alcohol?
Do you suffer guilty about your drinking?
Do you become short-tempered or violent when you’re drinking?
Do you have problems at school or work because of drinking?
Do you think it might be better if you cut back on your drinking?

Depending on how you respond to the above, a yes answer could point to the direction of alcoholism. Besides the self-testing, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence also offers more comprehensive self-tests which can help you assess whether you have a problem with alcohol. Away from the test doctor Akoury advice that you can also consult with your physician in very many ways for a professional diagnosis.

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: Professional diagnosis

Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcoholism by carrying out a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits. Like for instance, your doctor may ask if you:

Drive when you’re drunk
Have experienced blackouts as a result of your drinking
Have missed work or have lost a job as a result of your drinking
Have tried to cut back on your drinking but could not
Need more alcohol to feel “drunk” when you drink

Typically, a diagnosis of alcoholism does not require any other type of diagnostic test. Chance are that your doctor may order for a blood test to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. This is because alcohol abuse can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. Remember that it is your liver which is responsible for removing toxins from your blood and so when you drink too much, your liver will have difficulties in filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream which can lead to liver disease and other complications.

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: How is alcoholism treated?

Treatment for alcoholism varies, but each method is meant to help you stop drinking altogether (abstinence). Treatment may occur in stages and can include the following:

Counseling to solve emotional complications
Detoxification or withdrawal for the elimination of alcohol in the body
Medical treatment for alcoholism-related health complications
Medications to help control addiction
Rehabilitation to learn new coping skills and behaviors
Support groups, including 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Finally, you can prevent alcoholism by limiting your alcohol intake. This may not be easy (detecting alcoholism presence) but consulting with doctor Dalal Akoury will make it much easier for you. Your health is more important than anything else and therefore scheduling that appointment will be a good start towards your recovery process.

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: Self-Testing

Dopamine effects and addiction

June 22, 2017

Dopamine effects and addiction are very active in the brain malfunctions

Dopamine effects and addiction: The brain

Dopamine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning that when it finds its way to its receptor sites, it blocks the tendency of that neuron to fire. We have noted that it’s associated with reward mechanisms in the brain. That aside, speaking to doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of AWAREmed health center, new research on the brain is showing that addiction is a matter of memories, and recovery is a slow process in which the influence of those memories is diminished. That notwithstanding, further studies have also shown that addictive drugs stimulate a reward circuit in the brain. The circuit provides incentives for action by registering the value of important experiences. Rewarding experiences trigger the release of the brain chemical dopamine effects, telling the brain “do it again.” What makes permanent recovery difficult is the drug-induced change that creates lasting memories linking the drug to a pleasurable reward.

Dopamine effects and addiction: Brain circuits

Addiction involves many of the same brain circuits that govern learning and memory. Long-term memories are formed by the activity of brain substances called transcription factors. All perceived rewards, including drugs, increase the concentration of transcription factors. So repeatedly taking drugs can change the brain cells and make the memory of the pleasurable effects very strong. Even after transcription factor levels return to normal, addicts may remain hypersensitive to the drug and the cues that predict its presence. This can heighten the risk of relapse in addicts long after they stop taking the drug.

Knowing more about how addiction works in the brain has not yet given us any effective new treatments, but it has suggested new possibilities while providing a better understanding of how the available treatments work. The hardest job will be finding substances that lower the risk of addiction but do not interfere with responses to natural rewards. So far there is little evidence that any one type of therapy works better for addiction than another.

Dopamine effects and addiction: Brain Chemistry

It has been demonstrated times and again that drug addiction is a powerful force that can take control of the lives of users. In the past, addiction was thought to be a weakness of character or just misbehavior, but in recent decades research has increasingly found that addiction to drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine is a matter of brain chemistry.

Experts at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says that the way a brain becomes addicted to a drug is related to how a drug increases levels of the naturally-occurring neurotransmitter dopamine, which modulates the brain’s ability to perceive reward reinforcement. The pleasure sensation that the brain gets when dopamine levels are elevated creates the motivation for us to proactively perform actions that are indispensable to our survival for example eating or procreation. Dopamine is what conditions us to do the things we need to do. Having understood the power of addiction and what it can do to your health, it would be unwise to let drugs bring you down because of ignorance. Doctor Dalal Akoury founded this facility to help you have your life back and live it to the fullest. Waste no time and schedule an appointment with today for the commencement of your recovery process.

Dopamine effects and addiction: The brain

Blood alcohol contents irregularities

June 22, 2017

Blood alcohol contents irregularities in the body is very dangerous in many ways

Blood alcohol contents irregularities: Alcohol affects people differently

Did you know that alcohol consumption is now a global catastrophe affecting people in discriminatively? If this concerns you, join us as an expert from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury MD in a journey of finding out how alcohol affects people differently in the current societies. Like for instance, if a woman and a man of the same weight drink the same amount of alcohol under the exact same circumstances, the woman will on average have a higher Blood Alcohol Contents (BAC) than the man. This is because women have much less of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomachs than men do. If the same man and woman are given an injection of alcohol instead of drinking it they will tend to have the same BAC. This is because when the alcohol is injected it bypasses the alcohol dehydrogenase in the stomach.

Older Males – As men age they tend to produce less alcohol dehydrogenase and are likely to become more intoxicated on smaller amounts of alcohol than younger men. Ironically alcohol dehydrogenase in women is not affected by age.

Menopausal Women – Apparently hormone changes which occur at menopause can cause menopausal women to become more intoxicated on smaller doses of alcohol.

People with Liver Damage – People with liver damage produce less alcohol dehydrogenase than do those with healthy livers and thus can become more intoxicated on smaller doses of alcohol a phenomenon referred to as Reverse Tolerance.

Frequent Heavy Drinkers – produce more alcohol dehydrogenase than other people thus become less intoxicated on larger quantities of alcohol. These people can metabolize up to 38 ml of alcohol per hour whereas the average person metabolizes only around 13 ml per hour.

Blood alcohol contents irregularities: How ant-abuse works

Ant-abuse is the drug that makes people sick if they drink alcohol. The drug ant-abuse binds to the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and prevents it from breaking down the acetaldehyde produced by the metabolism of alcohol. Since acetaldehyde is a poison, as it builds up it produces very unpleasant symptoms including facial flushing, headaches, nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations and other extreme physical unpleasantness. Large quantities of alcohol mixed with ant-abuse can lead to death.

Finally, the surface area of the human stomach is only a couple of square feet, but because the small intestine has protrusions called villi, the surface area of the small intestine is thousands and thousands of square feet. Because of this fact, the small intestine is many times more efficient than the stomach at absorbing alcohol. If you want the alcohol to be absorbed into the bloodstream slowly so that your BAC will only rise slowly, your best bet is to keep the alcohol in the stomach for as long as possible. This can be done. There is a valve between the stomach and the small intestine called the pyloric valve when it’s closed, alcohol will stay in the stomach. This valve stays closed when the stomach is full of food and that is why eating a full meal helps keep you from becoming rapidly intoxicated. And for more information on blood alcohol content irregularities, you can always call on doctor Akoury for help.

Blood alcohol contents irregularities: Alcohol affects people differently

Drug dependence signs and Symptoms

June 22, 2017

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms is universal and include the prescription drugs too

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Drug addiction commencement

The particular signs and symptoms of drug use and dependence vary depending on the type of drug. You might be able to tell that a family member or a friend is struggling with some of the drug dependence signs and symptoms quite easily based on the physical and behavioral signs associated with the drug. We spoke to Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of AWAREmed health center over this and it was very evident that the link is in the type of drug in question, like for instance:

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Marijuana and hashish

It’s possible to develop a psychological addiction to cannabis compounds including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana and hashish. People who have a marijuana addiction generally use the drug on a daily basis. They don’t actually have a chemical dependence on the drug but rather feel the need to regularly use the drug. According to the expert opinion, doctor Akoury reiterates that this is a disaster in waiting and if nothing is done in good time, the patient could pay the ultimate price. But before we get there, it can be very sad if we allow things to get there. The starting point, in this case, would be overcoming any resistance of seeking for treatment like denial and fear of withdrawal symptoms.

Once this is dealt with, only then can we approach treatment meaningfully. And before we get there, it may interest you to note that, professionalism is very key in addressing matters relating to substance abuse. And for your situation, we are privileged to have with us doctor Dalal Akoury who is a veteran addiction professional, besides being an expert in the area of Healthy Aging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine. She (Dr. Akoury) also specializes in advanced bio-identical hormone replacement and nutritional therapies. And currently, she is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and the fellowship program in Anti-Aging, Regenerative, Functional and Metabolic Medicine. With over two decades of experience, your condition will be addressed professionally to the advantage of all your loved ones. As you consider making that very important phone call for an appointment, the following are some of the signs of use and dependence on drugs:

A heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception
Poor memory
Increased blood pressure and heart rate
Red eyes
Decreased coordination
Difficulty concentrating
Increased appetite
Slowed reaction time
Paranoid thinking

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Barbiturates and benzodiazepines

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are prescription central nervous system depressants. Phenobarbital, amobarbital (Amytal) and secobarbital (Seconal) are examples of barbiturates. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers, such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). If you’re prescribed these drugs, take them exactly as ordered. If you feel your need for these medications is increasing, talk to your doctor about it including the signs of use and dependence listed below:

Drowsiness
Slurred speech
Lack of coordination
Memory problems
Confusion
Slowed breathing and decreased blood pressure
Dizziness
Depression

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