Category Archives: outpatient addiction treatment

Mental health healing

Outpatient detox for abusers of opioid painkillers

November 21, 2016
Outpatient detox

Outpatient detox for abusers of opioid painkillers marks the beginning of real professional treatment.

Outpatient detox for abusers of opioid painkillers: How true is this?

People get addicted to various substances of choice at will despite the knowledge of their consequences. When one is getting into drugs, initially it is voluntary but as they get used to the substance and the addictive nature of the substance takes effect they become prisoners of the substance to the point that they can’t do without it. If this state progresses for a long time the level of addiction becomes stronger and stronger and within no time the individual graduates to more powerful substances or take more of the same to attain the high they expect at their new level of addiction. While these are happening, many times we often fail to take immediate action to remedy the situation and this is what we want to correct in this article even as we focus on the topic outpatient detox for abusers of opioid painkillers with a view of finding lasting solutions.

We spoke to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to help us in bringing this topic to perspective and doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) a veteran addiction expert and founder of the facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) is registering that “under normal circumstances patients addicted to opioid painkillers achieve good results with outpatient detoxification.” This according to one of the recently NIDA-funded clinical trial, it was established that a significant portion of individuals who are addicted to opioid painkillers may initiate and maintain abstinence with a brief but intensive outpatient detoxification treatment followed by opioid antagonist therapy using naltrexone. From this trial it was evident that patients achieved higher abstinence rates than are typically obtained with detoxification regimens. The duration of a taper with buprenorphine/naloxone (Bp/Nx) was a determinative factor in patients’ success, with longer tapers yielding greater abstinence.

Outpatient detox for abusers of opioid painkillers: Research findings based on tested opioid users

In this trial, Dr. Dalal Akoury and her team of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center studied the findings from the enrolled 70 adults who were addicted to opioid painkillers into a double-blind, randomized clinical trial that involved a three-step detoxification process:

  • Stabilization on a Bp/Nx (Suboxone) dosage that suppresses withdrawal symptoms, craving, and use of illicit opioid painkillers
  • Gradual tapering of the Bp/Nx dose to zero over 1, 2, or 4 weeks
  • Transition to the opioid antagonist naltrexone once a patient provides opioid-negative urine samples and reports no opioid use within the past 24 hours

Under this trial says doctor Akoury, away from other treatment the participants also received twice-weekly behavioral therapy using the evidence-based Community Reinforcement Approach and underwent thrice-weekly staff-observed urinalysis testing? Supplementary non-opioid medications were used as needed to treat breakthrough withdrawal symptoms. The patients randomly assigned to the 4-week Bp/Nx taper provided the highest percentage of illicit opioid–free urine samples during the 12-week trial. Of these 22 patients, 63 percent were abstinent at the 5-week mark, and 50 percent were still opioid-abstinent at the end of the 12-week trial. In contrast, 29 percent of each of the two groups receiving shorter tapers provided drug-free urine samples at 5 weeks, and 20 percent or less of each provided drug-free samples at 12 weeks. Similar findings were seen with adherence to naltrexone ingestion and treatment retention.

Outpatient detox for abusers of opioid painkillers: How true is this?

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

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Mental health healing

Inpatient medical detox facility proper identification

November 19, 2016
Inpatient medical detox facility

Inpatient medical detox facility proper identification marks the beginning point in securing quality treatment

Inpatient medical detox facility proper identification: Choosing wisely

The frustrations that are associated with alcohol and drug addiction can make one to jump into conclusion without really getting the facts correctly. It is true that when one is struggling with any kind of addiction, treatment is very necessary and detoxification is very instrumental in laying the foundation for proper treatment. The challenge that many people often have includes that of identification of the right experts for the job. It is important to note that when the right choice is not made from the beginning, the whole process is likely to be even more frustrating, demoralizing because the desired objectives may not be realized. In our previous article we did mentioned that detox is very important for individuals suffering from alcohol and drug abuse. We also noted that for this to be done effectively, certain protocols must be observed. In view of this and so that we avoid making costly mistakes, we want to focus the discussion of this article on inpatient medical detox facility proper identification.

This is because it is emerging that not all that glitters is not gold. Many inpatient facilities are business oriented and are focusing more on the financial returns than the key objective of transforming lives. To that effect, doctor Dalal Akoury who is an addiction expert of several decades and also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is going to help us in unlocking the facts about what we must look for, and questions we must ask to get value for our money and eventually free ourselves and loved ones from the scourge of addiction.

Inpatient medical detox facility proper identification: Making inquiries by asking certain relevant questions

To start us off, doctor Akoury is highlighting certain things to ask for before going to an inpatient medical detox facility. She says that it is very important that anyone seeking medical detox at an inpatient facility should ask the following questions and must ensure satisfactory responses from the people concerned:

  • What is the medical protocol for the substance from which the person will be detoxing?
  • Enquire of to know about changes if any that will be made to the medical protocol if the patient reacts differently to the withdrawal than earlier expected?
  • What is the length of time like for instance does the facility offer 24-hour medical supervision?
  • Trace the statistics of the facility and find out what percentage of people who start a medical detox that actually completes it?
  • What is the estimated time required for the detox requested?
  • Will the person leave the medical detox facility on new drugs?
  • Can the person walk outside and what is the surrounding environment like security wise in terms of availability of potential triggers?
  • Enquire if the facility has some prohibitions like are there any restrictions on smoking, watching television, making telephone calls, eating meals and internet access?
  • Assess the level of privacy within the facility. That is to say does the person have a private room?
  • Read wide and find out for yourself about the experiences your predecessors have. Find out what are the comments of former patients about their experience at the facility?

There are a lot one will need to find out and this is just a pointer to the approach one should always take in identifying the right inpatient medical detox facility. Depending on the way you’ve responded to the above, you can carry out a self-evaluation on the suitability of the facility. And never forget seeking for help from doctor Akoury progressively.

Inpatient medical detox facility proper identification: Choosing wisely

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outpatient-treatment

Medically supervised opiate detox

November 19, 2016
Medically supervised opiate

Medically supervised opiate detox and natural detox options for body cleansing are primarily done to pave way for the real treatment

Medically supervised opiate detox: Inpatient versus outpatient

Opiate addiction is a difficult addiction to deal with normally because of the extreme physical withdrawal symptoms associated with this type of drug addiction. Opiates or painkillers as they are commonly known can be natural or synthetic. Drugs like heroin, Fentanyl, hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin and opium are types of opiates. The dangers of using opiate are that when a person becomes physically addicted to an opiate they must constantly use that opiate repeatedly to avoid the experience of withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms begin slowly in the form of agitation, anxiety, running nose, sweating and yawning but eventually they become much more intense. The later stages of opiate withdrawal include extreme hot and cold sweats, nausea and vomiting, intense muscle cramping, diarrhea and acute insomnia. That is why medically supervised opiate detox is very essential as a strategy of finding permanent solution.

Opiate withdrawal is painful and can last for several long, agonizing days. It is often the fear of this painful withdrawal process that keeps most addicts to continue using opiates for many years past the point where they wish to stop. In amidst all these seeking for lasting solution from the experts of addiction then becomes very necessary, and that is why the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury are coming on board to help us understand some possible ways of lasting solutions. We have actually talked about treatment of addiction before and today we want to compare and contrast this by looking at inpatient versus outpatient medically supervised opiate detox as we progress into the discussion.

Medically supervised opiate detox: Opiate withdrawal

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center opiate withdrawal may not be lethal on its own unless the user is mixing together with other drugs while getting high or when they attempt to go through the withdrawal process all by themselves using medications and drugs on their own. Doctor Akoury is registering that the danger of opiate withdrawal is that it makes the addict feel like they want to die. It therefore means that in order to safely withdrawal a person from an opiate addiction, a medically supervised detox will be very necessary. This will involve using medication to take a patient from an opioid-dependent state to an opioid-free state under the care and direction of a medical professional with experience in conducting medical detoxification process. Ideally medications used during a medically supervised detox protocol would be buprenorphine or Suboxone.

These drugs treat the withdrawal symptoms of opiate addiction. Additional medications such as Clonidine may be used to help stabilize blood pressure, and over the counter drugs are often utilized to deal with the headaches, diarrhea and nausea. There are two ways a person can receive a medically supervised opiate detox. It can either be done Inpatient or outpatient detox. These are fundamental medications options we have and we are going address them in detail in our next posting. In the meantime, you may want to consult with doctor Dalal Akoury about any concern you may have in this worthy topic and she will address them professionally.

Medically supervised opiate detox: Inpatient versus outpatient

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Inpatient versus outpatient treatment options

November 19, 2016
Inpatient versus outpatient

Inpatient versus outpatient treatment options can only be done professionally by qualified experts

Inpatient versus outpatient treatment options: Medically supervised opiate detox

Like we have already mention, for any effective treatment of opiate addiction, the very first thing to be done is detoxification. This can either be done as an inpatient or outpatient hence our topic of discussion of “inpatient versus outpatient treatment options.

Inpatient detox – At an inpatient opiate detox, the client would check themselves into a facility (typically between 4-14 days in length) where they would be monitored by qualified personnel 24 hours a day. This is an extremely effective means of detoxification from opiates like heroin or OxyContin. Sometimes, if a client has checked into a 28 day program (or a longer term inpatient treatment program), they will start off in detox and then move into another room where they will live during their treatment stay. The financial implications about inpatient detox are that it can be extremely expensive. Ordinarily many insurance health policies will cover an inpatient detox stay only after one has attempted numerous outpatient detoxes.

Outpatient detox – An a medically supervised outpatient opiate detox is also a detox supervised by a medical professional where medication is used over a determined period of time to move the client from a physical addiction to opiates through a taper of medication to an opiate-free life. This is done on an outpatient basis, where the client comes to see the doctor, is assessed and then a plan is determined to use medication to slowly get the client off their physical dependency to narcotics. The downside to an outpatient opiate detox is the client is not monitored 24/7 by staff. This constant monitoring does not make the detox any less safe, as it has been determined that an opiate detox easily can be medically done on an outpatient or ambulatory level of care.

The truth about this is that a person physically dependent to heroin or painkillers is going to have some withdrawal pain, even with a medically supervised detox. And in fact they are going to be uncomfortable and feel awkward. From experience doctor Akoury is registering that medicine and the addiction treatment industry experts are working round the clock to make this process as painless and comfortable as possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy or quick or painless. Nor should it be. Addicts are always looking for a quick fix and as it relates to opiate detox, there isn’t one.

Inpatient versus outpatient treatment options: Benefits of outpatient detox

An outpatient opiate detox does have some benefits for the client like:

  • They have the ability to still go to work or to school and not have to miss time away.
  • They get to stay in their own home.
  • It allows them to immediately go to 12 Step meetings and get connected into those fellowships of many people who have experienced what they are going through, can identify with the client and offer help and support.
  • It is also much cheaper than an inpatient medical detox and insurance companies are often more likely to pay for an outpatient opiate detox outright than an inpatient detox.

Finally, it is very important to note that up on arriving at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, our team of experts will give you special attention and care to benefit from the services we offer which include a medically supervised opiate detox on an outpatient level of care. And because an opiate detox does not offer a solution to an opiate addiction, we will also advice you as our valued client that up on receiving an opiate detox at our center, to also consider engaging in the full treatment this is very important not just to us but most importantly to you. As professionals we believe in a holistic approach to treating addiction and that is what we will deliver to you.

Inpatient versus outpatient treatment options: Medically supervised opiate detox

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drug-rehab

Overcoming discouragement during rehabilitation

November 19, 2016
Overcoming discouragement

Overcoming discouragement during rehabilitation will grantees health and freedom from drug addiction

Overcoming discouragement during rehabilitation: Do not give up help is on the way

The encouragement I want to pass to all people who may be going through hardship due to alcohol or drug addiction, whether directly or indirectly is that there is hope for everyone and there is help with the right experts like professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and finally there is healing for those who seek for help by calling doctor Dalal Akoury MD. Doctor Akoury is a veteran addiction expert who has been of great help to very many people across the globe for well over two decades now. This facility was founded by doctor Akoury with a sole objective of making a positive impact on the lives of people who are losing hope of ever recovering from their addiction to various substances. Remember that overcoming discouragement before and during rehabilitation is very helpful as it gives you the will to push on no matter the ups and downs along the way.

Therefore as we progress into this discussion, if you are struggling with any kind of addiction in your life, or if you know of a friend, relative, colleague whether at workplace, in schools, collages of higher learning or in your place of worship, you can be the bridge through which they will get their addiction solutions by calling doctor Dalal Akoury on telephone number 843 213 1480 to schedule for an appointment either for yourself or on behalf of your friend. Up on doing that doctor Akoury will gladly attend to you professionally and evaluate your individual conditions before putting you on the right recovery program and by the end of it you will have your life back and enjoy it to the fullest.

Overcoming discouragement during rehabilitation: The consequences of alcohol and substance abuse

The consequences of using alcohol or other illicit drugs by a friend or family members and other people who are close to us can actually leave us with many unanswered questions. Because of these pending concerns like for instance being unable to understand what is happening and developing the feeling like you are being pushed beyond the limit and that you are living on an emotional rollercoaster can actually give you the incentive of losing hope and even giving up the fight all together. In fact as this habit continues from one level to another, you are likely to find yourself struggling with a number of painful and conflicting emotions, including guilt, shame, fear and self-blame.

Looking at a loved one get lost into drugs can be very painful, take for instance if this victim was the bread winner with several dependents he or she was taking care of, if he or she is sinking in the pit of addiction his dependents and people around him or her can and will definitely become frightened, frustrated, scared and angry. While I am agreeing with you that the frustration can be overwhelming at times, keeping hopes alive during rehabilitation is very healthy as this will give both the victim and the caregiver the will power to keep moving even when the victim relapses several times along the way.

Overcoming discouragement during rehabilitation: Do not give up help is on the way

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