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drug abuse

Comparing heroin abuse and depression

August 26, 2016
Comparing heroin abuse

Comparing heroin abuse and depression by first understanding tolerance dependence and addiction

Comparing heroin abuse and depression: The psychological dependence

It is without any doubt that all drug users and not necessarily heroin addicts are all suffering from depression and addiction. These two elements are of the same characteristic when it comes to substance abuse. Our focus in this article is going to be looking at the relationship between heroin abuse and depression.  This drug heroin is a very powerful opiate capable of making alterations to the user’s brain chemistry and thereby causing mood changes, suicidal behavior, psychological dependence and addiction. It is currently estimated that up to half of all opiate users have at one time experienced depression in their lives. Anyone suffering from any kind of addiction heroin included will be going through what is known as dual diagnosis should it be discovered that they are also suffering from depression. With this condition, doctor Akoury says that chances of long term recovery would be very slim.

From her over two decades of experience doctor Akoury says that not unless the user is treated for both conditions, it is likely that he or she will relapse soon after rehab. It is important to note that in numerous instances, majority of depressed heroin user fail to get treatment. Nonetheless, according to findings from the clinical studies depression and substance abuse are treated simultaneously and when this is done, the depressive symptoms often improve. This has further been confirmed by Biological Psychiatry registering that opiate addicts who go through residential rehab or methadone maintenance treatment have significant improvement in their depression.

Therefore the key to treating heroin abuse and depression successfully is to identify both conditions early in the recovery process. Intensive neuropsychological assessment can reveal the signs of co-occurring psychiatric disorders like depression. Once mental illness has been identified, treatment must address both depression and heroin addiction to be successful.

Comparing heroin abuse and depression: Effects of heroin on psyche

You must have known that heroin is a synthetic drug produced from morphine, a potent analgesic that comes from the opium poppy. Heroin exerts its effects by binding with receptor cells in the brain that respond to opiates. When injected, snorted or smoked heroin can converts into morphine in the brain, where it slows down neurological activity and induces a state of sedation.

For many users, a heroin high produces a rush of euphoria and a sense of profound relaxation. But the National Alliance on Mental Illness states that in people with psychiatric disorders, the side effects of heroin are more likely to be negative. For someone with depression, heroin may seem like an antidote to hopelessness, sadness and guilt.

The psychosocial effects of heroin can also contribute to depression. Heroin is highly debilitating, and users often experience job loss, relationship conflicts, legal problems and financial troubles.

The physical consequences of heroin use including respiratory illness, blood-borne diseases, muscular weakness and vascular damage can also cause severe emotional distress.

Because the brain adjusts quickly to the effects of heroin, physical and psychological dependence develop rapidly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that nearly one-fourth (23 percent) of individuals who use heroin will eventually reach the point of addiction. Once addiction sets in, use of the drug becomes compulsive and uncontrollable in spite of the devastating effects of abuse. All of these factors can intensify feelings of hopelessness, despair and self-loathing: the hallmarks of depression.

Comparing heroin abuse and depression: The psychological dependence

 

 

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Treatment processes for drug addiction

August 26, 2016
Treatment processes

Treatment processes for drug addiction are essential in delivering a drug free society

Treatment processes for drug addiction: Heroin and other substances

The problem of drug addiction has stolen the dignity of our societies and we are all in one way or another affected or infected by this problem. Most societies are ruin by the use of drugs and families have not known peace because a member is an addict of a given drug. Heroin has become one of the most abused drugs thanks to its easy accessibility and affordability. The enormity of this problem is getting out of hand and prisons blocks alone are not enough to offer the much need solution. Even though this problem is of this magnitude, the good news is that it is treatable. There are very good treatment procedures for drug addiction today and that is going to be our point of focus in this discussion. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury who is the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and she will be helping us understand the treatment procedures available.

Doctor Akoury says that this problem of drug addiction is a treatable disorder. Prevention would have been the best option but because it is already with us we are going to look at the mechanisms of treating this disorder and consider prevention in the next article. Now because of many different conditions in drug addiction, it is important that the specific treatment must be tailored to suits the individual’s needs. This is necessary because many drug addicts have a compound of other problems that hinders proper treatment like mental health, occupational, health, or social problems.

Treatment processes for drug addiction: Types of treatment for patients

The success of this campaign would be realized when treatment procedures for drug addiction is adhered to. And treatments often include behavioral therapy, mediations and sometimes a combination of both. The most important thing is that when patients are duly treated for their addiction, they will be able to have some control over their lives and be productive to the society. That is why all over the world the campaign is to have as many people as possible for treatment. Therefore if you or anyone you know is suffering from any form of addiction, then you can be of help to them by scheduling for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury today and you will have your life back in the most professional and dignified way.

One of the biggest hindrances to treatment is that many addicted people often make an assumption that they can quit using drugs all by themselves without treatment. Actually many have tried but they have failed consistently resulting in long term abstinence. And that is why according to the NIDA Research has shown that long-term drug use results in significant changes in brain function that persist long after the individual stops using drugs. These drug-induced changes in brain function may have many behavioral consequences, including the compulsion to use drugs despite adverse consequences which is the defining characteristic of addiction. And that is why achieving abstinence without treatment is so difficult if not impossible.

Treatment processes for drug addiction: Heroin and other substances

 

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Successful addiction treatment mechanisms

August 26, 2016
Successful addiction treatment

Successful addiction treatment mechanisms will include assessment objectives in addiction recovery

Successful addiction treatment mechanisms: Recognition

For any meaningful treatment to yield results, the victim must first come to the point of recognizing and accepting that they have a problem which needs to be fixed. Denial is one of the greatest impediments when it comes to drug abuse treatment. Anyone in denial will not seek for help even if that help is presented to them by their concerned relatives. In many cases patients who are in denial will consent to treatment not because they have accepted but out of pressure from their loved ones

Detoxification – Treatment begins with detoxification, which is the gradual withdrawal of an abused substance under a controlled environment. In some cases a drug that is similar to the abused drug (e.g. methadone for heroin) is substituted during withdrawal to lessen the miserable symptoms and health risks associated with the withdrawal process. Depending on the drug that the person is addicted to, the withdrawal process can be handled through either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.

Rehabilitation – This is necessary to prevent the recurrence of drug abuse.  Rehabilitation involved behavioral therapies such as counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Behavior therapy helps people to cope with their drug cravings and it teaches them ways to avoid drugs, prevent relapse, and what to do if a relapse occurs.  It has been established that merging a behavior therapy program with treatment medications, such as methadone, helps to suppress the withdrawal syndrome, the drug craving, and in blocking the effects of other drugs (caffeine).  Studies have shown that using methadone at adequate dosage levels in treating heroin addiction along with behavioral therapies reduces death rates and many health problems.

Abstinence – Following rehabilitation, the abuser must have a lifelong abstinence from drug abuse. Relapses from this drug abstinence may occur and lead to recurrent dependence.

Successful addiction treatment mechanisms: Treatment methods

The treatment program duration could either be short term or long term depending on the patient’s condition.

  • Short-term methods – last less than 6 months, include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug free outpatient therapy
  • Long-term methods – may include medication therapy such as methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic treatment

Outpatient and Inpatient

  • Outpatient drug free treatment– does not include medication and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients that visit a clinic at regular intervals. It actually involves individual or group counseling. Normally patients registering for this type of program do not abuse opiates, or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is needed. Generally these patients have stable lives and only brief histories of drug dependence
  • Therapeutic Communities – highly structured communities where patients stay for 6-12 months. Patients generally have long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. This type of program focuses on the re-socialization of the patient to a drug free and crime free lifestyle.
  • Short-term residential programs – chemical dependency units,” based on the “Minnesota Model” of treatment for alcoholism.  Involve 3- to 6-week inpatient treatment phase followed by an extended outpatient therapy in a 12-step self-help group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous.

Finally doctor Akoury recommends that if you are able to avoid using drugs the better. Treatment is more tasking than preventing which is the most ideal for good health. It would be the best thing you can do for yourself and to the whole society. But you are unable to all is not lost you can still get help from the experts up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

 

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Defeating stress as a solution to substance abuse

August 26, 2016
Defeating stress

Defeating stress as a solution to substance abuse involves many activities including exercise

Defeating stress as a solution to substance abuse: Healthy ways of coping with stress

It is true that stress is in evitable in the current lifestyle we are living in however; we can bring stress to manageable levels so that its effects to human life are significantly reduced. Take the endless problem of addiction for example, if this is to be experienced and at the same time the victim is under some stressful situations, the magnitude of the complication may be overwhelming. Addiction on its own is very stressful not just to the victims but also the relatives caring for the addict. Treatment would be very ideal but even once treatment is done, the recovered addict will still have to face the problems that led to their addiction in the first place. This is so because in many instances people get into drugs in an attempt of trying to confuse certain painful emotions, calming themselves after an argument or just to forget that bad day or a problem they are going through. The most painful part of it is that when the effect of the drug is gone and you become sober, that which you were trying to escape from returns in double portions. It is because of this that overcoming stress to solve drug addiction problems become very necessary.

Doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center states that for one to be treated successfully and maintain sobriety for a long time we must individually and collectively resolve these underlying issues of stress and addiction. It is important to note that with the life situations we have today, conditions such as stress, loneliness, frustration, anger, shame, anxiety, and hopelessness will remain in your life even when you’re no longer using drugs to cover them up. Nonetheless, you will be in a healthier position only when you finally address these issues by seeking for help from the experts and professional like those at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Defeating stress as a solution to substance abuse: Eliminating stress without the use of drugs

Drug abuse often shoots from ill-advised attempts to manage stress. In fact many people turn to alcohol or other drugs to unwind and relax after a stressful day, or to cover up painful memories and emotions that cause us to feel stressed and out of balance. This is what is commonly done by many people, but it is the wrong approach to stress solution. We have much more healthier ways to keep your stress level in check. Such steps may include exercising, meditating, using sensory strategies to relax, practicing simple breathing exercises, and challenging self-defeating thoughts says doctor Akoury.

Defeating stress as a solution to substance abuse: Healthy ways of coping with stress

 

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Heroin abuse prevention techniques

August 26, 2016
Heroin abuse prevention

You can be free from heroin abuse by applying working prevention techniques

Heroin abuse prevention techniques: The practicality of effective avoidance

Among all the known treatment procedures, prevention is always the best of them all. In the same way, heroin abuse prevention would be the best approach in addressing heroin addiction that is threating to wipe out a whole generation. No one can dispute that. It is economical to prevent than to try correcting mistakes accruing from failure to prevent. Heroin is one of the substances that are often abused across the globe due to various factors. Currently heroin is easily accessible to the market at affordable rates further compounding the various prevention campaigns. While it’s practically impossible to prevent people from using drugs, there are a number of things we can all do to avoid drug (heroin) and alcohol abuse.

It is because of that in ability that experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility are making their contribution by creating awareness to the general public of the importance of prevention of substance abuse. You too can be part of this noble exercise by being a good ambassador of change. If you are wondering how you can be part of this then I want to inform you that you are already taking part just by being on this link reading these very informative health information. You can as well share this knowledge up on understanding it with those closest to you and particularly those struggling with drug addiction. By doing that you never know you could be helping someone get out of drugs, however if you are already into drugs then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for a one on one professional treatment that will leave you healthier than you are now. In the meantime the following are some of practical ways to help you in preventing further drug abuse:

The five are just but a very small portion of what you can do to help in the prevention of drug abuse. There are so many things you can do but for now we are going to look at the five briefly as we progress into the discussion. Doctor Dalal Akoury is going to be sharing with us some of the insights of the necessary things that if well-articulated will go a long way in delivering the much needed victory that we are looking for.

Heroin abuse prevention techniques: The practicality of effective avoidance

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