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Misfiring Sex Hormones Cause a Spiral Downward: Havoc on the Brain

February 18, 2016

The effects of misfiring sex hormones to the brain

The hormones regulating sexual response in humans are testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and vasopressin.  Testosterone is most prevalent in males and estrogen and progesterone in females. Oxytocin and vasopressin are present equally in both men and women.

Each hormone plays a specific function in sexual motivation and response. Testosterone encourages males to compete for the attention of females. Estrogen increases sexual motivation in women, and is most elevated during ovulation, while at the same time progesterone, which lowers female sexual motivation, is lower. Oxytocin is associated with sexual pleasure and is the hormone responsible for forming emotional bonds. Vasopressin levels are raised during arousal in males, and may contribute towards increased sexual motivation.

brain havocWhen released at regular levels and at the correct times in response to ovulatory cycles or sexual stimulus, these hormones create the motivation for sexual reproduction and increase the pleasure response that it generates.

However, when these hormones are out of balance or secreted at the wrong time, they can have very adverse effects on one’s wellbeing.

Many women are aware of the link between hormones and mental health, having experienced it on a monthly basis in the form of PMS and mood swings in the time approaching the onset of her menstrual cycle. When the body undergoes puberty, the rising and falling hormone levels also result in mood swings, depression, irritability, and aggression. Pregnancy also releases a flood of hormones which affect mood and can in some women cause severe post-partum depression after giving birth. Menopause and menopausal symptoms of irritability, erratic behavior, changes in sex drive, brain fog, and hot flashes are also all the result of hormones being out of balance.

Although the mechanics of hormone-induced mental health issues are not fully understood, it would appear from the reactions that estrogen and progesterone, particularly, interact with the production and reception of serotonin and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) neurotransmitters in the brain. The fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone around the time of menstruation causes PMS and also PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. PMDD manifests in severe depression and anxiety, as well as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). PMDD sufferers have been misdiagnosed as bi-polar or with any of some other psychological disorders, because of the havoc wreaked by their hormones on their brain chemistry.

One sufferer in Cornwall stated: “The most bizarre part is that as soon as I start bleeding it goes away. Literally 30 minutes or an hour later and I feel totally normal again. Like I’ve been in a fog for a week and then I just step out”. However, she says of the week to ten days before her period: “Smells are stronger, sounds are louder, things that don’t bother me normally become a major issue, I’m clumsy and accident prone, totally exhausted and emotional. As I get closer to my period all of that intensifies and gets coupled with an extreme self-loathing, sometimes even suicidal thoughts. I look in the mirror, and my whole face looks different, distorted and not myself. It sounds bonkers; it feels bonkers.”

This disorder affects approximately 5% of menstruating women, although the prevalence may be much higher but simply go unreported.

And women are not the only sufferers. Men who experience an excess of estrogen are prone to depression and mood swings as well. Too little testosterone will display in symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, loss of libido, and depression.

Check out our Integrative Addiction Conference 2016 being held in Austin, Texas

 

Tests and studies carried out in a Canadian ice hockey team yielded some results regarding the effect of testosterone on mood and mental health, and showed a direct correlation between testosterone levels and confidence and aggression. The research into the link between testosterone and competitiveness returns very mixed results depending on the baseline personality of the subject.

Excess testosterone is metabolized into estrogen, which in some men results in metal health issues which are often diagnosed as bi-polar disorder. Studies conducted on some such patients which included hormone replacement therapy instead of the bi-polar medication which they had been taking showed positive results in their behavior and mental health.

Testosterone has also been shown to have a causal effect on egocentric and anti-social behavior. Also, low testosterone levels in men have been found to have a detrimental effect on sleep patterns. Disrupted sleep can have many psychological and physiological consequences, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.

Diagnosing and recognizing hormone-related disorders is the challenge. Very often this cause is overlooked and remains untreated. Regulating hormone levels in cases of mental health issues could present a long-term solution. Much research and study in this area are still necessary to fully understand and determine the link between the hormones and mental health.

The effect of hormones on mental health and wellbeing will be one of the topics under discussion at the upcoming Integrated Addiction Conference. Register online at http://regenerativepotential.com/integrativeaddictionconference/ for access to the forum and discussions and to attend the event.

 

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Memory problems caused by alcohol addiction

February 16, 2016

Memory problems caused by alcohol and drug addiction: How forgetful are you?

Memory problems

Memory problems caused by alcohol and drug addiction can be corrected professionally

We have seen time and again how alcohol abuse is reducing highly regarded people from the societies into nothing but a laughing stock. This (memory problems) has brought with it serious embarrassment and disgrace to the value of education. We have an opportunity to stop this and bring back those lost glories to their rightful places. This way we will not only put to check the escalation of alcoholism but also create role models to our children and their children’s children. Even as we chose to bring this to serenity, we must first find out why is this happening to our people? And that now brings us to our topic of discussion which has come out in a form of concern that is “memory problems caused by alcohol and drug addiction?” According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center alcohol and its effects on memory and general cognitive functioning, is not new and has been the subject of investigation and currently much research has been done over the years on this single subject. We are going to look at some of the impacts alcohol has in our general life system even as we take time to dwell much on how it affects the brain. We spoke with doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where all addiction related complications are professionally addressed and this is what she had to say.

Professionally doctor Akoury is registering that alcohol acts in human body in different ways but mainly as a general central nervous system (CNS) depressant. The human brain is segmented into different parts depending on their functions and all these parts of the brain are affected by alcohol addiction with some suffering the greater consequences than others. Doctor Akoury affirms that most importantly, alcohol abuse directly leads to distraction inattention and significantly inhibits neuronal activity in the hippocampus section of the brain which impairs memory encoding since the hippocampus plays an important role in the formation of new declarative memories. Because procedural memory functions more or less automatically, retrieval of procedural memory (“remembering how”) is not as severely impaired by alcohol as retrieval of declarative memory (“remembering what”).

Memory problems caused by alcohol and drug addiction: Memory Encoding

In memory processing, encoding becomes the first crucial first step which is instrumental in allowing any other observed item of interest to be transformed into a construct for storage in the brain, primarily to be recalled later from short-term or long-term memory. This is what alcohol abuse alters significantly thereby causing memory loss. Nonetheless for a better understanding, it is important to note that encoding is a biological event commencing with perception through the human senses. When the process of laying down memory begins, it normally triggers the attention where memorable experiences react with neurons causing certain intensity that increases the possibility that the experience is encoded as memory. During encoding emotional elements has a way of facilitating memory in the future through a pathway in the brain leading to the amygdala.

Now as to why alcohol addiction is not good for your memory, experts have established that alcohol with its addictive nature impairs the encoding of episodic memory which is that part of declarative memory that relates to our personal experiences and specific events in time and especially for certain types of recall, such as cued recall the recognition of completed word fragments and free recall. The experience of blackout commonly associated with excess consumption of alcohol is a perfect example of how difficult it can be in the encoding of episodic memories. The effect is facilitated by the rapid increase in blood alcohol concentration, which in turn distorts the activity of neurons in the hippocampus, thus impairing a person’s ability to form new episodic memories. Besides the aforementioned effects, excessive alcohol consumption can also brutally disrupt the encoding and storage process of new semantic memories which is human memory of facts, meanings and acquired knowledge about the external world even though this has got nothing to do with any previously learned information.

Memory problems caused by alcohol and drug addiction: Short-term memory

Besides the known and discussed complications of alcohol abuse above, alcohol also impairs short-term (working) memory, this it does primarily by affecting certain mnemonic strategies and executive processes rather than by shrinking the basic holding capacity of working memory or by physically altering the structure of the those parts of the brain which are critical for working memory function records doctor Dalal Akoury. And even though experts are agreeing that light to moderate drinking does not appear to impair long-term cognitive functioning significantly, the same is not true with heavy drinking and chronic alcoholism which has been closely associated with long-term impairment in sustained attention and working memory function, and in particular the visual working memory.

Finally experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, are reiterating that those who are into serious over-consumption of alcohol, especially in comparison with the intake of other foods, can besides the already mentioned effects can cause a thiamine deficiency, which when not addressed in good time can lead to a much more serious form of amnesia known as Korsakoff’s syndrome. Therefore we must all pool together in this journey of eradication alcohol and other substance of abuse. If you are heavily into alcohol, you may want to consider scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for a detailed professional evaluation and treatment. This needs not to wait because alcohol and memory have nothing positive in common. Treatment of both conditions (alcoholism and memory loss) must be done immediately to salvage the situation before it is too late.

Memory problems caused by alcohol and drug addiction: How forgetful are you?

 

 

 

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Sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women

February 16, 2016

Sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women: What are your fears as you approach menopause?

Sexual intimacy

Sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women is very possible and can be most enjoyable

One of the most interesting things in life is being intimate sexually with a partner, and for the avoidance of doubt I’ am addressing the intimacy between a man and a woman. As we (women) approach the menopause, psychological preparedness is very important because this is a totally new life that may come with its own expectations for many women. Once this is done then women can embrace these changes positively and even enjoy their sexual life progressively into old age. And just to bring words of hope about sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women doctor Akoury encourages that women approaching this stage in life can share with their counterparts who have been there to get to understand and learn from their experience. Such information will be very important because it will interest you to note that many women going through menopause are in the contrary enjoying their sex life than many think. This has been necessitated by the fact that they no longer have the worry of ever becoming pregnant or worries of raising children and so they are even motivated to having and enjoying sex spontaneously.

Another motivation is that of not having to run several commitments like child care which can be very much involving and parked with endless activities. With the omission of such activities, a lot more energy is saved at the end of the day thereby causing them to be more relaxed and comfortable for the enjoyment and satisfaction with their sexual life.

Sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women: Facing women sex complications

There is no doubt that woman’s sex drive can be quite complex, and beside the emotional traits, there are certain physical changes during menopause that can further complicate things. Some of the things that may bring complications may include:

Overweight: for better result it will be necessary that you shade off those extra pounds and any changes that come with it like body shape (hello, belly fat!). If these conditions are not addressed any woman may feel uncomfortable or self-conscious about her body and may even fail to recognize it as her own. Besides that weight issues also brings with it poor self-image. And that explains why to many people if you’re carrying extra weight, physical problems like reduced energy or mobility may interfere with your sexual function.

Hormonal changes: As we get to this stage in life, hormonal changes will always take place since they go hand-in-hand with menopause. It is during this time that two things will occur; meaning that while your body is busy ushering your estrogen out, it’s also ushering in some pretty significant vaginal changes including dryness and thinning of its lining. Less estrogen equals less vaginal lubrication, leading to a less elastic vagina. And the consequences of that is pain, burning, tightness or soreness.

Other possible sex-busters: hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, irregular bleeding, sleep problems and insomnia.

Sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women: Dealing with menopause problems

This is very important however it must be noted that not all sexual problems at this point cause frustrations. It therefore means that if they’re not bothersome to you or your partner then don’t consider them as problems. Each individual has their own normal and threshold for letting a problem get in the way of their relationship. To that effect doctor Akoury advices that before you throw up your hands in frustration, here are some ideas worth considering:

  • Take physical therapy for pelvic discomfort seriously
  • Regular sexual activity, which promotes vaginal health and blood flow. And to make it easier, you may want to consider:
    • Vaginal dilators
    • Over-the-counter vaginal lubricants (for temporary relief of dryness before and during sex)
    • Over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers (for longer-term relief from dryness)
    • Low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy in cream, ring or vaginal tablet form (reverses underlying atrophy and dryness)
    • Higher-dose hormone therapy throughout the body via pills, patches and other preparations (reverses underlying atrophy and dryness, but generally reserved for women with bothersome hot flashes. Other treatments:

Laser therapy: A new non-hormonal therapy, the MonaLisa Touch is a fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser specially designed to help restore vaginal health in postmenopausal women. It was recently introduced in this country after successfully treating more than 15,000 patients around the world. Performed by an OB/GYN, it works by delivering controlled energy to the vaginal tissue to revitalize the cells to make more collagen (which is an essential ingredient in vaginal cell health) and is an in-office, virtually pain-free procedure requiring no anesthesia.

Flibanserin: Touted as the “female Viagra,” the FDA twice rejected this drug, citing safety concerns like low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting. As of this writing, an FDA advisory panel has recommended approval of the drug on the condition that the drug’s manufacturer, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, try to reduce the risks of side effects.

Ospemifene (Osphena): This drug was approved by the FDA in 2013 for postmenopausal women who experience pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse. The once-a-day pill, which works by acting like estrogen in some parts of the body, helps make vaginal tissue thicker and less fragile. Any woman considering taking any medication should have a thorough discussion with her health care provider to consider the risks and benefits.

Sexual intimacy beyond menopause in women: What are your fears as you approach menopause?

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addiction-treatment

Addiction Gut treatment compliment each other

February 16, 2016

Addiction Gut treatment compliment each other: Involving Gut Treatment in Addiction treatment is important.

For many individuals, medical professionals and counsellors across the globe, the question of addiction and how to treat it successfully has arisen time and time again.  The emotional pain suffered by addicts and their families are tremendous, with the physical consequences often proving deadly.  Whether the addiction is due to a chemical substance, an emotional affliction or a sexual or gambling addiction, the list of addictive attractions is virtually endless – and always unhealthy with many lives being destroyed in the process. That is why we need to solution to all these addiction problem the experts are exploring other treatment ways like for instance whether addiction gut treatment can compliment each other for a common solution.

Addiction Gut treatment

Is there any possibility of Addiction Gut treatment compliment each other to offer lasting solution?

Addiction clinics have been established worldwide to treat those afflicted, and the good ones include a holistic and integrated approach to treatment. This integrated approach often encompasses the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the addict and has a varying success rate – often dependent on the individual involved as well as the environment they return to once treatment has ended.

If you would like to learn more about how important addiction gut treatment can compliment each other to offer lasting solution, then you may want to visit our link at

http://regenerativepotential.com/integrativeaddictionconference/

The conference includes speakers such as Dalal Akoury, MD, Mitch Ghen DO, Elizabeth Stuller MD and will include the opportunity to introduce your exhibition to your peers.  Social events have been included to facilitate networking and lectures are aimed at adding to your knowledge base in your treatment of addiction. For the prospective business owner, learning how to own and operate an integrated addiction and brain rejuvenation clinic forms a large part of the conference and is a goal that we would like to assist you in achieving.

The focus of the conference revolves around the integrated treatment of patients and, therefore, includes the treatment of addiction from a healthy gut perspective.  It further focuses on different types of addiction and how these can be treated from a behavioral perspective.  Establishing a successful addiction clinic by providing you with crucial management tools is another topic of discussion at our conference. therefore this is the place to be to learn more about the subject and also how addiction Gut treatment do compliment each other.

Why then is the treatment of the gut important in the treatment of addiction?  This is a field that is receiving a lot more attention and research in recent years and has elicited helpful information in how medical professionals approach the treatment of addiction.  With a drug-related death that occurs every 15 minutes in the U.S. and more products being added to the cornucopia – the battle against addiction appears to be a losing one.  It is, therefore, important to supplement one’s armor against this disease with a lot more than just counselling.  Successful clinics do use counselling but back this modality up with hormones, supplements and a program to replace gut bacteria and restore this environment to a healthy one.

Because of the links established between brain and gut health, it is imperative that treatment of the gut forms a significant part of the treatment of addicts.  Until their brains are functioning in a healthy manner, they simply will continue the vicious cycle of recovery and relapse.  One of the modalities used to address brain function then is through the treatment of the enteric system.

This small brain has an abundance of neurons that play a crucial role in addiction.  Because an addict will always look for that fix to sooth an overactive or underactive brain – it is important to treat and restore the chemical imbalances caused by a gut imbalance.  For some individuals they may have reduced activity in the reward center of the brain (nucleus accumbens) and will therefore constantly crave a sense of happiness.  These low-activity areas are affected by dopamine and addicts have low brain activity in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens.  This reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) then seeks substances to generate a dopamine surge to feel better – cocaine, opiates or amphetamines play a role here.

Overactive brains are characterized by a need for calming substances.  When uplifting neurotransmitters such as dopamine, histamine, glutamate and so on increase electrical activity in the brain, individuals may become slightly anxious or have difficulty sleeping.  At higher levels, they may experience panic attacks or live in a chronic state of anxiety.  Patients in this state are often addicted to substances such as alcohol, Valium or Xanax for the calming effects they produce.

Addictions are more often caused by gut toxicity than any other reason.  Because of its abundance of neurotransmitters, the gut usually produces a lot of serotonin among other transmitters.  Leaky gut or hyperpermeability can result from bacterial imbalances in the gut, coupled with ingesting toxins from the environment.  This allows for substances to be absorbed into the blood stream and consequently the brain that would otherwise be eliminated.  Food allergies can increase histamine levels that increase brain electrical activity, and since histamine is closely related to dopamine from a structural perspective, the belief exists that this causes increased brain dopamine activity. Disturbance of gut bacteria is linked to alcoholism that causes candida overgrowth, which in turn is linked to serotonin and taurine deficiencies.  With these two deficiencies linked to increased histamine activity, an alcoholic therefore feels as if he is in a constant state of withdrawal.  Drinking increases and so do anxiety levels and insomnia.

Addiction Gut treatment

Addiction Gut treatment compliment each other

For further information on gut health and addiction, join our Integrative Addiction Conference in August 2016.  We look forward to exchanging valuable information regarding addiction and increase the success rates for these patients moving forward.

 

 

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Increasing sex performance by treating addiction

February 15, 2016

Increasing sex performance by treating addiction: Knowing the best action to take

Increasing sex performance

Increasing sex performance will nor be possible if you are lost in drug addiction. If you are an addict, then you need to seek for treatment today.

Sex is not just a tool for procreation. It is a gift to be treasured, respected and enjoyed. Talking about sex can sometimes in most societies be difficult due to the nature of privacy that comes with it. However in this point and time, this should not be the case. We should be free to talk about it and help those who are missing out on the fulfillment of this treasure. We are aware that besides the procreation element, the portion of enjoyment is under serious threat and that is the motivation we have in addressing you on this topic of “increasing sexual performance by treating addiction.” If you have been with us for a while now, the topic addiction is not new to you. But for the avoidance of doubt we are not going to leave any stone unturned if we have to deliver justice to the society. We the experts of addiction at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and also founder of the facility, we are committed to making a difference in people’s live by posting trustworthy blogs on this link to help people understand and make the right, worthy and productive decisions for themselves about their lives. Therefore, for us to appreciate why increasing sex performance by treating addiction is relevant, we have to first take into consideration a few points as follows.

Increasing sex performance by treating addiction: Substance abuse and promiscuity

Being addicted to alcohol or drugs has serious repercussion when it comes to sexual fulfillment. It brings with it abusive behaviors and carelessness in sexual relationships which those into drugs. Professionally it has been established that many addicts are never intimate in their relationships instead they practice promiscuity. Promiscuous sex is a type of sex which lacks intimacy and it is also abusive and reckless with an individual engaging into sexual relationships with multiple partners. Under the influence of drugs, the addict will in most cases go with anybody in bed and wake up the following day with no memories of the happenings the night before. This is one of the consequences that drug users will have to contend with and that is why for any meaningful sexual relation to take place, addiction must be eliminated. The risks involved are life threatening and while increasing sexual performance is objectively ideal, serious actions must be taken to deal with the scourge of addiction if we have to be safe from there other risks which are associated with having sex under the influence of a substance. Doctor Akoury is emphasizing that normally when people are intoxicated they lose memory and can make poor and dangerous decisions. It is such decisions that endanger themselves and the multiple sex partners thereby increasing the risk of picking up a sexually transmitted disease and unplanned pregnancy.

Increasing sex performance by treating addiction: Impact of addiction on the sex drive

The impact of addiction on sex drive is real and devastating. The illusion that certain drugs like cocaine increases sex drive is one that must not be acceptable to humanity by all means. While there may be some partiality in that, cocaine is a dangerous substance and a killer to sex drive. If one uses cocaine besides becoming addicted to it, they may lose their erection ability completely with time. Doctor Akoury advices alcohol and drug abuse can be the greatest enemies to people’s sexual health (sexual performance) and must be avoided if increasing sexual performance is to be made relevant. Therefore if people abuses drugs further they are likely to lose all interest in sex and intimacy with males suffering the most of sexual dysfunctions consequences while women will suffer from decreased libido as a result of drug abuse.

Increasing sex performance by treating addiction: Overcoming intimacy and sexual issues in recovery

Having known the consequences of addiction in our sexual health, it is only fair that treatment is done in good time. And even as we consider doing this, we must be careful to be alert not to injure intimacy and sexual related issues during the period of recovery. Therefore in order to overcome these problems professionally, doctor Akoury recommends that:

  • During the recovery period, experts advises that new relationships be avoided at least within the first year of recovery. Primarily this is important because at this time the patient already has more than enough to concentrate on and adding another intimate relationship can easily trigger the recovering patient into their old habits.
  • Where the victims are a married couple, it is important that when they get sober, some allowance of time of adjustment becomes necessary. It may not be realistic to expect this relationship to turn to its intimacy immediately as it used to be. The elements like lost trust need to be restored progressively over a period of time.
  • The fall into addiction does not occur overnight and neither does recovery from it. It may take month or even years before the individual is fully able to be intimate with another human being – this is particularly likely if they had intimacy issues before they fell into addiction.
  • When a partner in a relationship is struggling with addiction, the effectiveness of communication will be seriously injured and this will have to be natured back gradually.
  • The partner will have developed certain coping strategies to deal with the behavior of the addict. They may need to abandon these coping strategies before intimacy can be resumed – this will only happen if they can once again feel they trust their partner.
  • If people have persistent problems with intimacy they may benefit from some type of counseling. A therapist will be able to help the individual dig deep to discover any underlying issues and on this you can always contact doctor Dalal Akoury on telephone number 843 213 1480 for further direction.
  • When the damage caused by addiction has reached a point of no return and the partners in that relationship feels that salvaging it is not possible, then the last option would be to end it in the interest of the children and the vulnerable.
  • In all this confusion, it is important that both direct and indirect victims consult with the experts from time to time to detect and correct any underlying medical issues that could be the root course. And experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center would be very resourceful to you if only you can schedule for an appointment with them.
  • Early recovery is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. Things tend to settle down once the individual has established themselves in sobriety, and they will then usually find it easier to manage their intimate relationships.
  • Relationship counseling can be a big help for those who are serious about rebuilding their current partnership. It can be like giving the relationship a clean start.

Increasing sex performance by treating addiction: Knowing the best action to take

 

 

 

 

 

 

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