Drug Addiction at work place

June 8, 2014

Drug Addiction at work place-Dangers discussed

Addiction does not spear people in the employment either

In the beginning when God first created man he planned and put everything in place for man to be comfortable in the first Garden of Eden. Man was to live like a king with plenty around him all he needed to do was to manage and care for what had been given to him. This is not so in today’s life where one has to work to earn a living. Ironically the most of the work we do are not our own we work in other people establishments be it the public sector or the private sector, in other words we are employees of somebody.

Drug Addiction at work place-Statistics of addiction

There are various challenges we go through at various work places ranging from positive to negative challenges. It is in this respect that we want to discuss one of the most challenging occurrences at work place in today’s society. Dear readers remain in the link because we want to talk about drug addiction at our work stations or places. But before we embark on this journey let us look at some of the statistics according to the American Council for Drug Education. According to this body sixty percent of the world’s illegal drugs are consumed by American drug users. Two million Americans use heroin, six million use cocaine, 18 million have alcohol abuse problems and an estimated 23 million people use marijuana at least four times in a week interesting.

Of all drug users, 74.8 percent are employed and active in the workplace. This means that 12.9 million individuals actively use drugs in the workforce, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Using drugs impairs decision-making abilities as well as physically impairs people. This is a deadly concoction when on the job. In fact, between 10 and 20 percent of American workers who die at work have a positive result when tested for drugs or alcohol a study by OSHA states that the most dangerous occupations, such as mining and construction, also have the highest rates of drug use by their employees.

Drug Addiction at work place-Addiction causes financial losses

With that background of addiction and statistics you will notice that addiction is not just a problem of the less fortunate in the society or illiterate individuals but a problem for all people alike. When employees abuse drugs at their work stations or elsewhere they cause their employers great losses and by extension the national treasurer’s kitty. The kinds of losses employers’ incur are not just monetary but also on the best performing work force. Such employees are said to be poor quality employees because of some of the following:

They have poor work performance and are not reliable in their deliverables.
They are never at work place in time and lose a lot of production hours in the process.
Because of the risk associated with drug addiction they tend to involve in accidents and filing workers compensation claims and benefits which pull down the organization profitability.

Drug Addiction at work place-Prevention of drug addiction at work place

The organization must put testing mechanism for employees at the point of admission.
The testing program should be continuous and must be known to the employees that the organization will be doing this say twice every year. Offenders of drugs addiction will be punished according to the company’s regulations.
Employers must also put systems in place that work toward staff motivation a well-motivated employee may not have the time to indulge in drugs.
The work place must be free from accident risk factors, for example efforts should be made to ensure that floors are not sleeper at all cost.
Financial systems must be in place to ensure that cash is not used in making payments. Other non-cash payments methods should be adopted to discourage theft of cash for the purpose of purchase of drugs.
Luck of knowledge is a serious threat to well-being of employees therefore periodic staff training on drug addiction prevention and treatment would be necessary in an organization.

The cost of maintaining an addicted employee would be too costly than implementing the preventive measures. When proper preventive measures are in then they provide a safer environment for employers as well as increase the productivity of existing employees, which boosts revenue and profit margin.

Drug Addiction at work place-How to know if someone is abusing Drugs

Drugs affect people differently and keen measures must be in place to ensure that signs of common illnesses are not confused with addiction.
Employees who frequently have accidents, exhibit erratic behavior, and have dilated pupils or slurred speech may be exhibiting signs of intoxication.
Extreme mood swings, paranoia, glassy eyes and noticeable exhaustion are also signs of drug abuse.
Frequent absenteeism is another sign of drug use.

Drug Addiction at work place-What to Do if You Suspect Someone Is Using Illegal Substances

If you feel that someone in your workplace is using illegal substances you must report this to your superiors immediately e.g. manager, supervisor, a security officer or human resource officer.
You can do this privately or outside of work if it makes you more comfortable.
Never feel that you are risking a coworker’s job by reporting doing this is the biggest reason that employees withhold their suspicious, and this is a deadly mistake.
By not telling someone, you are contributing to the likelihood that an accident will occur.
Reporting your suspicions could also force the addict to seek treatment.

Finally we need everybody on board in the fight of drug addiction at work place to effectively do this we will need the involvement of experience experts like Dr. Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. The opinion of such professionals is very important as they will help your employees stay away from drugs. Doctor Dalal and her team of experts will help your employees realize their lives back by offering then exclusive NER Recovery Treatment which will ensure that your productivity is restored and profit margins increased when you finally have a sober work force.

Drug Addiction at work place-Dangers discussed

Drug Addiction and Family

June 7, 2014

Drug Addiction and Family-How drugs affect families

The family as a unit needs to be addiction free for the society to be free too

Family is a very important unit in the society. Before we can have a village, city, nation, continent or the glob we must first have a family. This is the very starting point. If we want to have a safe and peaceful society, village or nation the family must form the roots. Therefore if we want to have an addiction free society we must start with the smallest unit family. It because of this genesis that we want to discuss the effects of drug addiction in the family set up. This is going to be very interesting for you because I believe that you come from a family somewhere. I am inviting you to take a moment and be in this family of addiction knowledge by reading this article to the end.

Like we have said before addiction affect all people in indiscriminately and the effects can either be direct or in direct. As a unit of family members can be affected even if the drug consumer is not an addict yet and so when a member of the family is abusing a given drug say alcohol the whole family is affected. In many cases the person (family offender) may not be an addict or an alcoholic. They are just drinking or taking drugs in a way which upsets others. Having this at the back of our mind let us interrogate some of these scenarios:

How a parent with a drug or alcohol problem affects the whole family
How a partner with a drug or alcohol problem affects the other partner
How a parent’s addiction may affect their children
How a son or daughter with an addiction problem affects the whole family
Family support

Drug Addiction and Family-Parent with a drug or alcohol problem affects the whole family

In many cases parents are the bread winners of most families, when the bread winner is not in control of his or her behavior then the whole family is in pain which can only heal when immediate corrective measures are taken to salvage the situation and especially the children. Talking of the children the actions of their addictive parents is a serious risk factor to them because they are likely to fall victims of drug addiction in the future. The parents will not have the moral authority to inspire healthy living in their children because themselves they have fallen and so the entire family is affected.

Drug Addiction and Family-Partner with a drug or alcohol problem affects the other partner

People get into different partnerships for different reasons. The objectives of the partnership are always well outline with each partner taking their role so that the ultimate objective is achieved. It is not easy to live with a person who’s drinking or drug use is causing problems. Normally they are full of conflict, torn between wanting their drug or alcohol and not wanting the harm that always seems to follow. They often blame others when things go wrong.

The sober partner often feels hurt, ashamed, afraid, and has an overwhelming sense of failure. Unfortunately many partners work even harder to ‘fix’ the situation, taking on extra responsibilities, trying to cover up the mess… fighting a losing battle. This is a real problem in which if you are that partner, the first step towards putting things right is to take some time for yourself, and get the support you need. A good friend or a counselor can be a great help.

Drug Addiction and Family-Parent’s addiction affects their children

Children relay on parents for direction and guidance and if this is not forth coming from the parents then they will fumble on their own and may not do the right thing as is required. The people they see as their source inspiration are failing them. With this the following are likely to happen when the roles of parents are not done well:

The Family Hero

This is often the eldest in the family. This person is responsible, works hard for approval, and often appears successful. But inside, this person often feels insecure, as if things are always going to go wrong, and feels incompetent, confused and angry.

The Scapegoat

This person feels blamed when things go wrong. Everyone focuses on this person’s faults, which provides the family with a distraction from the real problem. So this person often seems rebellious, troublesome, law-breaking, tough… and may be at risk of abusing drugs themselves. Inside, this person is often full of fear, hurt, rejection and loneliness, feeling angry at the unfairness of how they are treated.

The Lost Child

This son or daughter appears as a dreamer, drifting above the troubled waters that bother other people. But inside, the person is not as contented as they appear. They are quietly hurt, angry, lonely, with a feeling of being inadequate.

The Mascot

Sometimes also referred to as the clown, the person in this role is often charming and cute, fun to be with, quick to make a joke. Sometimes they are quite hyper-active and flit from one interest to another; sometimes quite fragile and easily hurt. But they are good at hiding the hurt, and other feelings of loneliness, insecurity, fear and low self-esteem.

If you recognize any of these roles as being ‘you’, the first step to putting things right is to take time for yourself, to talk to a friend or a counselor. Stop thinking about the addicted person for a while (easier said than done!) and pay attention to your own real needs.

Drug Addiction and Family-How children with an addiction affects the whole family

Whole families can seem to go to pieces when there is a son or daughter using drugs or alcohol. Parents fall out with each other over how to handle the situation, while other sons or daughters can get blamed for being a bad example. The drug user gets so much attention that others are neglected. Rows and bad language upset the peace. If peace and love are the oxygen of life, then the whole family is gasping for breath.

In an airplane, if the oxygen masks are released, parents are supposed to put on their own masks before attending to their children’s masks. The same is true here. You must look after your own needs before helping the one causing the problem.

Even if you are the only person in the family who recognizes the alcohol or drug problem, it is worthwhile getting support for yourself, from a friend or a trusted teacher or a counselor. You may want to consider AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury. At this facility you will meet a team expert who will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE to help you get better in no time.

Drug Addiction and Family-How drugs affect families

Children and Addiction

June 7, 2014

Children and Addiction-Alcoholics

Surely our children deserve to live in a drug addiction free environment.

The statistics of children growing up in environment where elements that triggers addiction is worrying globally and in fact in America for example it is believed that one in five adult creating a greater risk for children having emotional problems than those children brought up in a sober environment. Alcoholism for example runs in families, and children of alcoholics are four times more likely than other children to become alcoholics themselves. Compounding the psychological impact of being raised by a parent who is suffering from alcohol abuse is the fact that most children of alcoholics have experienced some form of neglect or abuse.

When a child is being raised by a parent or guardian who is suffering from alcohol abuse may have a variety of conflicting emotions that need to be addressed in order to avoid future problems. Some of the conflicting feelings may include:

Guilt. The child may see himself or herself as the main cause of the mother’s or father’s drinking.
Anxiety. The child may worry constantly about the situation at home. He or she may fear the alcoholic parent will become sick or injured, and may also fear fights and violence between the parents.
Embarrassment. Parents may give the child the message that there is a terrible secret at home. The ashamed child does not invite friends home and is afraid to ask anyone for help.
Inability to have close relationships. Because the child has been disappointed by the drinking parent many times, he or she often does not trust others.
Confusion. The alcoholic parent will change suddenly from being loving to angry, regardless of the child’s behavior. A regular daily schedule, which is very important for a child, does not exist because bedtimes and mealtimes are constantly changing.
Anger. The child feels anger at the alcoholic parent for drinking, and may be angry at the non-alcoholic parent for lack of support and protection.
Depression. The child feels lonely and helpless to change the situation.

Although the child tries to keep the alcoholism a secret other people around like teachers, relatives, other adults, or friends may sense that something is wrong with this child. Teachers and guardians should be aware that the following behaviors may signal a drinking or other problem at home:

Failure in school; truancy
Lack of friends; withdrawal from classmates
Delinquent behavior, such as stealing or violence
Frequent physical complaints, such as headaches or stomachaches
Abuse of drugs or alcohol
Aggression towards other children
Risk taking behaviors
Depression or suicidal thoughts or behavior

Some children of alcoholics may cope by taking the role of responsible “parents” within the family and among friends. They may become controlled, successful “overachievers” throughout school, and at the same time be emotionally isolated from other children and teachers. Their emotional problems may show only when they become adults.

It is important for relatives, teachers and caregivers to realize that whether or not the parents are receiving treatment for alcoholism, these children and adolescents can benefit from educational programs and early professional help is also important in preventing more serious problems for the child, including reducing risk for future alcoholism. Child and adolescent psychiatrists can diagnose and treat problems in children of alcoholics. They can also help the child to understand that they are not the ones responsible for the drinking problems of their parents and that the child can be helped even if the parent is in denial and refusing to seek help.

During treatment program other youngsters may be included in the group therapy this will help reduces the isolation of being a child of an alcoholic. The child and adolescent psychiatrist will often work with the entire family, particularly when the alcoholic parent has stopped drinking, to help them develop healthier ways of relating to one another.

Children and Addiction-Teens Alcohol and other Drugs

Young people particularly teenagers like to explore on things and so experimentation with alcohol and drugs during adolescence is common. Unfortunately they often don’t see the link between their actions today and the consequences for tomorrow. They also have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others experience.

Using alcohol and tobacco at a young age has negative health effects. It is important to note that while some teens will experiment and stop or continue to use occasionally without significant problems. Others will develop a dependency, moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others. It is difficult to know which teens will experiment and stop and which will develop serious problems. Those teenagers who are likely to bear the greater risk are those:

with a family history of substance use disorders
who are depressed
who have low self-esteem, and
who feel like they don’t fit in or are out of the mainstream

There is no limit on the kinds of drugs teenagers’ abuse it is all round to them a variety of drugs, both legal and illegal. The use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens. The average age of first marijuana use is 14, and alcohol use can start before age 12. The use of marijuana and alcohol in high school has become common.

Drug use is associated with a variety of negative consequences, including increased risk of serious drug use later in life, school failure, and poor judgment which may put teens at risk for accidents, violence, unplanned and unsafe sex, and suicide. Parents can prevent their children from using drugs by talking to them about drugs, open communication, role modeling, responsible behavior, and recognizing if problems are developing.

Children and Addiction-Warning signs of teenage alcohol and drug use

Physical: Fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and glazed eyes, and a lasting cough.

Emotional: personality change, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment, depression, and a general lack of interest.

Family: starting arguments, breaking rules, or withdrawing from the family.

School: decreased interest, negative attitude and drop in grades, many absences, truancy, and discipline problems.

Social problems: new friends who are less interested in standard home and school activities, problems with the law, and changes to less conventional styles in dress and music.

Some of the warning signs we have discussed so far can be signs of other problems as well which parents may use to recognize signs of trouble and possible use of alcohol and other drugs with their teenager. If you have concerns you may want to consult your physician to rule out physical causes of the warning signs. However when this persist seeking an expert opinion would be necessary. Doctor Dalal Akoury is fellowship trained and certified in anti-aging functional and regenerative medicine, as well as having more than two decades of accumulated experience in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and a master’s degree in public health. She has also served fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology and has performed research in leukemia and the effects of smoking. Problems affecting your children will be safe in the care of such experts like doctor Akoury.

Children and Addiction-Alcoholics

Types of Addictions

June 6, 2014

Types of Addictions-Drug Addiction

Because addiction is not a respecter of anyone you must take the bold step of getting help.

When you mention the word addiction to anyone they will probably and definitely think of drugs abuse because addiction has been time immemorial been associated with drug abuse. This notion is well guided due to the fact that abused drug may lead to addiction and so this theory is just right. However it is not just the drugs that one can be addicted to there are a whole range of things that we can become addicted to as a society. Some of these may include gambling, exercise, ‘retail therapy’ (shopping), sex, food, alcohol, the Internet, and the list goes on and on. Those many elements of addiction will form our discussion in the coming articles but for the purposes of this article we are focusing the obvious one in many people’s mind that is drug addiction which majorly includes the following:

Alcohol
Nicotine (smoking)
Drugs (cocaine, heroin, amphetamines etc.)
Caffeine (coffee, chocolate etc.)

Addiction has been associated with crime, untidiness and reckless behavior among many other behaviors. This school of thought portray drug addicts as people with mental problems and a picture of a pale, skinny individual with needle marks down their arms who lives in the streets and commits crime to feed their habit. This description may be a stereotype but like all stereotypes, it contains an element of truth because for sure there are addicts who look and behave in this way, but then a gain there are also a great many addicts who do not. There are good populations of people who hide their addiction signs so well that no one would notice or detect that they have addiction problem. In our previous postings we have repeatedly stated that addiction is respecter of person. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do whether you are working class or middle class; young or old; male or female, or married or single, rich or poor addiction can affect anyone of us and the way they do varies between individuals.

Types of Addictions-Alcohol addiction

The substance alcohol is one which legally allowed in the society and besides its addictive nature it is majorly used socially. Many people enjoy a drink and are able to control how much they consume. These are the group that may be referred to as responsible alcohol consumers but the opposite of this are those who will find that alcohol become more than a pleasant social activity and take it excessively these are the group we call addicts who suffer alcoholism and are addicted to alcohol.

Types of Addictions-Nicotine addiction

Nicotine which is present in cigarette smoke is a highly addictive substance and is very difficult to break away from. There are many people who have confessed that they became addicted after their first cigarette puff although smoking experts tend to disprove this. It may take only a few cigarettes for someone to become addicted to the ‘high’ experienced as nicotine affects every area of your body and brain.

The moment you are addicted automatically your body will craves more and more nicotine and that is why there is no such thing as ‘social smoking’. Your body adjusts to a certain level but then requires ever increasing amounts of this to satisfy the urges which mean that you smoke more and more cigarettes.

Types of Addictions-Drug addiction

This includes addiction of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ drugs, and examples of these include marijuana, ecstasy, crack cocaine and heroin. There are also hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, solvents such as glue or ‘poppers’ and prescription drugs such as anti-depressants or tranquillisers.

Another category of drugs are those which are often used to improve athletic performance anabolic steroids. Dear reader this is a wide ranging subject so in order to help our understanding we will have discussions of the individual drugs in our subsequent postings so you don’t want to miss this stay tuned for more information on these drugs on an individual basis.

Types of Addictions-Caffeine addiction

This is very interesting because many of us are ignorant of its effects on our life. I can almost be sure that this morning you took a quick cup of coffee before you left for work and since we are almost using it daily you may be surprise to know that it causing an addiction, caffeine is a powerful stimulant and can cause more problems than you can ever imagine. We know that caffeine is commonly present in tea and coffee but it is also found in cola, chocolate and some types of medication. Caffeine is useful a ‘pick me up’ but like many things in life, if used to excess then it can damage your health.

In conclusion as I said in the introduction of this article addiction is wide and covers a lot but we only dwelt on the drug addiction as a segment and the four forms the greater titles in drug addiction. It is the nature of addiction to negatively re-arrange one’s life, adequate information about addiction is very necessary for you to help you make informed decisions and timely. If you ever notice any of these types of addiction in your life, family member, friend or colleague then you can be of help to them by referring them to doctor Dalal Akoury who is an expert on this and has administered treatment for over two decades now. She is also the founder and the chief executive of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Visiting this facility will be the best thing you can do for yourself when in problems of addiction, 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 and your life will positively change forever.

Types of Addictions-Drug Addiction

Social use or an Addiction

June 5, 2014

Social use or an Addiction-Drug Addiction

whether you take drugs for social reasons or otherwise drug addiction is real and treatment must follow immediately.

We have been talking about addiction and its effects not just in articles posted online but also in many different forums across the globe. The intensive discussion about this topic is a clear indication that it is no one’s cup of tea. Ironically some of the suspect drugs are not just legally accepted by different authorities but a great source of revenue for major economies. Take for example of alcohol which is believed to be the leading abuse drug globally is used immensely for social purposes and at the same time it is addictive and its addiction is very injurious not just to the alcoholic but to the greater society in many ways, begging the question are drugs for social use or an addiction? It can be difficult deciding between something (drug) which is used on a casual basis or has become an addiction. As difficult as it may be when you look and evaluate the merits of drug use and the demerits, the demerits outnumber the merits greatly.

Social use or an Addiction-A glass of wine or two

There is an old saying that ‘everything in moderation’ still holds true and it is the case that a small amount of something, for example alcohol or a couple of cups of coffee per week is not likely to cause any harm. In fact it may do you some good. One example of this is red wine which is considered to be good for your heart and health in general. Taking this further, there is the case of the ‘French Paradox’. This expression arose from a research study carried out in 1992 which reported upon the fact that the French diet was high in fats yet they had a relatively low rate of heart disease.

Social use or an Addiction-A cup or several cups of coffee a day

Caffeine is another substance which is fine in small amounts but not if taken to excess. It is a stimulant enjoyed by many people who like the fact that it acts as a ‘pick me up’ especially first thing in the morning! But excessive amounts of coffee will have a negative effect on your health. We have discussed in details the effects of caffeine addiction in our earlier posting. A cup of coffee again is used quite often in social places and for social objective however as started in the earlier posting if used excessively then it is addictive and can cause addiction.

Social use or an Addiction-Nicotine and other drug use

Smoking and drugs in general are not considered good for your health irrespective of the dose.

The dangers of smoking are well documented in fact all adverts of cigarette globally are mandatory required to publicly inform the ultimate smoker of the dangers associated with its smoking and its addictiveness and yet nicotine addiction is very difficult to break despite all these information and restrictions aligned to it. Many smokers argue that it helps them to relax justifying the social aspect of its use yet the long term problems associated with it cannot be ignored.

Drugs such as cannabis or cocaine may ‘help’ it consumer in terms of an instant ‘high’ and an escape from reality but they are highly the bottom line is that irrespective of the insignificant social benefits they are addictive and dangerous to your health.

Social use or an Addiction-Performance enhancing drugs

What about substances such as anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing drugs which are taken for purposes of increasing muscularity or athletic performance?

If for instance someone does not use these drugs regularly will it be okay to brand such persons addicts? We know that these drugs have side effects and in some cases, are fatal yet people still and willingly continue to take them. A new trend has recently appeared in which women use drugs such as testosterone in order to boost their assertiveness and confidence at work in the hope of furthering their career. Anyway testosterone is a male hormone which is responsible for muscle mass, lower body fat levels, sex drive, confidence and assertiveness.

This can be tempting to women who are trying to reach the top-the boardroom in male-dominated jobs.

Social use or an Addiction-At what point does casual use turn into an addiction?

If you use a substance on a social basis, are in control and don’t need it to function as a normal human being then it is safe to say you are not addicted. But if you need a particular substance to satisfy cravings, prevent unpleasant withdrawal symptoms or as a means of coping with daily life then you need help.

It is often the case that an addiction develops from casual use. It may be that you have strong enough willpower to stop your addiction but this is easier said than done. Some drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines are highly addictive and can lead to an addiction the first time they are used even if in small quantity. They are dangerous as well as powerful and it takes more than willpower to stop taking them. The first step is realizing that you have a problem of addiction and then seeking treatment for it.

Finally we may not have the opportunity to put in writing all the social usage of drugs but keep note must be taken when comparing the social benefits and addiction, the open truth is that these drugs are addictive and can cause addiction in no time. Because of their addictive nature Dr. Dalal Akoury, has in the past decades working on the best addiction treatment and she in line with this need Founded of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, at this facility she is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to all people irrespective of their background. Among the beneficiaries here are physicians and health care professionals. Doctor Akoury is passing her experience to people through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Everybody is welcomed to be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

Social use or an Addiction-Drug Addiction

Category Archives: Healthy Aging