Category Archives: Brain Health

Career and drugs

Complementary treatment for drug abuse and mental health

September 12, 2016
Complementary treatment

Complementary treatment for drug abuse and mental health. Attaining addictions breakthrough professionally begins with the role of mental health in successful detox

Complementary treatment for drug abuse and mental health: Stay connected

We have already looked at some of the complimentary treatment for drug abuse previously, but for the benefit of your health, we want to explore more in this line to equip you with all the relevant health information as follows:

Get therapy or stay involved in a support group – Your chances of staying sober improve if you are participating in a social support group like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous or if you are getting therapy.

Follow doctor’s orders – Once you are sober and you feel better, you might think you no longer need medication or treatment. But arbitrarily stopping medication or treatment is a common reason for relapse in people with co-occurring disorders. Always talk with your doctor before making any changes to your medication or treatment routine.

Complementary treatment for drug abuse and mental health: Make healthy lifestyle changes

Practice relaxation techniques – When practiced regularly, relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, and increase feelings of relaxation and emotional well-being.

Healthy eating habits – Start the day right with breakfast, and continue with frequent small meals throughout the day. Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar, which can make you feel more stressed or anxious.

Exercise regularly – Exercise is a natural way to bust stress, relieve anxiety, and improve your mood and outlook. To achieve the maximum benefit, aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days.

Get enough sleep – People often ignore sleeping because of the pressures of work and economic hardship however lack of sleep can exacerbate stress, anxiety, and depression it is therefore prudent that you sleep for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep a night.

Complementary treatment for drug abuse and mental health: Helping a loved one with a substance abuse and mental health problem

Helping a loved one with both a substance abuse and a mental health problem can be a roller coaster. Resistance to treatment is common and the road to recovery can be long. The best way to help someone is to accept what you can and cannot do. You cannot force someone to remain sober, nor can you make someone take their medication or keep appointments. What you can do is make positive choices for yourself, encourage your loved one to get help, and offer your support while making sure you doesn’t lose yourself in the process. You could take either of the following in helping your loved ones:

Seek support – Dealing with a loved one’s dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse can be painful and isolating. Make sure you’re getting the emotional support you need to cope. Talk to someone you trust about what you’re going through. It can also help to get your own therapy or join a support group yourself.

Set boundaries – Be realistic about the amount of care you’re able to provide without feeling overwhelmed and resentful. Set limits on disruptive behaviors, and stick to them. Letting the co-occurring disorders take over your life isn’t healthy for you or your loved one.

Educate yourself – Learn all you can about your loved one’s mental health problem, as well as substance abuse treatment and recovery. The more you understand what your loved one is going through, the better able you’ll be to support recovery.

Be patient – This is very important because recovering from a dual diagnosis doesn’t happen overnight. It is an ongoing process that can take some times may be months or years, and relapse is common. Ongoing support for both you and your loved one is crucial as you work toward recovery. All these are just some guidelines to help you offer better support to your loved ones. And even as follow these guidelines it is still very important that you seek for the services of the experts in this discipline. You can reach doctor Akoury on phone today to schedule for an appointment with her and she will be of great help to you and your loved ones as well.

Complementary treatment for drug abuse and mental health

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Career and drugs

Heroin assignment in the brain

September 9, 2016
Heroin assignment

Heroin assignment in the brain are never good for human health in general

Heroin assignment in the brain: Facts about heroin addiction

When you ask me this question how does heroin work in the brain? I will respond to help you not get confused as to whether heroin is good for your health or otherwise. You cannot gamble with your life and most importantly your health. For your information, this I the most valuable asset one can ever possess in life. When experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center say that your health is your health, it is not a gimmick. It is a confirmed fact and you can attest to it even as a layman. Heroin as a drug has nothing to offer in the protection to this most valuable yet priceless asset called health. And just to erase the confusion from your mind if any, doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center explains that, under normal circumstance the heroin assignment in the brain generally human body is to naturally produce its own opiate-like substances and uses them as neurotransmitters.

As we progress into the discussion about heroin assignment in the brain, let me make emphasis that in a different way, I have not just singled out heroin but substances like opiate. Meaning that some of the substances am alluding to may include endorphins, enkephalins and dynorphin and collectively they are commonly known as endogenous opioids. Endogenous opioids modulate our reactions to painful stimuli and this is where many go wrong and are attempting to associate heroin with proper functionality of the brain. That aside these endogenous also regulate vital functions such as hunger and thirst and are involved in mood control, immune response, and other processes.

Heroin assignment in the brain: Exogenous substances

And now as to the reason why opiates like heroin and morphine are affecting us so powerfully is that, these exogenous substances bind to the same receptors as our endogenous opioids. There are three kinds of receptors widely distributed throughout the brain including the mu, delta, and kappa receptors.
These receptors through the second messengers, influences the likelihood that ion channels will open, which in certain cases reduces the excitability of neurons. This reduced excitability is the likely source of the euphoric effect of opiates and appears to be mediated by the mu and delta receptors.

This euphoric effect also appears to involve another mechanism in which the GABA-inhibitory interneurons of the ventral tegmental area come into play. By attaching to their mu receptors, exogenous opioids reduce the amount of GABA released. Remember that under normal circumstances, GABA reduces the amount of dopamine released in the nucleus accumbens. By inhibiting this inhibitor, the opiates ultimately increase the amount of dopamine produced and the amount of pleasure felt. Besides that doctor Akoury says that the chronic consumption of opiates inhibits the production of cAMP. However this inhibition will be offset in the long run by other cAMP production mechanisms. When no opiates are available, this increased cAMP production capacity comes to the fore and results in neural hyperactivity and the sensation of craving the drug. And with craving you can easily continue in the addiction life. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, wants to help you defeat all these and set you free from all manner of addiction. You can call her today to schedule for that important appointment.

Heroin assignment in the brain: Facts about heroin addiction

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Addicted brain

Brain vulnerability to heroin infections

September 9, 2016
Brain vulnerability

Brain vulnerability to heroin infections is real and getting brain health efficiency for addiction treatment begins with establishing a healthy brain communication network flows

Brain vulnerability to heroin infections: Different avenues through which heroin attacks

The brain vulnerability to heroin infection is one great concern that many people are yearning to understand. And for sure most people have realize that addictive drugs affect the body, but they always fail to realize that the effects of heroin on the brain can be very devastating. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center this will all starts when the heroin users takes their first dose of heroin. This will put the roller coaster in motion and sets them up for long term addiction to heroin. Remember that the initial rush of euphoria is produced by a flood of powerful opiates being sent to the brain eventually becomes the new bar for feeling good. Over time, the brain comes to demand the same level of extra opiates in order to pass that communication to the body that everything is fine. Without the extra boost of opiates, the brain shifts into panic mode, and alerts the body that more opiates are needed in order to feel normal.

Brain vulnerability to heroin infections: Heroin addiction alterations to the brain

It is very sad that we all want to live well yet we often don’t do what will make us live the life we desire. The brain being one of the pillar organs of good health is left exposed yet we claim to know that when the brain is healthy the whole body is too. Because of heroin abuse figurative changes has occur to the brain over time. This is one of the most profound effects heroin has on the brain, because it is essentially permanent if the heroin addict has abused the drug for several years. Doctor Akoury further explains that a normal person has a certain level of dopamine produced on a regular basis that is trickled out to their brain so that they can simply feel normal as they go about their business. For example, after and during vigorous exercise, the body is slowly releasing small bits of this natural dopamine to the brain, so that the person can feel better in spite of their hard work which is also a basic, biological survival mechanism.

Brain vulnerability to heroin infections: Dangers of heroin to the brain

When an addict starts using heroin every single day, such person’s brain is basically saying that “hey just a minute here, and then the body communicates that it is being constantly flooded with extra opiates and dopamine, so there is no need for it to produce any more naturally by itself as it should normally. I am getting all that I need and more.” Over time, if the heroin addict continues doing heroin for years, they are simply training their own body to stop all natural dopamine production. Because heroin addiction is so dangerous and has so many risks involved with long term use, most heroin addicts never make it to this end stage where their body has ceased making natural dopamine. In such cases, drug maintenance therapy with synthetic opiate is recommended. Finally this phenomenon should demonstrate the power heroin use can have which is why to need to seek for help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Brain vulnerability to heroin infections: Different avenues through which heroin attacks

 

 

 

 

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drug abuse

Cancer disease fundamentals and alcohol consumption

September 9, 2016
Cancer disease fundamentals

Cancer disease fundamentals and alcohol consumption registers double health complications from cancer and stress.

Cancer disease fundamentals and alcohol consumption: Can a person’s gene contribute to their risk of alcohol related cancer?

The answer to this question is yes. It is actually true that a person’s risk of alcohol-related cancers can be influenced by their genes, and specifically when the genes that encode the enzymes is involved in metabolizing that is breaking down of alcohol. For example, one way the body metabolizes alcohol is through the activity of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, or ADH. Many individuals of Chinese, Korean, and especially Japanese descent carry a version of the gene for ADH that codes for a “super-active” form of the enzyme. This super-active ADH enzyme speeds the conversion of alcohol (ethanol) to toxic acetaldehyde. As a result, when people who have the super-active enzyme drink alcohol, acetaldehyde builds up. Among people of Japanese descent, those who have this super-active ADH have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those with the more common form of ADH.

Can red wine help in cancer prevention?

Researchers conducting studies using purified proteins, human cells, and laboratory animals have found that certain substances in red wine, such as resveratrol, have anticancer properties. Grapes, raspberries, peanuts, and some other plants also contain resveratrol. However, clinical trials in humans have not provided evidence that resveratrol is effective in preventing or treating cancer. Few epidemiologic studies have looked specifically at the association between red wine consumption and cancer risk in humans.

Cancer disease fundamentals and alcohol consumption: What next after quitting alcohol abuse?

Most of the studies that have examined whether cancer risk declines after a person stops drinking alcohol have focused on head and neck cancers and on esophageal cancer. In general, these studies have found that stopping alcohol consumption is not associated with immediate reductions in cancer risk; instead, it may take years for the risks of cancer to return to those of never drinkers.

For example, a pooled analysis of 13 case-control studies of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx combined found that alcohol-associated cancer risk did not begin to decrease until at least 10 years after stopping alcohol drinking. Even 16 years after they stopped drinking alcohol, the risk of cancer was still higher for ex-drinkers than for never drinkers.

In several studies, the risk of esophageal cancer was also found to decrease slowly with increasing time since stopping alcohol drinking. A pooled analysis of five case–control studies found that the risk of esophageal cancer did not approach that of never drinkers for at least 15 years after stopping alcohol drinking.

Is it safe for someone to drink alcohol while undergoing cancer chemotherapy?

Cancer is a killer disease and alcohol is equally very bad for your health even if you were not struggling with cancer. What benefit can one get from alcohol especially when you are also on cancer treatment? Certainly nothing good will come out of it. However if you are so much into alcohol and you feel like you cannot get along without drinking, then you must and timely consult with your doctor. Your doctor who has been administering treatment on you will able to advice you professionally on specific issues including whether drinking whether drinking alcohol is safe with particular chemotherapy drugs or other medications prescribed along with chemotherapy. Nonetheless you can also seek for professional help from other medical experts like doctor Dalal Akoury, all you need to do is to call her for an appointment and she will gladly give you her best from her experience of over two decades of practice.

Cancer disease fundamentals and alcohol consumption: Can a person’s gene contribute to their risk of alcohol related cancer?

 

 

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Strong central nervous system stimulant

September 7, 2016
Strong central nervous system

Strong central nervous system stimulant that can destroy the brain system and the well-being of the body

Strong central nervous system stimulant: Crack cocaine

Without missing the words, cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that raises the levels of dopamine. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center explains that this is a brain chemical which is associated with pleasure and movement, in the brain’s reward circuit. And since dopamine facilitates communication in some brain cell commonly known as neurons, which are released by neurons to respond to signals like the smell or taste of good food and then it is recycled back into the cell that releases it which in return will shut off the signal between neurons.

Cocaine acts by preventing the dopamine from being recycled, causing excessive amounts of dopamine to build up, amplifying the message, and ultimately disrupting normal communication. It is this excess of dopamine that is responsible for cocaine’s euphoric effects. With repeated use, cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward system and in other brain systems as well, which may eventually lead to addiction.

Strong central nervous system stimulant: Health consequences

There is no doubt that cocaine abuse impact on health negatively in very many ways. Doctor Akoury explains that among many other consequences, the following are outstanding:

Being a strong central nervous system stimulant, it can also cause headaches and gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. Alongside that, it is worth noting that since cocaine tends to decrease appetite, chronic users can become malnourished as well.

Strong central nervous system stimulant: Effects associated with mode of administration

Even though the dangers remain the same, it will interest you to note that these modes of administration of cocaine (smoking, snorting, injestion and injection) can produce different adverse effects including the following:

  • Regularly snorting cocaine, can lead to loss of the sense of smell, nose bleeding, problems with swallowing, hoarseness and a chronically runny nose.
  • Ingesting cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene as a result of reduced blood flow.
  • Injecting cocaine can bring about severe allergic reactions and increased risk for contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases.
  • Binge patterns of use may lead to irritability, restlessness, anxiety, and paranoia.
  • Cocaine abusers can suffer a temporary state of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which they lose touch with reality and experience auditory hallucinations.

In conclusion doctor Akoury is making emphasis that it doesn’t matter how it is administered or the frequency of cocaine use, in all these users can experience acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, which may cause sudden death. Remember that most cocaine-related deaths are often as result of cardiac arrest or seizure followed by respiratory arrest. All these can be brought to manageable levels if we all pool together and begin doing the right things. You may not know conclusively what to do and that is why doctor Akoury founded this health facility to help you stay healthy. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury and together with her team of experts they will professionally offer lasting solution to your individual conditions.

Strong central nervous system stimulant: Crack cocaine

 

 

 

 

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