Prevention of drug addiction

May 14, 2014

Prevention of drug addiction-The Central Role of Parents

As parents we have a duty to protect our children from drug use and addiction. Impact on them positively

If you have been with me on this link for the last few months, you must have read much about drug addiction at all levels and by all social class of people. The seriousness of this problem in our general society has made me to remain consistent on it for you and me to have all-round information at your disposal so that together we can make a difference in our neighborhood. In the same spirit for the purpose of this article I will be discussing what you can do as a parent to contribute positively in curbing this giant called addiction. Stay onboard and keep reading to get your hints and contribute positively.

The holy book state that spear the rod and spoil the child a statement that has sparked great debate on its suitability in this generation of laws of assault and molestation. Anyway that is a topic for another day. The parents are the first people our children get to know and interact with. This interaction does not just start at birth but at conception meaning what a mother does before and after pregnancy is very important in this journey of preventing drug addiction. The role of a parent begin from the beginning and ends at death of the parent. It is important for people intending to become parents to disassociate themselves from any kind of drug use and keep distance from the places associated with drugs whether they are legally allowed drugs or otherwise. In doing this the expected children will find an environment free from drugs to live in thereby introducing their tender minds to sobriety healthy living.

Having laid this drug free environment, parents must ensure that children are consistently taught about the about the consequences of drug use and addiction at all levels of their lives. Impacting this knowledge to them at tender ages of below 12 years will make them grow to be responsible people in the society and resist the temptation and influence that may come from peer pressure and adolescence stage. It is during this period of time that the parents are still having influence over their children and normally children in this age group normally condemn drug use. Such attitudes and attendant behavior are easily reinforced by involved parents. Parents, who wait to guide their children away from drugs until older ages when youngsters are more readily influenced by peers or may have started using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, decrease their ability to positively influence children.

Prevention of drug addiction-Parental example

Parents must show strong leadership skills to their children especially during adolescent because this is a danger stage in the upbringing of the children. Any mistake done at this level will not be forgotten and will remain to haunt them for a very long time. Children whose parents abuse alcohol or other drugs face heightened risks of developing substance-abuse problems themselves. Today we have millions of such children under age eighteen globally receiving conflicting and confusing messages about drug abuse simply because the most immediate people to give the right direction are themselves lost in substance abuse.

Teachers, coaches, youth workers in all areas of life from faith communities to scouts, and extended family members who are also in their own rights are parents must also provide youth with important protection from drug abuse and support for positive parental training by modeling, teaching, and reinforcing positive behavior. Such occasional professionals are vital in touching the lives of children from chemically dependent families. Adult addiction can have a devastating impact on children. By taking small steps, adult mentors can make a permanent difference in the course of a child’s life.

Prevention of drug addiction-Media Campaign

This is another perfect tool that can be used to help in the prevention of substance abuse. It is true that the media have come to play an increasingly important role in public health campaigns due to their wide reach and ability to influence behavior. There is significant evidence that carefully planned mass media campaigns can reduce substance abuse by countering false perceptions that drug use is normative and influencing personal beliefs that motivate drug use. Media campaigns have been used to prevent or reduce consumption of illegal drugs and smoking along with risky behavior like driving under the influence of alcohol or without seat belts. For all their power to inform and persuade, the media alone are unlikely to bring about large, sustained changes in drug use. The anti-drug campaign will be truly successful only if media efforts are coordinated with initiatives that reinforce one another in homes, schools, and communities bringing the services of parents to full play.

The media campaign harnesses a diverse mix of television, video, radio, Internet, and other forms of new media to deliver anti-drug messages whose objectives are:

Universal aiming at all adolescent age children, parents and primary care-givers.
Messages and channels through which they are being delivered are tailored for specific regional, ethnic, cultural, gender, and age differences among members of the target audiences.

Prevention of drug addiction-Drug-Free Schools and Communities

The efforts of parents must be supported by the whole society for it to be successful and therefore schools where our children go must be drug free as possible. Stringent measures must be taken to those sneaking drug substances in our learning institutions to prevent other people planning the same to refrain. This is very important because it is at this age when children are at high risk of being in the company of bad characters who can be of bad influence to them. The school bus driver must be one who does not use any drug not to mention the teachers and school clerical staff. All these efforts are being undertaken to keep our children away from drugs but they may not mean that they will be effective 100 percent that is why despite all these it is still recommended that when one is affected directly or indirectly they need to seek the services of trained experts for proper treatment.

As a parent if you are struggling with this problem you may not be of any help to your children and in fact you are introducing them to drugs which am sure you don’t want to continue. All you need is medical help from the line expert. Dr. Dalal Akoury, Founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an expert you are looking for, she is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Your condition is safe in her care. Together her team of experts you will be attended to with high professionalism that you deserve and you and your children will have a reason to live again and enjoy life to the fullest.

Prevention of drug addiction-The Central Role of Parents

Marijuana the Addictive Drug

May 13, 2014

Marijuana the Addictive Drug-How it affects human health

Marijuana is one of the drugs abused by drug addict. Drug addiction has serious consequences to the drain

We are encouraged by nutritionist to serve more of vegetables in all our meals for healthy living and to keep our bodies strong and detoxified. There are several plants commercially produced for this purpose and great investment is being done by agriculturalist to ensure that this worthy objective is not only achieved but also sustained. While this is being done there are some few individuals who are in the business of doing the direct opposite. I am talking about those farmers who are commercially producing the herb called marijuana. This is not just a herb but a serious drug which is very illegal in most nations. Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds. This plant material can also be concentrated in a resin called hashish or a sticky black liquid called hash oil.

Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used in the United States and many other states globally. It is mostly being used by young people and this has been very evidence in the last two decades where there has been steady increase of young people in relation to a diminishing perception of drug risk that may be associated with the increased public debate over drugs legal status. Although marijuana is illegal in most states some governments have passed laws allowing its use in treatment of certain conditions.

Marijuana the Addictive Drug-Effects of Marijuana to the Brain

The THC will rapidly pass from the lungs into the blood streams when marijuana is smoked carrying with it the chemical into the brain and other vital organs of the body, besides smoking it can also be absorbed into the body slowly when ingested in food or drinks. When ingested, it will acts on specific molecular targets on brain cells, called cannabinoid receptors which are ordinarily activated by chemicals similar to THC that naturally occur in the body and are part of a neural communication network called the endocannabinoid system. This system plays an important role in normal brain development and function.

The highest density of cannabinoid receptors is found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. Marijuana over activates the endocannabinoid system, causing the high and other effects that users experience. These effects include altered perceptions and mood, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking, problem solving, and disrupted learning and memory.

Marijuana the Addictive Drug-Other Health Effects of Marijuana

Marijuana use may have a wide range of effects, particularly on cardiopulmonary and mental health. It’s smoke is irritant to the lungs and frequent marijuana smokers can have same respiratory problems with tobacco smokers like coughing and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. One study found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than those who don’t smoke marijuana, mainly because of respiratory illnesses.

Marijuana also raises heart rate by 20-100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. It is estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug. This risk may be greater in older individuals or in those with cardiac vulnerabilities.

A number of studies have linked chronic marijuana use and mental illness. High doses of marijuana can produce a temporary psychotic reaction (involving hallucinations and paranoia) in some users, and using marijuana can worsen the course of illness in patients with schizophrenia. A series of large studies following users across time also showed a link between marijuana use and later development of psychosis. This relationship was influenced by genetic variables as well as the amount of drug used, drug potency, and the age at which it was first taken those who start young are at increased risk for later problems.

Marijuana use has also been linked to other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts among adolescents, and personality disturbances, including a lack of motivation to engage in typically rewarding activities. However a lot more research is still needed to confirm and better understand these linkages.

Nevertheless marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of neurobehavioral problems in babies because THC and other compounds in marijuana imitate the body’s own endocannabinoid chemicals. Marijuana use by pregnant mothers may alter the developing endocannabinoid system in the brain of the fetus which may cause the fetus to have problems with attention, memory, and problem solving. Additionally, because it seriously impairs judgment and motor coordination, marijuana contributes to risk of injury or death while driving a car. A recent analysis of data from several studies found that marijuana use more than doubles a driver’s risk of being in an accident. The combination of marijuana and alcohol is worse than either substance alone with respect to driving impairment.

Marijuana the Addictive Drug-Marijuana the Addictive drug

Contrary to common belief, marijuana is addictive. Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6 and among people who use marijuana daily to 25-50 percent.

Long-term marijuana users trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms including irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to abstain. Behavioral interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational incentives have proven to be effective in treating marijuana addiction. Finally when you come across any addictive drug of any kind, you must be ready to take the most immediate step of getting well in the care of experts. Dr. Dalal Akoury, Founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an expert offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. This is the kind of professional you need in matters of this magnitude. I will highly recommend that you seek the services of doctor Akoury and you will be well in no time.

Marijuana the Addictive Drug-How it affects human health

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy

May 12, 2014

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How it works

Addiction treatment can be done in many ways, psychotherapy is one of them where an expert takes the addicts through healing process by talking to them

Can you imagine life without people to talk to in times of joy and sadness? It is for sure unimaginable because human beings are social beings who will always want to be associated with someone by way of speech or otherwise. Many times we are faced with situations which we are not so sure of but all the same we are deeply into those situations. I am talking about drug use and being addicted to drugs. People with this kind of problem are very much reserved and would always want to distance themselves from the people who have been very close to them for different kinds of reasons. When addiction knocks your door there are several methods of treatments being administered and for the purpose of this article we are going to discuss the use of psychotherapy as a way of treating addiction.

Before we move on it is important that we explore the definition of psychotherapy.
It consists of a series of techniques for treating mental health, emotional and some psychiatric disorders.
Psychotherapy helps the patient understand what helps them feel positive or anxious, as well as accepting their strong and weak points.

If we can identify our feelings and ways of thinking we become better at coping with difficult situations. When we think of alcoholism and drug addiction most of us will straight away associate it with the life in the street I mean street families carrying their dirty loads and causing bodily and emotion harm to the delicate fabric of the society. Really do we think of white and blue class position holders who have great achievement in education, financial stability, or raised a family as someone who might be susceptible to addiction, this is a problem which knows no boundary and does not have any respect to any social class you may belong in. In other words addiction does not care if you are a doctor, professor, or successful business person and by the way your intellectual and fame in many instances can be a hindrance along the pathway to recovery. It is important to note that addiction to any substance, person, or anything is primarily concerned with easing and relieving suffering from emotional trauma, and this can happen to anyone regardless of your intellect.

Many at times we are wondering whether this problem of addiction is a genetic disease or it is something that we develop through our interactions with our environment. Probably you are enclosed in this bracket of wonder, my feeling is that a person with certain genetic make-up may be predisposed to the disease of addiction and is therefore more likely to develop dependency. However we all agree that humanity is in the wagon of dynamic interactions and relationship with the environment immediately one in born to breathing your last breathe on earth. We can therefore make an informed conclusion that both the genetic and the environment and the people we interact with have an important influence on our perception and experience of the world.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How do we treat addiction?
The common denominator why people become addicted to anything is emotions. The desire to manage our emotions is therefore the root cause of addiction. If this is the case then it would mean that when treating addiction then we should put emphasis in creating emotional awareness and the role it plays in how we cope with life’s stressors, as well as the development of new coping strategies. However this cannot be done alone and quite often the 12 step recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Sex Addicts Anonymous and many more will play a very vital role in the process of recovery. But this social support alone may not be enough to remove an addiction-forming orientation to life’s emotional stresses, even if the original addiction is in abeyance. The process of developing emotional awareness and intelligence primarily occurs in the right hemispheres of our brains, and it is dependent upon our relationships with others. Until these issues are dealt with, the individual may continue to feel emotional discomfort, even though their original addiction is gone. By working with a therapist the individual may seek to rewire neural pathways of their brain which once led to the repetition of addictive behaviors and to replace them with the ability to seek out appropriate emotional support through healthy relationships and activities. You may want to consider visiting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care where focus is on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How does psychotherapy work?
I will illustrate this using the family set up where the mother bears the burden of rearing the baby while still in the womb and even after birth, and so during infancy the bay is dependent to the mother for all its supplies. The mother will supply all that the baby needs for sustainability. She will also supply other necessities like emotional support and the way in which this information is acquired is through right-brain communication. This is the dominant characteristic of the developmental process of all human beings for the first two years of life. Looking at this we can learn to be humans from those that are around us. This is why the role of psychotherapy is so important. It is through right-brain communication between the therapist and patient that the individual is able to achieve the necessary growth to make up for deficits in the brains chemistry. This can lead to permanent changes in the way in which the brain processes information, and ultimately the way in which a person views the world. This is why it is important to seek out the help of a trained professional e.g. doctor Dalal Akoury who understands the mechanisms of the addicted mind, and who can provide the essential experiences needed within a relationship in order to heal emotional trauma.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How does trauma affect the brain?
If an individual grows up in an oppressive environment in which they are constantly being put down or abused by others, then it is highly probable that this individual will grow up with a large deficit in his/her perception of self-worth. The brain’s developmental process on a neuropsychological level is to develop adaptive pathways, structures and associations in response to the traumatic experience. In essence, they are developed as a survival mechanism. These pathways are designed to lessen the impact of the damage that the trauma wreaks on the individual. It is equally true that someone who might have been raised in a nurturing and healthy environment may go on to develop an addiction later on in life. Although the latter example is typically not the average, it is provided simply to demonstrate that the common denominator in the development of an addiction is the individual’s desire to manage their intolerable emotions, and this can take place at any point in our lives.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How it works

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction

May 9, 2014

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Alcohol Use and Alcoholism

Cancer is a killer disease associated with drug addiction and alcoholism is seen to be the biggest reason why cancer risks increases.

In my quest to address the problem of drug addiction, it is becoming a trend that every time this topic of addiction is mention very really will it go without touching on alcohol consumption. The substance alcohol is therefore the most addictive and abused drug and one that causes most of the health problems we go through today. Having said that I want to put emphasis on this by repeating this point that most people know that heavy alcohol drinking can cause health problems, however what many people may not know is that alcohol consumption is a perfect element of cancer risks increases in their lives. Several cancers are as a result of drinking alcohol and this is what is going to form the basis of discussion in this article. If you want to be enlighten about the effects of alcohol in cancer risks increases, then keep on the link and read on for much educative and informative experience with doctor Dalal Akoury and her able team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under .

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Types of cancer linked to alcohol use

As discussed alcohol is a known cause of different kinds of cancers. Such cancers include:

Mouth
Throat (pharynx)
Voice box (larynx)
Esophagus
Liver
Colon and rectum
Breast

Besides the above alcohol may also increase the risk of cancer of the pancreas and for each of these cancers, the risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, and esophagus

Alcohol consumption is no doubt contributes the highest risk of these cancers. Drinking and smoking combine raises the risk of these cancers much more than the effects of either drinking or smoking alone. This might be because alcohol has the ability to act as a solvent, helping harmful chemicals in tobacco to get inside the cells that line the digestive tract. Alcohol may also slow down these cells’ ability to repair damage to their DNA caused by chemicals in tobacco.

Liver cancer

Research has proved that long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk of liver cancer. Regular, heavy alcohol use can damage the liver, leading to inflammation. This, in turn, might raise the risk of liver cancer.

Colon and rectal cancer

Alcohol use has been linked with a higher risk of cancers of the colon and rectum. The evidence for such a link is generally stronger in men than in women, although studies have found the link in both sexes.

Breast cancer

Even a few drinks a week is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in women. This risk may be especially high in women who do not get enough folate (a B vitamin) in their diet or through supplements. Alcohol can affect estrogen levels in the body, which may explain some of the increased risk. Drinking less alcohol may be an important way for many women to lower their risk of breast cancer.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Does the type of drink matter?

Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, whether they are beers, wines, or liquors (distilled spirits). These drinks contain different percentages of ethanol, but in general a standard size drink of any type 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor contains about the same amount of ethanol (about half an ounce). Of course, larger or ‘stronger’ drinks can contain more ethanol than this.

Overall, the amount of alcohol consumed over time, not the type of alcoholic beverage, seems to be the most important factor in raising cancer risk. Most evidence suggests that it is the ethanol that increases the risk, not other things in the drink.

How alcohol raise cancer risk

The exact way alcohol affects cancer risk isn’t completely understood. In fact, there might be several different ways it can raise risk, and this might depend on the type of cancer.

Damage to body tissues

Alcohol can act as an irritant, especially in the mouth and throat. Cells that are damaged may try to repair themselves, which could lead to DNA changes in the cells that can be a step toward cancer.

In the colon and rectum, bacteria can convert alcohol into large amounts of acetaldehyde which is a chemical that has been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.

Alcohol and its byproducts can also damage the liver, leading to inflammation and scarring. As liver cells try to repair the damage, they can end up with mistakes in their DNA, which could lead to cancer.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Effects on other harmful chemicals

Alcohol can act as a solvent, helping other harmful chemicals, such as those in tobacco smoke enter the cells lining the upper digestive tract more easily. This might explain why the combination of smoking and drinking is much more likely to cause cancers in the mouth or throat than either smoking or drinking alone. In other cases, alcohol may slow the body’s ability to break down and get rid of some harmful chemicals.

Lower levels of folate or other nutrients

Folate is a vitamin that cells in the body need to stay healthy. Alcohol use can lower the body’s ability to absorb folate from foods. This problem can be worse in heavy drinkers, who often do not get enough nutrients such as folate in their diet. Low folate levels may play a role in the risk of breast and colorectal cancers.

Effects on estrogen or other hormones

Alcohol can raise body levels of estrogen, a hormone important in the growth and development of breast tissue. This could affect a woman’s risk of breast cancer.

Effects on body weight

Too much alcohol can add extra calories to the diet, which can contribute to weight gain in some people. Being overweight or obese is known to increase the risks of many types of cancer. Along with these mechanisms, alcohol may contribute to cancer in other, as of yet unknown, ways.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Other long-term health effects from drinking alcohol

Most people know about the short-term effects of drinking alcohol, such as its effects on mood, concentration, judgment, and coordination. But alcohol can also have longer-term health effects. These can vary a great deal from person to person. For some people, alcohol is addictive. Drinking can become heavier over time, leading to serious health and social problems. Heavy drinkers who stop drinking suddenly can have physical withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and other serious problems over the next few days. In some people these can be life-threatening and does not mean that heavy drinkers should not stop drinking. It does mean that heavy drinkers should talk with their doctors about the safest way to stop drinking.

Over time, heavy drinking can cause inflammation (hepatitis) and heavy scarring (cirrhosis) in the liver which will then lead to liver failure. Heavy drinking can also damage other organs, such as the pancreas and the brain, and can raise blood pressure. With all these risk arising from the drug use you will for sure need to be taken care of with professionals who would painlessly contain the effects of addiction at all levels. This team of experts you can only get at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury. At this facility treatment will be administered while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This is a painless process you cannot afford to lose.

Cancer risks increases with alcoholism and drug addiction: Alcohol Use and Alcoholism

Exploring the causes of Drug Addiction

May 9, 2014

Exploring the causes of Drug Addiction-The Nutrition way

Looking at the contrast of drug addiction and nutrition, the solution is readily available if only you can choose to feed healthily

It is almost becoming common knowledge that alcohols among other substances are the commonly abused drugs globally. What may not be common in the public knowledge is the possible roots and genesis of drug taking and drug addiction. In our last article I introduced the causes siting poor diet and the brains consequent magnetic and chemical imbalance as some of the primary root causes of drug taking and drug addiction. In this article I want to progress on that so that we can have a clear understanding of this disturbing condition. Of the two primaries we will look at the deficiency of nutrients as we progressed on.

Exploring the causes of Drug Addiction-Serotonin
Diet is the key to the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin which has repeatedly been linked to drug taking. The dietary precursor for serotonin is the amino acid tryptophan which is low in a high-protein diet and high in a high-carbohydrate diet. The effects of drug taking may either increase or decrease levels of serotonin in the brain depending on the subject/patient taking the drug. Individuals responds differently with some people alcohol increases their serotonin levels, possibly by decreasing levels of other competing amino acids in the blood as they reach the blood-brain barrier, causing them to relax. While other people may find alcohol and sugar decreases serotonin in the brain causing depression or aggression. They may find that sugars affect them badly and have a condition called oreactive hypo glycaemia. Many criminals, as well as those with chronic depression have been found with this condition.

Exploring the causes of Drug Addiction-Poor Diet and Deficiency of serotonin
Poor carbohydrates (sugar) with high-protein diets (meat) are possible elements of abnormal low serotonin levels. The increase in meat and sugar and other refined carbohydrates consumption like junk food over the last two decades may have resulted in generally low brain serotonin levels which may explain the recent epidemic of childhood depression in the our society today. Serotonin deficiency has also been linked by researchers to various states of mental illness, drug-taking and violent crime.

Tryptophan, the precursor of serotonin (5HT), is believed to be a controlling factor in the CNS, affecting the person’s moods, aggression, pain, anxiety, sleep, memory, eating behavior, addictive behavior, temperature, endocrine and motor regulation. Abnormalities of 5HT include: Parkinson’s disease, MS, sleep disorders Huntington’s, schizophrenia, mania, depression, hyper sexuality, bulimia, and many more.

Deficiency of tryptophan and tyrosine, the precursors of serotonergic and catecholamine systems have been found in eight adolescents with impulsive behavior. Thirteen studies of serotonin in aggressive cases have been reported.

All show the concentration of 5-HIAA as cerebrospinal fluid are inversely related to aggression, irritability, hostility and criminal activity.

Some parents of maladjusted boys have been alcoholic and had nervous or somatic disorders. Many children with hyperactive syndrome have alcoholic parents and become aggressive in childhood or adulthood. The evidence suggests a reduced activity of brain serotonin may be involved. Alcohol may create mental irritability and hyperactivity and aggression in offspring, possibly due to its effect on the brains neurotransmitter, serotonin.

Drug-taking, especially alcohol, by parents and their children at an early age may cause genetic damage to the brain, a possible precursor to psychopathy and violent crime. Studies of prisoners find that they are often drug abusers and have generally eaten a poor diet high in meat, sugar and commercialized foods with deficiencies of thiamin, zinc and foliate which are essential to brain function. The work of Schoenthaler and Schauss and America on diet and crime has revealed how better diet and vitamin supplements have improved mood and reduced violent behavior in criminal populations.

Virkunnen has proven that low blood sugar and alcohol are linked to violent crime. It is likely that dietary mechanisms are instrumental in creating these low levels of blood sugar in violent criminals. The well-known brain abnormalities (i.e., abnormal CNS and limbic system responses) of psychopaths may be the result of magnetic deficiencies that have genetic and dietary causes. The prevalence of fast food, which is high in sugar and fat, can, in certain cases, be the precursor to drugs such as heroin.

Exploring the causes of Drug Addiction-Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency
There are two kinds of foods which are believed to be causing vitamin and mineral deficiency and abnormal serotonin levels. They are sugar and meat. Research has found considerable evidence linking high sugar intake to abnormal blood glucose levels and alcoholism, and this is because sugar intake can cause nutrient deficiency like thiamin, zinc, vitamin C, folate, Vitamin E. etc. Meat also lacks vitamins such as thiamin and folate which are essential for brain function. The consumption of meat can create a deficiency of tryptophanth precursor of serotonin because it contains many other competing amino acids.

According to the American Dietetic Association’s Guidelines for Nutritional Care of Alcoholics during Rehabilitation, alcoholics are deficient in Vitamins B1, B2, B6, folic acid, and zinc. Experts have found evidence that, the heavy drinker has a nutritional deficiency. This is because when one is under the influence of alcohol the intestines are thrown into reverse, preventing the digestive system from absorbing the vitamins minerals and trace elements it requires. It is also important to note that niacin (vitamin B3) has been found to help the alcoholic resist the craving for alcohol, combined with vitamin C, vitamin B6 and occasionally vitamin E, so that a recovery is made feasible.

When administering nutrition as treatment for alcoholic and heroin users at The Chrysalis Outpatient program for alcoholics and heroin for over a period of time, 90% of patients were found to be hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and almost all cases shown improvement when vitamin C are used. Children in the program were found to suffer from food allergies or allergies to chemicals in cleaning agents, perfumes and sprays. Most were hypoglycemic that is about 16 out of 20 children.

So far it is becoming clear that food nutrients are very instrumental in curbing the problem of drug taking and addiction. Nevertheless foods high in both sugar and fat create a sense of euphoria and pleasure which conditions the child for the drug experience. Children raised on poor diets high in sugar, caffeine and animal products and lacking in plant foods will be at risk of developing a drug dependency. Children on high caffeine and sugar intake through chocolates and cola drinks have higher levels of hyperactivity and anxiety.

It is therefore very important that parents need to consider the effect of poor diet on their children. The very things that children enjoy (sweets, chocolates and ice cream) may in fact, predispose them to nutritional inadequacy and loss of appetite for vegetables and fruits. Many of us parents have seen this process in action but we give into the child’s demand for junk food because it is easier to buy than raw natural foods which we have to prepare or cook ourselves. I strongly believe that you will agree with me that as parents we need to change our actions and start doing the right thing to our children and to ourselves. Finally we are in the business of making people comfortable and healthy despite the challenges of addiction that is why at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of its founder Doctor Akoury we focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Visiting us is all you need and you will be on the right path to full recovery.

Exploring the causes of Drug Addiction-The Nutrition way

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