Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction

July 9, 2015

Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction: The benefits of alternative treatments of addiction

Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction is just the beginning towards getting lasting solutions about drug addiction.

When the society is hard hit by the prevailing circumstances of drug addiction, the economy of that society suffers immensely. A lot of violence, theft, erosion of peace of mind, family depression and fatigue, lose jobs and source of livelihood, emotional torcher for children due to parents’ separation; child neglect the list is endless. The problem of addiction is a serious threat to our social fabric, it teas apart all that we have worked for and when not addressed promptly, it may become very difficult to remedy the situation in the long run. We have been made prisoners in our own homes and villages because of the behaviors of some of our friends and relatives who have been hooked into drugs and we must choose to change this says doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. In fact doctor Akoury founded this facility primarily to make a difference in people’s lives by focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Her ways of administering treatment is all inclusive being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction. Previously we have discussed in-depth some of the alternative treatment for addiction and we are not about to stop now. We are actually focusing on more of this because we owe it to you. Therefore for the purpose of this article, doctor Akoury is going to take us through biochemical restoration and nutrition, yoga and exercise as some of the known alternative treatment modes for drug addiction currently. If it is fine with you, allow me to ask for your indulgence of staying on the link to be more educated on the best options you have when it comes to alternatives of treatment for substance abuse.

Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction: Biochemical Restoration and Nutrition

This mode of treatment may be new to many of you but all the same it is tailored to bring corrective measures and repair the biochemical imbalances that cause cravings, depression, anxiety and the unstable moods that lead to and the perpetuation of addiction. It is very important to appreciate that there are certain biochemical imbalances capable of making a person more prone to addiction and which this form of treatment (chemical nutrient therapy) endeavors to improve. The direct problems to be addressed by this may include imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain, nutrient deficiencies, amino acid imbalances, hypoglycemia, inflammatory and oxidative stress, and adrenal fatigue.

Once biochemical imbalances are assessed, an individualized biochemical restoration plan can be established. This can include a personal nutrition plan, a micronutrient supplement including amino acids (sometimes with a futuristic approach of micronutrient injections), and prescribed physical activity and relaxation. The moment a balance is restored, the other addiction treatment modalities such as counseling and relapse prevention can be tackled more effectively.

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center believe that the single most ignored aspect to treating addiction is treating nutritional deficiencies. Many other nutritionists are also in agreement with this. Recovering addicts tend toward highly palatable foods that can provide a temporary reprieve from negative feelings. These are almost invariably processed foods with added sugar, salt and vegetable oil fats; refined carbohydrates, and caffeine rather than high-nutrient foods. Unfortunately, these foods destabilize blood sugar, spur inflammation, and deplete the brain of essential neurotransmitters that play a large role in stabilizing moods.

Doctor Akoury is very concerned that “nutritional interventions [should be] based on real food rather than supplementation.” And she is of the opinion that one should never be hungry and at the same time never be full approach of eating six small meals a day, or every two to four hours. In other words, people should eat in an interval of two hours small portions of food that will not make them to be too full or leave them hungry either. Therefore it is very necessary that addicts should strive for more protein, fiber, and healthy fats like those found in fatty fish, nuts, and flax seeds. Certainly, learning about nutrition, how to cook healthy meals and making good food choices are accessible options for the majority of people in recovery.

From a nutritional perspective point of view, an individual in early recovery can improve mood and fight off depression, anxiety, and stress by incorporating foods that contain an ample amount of omega-3 essential fatty acids, complete proteins, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory vitamins and minerals. These foods will also help the recovering addict’s mind provide essential building blocks for depleted neurotransmitters, for example as well as the body, promoting healing of all systems and tissues damaged by malnutrition.

Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction: Yoga

The meaning of Yoga is union in Sanskrit combining three aspects namely physical postures, breath work, and meditation. Remember that the philosophy of yoga is to bring the mind, body, and spirit together in a united alignment which is one of the main objectives of doctor Akoury to her clients. This actually promotes a state of inner peace that might assist recovering addicts in preventing relapse. Many studies have indicated that yoga can relieve anxiety, stress and depression.

The physical aspect teaches bodily awareness how to release pent-up emotions and stuck energy. For many in recovery, there has been a disassociation from the body through the use of drugs, alcohol, food, or other substances. Through practicing the physical “asanas” recovering addicts can become aware of their outdated behavioral patterns and make the conscious decision to change.

Breath work can be a key aspect of healing and recovery from addiction. The lungs are the link between the circulatory and nervous systems, and they provide detoxification, energy, and a built-in relaxation response.

Meditation is important because it allows recovering addicts a deeper sense of self-awareness. By becoming less influenced by the world around them, addicts can learn to nod off cravings and embrace their inner strength without the need for external validation through substances.

Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction: Exercise

Daily exercise, even in small doses, can boost mood what most recovering addicts need in the absence of their substances of abuse. Starting an exercise regimen can help fill the void of using, lending a sense of purpose and offering a substitute, but natural, high. Doctor Akoury says that generally speaking exercise, whether aerobic or otherwise, has well-known health benefits, including improvements in the function of the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and endocrine systems. Physical exercise has many cognitive benefits that can specifically help recovering addicts. For one, it leads to increased neurotransmitter levels, improved oxygen and nutrient delivery, and increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus. It can have a positive effect on learning and memory. Executive control processes—working memory, multitasking, and planning is more positively affected in comparison to other regions of the brain.

Being mindful about alternative treatment for addiction: The benefits of alternative treatments of addiction

Finding the valuable alternative treatments for addiction

July 8, 2015

Finding the valuable alternative treatments for addiction: The introduction of alternative medicine

Finding the valuable alternative treatments for addiction is not only helpful in treatment of addiction, but is also very economical for many.

The problem of drug addiction is one that is causing serious health threats to many people globally today. We cannot pretend that everything is alright when it is not. For this reason it will be noble to work together with one common goal of kicking out the problem of addiction out of our lives. It is true that today there are so many treatment methods both scientific and the alternative treatment methods. In order to defeat this problem besides the scientific medication, we must also embrace other treatment methods. That is why doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are working round the clock in finding the valuable alternative treatment for addiction that will supplement the scientific solutions being offered currently.

You may be wondering about the safety of some of these alternative medications, it that describes you then you are just right however I want to let you know that as things stand today, it is actually safe to say that alternative treatments for addiction are no longer alternative in the “outside of the mainstream” sense. These days, many treatment facilities and therapists offer an array of these types of “supplemental” therapies, including acupuncture, equine (horse) therapy, neuro-feedback, biochemical restoration, hypnotherapy, yoga, watsu (water therapy), meditation, ropes courses, sound therapy, and the list is endless. Nonetheless, research findings are providing real evidence that proves that experimental treatment with psychedelic drugs though still illegal in most states including U.S. can have profound effects on reducing cravings and preventing relapse.

There still remains controversy among many recovery professionals as to whether “alternative” treatments can hold their own. The dominant view in the profession is that such treatment modes can be highly effective complements to traditional treatment, helping recovering addicts and alcoholics to muscle through early sobriety. But these techniques can’t do the recovery job alone; a “holistic” therapy such as meditation, for example, should be used in conjunction with traditional treatment-as-usual approaches. Actually there is no known research finding that is supporting the sole use of holistic treatments for chemical dependency.

Even so, advocates of many of the treatment modes argue they can have a profound if not crucial influence on recovery. What follows is a guide to some of the dominant and most promising alternative treatment modes and the evidence of their effectiveness, either as stand-alone or supplementary treatment strategies. Doctor Akoury is going to be with us as we progress with the discussion of all the listed alternative addiction medication above, and so you do not want to left out in finding out more about this health information. Keep reading and stay on the link for more and more of these informative health solutions.

Finding the valuable alternative treatments for addiction: NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme derivative of vitamin B3 – also known as niacin which is commonly found in all living cells. NAD is a key agent in metabolism, as well as many other basic cellular processes. Because it is essential to the production of energy in our bodies, it has become a valuable resource for helping addicts, especially when used in mega-doses, for rapid detox. In many cases of substance abuse, the body’s reserves of protein and vitamins precursors to NAD are low, resulting generally in low energy.

Doctor Akoury says that the mega-dose treatment is in IV form. Experts believe that it is effective in reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms in patients without using replacement therapies. Available statistics indicate that, it has been used successfully to treat addictions to prescription drugs including opiates, benzodiazepines, and stimulants, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, suboxone, and methadone. Results may include improved mental clarity, increase in cognitive function, returned focus and concentration, more energy, better mood, and more positive outlook. I believe that as the discussion progresses, you are beginning to appreciate why it is important for everyone to take lead role in finding the valuable alternative treatment for addiction. Besides that advocates claim it opens addicts up to participate in effective therapy. Bill Wilson, the founder of AA, became an advocate of large doses of vitamin B and once claimed that it was the most effective help he had ever received. The AA board refused his appeal that AA should promote the concept to its members.

Finding the valuable alternative treatments for addiction: Neuro-feedback

According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center neurofeedback is a process by which electroencephalography (EEG) sensors are attached to one’s head which allows the brain’s activity to be fed back into a computer that displays brain waves in real time. The subject can then interact with her brain waves in order to alter them, directly impacting their frequency.

The procedure is a form of biofeedback, and it has been used for treating a variety of conditions, including PTSD. Over the past years, neuro-feedback has been gaining traction as a form of alternative treatment at leading recovery and rehab centers. Some addicts claim that it helps with everything from anger to insomnia key triggers for relapse. The limited science on it is positive but funding for a range of credible controlled studies has been hard to come by.

In essence, neurofeedback can increase or decrease states of arousal—a level of neural activity linked to brain wave frequency. An anxious person would obviously aim for a calmer state (a lower frequency) in a neurofeedback session; someone depressed would seek to create higher frequency and more neural arousal. “It can help keep [addicts] from leaving treatment early.” While neurofeedback has a 40-year history, it is still in its infancy as a treatment form for substance disorders. Morgan says there is “no medication out there with such a wide [therapeutic] use.”

Finally we are going to continue further with this discussion in our subsequent article for you to get the full knowledge about defeating drug addiction. Remember that drug addiction is actually a process and not really a destination. Therefore if you have any problem, then you need to seek for immediate help by scheduling for an appointment with the professionals.

Finding the valuable alternative treatments for addiction: The introduction of alternative medicine

Importance of knowing symptoms of heroin overdose

July 7, 2015

Importance of knowing symptoms of heroin overdose: Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

Importance of knowing symptoms of heroin overdose begins at the integrative addiction conference, integrative addiction, addiction education, drug addiction, alcohol recovery,addiction psychiatrist all to eliminate addiction

Before you can purport to be fighting drug addiction, you must be well informed of what causes it and the signs to look forward to. Without this knowledge you may not succeed in your mission. That is why we want to first appreciate the importance of knowing symptoms of heroin overdose. Whereas addiction has such a wide coverage, our focus in this article is going to be on the substance heroin overdose. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction expert of over two decades about the problem of heroin overdose and she is going to be very instrumental to us throughout this discussion. It will further interest you to note that the burden of defeating drug addiction was very much overwhelming to doctor Akoury watching how peoples both the young and the old and not forgetting the infants yet to be born suffer from the scourge of addiction. This made her to make a worthy decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) with a primary objective of transforming each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Over the years Dr. Akoury’s practice has been focusing on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. It therefore means that if you are struggling with any form of addiction, not necessarily heroin, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for the commencing of your treatment in the most professional manner that will leave much healthier living your life to the fullest.

Importance of knowing symptoms of heroin overdose: What are the symptoms?

The signs of an overdose on heroin are many and they often appear too quickly after the intake of the substance. Some people can have a conversation or do other things before the signs appear. However others may find that they begin unveiling heroin overdose symptoms within minutes after taking a dose of the drug. The following are some of the symptoms of heroin overdose:

For lighter skinned people, the skin tone turns bluish purple, for darker skinned people, it turns grayish or ashen.
Difficulty breathing
Decreased breathing
Constipation
Stomach cramps
Dilated pupils
Body is very limp
White patches on the tongue
Drop in blood pressure
Reduced heart rate
Vomiting
Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic, or has stopped
Sleepiness
Muscle spasms
Dry mouth
Bluish tinge to the mouth
Bluish tinge on the fingernails
Confusion

With the knowledge of these symptoms you can now proceed progressively knowing where to start from. Drug addiction is very complicated and can cause you your life if proper care and attention is not given to the victims. That is why doctor Akoury had to come up with this facility to help in reducing the pain victims go through. Besides individual treatment to direct victims, doctor Akoury is treatment also focuses on neuroendocrine restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of spirit, mind, and body, unifying the threesome into one. This she does exclusively not just to the direct victims but also to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. As a matter of fact AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, being one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, will be conducting the first educational, functional and integrative addiction conference targeting professionals like doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference is schedule for August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new frontier in addiction medicine will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”. It is one in a life time conference which you do not want to miss. And for more information, login www.integrativeaddiction2015.com

Or you can call the event planner on telephone number 954 540 1896. You can as well send Sharon Phillips email on sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com

You are highly welcomed to this great opportunity where the who is who in medicine have confirmed their attendance.

Just to tip you off, the following are some of the professionals attending including the keynote speaker, Dalal Akoury, MD discussing The Hijacked Mind that is “How does it get there and how does is leave” Others include:

Sean Devlin, DO, HMD, will be focusing on “How to Recognize Addiction: Emergency care room and Addiction. Preliminary diagnostics and coping with life-saving measures when patients have overdose on substances of abuse/alcohol and drugs.
Kenneth Proefrock, NMD, will be lecturing on Naturopathic Considerations for Treating Patients with Addiction.
Doctor Elizabeth Stuller, MD will focus on Pyscho Neuroendocrine Immune Restoration essential to reverse addiction. She will address the Neurotransmitters and the proper Diagnostics tools including and Genetic Testing and clinical evaluations. She will also emphasis the role of Biofeedback and addiction therapy. She will also highlight the role of NAD.
William S Eidelman, MD an expert on eon Cranial Electrotherapy and Addiction: Will reveal A Revolutionary Breakthrough to Eliminate Cigarette Cravings.
Mitch Ghen, DO, will be uncovering the Myth on Sex Addiction, with emphasis on Women Sex Addiction. Dr. Ghen will be providing information on effective natural therapies to treat sex addiction.
Shoreh Ershadi, PharmD, will underscore the Important Role of Menopause and Neurosteroids in Sexual, Gender and Addictive Disorders.
Sahar Swidan, Pharm.D, An authority on Pain and Addiction: Will discuss the role of Endocannabinoid receptors, deficiencies in the disease of addiction. She will also delineate the medical consequences and health implications of the new Marijuana Law.

Finally your life and most importantly your health cannot be compared with anything. If drug addiction is the problem that wants to cut short your life, we can deal with it if only you can allow us by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today. Our great assignment is to see you healthy, productive and comfortable. Talk to us today and let the journey of your recovery begin right away.

Importance of knowing symptoms of heroin overdose: Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

July 7, 2015

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: Symptoms and treatment of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose is everyone’s in the fight against drug addiction responsibility

Have you ever imagined life without drugs? This is not just intended to drug users but to everyone. The presence of drug abuse in any society is not just affecting the direct users, but also indirectly to their caregivers, family members and friends. Using drugs can only be compared to the body. If the body is healthy there is comfort and contentment all through, however if any part of the body is not well and is in pain the whole body will be suffering from that one condition. In the same way when one member of the family is misusing drugs, he will suffer directly but his family, friends and relatives will equally bear the pain indirectly. Therefore in the interest of offering lasting solution to this devastating problem, acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose would be very important as this will enable caregivers an opportunity to act timely before the addiction get out of manageable levels. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the direction heroin abuse is taking is worrying, currently more than 50 percent of people who use heroin have an addiction to the drug. This calls for an intervention so as to prevent further escalation of the problem. If you are wondering how to get this information, today is your lucky day because you are at the right place where health information is delivered with a lot of professionalism. Doctor Dalal Akoury is a veteran expert in addiction and she will be speaking to us about acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose in human life.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment formulated by doctor Dalal Akoury, heroin comes in a powder form that ranges from bright white to dark brown that users administer into their bodies either by mixing with water to inject, smoke or snort. Besides that, the other element of heroin is that which is known as the black tar heroin. This type of heroin has some resemblance of a tar. This type of heroin (black tar heroin) is typically injected into the by its users. Doctor Akoury advices that these drugs are very strong and dangerous and therefore when a person exhibits heroin overdose symptoms after using the drug, such individuals needs to seek and get help for the experts immediately. This treatment will be available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. All you have to do on your part is to call her today and schedule for an appointment with her for the commencement of your recovery journey. Now that you know where to get help, let us get into the discussion even as you consider making that appointment.

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: What is an overdose?

The term overdose medically has been misconstrued by many. Ignorantly you will hear discussions around overdose from people in hospitals or along the streets, and in most cases majority really doesn’t understand what it means. Doctor Akoury says that will occur when someone takes a large amount of a substance. Take note of the singular expression. It is not as many think that it is only the new users of heroin or those who use the drug most frequently. That is a misconception; overdose is an occurrence which can happen to any person. Nonetheless users are at risk of suffering an overdose because they might take a higher dose than intended. On the other hand long-term users of the drug can also suffer an overdose because of the tolerance the person has to the drug. It is however very important to appreciate that majority of people who take heroin cannot get the same rush after several uses as they did in the beginning. In that case, to get that initial rush, the user must take increasingly larger doses. The body adjusts to each new amount, which makes the person take larger and larger doses. When the body can no longer adjust to the increased levels of heroin in the system, it reacts in the form of heroin overdose symptoms. In addition, a user might encounter an unexpectedly pure batch of heroin, so that user injects more of the active ingredient than anticipated. This is sincerely very frustrating and all we can do is to pool together to bring this problem to a manageable levels.

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: The future of integrative addiction

In an effort to have everyone on board in the fight against drug addiction, overdose and its consequences, AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, will be conducting the first ever Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference tailored for professional including doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference is schedule for August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new cutting edge in Addiction Medicine and it will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”.

We are very passionate about this integrative addiction conference 2015 whose mission is to deliver prevention education awareness options and support to patients including the physicians dealing with addiction globally. Our aim is to empower those physicians to be involved in the determination of their personal best answer for addiction by promoting patient-physicians awareness of a more natural yet still profoundly effective addiction treatment options that result in you thriving while surviving during treatment and recovery. We have prepared a very rich menu for you and throughout the integrative addiction conference 2015 we will be covering topic like addiction as a holistic body ecosystem derangement, the interaction between stress, survivorship, pain and addiction, the genetic and epigenetic influences on the disease of addiction, the role of hormonal imbalance in the disease of addiction, psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration essential to reverse addiction as well as new and future therapies in the horizon for addiction treatment including stem therapy for psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration.

With this rich menu you can’t afford to miss this one in a lifetime health conference. We want therefore to take this earliest opportunity to invite you whole heartedly to come and let us compare our experiences in dealing with this problem of addiction. for further enquiries about the conference, you can send all your queries to the event organizer through the email address or sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com log in to the event web site for more www.integrativeaddiction2015.com you can also make a direct call to Sharon Phillips the event planner on telephone number 954 540 1896

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: Symptoms and treatment of heroin overdose

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse

July 6, 2015

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: What you may not know about relapse

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse will give you the zeal to forge a head with the recovery process and not to lose focus when triggers strikes

The problems of drug addiction recovery are greatly hindered with most people’s inabilities to remain consistent to the treatment. When one is addicted to any drug, they become slaves to the drug they are addicted to. Until such people acknowledge that they have a problem that is beyond them and accept that they are weak and need help, any kind of treatment offered may not last as they are likely to keep relapsing from time to time. It is therefore necessary that addicts own to the recovery process by first understanding the signs and management skills of relapse. We may not know what you are going through with your addiction, but as professional we want to assure you that you are not alone in this struggle. In her over two decades of administering treatment to drug users, doctor Dalal Akoury has established that relapse is one of the biggest draw back in the successful treatment of any kind of addiction recovery. Therefore in our quest to understanding the signs and management skills of relapse doctor Akoury is going to share with us something about mental relapse, the techniques of dealing with mental urges and the physical relapse. This is one discussion that you don’t want to miss and I urge you to stay on the link to get very productive information about relapse as an impediment of drug addiction recovery.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: Mental Relapse

The push and pool of mental relapse going on in your mind – the mind can sometimes be in a dilemma with section of the mind fighting to stop drug use while the other is comfortable with the continued abuse. This push and pool is a common occurrence in the mind of most drug users and unless you know the signs of mental relapse well, you may not be successful in your recovery program. Therefore let us start by identifying some of the signs of mental relapse which may include the following:

Engaging your mind in thinking about people, places, and things you used with
Glamorizing your past substance abuse
Telling lies and cheating all the time
Hanging out with old friends using drugs
Fantasizing about drug use
Thinking about relapsing
Planning your relapse around other people’s schedules

These are just a few of the indicators and when you notice any , then action needs to be taken immediately and remember that it will be difficult to make the right choices as the pull of addiction gets stronger says doctor Akoury.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: Techniques for dealing with mental urges

The way the mind understand things can be one of your biggest problem in controlling your addiction problem. If you have been in the recovery program and you are almost succeeding a lot of temptations will be knocking hard and harder to take you back. This is the point when you must be on the lookout on the techniques for dealing with mental urges. With all the progress you have made, any urge to take just one drink may look harmless, but you must learn to say no. it will not be easy and lots of disappointments will be there but desire to remain focus even if you are alone where your support team is not watching.

Remember that a common mental urge is that you can get away with using that drug, because no one will know if you relapse. May be the surrounding is conducive because your spouse who has been helping you keep distance is away for the weekend, or you’re away on a trip. These moments can be very bad for you because that’s when your addiction will try to convince you that you don’t have a big problem, and that you’re really doing your recovery to please your spouse or your work. Remain focus that urge is fake. At this time remind yourself of the negative consequences you’ve already suffered, and the potential consequences that lie around the corner if you relapse again. If you could control your use, you would have done it by now.

Tell someone that you’re having urges to use – Call a friend, a support, or someone in recovery. Share with them what you’re going through. The magic of sharing is that the minute you start to talk about what you’re thinking and feeling, your urges begin to disappear. They don’t seem quite as big and you don’t feel as alone.

Distract yourself – When you think about drugs, try to occupy yourself with something to distract you from that feeling. You could call a friend, go to a meeting, get up and go for a walk. Do something productive; remember that if you just sit there with your urge and don’t do anything, you’re giving your mental relapse room to grow.

Wait for 30 minutes – Most urges usually last for less than 15 to 30 minutes. When you’re in an urge, it feels like an eternity. But if you can keep yourself busy and do other things you’re supposed to do, it’ll quickly be gone.

Do your recovery one day at a time – Don’t think about whether you can stay abstinent forever. That’s a paralyzing thought. It’s overwhelming even for people who’ve been in recovery for a long time. One day at a time, means you should match your goals to your emotional strength. When you feel strong and you’re motivated to not use, then tell yourself that you won’t use for the next week or the next month. But when you’re struggling and having lots of urges, and those times will happen often, tell yourself that you won’t use for today or for the next 30 minutes. Do your recovery in bite-sized chunks and don’t sabotage yourself by thinking too far ahead.

Make relaxation part of your recovery – Relaxation is an important part of relapse prevention, because when you’re tense you tend to do what’s familiar and wrong, instead of what’s new and right. When you’re tense you tend to repeat the same mistakes you made before. When you’re relaxed you are more open to change.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: Physical Relapse

Once you start thinking about relapse, if you don’t use some of the techniques mentioned above, it doesn’t take long to go from there to physical relapse which will include driving to the liquor store or to your dealer for supply. If it were to get to this point, it will be very hard to stop the process of relapse. That’s not where you should focus your efforts in recovery. That’s achieving abstinence through brute force. But it is not recovery. If you recognize the early warning signs of relapse, and understand the symptoms of post-acute withdrawal, you’ll be able to catch yourself before it’s too late. Dear reader it is not to be done all by yourself, seek for help by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: What you may not know about relapse

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