Treatment for Alcoholism

August 11, 2014

Treatment for Alcoholism – Drug Addiction

Alcoholism treatment can be done in various ways. group therapy and support from family and friends is also very essential

It has been established that alcohol is one of the most addictive and abused substance the world over and the most surprising point is that despite its known dangers to human life, it is not listed among the illegal drugs thereby allowing its consumption freely. All the efforts the authorities are putting in place to put control to the usage of alcohol has not yielded much because today alcohol still remains the number one abused drug globally. Because of the magnitude of health complications associated with alcohol consumption, we will be discussing in our subsequent articles about various effects of alcohol to human life but for the purpose of this article we will look at the possible treatment available to those who have been considered to be alcoholics. There are many medical options for treating alcohol use disorders which generally depends partly on the intensity and the duration of the patient has been drinking. The treatment options may include:

Behavioral therapy like individual sessions with a health professional and support groups
Medications

In administering treatment for alcoholism your doctor will do a brief intervention to help the patient to reduce or stop their drinking. During this process your doctor will give you an action plan for working on your drinking. The action plan may include:

Keeping a daily diary of how much alcohol you consume
Setting targeted goals for your drinking
If you’ve reached alcoholism stage then anti-craving or aversion medication may be recommended.

Treatment for Alcoholism – Overall Treatment Goals

The ultimate goal for goal for alcoholism treatment is to secure patients total abstinence. When this is achieved it offers a better survival rates, mental health and sound marriages. Patients who attain this often become good and responsible parents, employees or employers compared to those who keeps relapsing. Achieving this may not be an easy task and therefore the patient will need to avoid high-risk situations and interchange the addictive patterns with much more useful and satisfying activities and behaviors. Many professionals may choose to treat alcoholism as chronic disease where patients will be expected to accept relapse even as they purpose for a long remission period as possible. Every step taken is an achievement because even very small reduction of alcohol intake is significant enough to lower the risk for alcohol-related medical problems.

It is highly regarded that achieving total abstinence and a voiding high risk situations are the optimal goals for alcoholics. This should also be supplemented by involving family members and friends by way of educating them on how to offer social support to the addicts. When it is approached from different directions like that then some level of success will be achieved.

Treatment for Alcoholism – Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment

Inpatient Treatment – this is usually a reserved for patients whose conditions of alcoholism places them in danger normally this is done in a general or psychiatric hospital or in any other facility dedicated to treatment of alcohol and other substance abuse. Factors that indicate a need for this type of treatment include:

Coexisting medical or psychiatric disorder
Delirium tremens (a neurological condition associated with withdrawal that involves uncontrollable trembling, sweating, anxiety, and hallucinations or other symptoms of psychosis)
Potential harm to self or others
Failure to respond to conservative treatments
Disruptive home environment

A typical inpatient regimen may include the following stages:

A physical and psychiatric work-up for any physical or mental disorders
Detoxification – this phase involves initiating abstinence, managing withdrawal symptoms and complications, and ensuring that the patient remains in treatment
On-going treatment with medications in some cases
Psychotherapy, usually cognitive behavioral therapy
An introduction to AA

Some studies have established better success rates with inpatient treatment of patients with alcoholism. However resent studies strongly suggest that alcoholism can be effectively treated in outpatient settings as opposed to the inpatient.

Outpatient Treatment – People with mild-to-moderate withdrawal symptoms are usually treated as outpatients. Basically treatments methods are similar to those in inpatient situations and may include:

Psychotherapy or counseling
Medications that target brain chemicals involved in addiction
Social support groups such as AA
Cognitive therapies
Involvement of family and other significant people in patient’s life

The current approach to outpatient treatment uses medical management a disease management approach that is used for chronic illnesses such as diabetes. With medical management, patients receive regular 20-minute sessions with a health care provider. The provider monitors the patient’s medical condition, medication, and alcohol consumption.

After-Care and Work Therapy – this kind of care uses services to help maintain sobriety. For example, in some cities, sober-living houses provide residences for people who are trying to stay sober. They do not offer formal treatment services, but the people living there offer each other support and maintain an abstinent environment.

The treatment of alcoholism is a process that involves many stages and serious commitment to the recovery process. When an addict makes the first and most important step of seeking for help the journey will be along one and a difficult one for that matter. Like indicated earlier treatment process may be complicated and fall back or relapsing may be the order of the day. But in all this you must take courage because you have chosen a worthy course for your life and that of people around you. Seeking for professional help along the way would be a good idea. For instance you may visit AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a medical facility established by doctor Dalal Akoury who is a medical doctor of over two decades of practice. Doctor Akoury has been helping many people overcome their addiction problems across the state and the world over in the most natural and efficient way. Your addiction condition will be professionally handled in her care while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE and you will have your life back and live it to the fullest.

Treatment for Alcoholism – Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction and Suicide

August 11, 2014

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Addiction’s Hidden Risks

Drug addiction is an indicator to suicide. It brings depression and painful stress that can only result in suicide, seek for help before it is too late

I love life and I strongly believe that you do too. Each person has his or her own peculiar reasons of being a live and there are so many set objectives that we want to accomplish while still alive. These objectives are either set to us by people around us or our own desired goals but the bottom line is that we have them. We may not be able to achieve these objectives if we are not sober in our minds. To be sober we must all desire to stay away from all kind of drugs and drug related activities or influences. We must make all efforts to ensure that our neighborhood is safe and free from any kind of substance abuse. Our children must be brought up morally sound and any element of depression avoided by all means. Doing this should be a collective responsibility to everyone because the consequences of drugs are fatal and suicidal. Therefore anyone who cares about an addict will have several concerns. For instance:

The fear of getting serious accident and other body injuries
The fear of losing a loved one
The fear of drug overdose
The fear of committing suicide

These are weighty concerns but for the purpose of this article we will dwell more on the suicide as a consequence emanating from drug abuse. To start us off suicide is a well-known risk for those suffering from mental health problems requiring special medical attention in the assessment and treatment of addiction. You must take keen attention on depression and other mood disorders because these are the primary indicators of risk factors for suicide. Besides this alcohol and general drug abuse are also influential in triggering suicide. As a matter of fact studies have established that alcoholism is a strong indicator even without being depressed and those suffering from drug use disorders are said to be about six times likely to commit suicide than the population not using drugs.

Drug abuse does not only increase the likelihood that a person will take his or her own life, but it is also used as a means for committing suicide. Statistics indicate that for every three people dying from suicide one will be as a result of drug influence and specifically opiates such as oxycodone or heroin, or alcohol. Poisoning is another leading method used in suicide deaths again drugs make up to 75 percent of suicide deaths due to poisoning.

Drug Addiction and Suicide –When Hope Runs Out

Have you ever wondered why suicide is the tragic fate of so many people struggling with addiction? There are a few possible explanations which may include the following:

When under the influence of drugs or alcohol, people may lose inhibitions and take risks they would not do when sober.
Many people abuse drugs or alcohol in an attempt to relieve the symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions.
The rate of major depression is two to four times higher among addicts than the general population.

Although drugs may seem to help in the short term, they exacerbate problems over time. When attempting to stop using drugs, people may feel overwhelmed by the return of painful emotions that they had been medicating with drugs. They may also be clear-headed enough to carry out suicidal thoughts and plans. Transitions, such as entering or leaving treatment, relapse, and death, divorce or other major life changes, can be especially vulnerable times.

Abusing drugs, especially depressants such as alcohol or sedatives, can also trigger symptoms of depression, increasing the risk of suicide. As the consequences of addiction pile up, from legal problems and damaged relationships to financial ruin and job loss, individuals may lose all hope that things can get better and for some the feeling of impossibilities may take center stage where victims only see two possible ways of relief i.e. getting back into drugs use or death.

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Treatment and Prevention

The best way of solving the problem of suicide is to prevent it from taking place however treatment will be very fundamental if you are already deep into drugs. It is estimated that about 45% of suicide patients are those suffering from untreated drug abuse disorders. This great number is due to several factors like stigma. Many people often fail to seek for help because of the stigma besides luck of proper training in suicide prevention. It is important that individuals suffering from drug addiction owns up early and seek for immediate recovery process. This will go a long way in containing the situation and suicide can be prevented as a result of treatment.

There are very few primary care physicians trained to help identify and prevent suicide nonetheless the few in administering treatment must not shy away from establishing the genesis of the problem by asking turf questions that would not otherwise be asked. Such questions will be helpful is addressing suicidal ideation even when the patient is struggling or has in the past struggled with addiction, depression or other mental health disorders. It is important that someone ask the difficult question like;

Whether the patient has ever considered or attempted suicide
Whether they are currently think about or intend to commit suicide.

The patients need to be shown love and let them know that they are not alone and that they are cared for. Impacting the spirit of hope in them is very vital this can be a collaborative effort between them and their loved ones to help create a lasting recovery plan that guarantees their safety and then addressing the underlying issues in trust by a trusted health provider.

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Threats

We worry about the addicts in our lives for good reason. They are at high risk of death by a number of causes including:

Diseases
Accident
Suicide

Suicide prevention requires a multifaceted approach, but it all hinges on the person reaching out for help and effective treatment being available when they take that brave step of turning away from their behaviors. Finally a decision to seek for help is the best thing you can do for yourself. You may want to seek for expert opinion at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Akoury is a medical professional with several decades of experience and together with her team of experienced experts they will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Drug Addiction and Suicide – Addiction’s Hidden Risks

Internet as source of cancer Information

August 10, 2014

The Internet Is a Difficult Place for A Cancer Patient

The internet has become the first stop for anybody seeking any information on any subject and medical information is no exception. People will always want to know more about the disease that is troubling them. They want to know all the causes of the disease so that they can avoid its reoccurrence incase it is treated, they want to know the best place to get treatment for the disease and the best treatment of the disease. Cancer being a disease that has caused threat to human population is one of the diseases that are majorly researched on by patients on the internet. This is because cancer is a disease that has kept doctors and researchers doing research everyday and so most of the alternative cancer treatments are still being discovered as a result of these endless researches by these concerned bodies to come up with better treatment that will not only help the cancer patients evade the side effects that some conventional cancer treatment methods are known for but also avail a more cost effective treatment that every cancer patient can afford yet still effective in terms of fighting the disease.

The internet however helpful is not 100 percent beneficial to the cancer patients seeking information as it is used by all sorts of people ranging from medical doctors, medical researchers, interest groups and other health groups that will try to avail every helpful information to help the cancer patient to find the best cancer treatment. It is also used by people who are out to con people by providing misleading information that is geared towards extorting money from the cancer patients. Just to remind if you forgot, cancer is one of the most expensive diseases to treat and as cancer patients are saddened by this fact other people and groups are out to exploit the cancer patients who are ready to spend all their savings in pursuit of the best cancer treatment. The internet provides these individuals with a better ground to sell their products that are not approved by any institution such as FDA. It is rather difficult to set up a shop and sell drugs that are not approved but it is very easy to create a website and sponsor all sorts of writers who will avail contents that praise the potency of the drugs on sale to entice the cancer patient to purchase the products. Some of these sites have even sponsored testimonials of people who claim to have been treated by the same product you are needed to buy but in real sense they have never used the product but are just in the business of luring the desperate cancer patients to buy all these ineffective drugs or supplements.

Internet offers anonymity to scammers therefore making it difficult for them to be associated with the information that is on their websites. This anonymity is in itself a great form of protection as they will con you and you will not be able to trace who they are. It is therefore crucial for any cancer patient to verify the credibility of the site he is seeking information on before owning the information that is availed on that site and thereafter using it in his fight against cancer. This might cause very complex problems as the information is misleading and remember they are about drugs.

Commercial sites

Most of the sites that the patient will visit are commercial sites that try to promote the products of a given medical practitioner or hospital. This information may be biased as promotional information is always on the positive side of the products and the expertise of the people behind the site. This may lead to a cancer patient buying a cancer drug that is over rated but does nothing to heal the disease.

It is therefore good for a patient to know the people behind the site. Any site that promotes anonymity of the people who use it should be avoided for matters of security. Here are some of the tips you can use to know whether the site is owned by a credible person or is just one of the platforms on which the online scammers make their contact with the desperate cancer patients to con them.

Know the people behind the site

By knowing the person or institution behind the site you will be able to judge whether the site is credible or just a scam. A site that is created with clearly good intentions will always have the names of the people plus their qualifications and experience on that site. You can do a search on the names availed so that you can see if they are known beyond their site. Medical practitioners who run these websites are those with extensive experience in medicine and are known at least in their countries.

Is the site up to-date?

Internet There are cancer doctors and cancer care centers that are committed to availing information to cancer patients to help them live longer or better yet get treated. These sites are always up to date. It is good to know if the information is up to date since researchers may have disputed all the core information available on the site. It is also good to check for availability of any available sources of information. Cancer research is done by qualified oncologists and their names and the publications of the findings should be mentioned in the contents so that you can check them for reference. Any information that is not verifiable may be misleading.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

The Internet Is a Difficult Place for A Cancer Patient

Dendritic Cell Therapy

August 9, 2014

Dendritic Cell Therapy, Virotherapy and PDT As Used In Cancer Treatment

Dendritic Cancer treatments has evolved over a time and today there are very alternative cancer treatment methods all these geared towards providing a better cancer treatment to the patients. Cancer patients have always undergone pain and suffering that most conventional cancer treatments expose them to. This is not to say that the conventional cancer treatment methods are ineffective, no they are effective but are always accompanied by some life threatening side effects that doctors have done lots of research to mitigate. Some of the cancer therapies aim at sensitizing the immune system to act against the cancer causing agents. These treatments are good because they initiate or other ‘ignite’ the body’s natural healing ability thereby fighting cancer the natural without exposing the cancer patient myriads of life threatening side effects. Immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment has gained popularity and is now widely used all over the world in cancer treatment. Here are some of the therapies that are used widely in the fight against cancer.

Dendritic Cell Therapy

The dendritic therapy works as a form of vaccine. The dendritic cells produce antigens that are able to sensitize the T cells to both new and recall antigens. The dendritic cells have been said to be most powerful antigen producing cells. The dendritic therapy works by triggering the antitumor activity of the immune system by generating the effector cells that work by attacking the tumors. This is an immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment.

Researchers have done lots of work on the effectiveness of the dendritic therapy in cancer treatment and the research findings have shown that dendritic cells can be injected into the body in the form of a vaccine and help in fighting cancer. If cancer is present in the body, inoculation with new dendritic cells notifies the immune system of the presence of cancer and which then begin vital immune function against the cancer. The dendritic cells help to mobilize the great power of the immune system to identify cancer and fight the cancer cells. These dendritic cells are cultured from the patient’s own white blood cells so they are referred to as autologous.

As always a known role of vaccination; it improves the specific immune function. When an antigen is introduced in the body, the antibodies and the entire immune system is triggered to fight the antigen. This however should be perfected by repeated exposure to the antigen. For this reason the dendritic therapy is done repeatedly to train the immune system to rise against the cancer causing antigens. Patients will be vaccinated with dendritic cells six times at monthly intervals at the beginning of the therapy after which they will be vaccinated once after every six months for duration of three years. These injections help to boost the potency of the vaccine. After the six month interval of injections the patient will begin receiving these injections yearly.

The immune system should be strong enough to spot the cancer cells as they begin to grow. This is because in every human being there are cancer cells that are produced every day. However exposure to carcinogens such as tobacco smoke, radiation, heavy metals, pesticides and food preservatives will make these cells malignant. When the immune system is strong then the cancer cells will be spotted and destroyed early before a person develops clinical cancer and this is the role played by the dendritic therapy as it sensitizes the immune system to rise against the cancer cells.

The dendritic cells improve the immune response to cancer as they move throughout the body scavenging for abnormal cells. They also help as they target cells that might become malignant as a result of virus infections and sensitizing the immune system to destroy them earlier.

Virotherapy

This is a form of cancer treatment that involves the use of biotechnology to convert the viruses into cancer fighting agents. The viruses are programmed by use of biotechnology to attack cancerous cells but the healthy cells are not interfered with/. Such viruses as herpes simplex virus and adenoviruses are used. These treatments target the cells and the DNA.

The idea of using viruses in cancer treatment began as early as 1950s when doctors that cancer patients who suffered a non-related viral infection, or who had been vaccinated recently, improved greatly. This improvement is attributed to the production of interferon and tumor necrosis factors in response to viral infection. Virotherapy targets only cancer cells and so the healthy cells are not affected.

Before being used in some hospitals the Virotherapy was tested on animal models for its effectiveness in fighting cancer. By 1956 some clinics had began using Virotherapy in treatment of cancer patients. However the adoption of this treatment as a main stream cancer treatment was delayed due to inadequate technology by that time.

PDT

In Photodynamic therapy or PDT special drugs called photosensitizing agents are used along with light to kill cancer cells. These drugs work only after getting activated by a special light. This treatment is often called the phototherapy or photochemotherapy.

Dendritic The treatment introduces the photosensitizing agents in the body. The photosensitizing agents can be put through veins into the blood stream or can just be put on the skin. Several minutes pass by for the drug to be absorbed by the cancer cells. A light is then applied on the affected area to induce a reaction between the drug and the oxygen which forms a chemical that destroys the cancer cells. It also works by destroying the blood vessels that supply the cancer cells with nutrients hence they are starved and killed.

Dendritic Cell Therapy, Virotherapy and PDT As Used In Cancer Treatment

Mixing alcohol with other drugs

August 9, 2014

Mixing alcohol with other drugs – Long term effects of heavy drinking

Mixing alcohol with other drugs is not an option, it is complicated and life threatening. Seek for help immediately.

Whichever way you look at alcohol consumption you will be rest assured that up to 98% will be all negative effects – and in fact of the said benefits three quarters are concoction benefits with do not last for instance being talkative or gaining some level of confidence while under the influence of alcohol may be seen as a benefit but as soon as time lapses and sobriety resurface you lose the benefit instantly. I believe that from this introduction we can confess that alcohol is dangerous on its own and what about if the consumer mixes alcohol with other drugs? We are getting into that shortly but in the meantime let us look at some of the effects of alcohol alone without other drugs. People who drink heavily for a long time may experience the following:

Brain and nerve damage
High blood pressure and strokes
Liver disease
Damage to the fetus, for pregnant women
Diseases of the stomach, digestive system and pancreas
Breast cancer and throat cancer
Low sex hormone levels
Alcohol dependence

These are not experiences you would want to be associated with in life because they are not only bad but also life threatening. I will tell you without a second thought that if you’re taking alcohol then the best thing you can do for your dear life is to stop and seek help from the experts like doctor Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for an expert opinion.
You may have not known but it is said that there are some limited benefits of alcohol consumption particularly to the people age 45 and above, this should not motivate you into drinking if you’re not. You must not start drinking to try getting some of these health benefits instead you should keep off drinking because you’re better off eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking.

Mixing alcohol with other drugs is dangerous

Alcohol and other drugs don’t mix and attempting this can be very fatal. For instance if you were to mix marijuana or club drugs (e.g. ecstasy, ketamine, GHB) with alcohol it will certainly be very difficult to make informed and smart decisions. You will be in consistent problems with the authorities because you’re not in control of yourself. You are likely to get into dangerous situations, to be injured or to injure someone else in the process. I plain language mixing alcohol with other substances is life threatening. Doing this may trigger your body to react violently causing you pain, headaches, cramps or vomiting. This is the last thing you would want to do. DON’T mix alcohol with any other drug.

Legality of alcohol

Unfortunately alcohol is legal in as much as we are revealing the dangerous effects of this substances (alcohol) it is among the many addictive drugs allowed for human usage. The usage is limited to certain age bracket is a legal drug if you are of meaning that you can only use or buy alcohol if you’re within the legally allowed age. Currently in many nations across the globe the recommended age for drinking is 18 year though in some countries this limit can be up to 19 years or even more.

The law about drinking and driving

Many lives are unnecessarily lost on the roads globally due to drink driving. Studies have also established that alcohol is the major cause of many of these deaths and because of these nearly all states across the globe are taking this seriously by enforcing stringent laws to protect and save lives. Drink driving has become a serious criminal offence and driving with blood alcohol content of 0.08 % and above will land you in the wrong books with the authorities. Other general illegalities and penalties include:

To drive while impaired even if your BAC is less than .08 per cent.
Declining to provide a breath sample when asked by the police is also illegal.
Suspension of your driver’s license on the spot for 90 days
Separate criminal charges to face in court.
Also, if you are learning to drive and have a Graduated Driver’s License, you are not allowed to drive after drinking ANY alcohol.

These are just but a few rules and penalties applicable in most countries in an effort to bringing order on our roads. The same penalties and more are also applicable where one mixes alcohol with other drugs. To demonstrate the seriousness of this problem the authorities in Ontario have made even much harsher penalties to offenders. For instance if you are convicted of impaired driving more than once the penalties is as follows:

First conviction – your driver’s license is suspended for one year and a further $600 fine.
Second conviction – your driver’s license is suspended for three years and 14 days in jail.
Third conviction – your license is suspended for 10 years or for life plus 90 days in jail
Fourth conviction: such offenders will never own a driver’s license in Ontario soil again and they will still be sentenced to jail for another 90 days.

Reducing risks and getting help

Matters relating to alcohol abuse and drug addiction are very complicated and needs proper plan in the presence and for the future to stay safe. You may want to consider the following as guide:

Have a back-up plan for getting home (have money and a phone number for a taxi, or call your parents or a friend whom you trust).
If you drink at all, it is best not to drive at all.
When relying on others for a ride, make sure you know how much the driver has drunk before deciding to get in the car (this includes rides with adults, too).
If you drink, pace your drinks, have some non-alcoholic drinks too, and eat before you drink and while you are drinking.
Plan ahead for overnight stays. Make sure you know how much your friends are drinking and how they are getting home.
Don’t mix alcohol with medicines or illegal drugs. Check with your pharmacist to be sure.

In conclusion in everything you do your safety should come fast. Why must you go to jail for things you can deal with locally? I know it easy to say that you can easily deal with addiction matters but when it comes to the action part it becomes difficult, Dr. Dalal Akoury is an expert in this discipline and has been of help to many addicted patients the world over. In her effort of reducing drug addiction from our societies, she founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility in which all problems relating to alcohol abuse and drug addiction are professionally taken care of in the most natural ways. This is the place to be for all your addiction problems and doctor Akoury together with her team of experts will administer exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to you for prosperity. The facility also care for other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars and in fact any qualified professional can now be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

Mixing alcohol with other drugs – Long term effects of heavy drinking

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