Category Archives: Heavy Metal Toxicit

Alcoholism

April 22, 2014

Alcoholism-What you didn’t know

Alcoholism

If you don’t take quick action about your alcohol consumption alcoholism will chain you down

It is an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic beverages or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency. It intrudes into a person’s life with very negligible or no notice at all because normally consumers of this substance majorly take it for pleasure and then in its own will graduates to other unintended levels. Therefore it’s not always easy to see when your drinking has crossed the line from moderate or social use to problem drinking. But you can be rest assured that if you consume alcohol to cope with difficulties or to avoid feeling bad, you’re in potentially dangerous territory. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can sneak up on you, so it’s important to be aware of the warning signs and take steps to cut back if you recognize them. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcoming it and this is going to be our focus point in this article.

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are due to many interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems. Finally, those who suffer from a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk, because alcohol may be used to self-medicate.

How then do you get to know if you have a drinking problem? Most of the drinking problem indicators come from the consumers themselves? The following are some of the observations you may be interested in

  • Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking.
  • Lie to others or hide your drinking habits.
  • Have friends or family members who are worried about your drinking.
  • Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.
  • “Black out” or forget what you did while you were drinking.
  • Regularly drink more than you intended to.

Since drinking is so common in many cultures and the effects vary so widely from person to person, it’s not always easy to figure out where the line is between social drinking and problem drinking. The bottom line is how alcohol affects you. If your drinking is causing problems in your life, you have a drinking problem.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse

Alcohol production is a big industry the world over and so many brewers will not openly tell you the truth about the contents and ingredients in their product 100%. Many at times they will only tell you what is good for your ears and add to their profit. I will tell you decisively some of the obvious symptoms you probably have been ignoring so that you can take care of yourself. They include:

  • Repeated neglect of your responsibilities at home, work, or school because of your drinking. For example, performing poorly at work, flunking classes, neglecting your kids, or skipping out on commitments because you’re hung over.
  • Using alcohol in situations where it’s physically dangerous, such as drinking and driving, operating machinery while intoxicated, or mixing alcohol with prescription medication against doctor’s orders.
  • Experiencing repeated legal problems on account of your drinking. For example, getting arrested for driving under the influence or for drunk and disorderly conduct.
  • Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships. Getting drunk with your buddies, for example, even though you know your wife will be very upset, or fighting with your family because they dislike how you act when you drink.
  • Drinking as a way to relax or de-stress. Many drinking problems start when people use alcohol to self-soothe and relieve stress. Getting drunk after every stressful day, for example, or reaching for a bottle every time you have an argument with your spouse or boss.

The path from alcohol abuse to alcoholism

It should be noted that not all alcohol abusers become full-blown alcoholics, but it is a big risk factor. Sometimes alcoholism develops suddenly in response to a stressful change, such as a breakup, retirement, or another loss. Other times, it gradually creeps up on you as your tolerance to alcohol increases. If you’re a binge drinker or you drink every day, the risks of developing alcoholism are greater.

Signs and symptoms of alcoholism

Alcoholism is the most severe form of problem drinking. It involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but it also involves another element: physical dependence on alcohol. If you rely on alcohol to function or feel physically compelled to drink, you’re an alcoholic.

Tolerance

You need to ask yourself these questions.

  • Do you have to drink a lot more than you used to in order to get buzzed or to feel relaxed?
  • Can you drink more than other people without getting drunk?

If the answer to this question is yes then they are signs of tolerance, which can be an early warning sign of alcoholism. Tolerance means that, over time, you need more and more alcohol to feel the same effects.

Withdrawal

Do you need a drink to steady the shakes in the morning? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and a huge red flag. When you drink heavily, your body gets used to the alcohol and experiences withdrawal symptoms if it’s taken away. These include:

  • Anxiety
  • Trembling
  • Sweating
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Insomnia
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Headache

In severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can also involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation. These symptoms can be dangerous, so talk to your doctor if you are a heavy drinker and want to quit.

Other signs and symptoms of alcoholism (alcohol dependence)

  • You’ve lost control over your drinking. You often drink more alcohol than you wanted to, for longer than you intended, or despite telling yourself you wouldn’t.
  • You want to quit drinking, but you can’t. You have a persistent desire to cut down or stop your alcohol use, but your efforts to quit have been unsuccessful.
  • You have given up other activities because of alcohol. You’re spending less time on activities that used to be important to you (hanging out with family and friends, going to the gym, pursuing your hobbies) because of your alcohol use.
  • Alcohol takes up a great deal of your energy and focus. You spend a lot of time drinking, thinking about it, or recovering from its effects. You have few if any interests or social involvements that don’t revolve around drinking.
  • You drink even though you know it’s causing problems. For example, you recognize that your alcohol use is damaging your marriage, making your depression worse, or causing health problems, but you continue to drink anyway.

If the description above suits you, then you need see and be handled by the touch of an expert, and that is where AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care comes in.  Doctor Dalal Akoury the founder of this facility is an expert who focuses on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. You are only a clique away to full recovery with doctor Akoury.

Alcoholism-What you didn’t know

 

 

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Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency

April 19, 2014

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency-Key issues Introduced

NAD

NAD Stimulates production of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, thereby improving moods

I want to introduce this discussion with an illustration “proper functionality of your car”. For your car to serve you well, it will need to be fueled, well lubricated and mechanically checked from time to time. When these are not done you will not get the best from your car and instead it may become disastrous to you. NAD is like these elements the car need to function well. Your body will not function well without NAD and so what is this great element that the body needs so much and how does it function in the body? Keep reading and find out.

NAD stands for Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which is the chemical term for a molecule that reacts with oxygen in the mitochondria in every cell of your body in order to create energy so you can function properly and move, breathe, pump blood, digest food, think, and generally, live your life.  The absence of this essential cellular fuel is now recognized as a key feature of chronic fatigue, apathy, depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug addiction, weak immune system (infections and cancer), muscle pain and weakness, headaches, memory disturbance, sleep problems, focus and concentration defects and other chronic diseases. NAD deficiency may be an unrecognized epidemic of cellular disease.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency-Functions and Benefits of NAD

Nevertheless friends, we may not understand the importance of NAD in our body until we identify its key roles in the body. To help us get the facts right let us look at some of the functions of NAD in the body which include:

  • Increases energy in brain cells
  • Stimulates production of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, thereby improving moods
  • Increases energy in heart cells
  • Protects and repairs DNA, reducing DNA mutations which contribute to atherosclerosis, cancer, immunodeficiency, rheumatoid arthritis, and much more
  • Lowers cholesterol
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Strengthens the immune system
  • Stimulates nitric oxide production, thereby improving blood flow in the body

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency-Effects of NAD to the affected and infected people

Medical research has shown that NAD therapy has positive effect to several medical conditions. The following are some of the medical conditions that improve greatly as a result of this therapy:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Alcohol and drug addiction
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Memory loss (forgetfulness)
  • Attention deficit
  • Diabetes
  • Muscle pain and weakness
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • Headaches
  • Fevers, sore throats and swollen lymph glands
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Cancer

Research has also shown that NAD does not only benefits persons with medical condition but can also provide the following benefits to healthy people:

  • Increased physical energy
  • Improved mental performance
  • Improved response to short term sleep deprivation
  • Reduce the effects of jet lag
  • Enhance libido
  • Anti-aging

Since NAD is so fundamental to good health, how is it that we can become deficient in this powerful molecule? First of all, the vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats come from our diet and provide the building blocks to citric acid cycle energy production.  If either of the nutritional factors is low, energy production is weakened. Since oxygen is just as important as hydrogen in cellular energetics, lack of exercise and shallow breathing due to stress are common factors that can reduce the amount of oxygen at the cell level. And finally the enzymes that catalyze the citric acid cycle are often inhibited or destroyed by chemical or physical toxins that create oxidative, or free radical, damage.

Free radical damage comes from cigarette smoke, drugs, radio waves from cell phones and Wi-Fi, and the myriad chemicals found in all humans at this time on earth, including phalates, parabens, pesticides, styrene, benzene, toluene, and thousands more.  For example, medical scientists now widely believe that Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease share the common feature of nerve cell degeneration due to impairment of the ATP producing enzymes with the citric acid cycle and mitochondria.

Genetic NAD deficiency may be present at birth and appear in children as poor sleeping, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, impaired concentration, academic stress and underachievement. Some people have been tired and depressed for as long as they can remember.  For these people there is a greater tendency to try drugs and alcohol in order to improve energy and mood, and simply feel better, but the risk for addiction is high.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency-Genetics and addiction

A word of caution is necessary as we discuss genetics and addiction, or, any other disease.  Inherited variations in genes do not invariably lead to disease.  Lifestyle and mind style factors often override, so to speak, a genetic tendency.  Basically the DNA is the hardware in the computer and the epigenome is the software, which is influenced by our lifestyle and the choices we make in our lives.  The epigenome responds to our thoughts, emotions, beliefs and overall stress levels, as well as our diet, exercise levels and other features of our daily lives.  Basically, the genes put the bullet in the gun, but it is our lifestyle and mind style that pulls the trigger.

NAD deficiency

There may be a genetic polymorphism that reduces a gene coding for a mitochondrial protein which regulates NAD production.  Since mitochondrial DNA is all received from the mother through the egg (no mitochondria are found in sperm) we can look to the maternal side for clues to energy production in the family history.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency-Dopamine D2 receptor impairment

Since the primary neurotransmitter of the reward pathway is dopamine, genes for dopamine synthesis, degradation, receptors, and transporters are indicators for further consideration. Also, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, opioid, and cannabinoid neurons all modify dopamine metabolism and dopamine neurons. Therefore, defects in various combinations of the genes for these neurotransmitters may result in a Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS).

Finally I will not be doing you any form of justice if I don’t let you know of experts you can make further enquiries from. Matters of health are not just about reading and understanding what you have read from books, internet or articles like this one. Every one of us will need a professional touch for effectiveness and that is ware doctor Dalal Akoury comes in. she is an expert in chronic problems, addiction and obesity. A visit at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care will be all you need to regain your life completely.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency-Key issues Introduced

 

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Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)

April 18, 2014

Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)-Addiction Recovery using Intravenous NAD & amino acids

Neurotransmitter

Besides Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR), Addiction Recovery can be achieved by physical activities.

The first step in addiction recovery is a functional medical investigation targeting the conditions in the body that facilitates fatigue, anxiety, depression, reduced pain tolerance, poor focus and the likes. These common underlying conditions include food sensitivities, gluten intolerance, adrenal and thyroid imbalances, malabsorption, neurotransmitter deficiency and NAD deficiency. Since these issues are treatable, normally with nutritional supplements and diet, the patient receives intravenous NAD and amino acids based in individually designed protocols for a 10 day period of time. The IV NAD and amino acids improves brain function based on higher levels of cellular energy production along with increased neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. There could be some withdrawal symptoms for a period of two or three days which is easily manageable and so should not worry you much. After three to five days as withdrawal symptoms disappear, craving subsides and clarity of thinking is restored.

It should be noted that this treatment is not a substitute for recovery, but it is the beginning of the process of healing. The moment the brain and body are functioning better, the patient has the energy, clarity and focus to engage in the recovery process. The patient will be able to understand the reasons for compulsive behavior and with better health and motivation they can stop compulsive behaviors and make informed choices that are self-supportive rather than self-destructive.

Some studies done in the past five decades reveals the efficacy and safety of IV NAD in detoxifying patients from alcohol, opiates, tranquilizers and stimulants.  Like the early studies, our experience with the protocol over the past five years substantiates its benefits in greatly reducing withdrawal symptoms, as well as reducing, and often eliminating the cravings.

At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s there are tailor made programs provided to individual, family and group therapy. Patients are provided with continued integrative care for their underlying medical problems, which helps them to timely feel better physically and mentally. This way they are more likely to continue healing psychologically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Depending on case by case at least two year commitment to after care treatment is critical because the underlying psychological issues which often lead to substance abuse must be resolved for long lasting recovery.

Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)-Addiction

It is a disease in the body and the mind and successful therapy depends on treating both.  Mind-Body medicine is based on the unity of mind and body and focuses on promoting health and balance in the mind-body, thereby providing highly effective therapy for addiction.  If you detoxify, or withdraw, from alcohol or a drug, but do not address the conditions in the body that create fatigue, depression, and anxiety, then relapse is more likely and therapy has been incomplete. Similarly, if you withdraw from a substance and do not understand the psychological and spiritual issues that promoted the need for it, then relapse is likely and the “lessons of disease” have not been learned.

Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)-The body

Integrative, or, functional medicine provides the tools to assess and treat the conditions in the body that contribute to fatigue, depression, and anxiety, thereby increasing the likelihood of chemical dependency.  These include:

  • Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency
  • Neurotransmitter deficiency (serotonin, GABA, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, etc)
  • Metabolic cofactor deficiency
  • Pyroluria
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Adrenal fatigue
  • Intestinal yeast overgrowth
  • Delayed onset food sensitivities
  • Gluten intolerance

These “terrain issues” in the body need to be properly treated in order to make detoxification easier and to prevent relapse.

Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)-The mind and spirit

However, addiction is also disease in the mind. The fact that the mind rules the body is, in spite of its neglect by biology and medicine, the most fundamental fact which we know about the process of life.

The origins of most physical disease are within consciousness – the body is the messenger of the conflicts, sustained fears, suppressed emotional traumas, disturbed patterns of thinking, and other imbalances that lie within the conscious and unconscious mind.  Many people have painful childhood experiences, including patterns of neglect, smothering control, abandonment, and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Later on there can be failed relationships, years of marital conflict, and the pain of loneliness. Many experience decades of unfulfilling employment, foiled personal creativity and the quiet desperation of a slowly dying spirit. These life experiences contribute to relentless anxiety, depression, denied emotions, destructive beliefs, hopelessness, helplessness, “giving up”, and an endless variety of recurrent stresses.

Disease of any kind is the body’s way of getting your attention and inviting this self-exploration, thereby offering true healing.

Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)-Brain disease Reward Deficiency Syndrome
  • Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that help to control states of consciousness, including moods.
  • Serotonin and GABA down-regulate electrical activity in the brain, thereby contributing to calm, peacefulness, or less anxiety.
  • Adrenaline and nor-adrenaline up-regulate electrical activity thereby promoting excitement, motivation, or, reducing depression and apathy.
  • Dopamine is the “feel good” brain chemical. It is the dance of these electro-chemicals that produce emotional balance and feelings of well-being.

When the proper flow, or cascade, of these neurochemicals is impaired, or, the brain’s receptors are blocked, then a variety of problems can develop, including:

  • Mood instability
  • Irritability
  • Agitation
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Apathy
  • Impaired concentration
  • Trouble focusing
  • Despair

A host of medical and lifestyle issues can disturb the healthy flow of neurotransmitters, including chronic stress, alcohol, drug abuse, genetics, poor diet, digestive disturbances and malabsorption, micronutrient deficiency and more.  The result can be Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS), a term primarily used for hereditary chemical imbalances wherein the pleasure centers, which regulate feelings of well-being in the brain, fail to receive appropriate neural signals.  As a result, the brain sends out urgent messages of craving. In the brains of addicts, various neurotransmissions are affected, depending upon the drug or drugs that have been used. As a result addicts experience difficulty concentrating and have mood swings, for example, as well as having other physical symptoms. Collectively, these symptoms are called cravings and withdrawals. Craving and withdrawal symptoms are a result of a neurochemical imbalance in the brain.

It is the Reward Deficiency Syndrome that causes the compulsive use of alcohol and drugs that help to feel good, at least temporarily. In addition to alcohol, people use nicotine, other stimulants, illicit drugs, junk foods, sugars, or thrill-seeking behaviors such as gambling, sex and Internet porn. Unfortunately, this only provides temporary relief while bringing with it the possibility of more long-term problems. For lasting solution to addiction, only experts in the same line will liberate you from this problem. Doctor Dalal Akoury is an expert you can rely on for whatever addiction you are going through.

Neurotransmitter Restoration (NTR)-Addiction Recovery using Intravenous NAD & amino acids

 

 

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Overcoming addiction by healing energy

April 17, 2014

Overcoming addiction by healing energy-Good health for wealth

Energy

In order to overcome addiction, healing energy would be necessary.

Have you ever imagine life without any form of illness? If you picture this and try to visualize it in your mind then what you’re likely to see is what I will call sustainable wealth. If your body is free from any kind of disease then you’re wealthy than anyone ranked in the top 100 of the wealthiest persons in the world. You may be wondering ware I’m heading to with this wealth direction in relation to the title of my article. This is my point, the study of addiction indicate that nearly all things we do, eat or desire in life when not done properly may lead us into becoming addicted to them and eventually cause health complication.

Let us take food for example, we all need food to live and in fact it’s one of the most important basic needs in the globe, yet food can be serious problem to your health and mine. It’s very interesting that our bodies need energy which comes from food to move around yet some of these sources of energy can be harmful to you and me. For this reason, it will be very important that we overcome addiction by all means possible and that includes healing energy.

Addiction is usually the result of a larger problem. Stress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and even some mental disorders are usually the underling factor in addiction, which is a symptom and not in itself an illness.

Overcoming addiction by healing energy-Types of Addictions

Chemical addictions and process addictions are two general categories of addiction.  We often assume that because the initial stages of addiction begins with voluntary behavior and is expressed in the form of excess behavior, people should just be able to use self-medication to stop their addictions, and this may not be true. The brain of an addict has been altered by choices they make over a period of time and so you and I need to know some of the common elements of addiction which include the following:

  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Drugs – cannabis, cocaine, heroin, steroids, etc.
  • Exercise
  • Sex
  • Eating
  • Computers
  • Work
  • Gambling
  • Shopping and many more…

Overcoming addiction by healing energy-Characteristics of Addiction

Addiction has control mechanism to addicts, once addicted you will be under the influence of addiction and not vice versa. You become driven by its forces and you think you cannot live without it.  Boredom, grief, frustration, sadness, rejection and failure are just few emotional issues that you try to escape from with use of your choice of addiction. Addiction is costly and takes your money and time. The more you focus on control it the more you feel your energy is depleted. It often disrupts your social life, family, love, and work life, as well as damages your mental and physical health.  While addiction may bring short term pleasure, it can bring long term harm and therefore must not be taken lightly.

Withdrawal Fear of Addiction

Fear of withdrawal is one of fundamental forces at play in the power of addiction. After long use of choice of addiction, not just brain but body tissue develops dependence. The physical signs and symptoms of withdrawal usually associated with abrupt stop of usage can be: tremors, sleeplessness, diarrhea, anxiety, sweating, loss of appetite, up to hallucinations and seizures in severe cases.

Substance Dependency and Relapse

Trigger-induced craving is one of the most frequent causes of drug use relapses, even after long periods of abstinence. Environmental triggers help explain why re-entry to one’s community can be so difficult for addict leaving the controlled environments of an addiction treatment Centre.

Overcoming addiction by healing energy-How Energy Healing is Beneficial in Addiction?

Energy healing helps to increase the level of energy in the body, and leaves you feeling relaxed, energized and in positive state of mind. It unblocks energy and re-establishes energy flow in internal organs which stimulates, nourish and replenish them. In doing so it improves the state of internal organs, assisting everything from digestion, absorption, blood circulation and energy production activities.

In order to truly help someone who is suffering from addiction, energy healing involves seeking the tools that will help you attract your desires and find your personal power to manifest wellbeing on all levels and help you overcome the underlying problem that is causing addiction. Energy healing is therefore beneficial in addiction control and elimination by executing the following:

  • Increasing feeling of relaxation
  • Reducing intensity of withdrawal symptoms
  • Improving sleep patterns
  • Freeing blocked energy in the body

How Many Treatments Will One Need?

The number of energy healing treatments required to treat addiction will differ between individuals patient.

Overcoming addiction by healing energy-Guided Meditation

There are indications from new research that meditation can help decrease substance use and relapse. Meditation will allow for a reflection on all repressed feelings and events, providing the space for them to come to surface, enabling healing process to take place by shifting brain activities from the stress-prone brain to more calming. Turning off your brain may be hard especially for someone in recovery process. Meditation will be effective when learned from the instructor/teacher than from the book, tape or just sitting and focusing on your breath. By learning to meditate correctly, the increased awareness and mindfulness of meditation helps you avoid thoughts of substance usage, which can surface during recovery. Other benefits of meditation in the treatment of addiction include:

  • Decreased feelings of anxiety
  • Decreased feeling of sadness
  • Decreased moodiness and irritability
  • Heightened concentration levels
  • Enchanting memory
  • Increased feeling of stability
  • Increased feelings of well-being and vitality
  • Increased self-awareness

In making effort to get well you will certainly meet obstacles, it will not be a smooth flow all the way. Nevertheless you need not to worry of the possible challenges since doctor Dalal Akoury who is an expert in addiction and at professional in training trainers (physicians) globally will be of great help for you. I strongly recommend her for you and your relatives and friends who may be going through addiction problem. It doesn’t matter what kind of addiction you may be going through or what stage you’re in, with doctor Akoury you shall have started the meaningful journey to your full recovery and comfort living thereafter.

Overcoming addiction by healing energy-Good health for wealth

 

 

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The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction

April 10, 2014

The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction-How it happens

stimulant

It doesn’t have to go this far addiction can be eradicated if you avoid substance abuse, be it stimulant or otherwise.

Over the last several decades, research on substances of abuse has vastly improved our understanding of human behavior and physiology and the nature of substance abuse and dependence. Basic neurobiological research has enhanced our understanding of the biological and genetic causes of addiction. These discoveries have helped establish addiction as a biological brain disease that is chronic and relapsing in nature. By mapping the neural pathways of pleasure and pain through the human brain, investigators are beginning to understand how abused psychoactive substances, including stimulants, interact with various cells and chemicals in the brain.

For the purpose of this article I will tell you the effects of cocaine and methamphetamine (MA) use, have on the user’s brain and behavior, which in turn leads to the stimulant user’s unique needs. Understanding these effects provides the foundation for stimulant-specific treatment approaches and gives treatment providers greater insight into stimulant users and why certain treatment approaches are more effective.

The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction-Stimulant Abuse and the Brain

The fundamental problem in dealing with any substance of abuse is to understand “the target” (the user). Therefore, to understand why people take drugs such as cocaine and MA and why some people become addicted, we must first understand what these drugs are doing to their target; that is to say, how stimulants affect the user.

Proper engagement of substance abuse and dependence often involve some discussion of the root causes–the societal and risk factors that lead to these conditions. To date, investigators have identified as many as 72 risk factors for substance use and dependence. Among them are poverty, racism, social dysfunction, weak families, poor education, poor upbringing, and substance-abusing peer groups. These risk factors–as well as other environmental and genetic factors–only influence an individual’s initial decision to use substances of abuse. But after initial use, an individual continues to use a substance because she likes its effects: Use modifies mood, perception, and emotional state. All of these effects are modulated through the brain; basic understanding of neuroscience will help us understand this phenomenon.

For substances of abuse to exert their effects, they must first get to the brain. The four most common routes of administering psychoactive (mood-changing) substances are:

Oral consumption (i.e., swallowing)

A swallowed substance goes to the stomach and on to the intestinal tract. Some substances easily pass through the digestive tract into the bloodstream. Other substances are broken down into their chemical components (i.e., metabolized) in the digestive system, thereby destroying the substance.

Intranasal consumption (i.e., snorting)

Inhalation into the lungs (generally by smoking)

Substances that are inhaled into the lungs adhere to the lining of the nasal passages (the nasal mucosa) through which they enter directly into the bloodstream. Inhaled substances are usually first changed into a gaseous form by igniting (e.g., marijuana) or volatilizing by intense heat (e.g., crack cocaine, the ice form of MA). The lungs offer a large surface area through which the gaseous form may quickly pass directly into the bloodstream.

The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction-Intravenously via hypodermic syringe

Injected substances obviously enter the bloodstream directly, although at a somewhat regulated rate. In these last three routes of administration, substances enter the bloodstream in none metabolized form.

Once a substance enters the bloodstream, it is transported throughout the body to various organs and organ systems, including the brain. Substances that enter the liver may be metabolized there. Substances that enter the kidney may be excreted. If a female substance user is pregnant, and the substance is able to cross the placenta, then the substance will enter the fetus’ bloodstream. Nursing babies may ingest some substances from breast milk.

To enter the brain, a substance’s molecules must first get through its chemical protection system, which consists mainly of the blood-brain barrier. Tight cell-wall junctions and a layer of cells around the blood vessels keep large or electrically charged molecules from entering the brain. However, small neutral molecules like those of cocaine and MA easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. Once inside the brain, substances of abuse begin to exert their psychoactive effects.

The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction-The Nervous System

The human nervous system is an elaborately wired communication system, and the brain is the control center. The brain processes sensory information from throughout the body, guides muscle movement and locomotion, regulates a multitude of bodily functions, forms thoughts and feelings, modulates perception and moods, and essentially controls all behavior.

The brain is organized into lobes, which are responsible for specialized functions like cognitive and sensory processes and motor coordination. These lobes are made up of far more complex units called circuits, which involve direct connections among the billions of specialized cells that the various substances of abuse may affect.

The fundamental functional unit of the brain’s circuits is a specialized cell called a neuron, which conveys information both electrically and chemically. The function of the neuron is to transmit information: It receives signals from other neurons, integrates and interprets these signals, and in turn, transmits signals on to other, adjacent neurons.

The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction-The Limbic Reward System

The brain circuit that is considered essential to the neurological reinforcement system is called the limbic reward system (also called the dopamine reward system or the brain reward system). This neural circuit spans between the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens. Every substance of abuse–alcohol, cocaine, MA, heroin, marijuana and nicotine–has some effect on the limbic reward system. Substances of abuse also affect the nucleus accumbens by increasing the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which helps to regulate the feelings of pleasure (euphoria and satisfaction).

Dopamine also plays an important role in the control of movement, cognition, motivation, and reward. High levels of free dopamine in the brain generally enhance mood and increase body movement but too much dopamine may produce nervousness, irritability, aggressiveness, and paranoia that approximates schizophrenia, as well as the hallucinations and bizarre thoughts of schizophrenia. While too little dopamine in certain areas of the brain results in the tremors and paralysis of Parkinson’s disease.

Natural activities such as eating, drinking, and sex activate the nucleus accumbens, inducing considerable communication among this structure’s neurons. This internal communication leads to the release of dopamine. The released dopamine produces immediate, but ephemeral, feelings of pleasure and elation. As dopamine levels subside, so do the feelings of pleasure. But if the activity is repeated, then dopamine is again released, and more feelings of pleasure and euphoria are produced. The release of dopamine and the resulting pleasurable feelings positively reinforce such activities in both humans and animals and motivate the repetition of these activities.

Dopamine is believed to play an important role in the reinforcement of and motivation for repetitive actions and there is an increasing amount of scientific evidence suggesting that the limbic reward system and levels of free dopamine provide the common link in the abuse and addiction of all substances. Dopamine has even been labeled “the master molecule of addiction.”

The brain exposed to stimulants abuse causes addiction-How it happens

 

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