Tag Archives: Addiction and health

Addicted brain

Healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health

June 10, 2016
Healthy gut delivers vibrant brain

Healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health

Healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health: Gastrointestinal tract

The sensitivity of the brain demands that at all times it must be kept healthy. Anytime the brain is under any attack, the whole body feels the impact. To ensure that this does not happen, life is introducing us to the understanding that healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health that functions without any interruptions. And so we enquired from doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center about the connection between gut and the brain. First doctor Akoury registers that the gut (gastrointestinal tract) is the long tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is the food pathway from the entry point to the exit point.

With that definition registered, it will interest you to note that your brain’s health is primarily controlled by what goes on in your gut. This may come as a surprise to many but it is scientifically proven. It is therefore worth noting that any activity taking place in the intestines does not only affects the brain’s daily functions, but also determines your risk for a number of neurological conditions both at the resent and in the future. What that communicates is that the gut health has serious attachment to the brains’ health. If therefore you are feeding on unhealthy food, you are in essence affecting the health of the brain and by extension the whole body. That is why doctor Akoury is making emphasis in ensuring that all addictive substances like alcohol and drugs needs to be avoided if we have to keep the proper functionality of the brain.

Healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health: Intestinal organisms or microbiome

The human gut canal has several intestinal organisms which are also known as microbiome that discharges a host of functions within the body systems. Such functions may include those that are affecting the immunity, detoxification, inflammation, neurotransmitter and vitamin production, nutrient absorption, whether you feel hungry or full, and how you utilize carbohydrates and fat. Doctor Akoury explains that, how these processes factor into whether you experience chronic health problems like allergies, asthma, ADHD, cancer, type 2 diabetes, or dementia.

What you might not know is that your microbiome also affects your mood, your libido, and even your perceptions of the world and the clarity of your thoughts. It therefore explains how healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health. And remember that a dysfunctional microbiome within the gut could be at the root of your headaches, anxiety, inability to concentrate, or even negative outlook on life. That also explains why what goes in through the gut needs to be healthy, pure and appropriate if the brain is to function optimally.

Finally you can simply put it that nearly everything about our health including how we feel both physically and emotionally can hinge on the state of our microbiome. Doctor Akoury is reiterating that no other system in the body is more sensitive to changes in gut bacteria than the central nervous system which are the messengers transmitting information to and from the brain. For more information about the safety of your gut and the brain, you can call doctor Akoury on telephone number 843 213 1480 right away.

Healthy gut delivers vibrant brain health: Gastrointestinal tract

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

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Drug abuse development into addiction complications

May 12, 2016
Drug abuse development

Drug abuse development into addiction complications immediately demands for the healing of the addicted brain from all the addictive substances for effective addiction recovery.

Drug abuse development into addiction complications

The prevalence of addiction in our communities today is an indication that substance abuse is on the rise. Many users of these drugs are not keen on making the distinction between regular uses, drug abuse and drug addiction. And as a matter of fact that distinction is not always easy to make. This is because these substances are very addictive and moreover there is a very thin line between moderation use and addiction. It therefore means that drug abuse development into addiction will always come unannounced and the direct victims are likely to be in denial in the process. And because a negligible population of addicts are able to notice their limits leaving the mass wallowing in their habits addiction to substances has become the order of the day. To help redeem the situation, doctor Dalal Akoury made a decision passionate to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to correct this problem of drug abuse development into addiction by transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness. This she does by empowering individuals into finding their own inner healing power.

Even as you consider taking the right decision about regaining your health back, it will interest you to note that in her over two decades of experience offering addiction solutions, Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that are tailored to deal primary with the prevention and underlying causes of addiction instead of patching up symptoms. This and many other activities she does in relation to offering addiction solution has enable many people who had lost hope in life regain their life full potentials. Therefore if you or any one you know is struggling with drug abuse, you can stop it from escalating into drug addiction by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today on telephone number 843 213 1480. This is actually the best thing you can do not just for yourself but also to your loved ones.

How drug abuse and addiction germinates

There are several ways through which this happens and with the help of doctor Akoury, we are going to look at a few as follows:

Through social connection

What begins as just marry making in a social gathering where drugs or alcohol were served can be the genesis of your long struggle with addiction. With your friends supporting you into drinking for example, you will progressively develop a strong desire to continue with the habit so that you can identify with your friends and before you knew, you are on the highway to addiction.

A little sip or puff won’t hurt

This is a very dangerous statement often used by people when luring their victims into action. Alcohol or any other drug have great influence on their users and that is how drug abuse and addiction develops. Smoking a joint with friends over the weekend, or taking ecstasy at a rave, or cocaine at an occasional party, for example, can change from using drugs a couple of days a week to using them every day. Gradually, getting and using the drug becomes more and more important to you.

When the needs are met by the drug

The illusion that drugs reduces depression and stress has been a serious motivation for many beginners. For sure this has influenced many into addiction because occasionally and for a while this is true but the aftermath of this is serious health complications. Eventually drug abuse can consume your life, stopping social and intellectual development. This only reinforces the feelings of isolation that led to the drug use in the first place.

Finally, and irrespective of how you were introduced to drugs and how drug abuse development has taken a stole on you, we have good news for you. Doctor Akoury is registering that, with the right treatment and support, you can counteract the disruptive effects of drug use and regain control of your life. The first obstacle is to recognize and admit you have a problem, or listen to loved ones who are often better able to see the negative effects drug use is having on your life. When this is done and denial is defeated, treatment can then be administered effectively. You can schedule for an appointment with us today to start the recovery process immediately.

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

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Addiction

Treating Substance Use Disorder (SUDs)

March 25, 2016

Hormonal Intervention and restoration Evidence-based Endocrine restoration is a part of addiction treatment interventions and should be initiated for all patients referred to specialty care treatment of SUDs. 

Treating SUDsAddictions need to be tackled appropriately or the chances of recovery of the affected individual may be further thinned. There have been many researches into the best treatments for people who are suffering from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Many of these treatments are still in the testing and evaluation stages while some are considered okay. Since there is no one-size-fits all treatment, it is appropriate to understand the needs and peculiarities of each patient before administering any kind of SUDs treatment.

The Hormonal Intervention and Restoration Technique is one of the Evidence Based Treatments which involves endocrine restoration for the affected individual. It is believed that the hormones have a lot to do with addiction. It was discovered that individuals suffering from SUDs usually have a significant amount of Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This has caused professionals to research deeply into this area, looking for alterations in neuro-circuitry and nutrition-based hormones such as leptin, insulin and ghrelin, in people dealing with SUDs to see if there are alterations in eating behavior while using drugs, when they are recovering and when they are trying out long-term abstinence.

Virmani et al iterated that drug abuse appears to be a major factor causing risk to the metabolic syndrome which may also cause cardiovascular diseases. Considering that gain in weight as SUD individuals begin abstinence from drugs is one major source of personal suffering, it is therefore important to get a more detailed understanding of how drug addiction affects dietary intake.

Leptin

This is one of the nutrition based hormones secreted in the body by the adipose tissue. Its major role is to increase those rates of metabolism. In humans, plasma leptin has been positively associated with fat. It is anorexigenic because it is responsible for initiating response to starvation. De Arujo et al showed that a hungry individual with moderate leptin levels will attribute a higher reward value to intake of food as against someone who is satisfied (as seen in people when high dopamine release occurs). This may explain why people who are addicted hardly feel hungry after they must been exposed to the substance they are addicted to. There is high dopamine release and there is a feeling of satisfaction which makes them feel full rather than hungry even when they have not eaten. High levels of leptin has however been found to have no significant effect on metabolism and feeding in an individual. In alcoholics, increased leptin concentrations have been found to decrease the urge for alcohol and cause withdrawal in females.

Ghrelin

Ghrelin and leptin play vital roles in neuroendocrine regulation of energy homeostasis as well as food intake. Ghrelin works differently from leptin. Its job is to stimulate appetite in people by activating orexigenic neurons within the hypothalamus. Its receptors have been majorly identified in VTA, amygdala and hippocampus. Since Ghrelin is stomach-derived, its levels usually decrease after eating, thereby creating a satisfaction feeling. The sight of food has been found to elevate ghrelin levels in the body of humans that are non-obese. In obese volunteers, at the sight of food, ghrelin levels are lowered. Alcohol dependent patients have been found with increased ghrelin levels whenever they are intoxicated and in early stages of abstinence. The levels increase during the first week of withdrawal from alcohol.

Insulin

Although insulin is much more widely studied than ghrelin and leptin, its Central Nervous System effects cannot be understood fully. It is known to have a lot to do with regulating blood glucose and just like leptin; it has an adiposity signal and is known to attenuate food reward. Insulin secretions are repressed by the leptin gene therapy. This method can be used to deal with diabetes. In subjects where leptin and insulin levels are low, craving for food intake is increased. Insulin and dopamine work hand in hand to make sure both the urge to be involved in consumptive behavior and the calibration of the appropriate reward is in place. Alcoholics that are practicing abstinence have been found to exhibit blunted responses in their blood glucose when they were exposed to 2-deoxy-D-glucose by intravenous means. The blunted responses were exhibited to both glucagon and insulin. The link between alcohol misuse and sugar misuse and the blunted responses show that there is negative impact of substance use on the endocrine system.  This underscores the need for intervention in the diet of SUDs and helping them to abstain till they recover.

A proper study of these hormones can be harnessed in treating patients with substance use disorders. At every given point during exposure to the addictive substance and while the individuals are trying to abstain, there are spikes in levels of ghrelin, insulin and leptin. These can be tweaked and used effectively in treating patients.

 

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abnormal-sexual

Abnormal Sexual Behaviors And Their Treatment

March 21, 2016

Dealing with sexual disorder

Abnormal sexual behaviorAbnormal sexual behaviors or alternatively called ‘Paraphilias’. According to DSM paraphilias all have in common distressing and repetitive sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors. These fantasies, urges, or behaviors must occur for a significant period of time and must interfere with either satisfactory sexual relations or everyday functioning if the diagnosis is to be made. There is also a sense of distress within these individuals. In other words, they typically recognize the symptoms as negatively impacting their life but feel as if they are unable to control them. There are plenty of behaviors when undertaken excessively they become abnormal, though there are therapy and rehabilitation solutions available to these issues, but it can only be done if a person seeks help which seldom happens.

Serial infidelity or the urge to have multiple extra marital affairs is one of the earliest signs of presenting paraphilias. During this, a person is driven by the desire of having sex with a number of people without considering the emotional harm they do to themselves or others. These behaviors could escalate to having multiple one-night stands. While its considered normal for people to have one night stand once in a while or mistakenly getting caught in a moment and having sex. Generally speaking there is no FDA approved drug that can treat these kinds of addictions but related symptoms such as anxiety, depression and frustration are completely treatable which reduce the severity of disorder.

Sex is considered a private act for majority of people, but having a repetitive uncanny desire of having sex with multiple partners at the same time is a form of sexual abnormality. Sex normally occurs between people who have developed some kind of attraction and affection towards each other or somehow they know each other through some source but people having abnormal sexual behaviors crave for sex with anonymous partners or simply strangers. These individuals also spend a significant amount of time in planning these activities, at time the mere imagination of involving in sexual activities with a stranger or multiple partners become sources of satisfaction and gratification for these individuals.

Escort/prostitution addiction is another major abnormal sexual behavior that progresses as the disorder gains severity. Individuals addicted to escorts could not help control the urge of going to prostitutes for sexual gratification. On the other hand, they can practice those sexual acts like sadistic and masochistic acts with prostitutes easily but it is very unlikely that their permanent partner (spouse/girlfriend) would be willing to get involved in these risky acts. Their urge for this sadistic sexual gratification keeps them bounded to escort addiction. People addicted to escorts generally practice unsafe sex and thus falls prey to sexually transmitted diseases as they lack a sense of self harm.

Persistent use of pornography and addiction to masturbation is one of the most common sexual addictions, a person suffering this addiction lack a sense of control over their sexual needs that are fulfilled by pornography. Sexual Boundary Problems occur when a person fails to recognize that who should be seen in a sexual way and who should not. They have no respect for social barriers and norms’ regarding sexual behaviors and what is considered appropriate and what’s not. Addiction to port can progress towards Cybersex, cybersex Addiction or Abuse where an individual gets involved in sexual practices with people over internet. This kind of addiction involves phone sex, sex through text messages (sexting), and sex over video calls with people sitting miles apart.

People addicted to sex often get involved with exhibitionism and voyeurism. Exhibitionism is the act of exposing those parts of one’s body that are not normally exposed – for example, the breasts, genitals or buttocks in a public or a semi private gathering. The practice may arise from a yearning or obligation to expose themselves in such a manner to groups of friends or acquaintances, or to strangers for their amusement or gain sexual attention or satisfaction. Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions usually considered being of a private nature. In voyeurism, observer mostly do not interact with the subject being observed and it merely involves only seeing them but many times it involves filming or photographs to be used afterwards for abnormal sexual gains.

Sexual harassment, molestation and rape are the extreme form of abnormal sexual behavior. All of these are considered sexual offences as well. Not every sex addict comes as far as committing these offences but a great majority of sex offenders are sex addicts. All of these acts involve a non-consenting child, adult or even an aged individual, who is forced to have intercourse or other related sexual activities with the offender in a totally inhumane manner.

When a person is seen with all of the above or few of these abnormal behaviors, it is mandatory that these addictions should be treated for their own good and for the safety of those around them. Unfortunately there is no drug that can treat these forms of addiction due to a lack of generalization of symptoms, but there are a number of psycho-therapy options available for such individuals. Some options include:

  • Individual therapy
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
  • Group therapy
  • Couple’s counseling or Marriage counseling.
  • 12-step recovery.
  • Inpatient therapy

If you are interested in learning about these therapy options in detail, follow the link below and get registered with us.
http://www.awaremednetwork.com/integrativeaddictionconference/
We are organizing an international conference that deal with every form of addiction and focuses on their solutions through integrative approach. If by any means you are related to someone in need of help or you are a professional psychologist, counselor or a medical expert you can join us by following simple steps of registration and help us bring change in traditional methods of treatment available for all sorts of addiction.

 

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normal-sexuality

What Is Normal Sexuality? What Affects Your Sexuality

March 17, 2016

What Affect Our Normal Sexuality?

Normal sexualityAlthough Biology plays a very vital role, the way sexuality is perceived, expressed or acted upon differs with different cultures. As such, what is seen as normal sexuality in one culture may not be normal in another. Basically, sexuality talks about people’s sexual interest and/or attraction to others. It is the potential to have sexual or erotic feelings and experiences one to the other. The subject of sexuality is therefore a complex one since there are many cultures around the world. In other to be able to tackle with this subject, in some way, we will have to zero down to what ‘normal’ is within most cultures.

Scientifically, when something is said to be ‘normal’, it means average. Contrarily, when something is said to be ‘healthy’, it means it is adaptive. What this infers therefore is that what is normal sexuality depends on many things, apart from culture now, just like it is pretty difficult for an individual to answer the question “Am I normal?” The truth is, what defines a healthy sexuality varies to a large degree.

Because of these variables, we often wonder whether our sexual needs, desires or interests are normal. As a matter of fact, married people who use the services of therapists often ask about normality. Therefore to define normal or abnormal sexuality, it is necessary to define “sexuality” and “abnormality” Sexuality includes every component including, and is not limited to,  sexual behaviors, sexual desires, sexual attitudes that one is engaged in, sexual function, preferences and identification. Psychologically, on the other hand, abnormality is seen from 3 perspectives

  1. The Frequency Perspective: Which considers the abnormality of a behavior based on the rarity of occurrence in a general population
  2. The Social Norms Perspective: Which considers the abnormality of a behavior based on what is socially acceptable
  3. The Maladaptive Perspective: This considers the abnormality of a behavior when it causes problems in the life of the person who exhibits such behavior.

Sexuality or a sexual behavior is therefore said to be abnormal when it is not reported frequently from the frequency perspective. The problem with this perspective is that frequency can only be based on what is reported. If a particular sexual behavior is not reported, it doesn’t mean it is not in existence. If people are not willing to disclose, then the frequency will be low. A very large portion of sexuality-based researches are based on self-report. People get asked sensitive questions such as sexuality and they are expected to answer correctly. But more often than not, people distort the truth. For instance, women may be asked about how many sexual partners they keep or they have had so far in their lifetime. In most studies, women round down while men round up. In both cases, the figures are distorted and not exact giving results that are either an over-representation or under-representation of that the truth is. In most studies therefore, based on the frequency perspective, what is normal sexuality refers to sexual feelings towards the opposite sex. This is the most frequently reported.

Looking at the social norms perspective of normal sexuality, one can see clearly that this has to do largely with religion, politics, societal beliefs and ancestry. In most cultures around the world, the term ‘normal’ refers to what is ‘more acceptable’. Rather than seeing ‘normal’ as what is ‘absolutely acceptable’ and abnormal as ‘absolutely unacceptable’, each culture finds a way of identifying a range or spectrum of behaviors that may be more or less acceptable. Also, what is normal culturally tend to change over a period of time. For instance, pre-marital sex may be abnormal in the 1950s but is now acceptable in the 2000s. Normal sexuality from this point of view is pretty dicey as many cultures practice many kinds of sexuality and it is therefore difficult to find a ‘general normal’ from this perspective.

From the Maladaptive point of view, normal sexuality is beheld from the perspective of what is ‘healthy’, not what is ‘average’. This perspective therefore only seeks to know whether a sexual behavior is causing troubles, bringing harm to the individual or to the whole society. While the first two perspectives, the Frequency and the Social Norm perspective are seen as ‘objective’, trying to zero down on what is acceptable, the maladaptive point of view cares less, it only wants to know whether what is seen as normal or abnormal by the first two perspectives interferes with someone’s life. As long as it doesn’t, it is considered normal and when it does, it is considered abnormal sexuality.

Obviously, from the above definitions of ‘What is Normal Sexuality?’, it is clear that the topic of sexuality is very complex. I personally think what can be done to do justice to this topic is to ask questions such as

  1. Is this acceptable to me and my partner?
  2. Is this sexuality manipulative, exploitative, coercive or self-destructive?
  3. Does it cause any kind of harm to my partner or the society as a whole?

WHAT AFFECTS SEXUALITY?

Sexuality is normal in itself. It is biological and it is what develops with an individual right from birth. What affects sexuality is mostly external, rather than natural or internal. For instance, a female might have found out she is never satisfied with intercourse without clitoral stimulation. Because her partner does not seem to be into this, she finds it hard to discuss and as such, she over time resolves that clitoral stimulation may be something unacceptable for her partner. She recedes to a life of sex without satisfaction.

Also, the taboos of masturbation may prevent an individual from discovering sexual pleasure based on hand stimulation and because of this, such individual finds it hard later in life to direct their partners on how to use this method to bring them sexual satisfaction.

For me, most have come to believe that their ‘manliness’ or self-worth is largely based on their ability to please their partners. He therefore puts all focus on performing rather than enjoying sex. When the partner doesn’t seem to be satisfied, such men get depressed or start having sexual anxiety which cause problems such as erection dysfunction, which later causes problems in the relationship.

These and many more external factors affect human sexuality. You are invited to the AwareMedNetwork Conference where issues such as this and more will be discussed exhaustively. Please visit the official website to register.

 

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