Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem

July 16, 2015

Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem: Preparing for your appointments

Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem becomes easy since the patient is now willing and is being treated voluntarily. This way all the addiction related consequences can easily be addressed more professionally.

One of the biggest obstacles in addiction treatment is the endless problem of denial. Many addicts are never willing to consent to treatment for various reasons. As a result of this the recurrence of this problem is and will continue to be a thorn in our flesh every time we are dealing with drug addiction. However, when denial is beaten and the patient comes to the point of acknowledgement of the existing problem, then and only then that meaningful treatment can begin. Remember that I have said meaningful that means that treatment can still take place with or without denial. The only difference is that when you are attending to a patient who knows the problem he is suffering from and has accepted to be helped, treatment becomes very easy says doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Nonetheless after all this is done the real work now begins by facing addiction after overcoming denial problems. The question that now comes to mind is that how do I you start? Doctor Akoury says that objectively it may be of great help for such a patient to get an independent perspective from someone they trust and who knows then too well. Opening up should be the initial starting point. It therefore means that you can start by discussing your substance use with your physician, or if you are not comfortable with this, they you may want to ask for a referral to a specialist in drug addiction, such as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, or a psychiatrist or psychologist. The most important thing to note continues doctor Akoury is that many at times these people are isolated in themselves and therefore it will take the hand work of their loved ones to assist them in this worthy journey of addiction recovery. Besides that if you are struggling with an addiction you can take a relative or friend along with you when you are going for your appointment with your doctor.

Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem: What you can do

There are a lot of things you can do to prepare for your appointment including some of the following:

Be honest about your drug use – When you have a drug-use problem, it can be easy to downplay or underestimate how much you use and your level of dependence. To get an accurate idea of which treatment may help, be honest with your doctor or other mental health provider.

Make a list of all medications, vitamins or other supplements – that you’re taking and the dosages. Tell the doctor about any legal or illegal drugs you’re using.

Get ready to ask all your questions to questions to your doctor – this will help your doctor to identify the best recovery state the best treatment method to you. The following are some of the questions you may address to your doctor:

What’s the best approach to my drug problem?
Should I see a psychiatrist or other mental health provider?
Will I need to go to the hospital or spend time as an inpatient or outpatient at a recovery clinic?
Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can have? What websites do you recommend?
What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you’re suggesting?

Don’t hesitate to ask questions anytime during your appointment.

Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem: What to expect from your doctor?

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Be ready to answer them to reserve time to go over any points you want to focus on. Your doctor may ask:

What drugs do you use?
When did your drug use first start?
How often do you use drugs?
When you take a drug, how much do you use?
Do you ever feel that you might have a problem with drugs?
Have you tried to quit on your own? What happened when you did?
If you tried to quit, did you have withdrawal symptoms?
Have any family members criticized your drug use?
Are you ready to get the treatment needed for your drug problem?

Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem: Tests and diagnosis

Depending on how your doctor will respond to your questions he run several test before making any judgment of coming up with a diagnosing drug solution. Remember that the problem of addiction can be compounded to the point that when seeking for solutions, you may engage the services of various experts including a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Blood, urine or other lab tests are used to assess drug use, but they’re not a diagnostic test for addiction. These tests may be used only for monitoring treatment and recovery. However for diagnosis of a substance use disorder, most mental health professionals use criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, to diagnose mental conditions. This manual is also used by insurance companies for the purposes of reimbursement for treatment.

Remember that DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder will include a behavior pattern of drug use that causes significant problems and distress, regardless of what drug is used. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in their study of addiction pattern have concluded that and individual is likely to have and addiction to any substance if at least two of these listed issues happen to them with one year:

You often take larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended
You want to cut down or quit, but haven’t been successful
You spend a good deal of time getting the drug, using the drug or recovering from the effects of the drug
You have intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
You aren’t meeting obligations and responsibilities because of your substance use
You keep using the drug, even though you know it’s causing problems in your life
You give up or cut back important social, occupational or recreational activities because of your substance use
You use the substance in situations that may be unsafe, such as when driving or operating machinery
You use the substance even though you know it’s causing you physical or psychological harm
You develop tolerance, which means that the drug has less and less effect on you and you need more of the drug to get the same effect
You have physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the drug, or you take the drug (or a similar drug) to avoid withdrawal symptoms

Finally if any of these questions speaks anything to you, then it is very important that you contact the house of experts (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) for lasting solutions today.

Facing addiction after overcoming denial problem: Preparing for your appointments

Understanding the real complications of drug addiction

July 16, 2015

Understanding the real complications of drug addiction: Losing proper control to the drug

Understanding the real complications of drug addiction would help the community arrest some the ugly scenes of the outcome of addiction.

Drug addiction is a common phenomenon that is threatening to wipe out our social and economic fabric. It is on condition that has no boundary when it comes to the scope of attack. Everyone and everybody is vulnerable status, cultures and races notwithstanding. It is also commonly referred to us substance use disorder, is a dependence on a legal or illegal drug or medication. Nevertheless it is important to appreciate that whereas alcohol and nicotine are legal substances globally, they have not escaped the scope of addictive substances and therefore they are also considered drugs with alcohol being considered as the most abused drug and that is according to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a health facility which was established by doctor Dalal Akoury up on realizing that there are a lot of people suffering from various addictions yet with very limited health facilities that are directly addressing their struggle. It is for this reason that we want to use the expertise of doctor Akoury to shade some light that will help us in our quest of understanding the real complications of drug addiction. Therefore I want to encourage you to stay with us on the link and further request that you invite a friend so that together we can become the champions of the war against drug addiction.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center whenever an individual is addicted to any drug, they tend to lose control over that particular drug by taking the back seat and the drug sit on the steering wheel. Under these circumstances, they will continue using the drug despite the knowledge about the consequences that are associated with misuse of that drug. Doctor Akoury says that being addicted to drugs can essentially cause an intense craving for the drug. You may desire to quit for your health sake but the craving power won’t just let you be. It is no wonder that but most people find too difficult to get the much needed redemption all by themselves. It is also important to be informed that drug addiction can cause serious, long-term consequences including problems with physical and mental health, relationships, employment, and the law. With these complications, it is only fair that you seek for help immediately. While we appreciate that family, friends and support groups are a healthy way of seeking for assistance, it will be very crucial that you go for professional treatment with the line experts in matters addiction. I want to encourage you that understanding the real complications of drug addiction is not enough owing to the magnitude of the problem, scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury should be your starting point. Up on seeking for this appointment, she will be able to professionally organize a treatment program that will help you in succeeding in overcoming all your addiction related concerns leaving you to be drug free for the full enjoyment of your life.

Understanding the real complications of drug addiction: Drugs to be worried about

Like we have stated above drug use can have significant and damaging short-term and long-term effects on the users’ health. In fact taking some these drugs can be particularly risky, especially if they are taken in high doses or combine them with other drugs or alcohol. The following are some of the examples of these drugs:

Methamphetamine, opiates and cocaine are highly addictive and cause multiple short-term and long-term health consequences, including psychotic behavior, seizures or death due to overdose.

GHB and Rohypnol may cause sedation, confusion and memory loss. These so-called “date rape drugs” are easy to give someone without his or her knowledge or consent and are known to impair the ability to resist unwanted contact and recollection of the event. At high doses, they can cause seizures, coma and death. The danger increases when these drugs are taken with alcohol.

Ecstasy or Molly (MDMA) can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and complications that can include seizures. Long-term, MDMA can damage the brain.

One particular danger of club drugs is that the liquid, pill or powder forms of these drugs available on the street often contain unknown substances that can be harmful, including other illegally manufactured or pharmaceutical drugs.

Due to the toxic nature of inhalants, users may develop brain damage of different levels of severity. That is why we have experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to help you deal with all these repercussions. I know that the problem of denial is very significant but life is even more important. Therefore if you have any suspicion as to why your loved ones are suffering from an addiction, and because they are in denial, take the first step of consulting with doctor Akoury and you shall have started the ball of treatment rolling. Professionally denial can be dealt with so don’t keep quite spill out the beans for the betterment of your loved one’s health.

Understanding the real complications of drug addiction: Other life changing complications

Dependence on drugs can create a number of dangerous and damaging complications, including:

Getting a communicable disease – People who are addicted to a drug are more likely to get an infectious disease, such as HIV, either through unsafe sex or by sharing needles.

Other health problems – Drug addiction can lead to a range of both short-term and long-term mental and physical health problems. These depend on what drug is taken.

Accidents – If you’re addicted to a drug, you’re more likely to drive or do other dangerous activities while under the influence.

Suicide – People who are addicted to drugs commit suicide more often than people who aren’t addicted.

Family problems – Behavioral changes may cause marital or family strife and custody issues.

Work issues – Drug use and dependence can cause declining performance at work, absenteeism and eventual loss of employment.

Problems at school – Drug use can negatively affect academic performance and motivation to excel in school.

Legal issues – These are very common for drug users and can stem from buying or possessing illegal drugs, stealing to support your drug addiction, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or disputes over child custody.

Financial problems – Spending money to support your drug use takes away money from your other needs, could put you into debt, and can lead to illegal or unethical behaviors.

Understanding the real complications of drug addiction: Losing proper control to the drug

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism

July 14, 2015

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism: The evidence of being an alcoholic

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism gives us the strength of working together in fighting all manner of drug and alcohol addiction.

Alcohol consumption is one of the most cherished practices during marry making across the globe, whether it is on occasions like wedding, birth parties, anniversaries or any other event where people are celebrating something. Besides that this substance is also commonly used for relaxation after a day’s long labour yet again others use it to hide their feelings. When they feel bad and are stressed for whatever reason they resort to alcohol for solace. In all these one is likely to be persuaded that alcohol is delivering good result to their respective users but is that really the case? Are you a user of alcohol? And how well do you understand the drink you take? In fact knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism will be very helpful for you to know whether you are on the right truck or not. This is what doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center wants to share with us in this article. We therefore request for your indulgence to stay on the link to get the necessary tools you need to make very important decision about alcohol intake.

Now back to the discussion, studies have established that alcoholism is actually the most severe form of drinking problem. Doctor Akoury explains that alcoholism is wide and it involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse alongside with other elements like physical dependence on alcohol. It is therefore very important to note that if you rely on alcohol to function or feel physically compelled to drink then there is likelihood that you’re an alcoholic and action needs to be taken in good time. You can begin by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury for a one on one discussion about all your concerns. Now the following are some of the indicators of alcoholism.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism: Tolerance

Tolerance is the first major warning sign of alcoholism in any users’ life. Therefore if you are compelled into drinking a lot more than you used to in order to get cope or to feel relaxed or when you drink more than other people without getting drunk, then these are signs of tolerance, which can be early indicators or warning sign of alcoholism. Remember that tolerance comes in situations where, over a period of time, the user finds him or herself in need of more and more alcohol to feel the same effects they felt previously.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism: Withdrawal

Withdrawal is the second major warning sign of alcoholism. Therefore if you realized that you need a drink to fix your problem of the shakes in the morning, or you’re drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms, then these are also indicators of alcoholism and a huge red flag for that matter. Remember that when you drink heavily, your body gets used to the alcohol and experiences withdrawal symptoms if it’s taken away. The following are some of the withdrawal symptoms:

Anxiety or jumpiness
Shakiness or trembling
Sweating
Nausea and vomiting
Insomnia
Depression
Irritability
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Headache

Doctor Akoury says that in severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can also involve more complicated problems like hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation. It is very important to note that these symptoms can be dangerous and addressing them with your physician in good time is advisable. Therefore if this description suits your situation, then talk to your doctor to help you through the recovery process.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism: Other signs and symptoms of alcoholism

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.

Finally the problem of addiction is one that has been with us from time immemorial. The fact that this problem is that old doesn’t mean that it cannot be addressed to its logical conclusion. We appreciate that there are a lot of teething problems in dealing with substance abuse and more so to alcohol. But when you take the right direction and you engage the right professionals, you will succeed in eliminating this problem out of your life and that of your community. Speaking to doctor Dalal Akoury would be the starting point for you when it comes to matters addiction. Why do I say this, it will interest you to note that doctor Dalal Akoury seeing how drugs was ruining the societies across the globe, made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Up on scheduling for that appointment with her, she will evaluate your individual condition and put you on the right treatment that will help you reclaim your life back in the most professional way. Take that initial step of calling her today and you will live to tell the story of your complete revival.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcoholism: The evidence of being an alcoholic

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction

July 13, 2015

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction: Are you worried about the alcoholism?

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction is aimed at creating an awareness that will support preventive measures so that alcohol do not lead to block outs

I was walking along one of the street during my holiday and I was surprised at the name given to the street. Guest what, that street was called the pubs lane. Out of curiosity I decided to find out what was so special about this name and to my surprise, and as the name suggested, that was a liquor street. Both side of the street was drinking spots of about half a kilometer stretch. Not a single chemist for medicine, grocery shop, just bars and bars all through the 500 miters street. This left me wondering, was it the local authority policy to license drinking spot to one location! Being a writer about health articles I need to bring this to your attention, and I could see how alcohol was people’s little god in this street. It actually reminded me of the prevalence of alcoholism and drug addiction in most of our societies. Therefore I want to bring to your attention some of the realities around us. Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction should have been the concern of the authorities in this town because by licensing bars and pubs in one street like that, they were actually succeeding in elevating crime in that location of the town.

The only good thing that was evident with this street is that there were some health workers with their van offering the HIV test services to those who were willing to be tested and so I spoke to a few of these health workers and you could feel the pain of alcohol addiction. And so I want to raise certain concerns which doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will help us to bring to perspective. Now looking at the happenings along this street I ask can alcoholism be treated?

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction: Can alcoholism be treated?

Doctor Akoury says that strictly speaking, there is no ‘cure’ for alcoholism. My eyes frown at the revelation nonetheless she continued, there are lots of ways that you can overcome your dependency and achieve sobriety once you’ve identified your problem. I noted from her expression that the first step is identification of the problem. To her different types of alcoholism treatment work for different people and the most successful route will depend on the cause of the drinking problem. This gives me hopes that the street of pubs can be rehabilitated. But that a side, are you struggling with alcohol abuse? If you are, establish the problem and seek for help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Akoury today and get your life back for greater productivity.

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction: Quitting drinking

The hardest part of beating alcoholism is stopping drinking in the first place. Your GP will be able to help you with this. Almost all alcoholics will suffer some sort of withdrawal symptoms, ranging from mild shakes and nausea to delirium tremens (or DTs), which can be severe and even life threatening. If you’ve been a heavy drinker your GP may recommend that you’re admitted to hospital for the detox process so that your vital signs can be monitored. While there are very few dedicated NHS detox facilities there are several private clinics in nearly all the towns and cities around you, where you can get services conveniently. Remember that the detox process takes between three and seven days, and you may be given tranquilizers, such as diazepam (Valium), to help you through. After this, alcohol is no longer a predominantly physical or chemical need, but will often remain as a strong psychological desire.

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction: How to stay sober?

The fact that you have stopped drinking is only half the battle worn, after this the problem of relapse will certainly be knocking from time to time. Anyway you need not to worry if it happens to you once or twice because it is bound to happen, how you deal with it is what matters most. Your GP will be able to offer medical help in the form of drugs that can help you overcome the cravings that come with alcoholism. These medications may include acamprosate calcium which helps to reduce cravings, naltrexone which blocks the effects of alcohol in the brain, and disulfiram which induces nausea, headaches and discomfort if you do drink. However, it should be noted that none of these is a ‘magic pill’ or cure for alcoholism. They simply provide help in overcoming the cravings experienced as you try to stop. A much more important factor is psychological support. Your GP may refer you to a counselor who will work with you to identify the root cause of your addiction, and help you deal with the stress, or other issues, which drove you into drinking in the first place.

There are also many support groups where fellow alcoholics support one and other in their battle with alcoholism. The most famous of these is Alcoholics Anonymous which holds meetings all over for people from all walks of life with all kinds of alcohol related problems. There are also support groups for the family and friends of alcoholics, such as Al-Anon to help them to cope with the difficult task of helping an alcoholic beat their addiction.

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction: Can alcoholism be cured?

The short answer to the question of whether alcoholism can be ‘cured’ is likely to be no, in most cases. Once you’ve identified a problem with alcohol, the chances are that this will be with you for life. Even if you never actually drink again the risk of relapse will always be there if you do. However, the good news is that there is a great deal of help and support available, both physical and psychological, to conquer your dependence on alcohol and achieve sobriety. So with all these supports coming your way, you need not to suffer in silence, come out of your hiding place and face your problem head on for the betterment of your life with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury today.

Raising concerns about dangers of alcohol addiction: Are you worried about the alcoholism?

Social and economic cost of alcohol abuse

July 13, 2015

Social and economic cost of alcohol abuse: The impact of drug addiction

Social and economic cost of alcohol abuse is touching every individual irrespective of race, religion, status or education background

Even though we are all aware of the consequences of misusing alcohol, it is regrettable that users of this substances particularly those that abuse its usage are still deeply rooted in their habit of misuse. The various authorities entrusted with ensuring safety of their subject are not doing enough either to remedy the situation. All that they do is to use these harmful substances as sources of income by levying heavy taxes under the pretext of making the substance out of reach to many due to the high cost. While this formula may be working on one hand, it may not on the other hand because not only those who can afford the high cost alcohol do take the drink. In fact majority of the alcohol abusers are those low income people. This can only mean that increasing the levies is not a lasting solution to the problem of alcohol abuse. Because of this fact, we are prompted to discuss the social and economic cost of alcohol abuse in our societies. To help us address this professionally we posed these two questions to doctor Dalal Akoury for guidance:

What is the link between alcohol and violence between partners?
What are the estimated economic and social costs?

Before we get into the discussion, doctor Dalal Akoury is a veteran expert in addiction and seeing the suffering of both the young and the old in the hands of drugs, she made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. It is important to appreciate that for any meaningful treatment of any kind of addiction, prevention and underlying causes must be established before the commencement of any treatment. This way we will be able to address the future problems before they happen and that is what doctor Akoury is championing for. I really don’t know what you may be going through, but if it is anything to do with any kind of substance abuse, then this is the place to be (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care). You can therefore schedule for an appointment with her today and she will professionally attend to all your concerns, leaving you with a more vibrant life a head of you to live it to the fullest.

Social and economic cost of alcohol abuse: What is the link between alcohol and violence between partners?

The discussion about social economic cost of alcohol abuse will not be over until its effect on the family unit is properly addressed. This is because the role that alcohol is playing in several disputes and disagreements that culminates to domestic violence incidences is very substantial. The problem of domestic violence is always compounded in the event that the partner abusing the substance in that relationship is the husband. However in most of the recorded cases, both the offender and the victim have been drinking. Experts are actually in agreement that the relationship between alcohol and violence is very complex even though the precise role of alcohol remains unclear. Excessive misuse of alcohol has been in many occasions associated with violence between partners and by extension to a lesser extent to violence towards others besides the family. This is possibly because proximity increases the opportunities for violence.

Experts have been busy conducting various studies across the globe with a view of trying to find the connection between the incidences of domestic violence and alcohol consumption. The findings have been very interesting, like for instance in one of the studies conducted in Uganda east Africa, it was established that up to 52% of the women who recently experienced domestic violence were very categorical that their partners had consumed alcohol prior to the incidence while in India Asia it was established that up to 33% of abusing husbands were also using alcohol. Therefore doctor Akoury is recommending that based on these facts, it is very important that we need to understand the possible role of alcohol intoxication or dependence in the processes through which incidents escalate into violence. With this knowledge, we will be able to address some of these situations and possibly even prevent them from happening all together. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are saying that even though as things stand right now, there is no doubt that alcohol consumption has many social consequences, nevertheless to get a more concrete and solidify comparisons between nations, a more quantifiable data is needed to enable the success of the end result.

Social and economic cost of alcohol abuse: The estimated economic and social costs of alcohol use

Individual states are making very strong efforts to ascertain the exact estimate of the overall economic and social costs of alcohol use. This will take a while to conclude and tabled because of the different dynamics of different countries. Nonetheless social and economic costs under normal circumstances will cover the negative economic impacts of alcohol consumption on the material welfare of the society in general. They comprise both direct costs which are the value of goods and services delivered to address the harmful effects of alcohol, and the indirect costs which is the value of personal productive services that are not delivered as a consequence of drinking. In industrialized countries, estimates of social and economic costs of alcohol use can reach several percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), ranging for instance from 1.1% in Canada to 5-6% in the case of Italy. Estimates of social and economic costs can help:

Make the case for public policies on alcohol,
Target policies and public expenditure on the most important problems (e.g. the costs of alcohol versus other psychoactive drugs such as tobacco),
Identify information gaps,
Assess the effectiveness of policies and programs against alcohol abuse.

Finally estimating the costs of the impact of alcohol on the material welfare of society is often difficult and requires estimates of the social costs of treatment, prevention, research, law enforcement, lost productivity and some measure of years and quality of life lost. All these put together can only mean that the impact of drug addiction and in our case study of social and economic cost of alcohol abuse is not anything to take lightly. When one notices any kind of addiction, prompt action must be taken. You can therefore schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for help today.

Tag Archives: addiction and withdrawal