Tag Archives: Addiction Recovery

Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

December 2, 2014

How to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

Substance abuse and HIV/AIDs are major problems that the urban minority youth have to face daily. Substance abuse among the urban minority youths has been linked to many societal ills including theft and robbery, the urban youth minority that are involved in substance abuse face some of the toughest life choices especially after becoming dependent on the drugs of abuse . once they have got dependent on the drugs of abuse they will find it hard to supplement most of their daily needs as in most cases drug addicts are avoided by employers, once jobless and the heightening cravings for the substances of abuse they will turn to some other ways of finding their daily supply of the drugs that they use. Turning to robbery has become one of the immediate choices that they bump into and hence they become a problem that the whole society suffers from. In most cases the youths may be felled by police bullets while escaping from crime scenes and some who are lucky will be sent to rehabilitation centers and that in itself affects the economy of a country as the country will spend more on these centers sometimes having to forego other expenses just to cater for the youths.

The biggest problem with the urban minority youths is their environment. Most of the people they interact with especially through the media lead lives of drug abuse, most of these youths are driven by their love for certain genres, they therefore idolize such artists so much that they will want to lead a life like theirs, this is a great problem having drug users as role models therefore there is need for educating the youths to stay away from drug use through the use of messages that may be sent through broadcast media such as radio and television. The urban minority youths needs to access relevant information that may help them stay away from drug abuse.

HIV and Youth Statistics

The urban minority youths are also involved in active sex. In most cases these youths do not get serious with their relationships, these relationships are sex based and having one night stands with different women is something that these youths take pride of. It is the involvement of these youths with multiple sexual partners that put them at high risk of contacting HIV/AIDS.  The urban minority youths need access to drug abuse and HIV/AIDS preventing messages in their immediate environment. Painting walls and having these messages artistically inscribed on the walls can be a good way to market this ideology and help the youths know of the dangers of drug abuse and involving oneself in risky sexual behaviors such us having multiple sexual partners. Other ways that can help these youths to stay away from drug abuse and HIV/AIDS may include:

Evidence-based prevention protocols

In a research study done to assess whether evidence-based prevention protocols could positively influence substance abuse and HIV/AIDS knowledge and reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors among urban minority youth by the by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) dubbed Be Proud! Be Responsible! CASASTART; Focus on Youth; and Street Smart. This research study that involved sessions comprised of six, 50-minute modules that incorporated role-plays, discussions, and multimedia formats to actively educate and engage youth in prevention activities.

This study used the National Minority Substance Abuse / HIV Prevention Initiative Cohort 7 Youth Questionnaire. The National Minority Substance Abuse / HIV Prevention Initiative Cohort 7 Youth Questionnaire was developed by CSAP as part of a national cross site evaluation of all Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) funded programs throughout the United States. Sexual risk behavior served as the outcome variable, with the following ten predictors being assessed for the study: disapproval / alcohol use, school importance, delinquency/crime, disapproval / tobacco use, disapproval / marijuana use, illicit drug use, stress- related alcohol and drug use, HIV/AIDS knowledge, HIV/AIDS testing, and negative peer attitudes.

The findings of the study showed changes in pre and posttest measures which revealed that participants who were at heightened risk were also more inclined to get tested for HIV/AIDS after receiving the intervention (95% confidence level). At posttest, an increase in HIV/AIDS knowledge seemed to have a buffering effect against risky sexual behaviors. Additionally, participants who thought of school more favorably were less likely to engage in sexual risk taking behaviors at posttest (95% confidence level). This study therefore showed the importance of educating the urban minority youths and creating awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS as paramount to fighting these two vices in the urban minority youths.  The intervention used the pretest-posttest design and worked with four urban high schools and five summer camp programs located in the Northeastern United States having a total of 653 African American and Hispanic/Latino youth, ranging in ages from 13 to 18.

hiv

Promoting Talent

The youths have talents that need to be exploited in a bid to find avenues though which the drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages can be spread. Apart from using their talents as a media through which this message reach many people it also keeps them occupied and gives them a reason to focus more in their own developments other than indulging in drug abuse and risky sexual behaviors.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict chained to any behavior. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

How to Prevent Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS among Urban Minority Youth

 

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Role of the gastrointestinal tract in detoxification elimination

June 28, 2014

Detoxification Is A Great Procedure For Elimination

Chemicals From Our Bodies

detoxificationThere’s no doubt that the gastrointestinal tract is a powerful tool in the absorption of nutrients. The stomach and the intestines, in particular, are the workhorses of the digestive team. However, the gastrointestinal tract can also go a long way in helping detoxify the human body of any illnesses it may be struggling with.

The Issue

The human body is exposed to a wide range of xenobiotics and xenoestrogens, which are toxins that are regularly introduced to the human body. Some are by choice – the artificial sweeteners that go into most sodas and many other products are a recent example – but some are not. Since toxins are regularly introduced to the body, it’s important to ensure that some time is spent on a regular basis detoxifying the body of the poisons it’s been introduced to. Detoxification and elimination of toxins does not have to be a complicated process, however; it’s important to realize it’s a fairly simple process that can go a long way to helping you take back your life.

If you are experiencing any one or more of the following problems, you might need to consider detoxification and elimination as a way to regain your health:

  • Fatigue
  • Excessive sinus problems
  • Headaches
  • Gastrointestinal disorders
  • Sleep problems
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Eczema
  • Canker sores
  • Acne
  • Puffy, dark circles under your eyes

So, how much is too much, then? Because toxins in our world are so pervasive, does it mean that, in reality, we are all toxic?

Truth be told, this is a legitimate concern, but there’s also a matter of degrees at play here as well. There’s also the matter of everyone being ever-so-slightly biochemically different. If our biochemistry wasn’t slightly different from person to person, we would all likely get sick at the same time, at the very least. In fact, it is in part because everyone is biochemically different that toxins can affect people in different ways. This can be to the extent that if two people are exposed to the same bad substance, one person may feel completely unaffected by the exposure while the other could be laid up in bed for months.

In fact, there are several diseases linked to toxicity, such as Parkinson’s, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, dementia, and heart disease. Just from such a simplified list alone, you can quickly get an idea that toxicity is a serious issue for all individuals, regardless of the extent to which you might be deemed “toxic”. It’s obviously a good idea to go through a detoxification and elimination process occasionally in order to keep your digestive tract running as smoothly as possible. Getting rid of the toxins will go a long way to allowing your body to absorb nutrients more effectively, thereby making you healthier.

Detoxification

The Detoxification Process

Your gut, of course, is one of the chief loading zones for toxicity. Given ingestion is one of the biggest ways in which we absorb any substance that comes into contact with our bodies, it comes as little surprise that we have a load of toxins sitting in our gut. As a result, we need to clear out those toxins to ensure optimal absorption of the nutrients we need to be healthy.

There are several steps we can take to detoxify our guts:

  1. Drink lots of water

Water is nature’s cleanser, and as such, it becomes a critical component in the detoxification and elimination process. As water hits our stomachs, it helps to dilute the toxins – say, artificial sweeteners from our coffee. The water will eventually make its way throughout our bodies and pull some of the toxins with it. The toxins will then, in part, get eliminated from our bodies via urine or excrement.

Many of us are perpetually dehydrated. This is because instead of drinking nature’s solvent – water – we continue to drink toxic sodas with artificial sweeteners, coffee, or alcohol. This means that we are only ensuring these toxins stay in our systems. Drinking more water – and the more filtered, the better – helps these toxins move through our digestive tract throughout the detoxification process and ultimately get eliminated by our systems.

  1. Keep things moving

If you find that you are regularly constipated, it could mean you have a build up of toxins in your system that are impairing your absorption of material that is good for your system. Improve your intestinal functioning by integrating flax seeds, acidophilus or magnesium capsules into your diet. Any one of these substances can go a long way towards allowing your gut to improve its absorption of nutrients, though if you have any sort of chronic disease, you should discuss taking these supplements with your doctor prior to starting them.

  1. Eat organic foods

Many foods that are not deemed to be organic are inundated with a wide range of pesticides and chemicals to improve their shelf life. This means that there are also a good many extra chemicals introduced into our systems; whether we eat processed cheese instead of fresh, or “unorganic” apples, we are introducing a wide range of unhealthy chemicals into our systems. Because our digestive tract absorbs many of these chemicals, we are, in effect, making ourselves unhealthier.

Eating a steady diet of certified organic foods and drinking lots of water can go a long way towards making our guts healthier and restoring balance. In fact, eating organic foods eliminates these toxins from our diets, which means if we drink greater amounts of water, we help flush these toxins out of our systems. In flushing these toxins out, our digestive tract becomes more efficient and helps decrease our chances of getting one of a myriad number of diseases.

And Finally…

 There are several different ways of helping our digestive tracts restore balance and eliminate toxins from our bodies. One of the best ways is by drinking water. Making an effort to eat organic and taking supplements that can promote digestion will go a long way towards improving the health of our digestive tracts and ensuring that we absorb the nutrients that are essential to the optimum functioning of our bodies.

Detoxification Is A Great Procedure For Elimination Chemicals From Our Bodies

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Neuroendocrine Restoration Will Lead You Out Of Addiction

June 28, 2014

The process of developing an addiction usually follows a pattern, regardless of the activity you become addicted to. There is a common misconception that has likely reified the concept into a simplistic definition; one that is inclined towards substance. Addiction does not necessarily have to deal with a substance. You can develop an addiction to eating, talking, masturbating, just the same way you get addicted to cigarette or bhang smoking.

At early stages the process is usually subtle and mostly subconscious. For the case of drugs, almost all addicts will have succinct picture of how they started; usually a few hurried gulps of the father’s favorite ‘long neck’ caring not to be seen; a bottle of Smirnoff which got them really high and chattering through the party; a stick of marijuana from a willing friend or a cigarette that appeared irresistible given the way a certain fatherly figure seemed to have felt heavenly while smoking it.

This would be followed by a series of like behavior occasioned by similar chances. The person usually repeats the action a number of times over a given period of time and cannot clearly tell the point when they could no longer back off this act.

Neurondocrine Restoration

Why can a person not simply stop the act as soon as they realize it has blown out of proportion? Why do they continue the act against their own will? Why does the process of rehabilitation from drug addiction so delicate that it can be fatal if not properly monitored?

Understanding the mechanism of addiction

The start of addiction is always a voluntary step. Your father smokes, you notice and become curious. You steal and smoke it.

You attend a party, people are all drinking and you are invited to have a taste; it tastes sweet (because it is Namaqua). You drain a glass, and wish it was a few inches deeper, just before you begin speaking louder and more than the music system.

You are just about to make the final turn to the hostel washrooms, when your nose picks a familiar smell. You decide to give a hand shake to the group of comrades involved in a hushed discussion a few meters away; they offer you a stick of bhang, which you accept ‘because you are a man’

You like the experience. So you get bored and feel like doing something different; you want a little adventure so you go for the drug you just tasted a few days back. Remember in each of these cases you could opt to refuse, but you just decided; why not?

Soon you decide to repeat the practice, because you are stressed and a friend said this usually work for them, or merely because you are tuned to it after having liked the experience. You do not notice it, but at this juncture your brain is releasing the happiness hormones like endorphins that stimulate the excitement.

This act becomes the triggering activity for the release of the hormones. Your body starts to relate the triggering activity to the sensation that it will cause as a cause-effect relationship. This begins to condition your body to an addiction.

You are welcoming a new habit; the condition now triggers a biochemical process in your body whose subsequent repetition soon gets your system conditioned to releasing the hormones.

Recovery from Addiction

addiction recoveryYou completely destroy a plant only when you dig its roots. Repetition of an activity gets entrenched as a condition in your system; a system controlled by a central engine in your body called neuroendocrine system.

The neuroendocrine system is the combination of interaction and interplay of the endocrine and the nervous system; the central nervous system.

Our bodies are made up of cells. And cells are components of the network of glands known as the neuroendocrine system that controls the internal state of balance in the body.

Therefore, when the body has been conditioned to react in a certain way, the neuroendocrine system becomes programmed to direct that certain response as a way of life. Getting out of an addiction therefore means deprogramming your body; which simply is reconditioning your hormonal responses.

Every hormonal response is controlled by the neuroendocrine system. For one to fully recover from an addiction therefore, their neuroendocrine system must be reconditioned to direct the normal response.

Dr. Dalal Akoury

Medical Doctor Dalal A Akoury is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist based in South Carolina, Myrtle Beach. She has a vast experience in medicine having served as a medical practitioner for thirty six years after receiving her medical degree from the University of Alexandria, Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Dalal Akoury currently runs a medical facility Awaremed Health and Wellness Resource Centre located in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. This medical facility is the brainchild of the doctor.

Neuroendocrine Restoration Will Lead You Out Of Addiction

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Understanding Alcohol, Its Effects and Categories

June 26, 2014

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is a tranquillizing liquid, which means it decelerates down your body’s responses in all kinds of ways. Just enough can make you feel gregarious; too much and you’ll have a hangover the following day, and may not even remember what you got up to; and way too much alcohol in a single term could put you in a coma or even kill you.Even though it is authorized for those aged eighteen years and over to buy and drink alcohol, that doesn’t mean it’sAlcoholism any less imposing than other drug.

Formal guidelines

Aimed at young people, it is endorsed that you don’t drink at all if you’re under fifteen year, as this can be expressly harmful. The best advice is not to drink alcohol until you are eighteen years of age. If you do choose to drink formerly then, reminisce to make sure you’re with a responsible fully-grown who will stop you doing anything that could be treacherous; On no occasion drink more than once a week, and on that one day young men are advised not to drink more than three to four units, and young women not to drink more than two to three units. For adults it is recommended men shouldn’t regularly drink more than three to four units a day and women shouldn’t regularly drink more than two to three units a day (regularly is drinking at this sort of level every day or most days of the week). After a night of heavy drinking, you shouldn’t drink for forty eight hours to let the body to recuperate.

Many individuals who see themselves as social drinkers are at risk of emerging with long term health situations because of the quantity they repeatedly drink. Most drinkers are unaware that regularly consumption more than the limits advised by medics can lead to a widespread range of long term health glitches, including cancers, strokes and heart attack.

Types of Alcoholic Beverages

The variety of alcohol types, different brands, and mixing ingredients is sometimes overwhelming. Syrup Magazine makes it easy for you to gain a clear understanding of each type of alcohol and mixing ingredients by breaking them down to their basic classes: Spirits, Liqueurs, Wines & Champagnes, Beers, and Mixers.

SPIRITS

  • GIN – a colorless alcoholic beverage made by distilling or redistilling rye or other grain spirits and adding juniper berries or aromatics such as anise, caraway seeds, or angelica root as flavoring.
  • VODKA – originally distilled from fermented wheat mash but now also made from a mash of rye, corn, or potatoes.
  • RUM – distilled from cane juice, or from the scamming’s of the boiled juice, or from treacle or molasses, or from the lees of former distillations. Also, sometimes used colloquially as a generic or a collective name for intoxication WHISKEY – distilled from grain, potatoes, etc., especially in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In t
  • TEQUILA – an alcoholic liquor distilled from the fermented juice of the Central American century plant Agave tequila.
  • BRANDY – an alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.

LIQUEURS (FLAVORED SPIRITS)

Liqueurs are flavored spirits prepared by infusing certain woods, fruits, or flowers, in either water or alcohol, and adding sugar, etc. Others are distilled from aromatic or flavoring agents.

WINES & CHAMPAGNE

  • RED WINE – wine having a red color derived from skins of dark-colored grapes.
  • WHITE WINE – any wine of a clear, transparent color, bordering on white, as Madeira, sherry, Lisbon, etc.; — distinguished from wines of a deep red color, as port and Burgundy.
  • ROSE WINE – rose-tinted table wine from red grapes whose skins were removed after fermentation began.
  • CHAMPAGNE – a sparkling white wine made from a blend of grapes, especially Chardonnay and pinot, produced in Champagne.
  • SPARKLING WINE – any of various gassy wines, such as champagne, produced by a process involving fermentation in the bottle.
  • VERMOUTH – a sweet or dry fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs and used chiefly in mixed drinks.
  • BEER-LAGER – a type of beer of German origin that contains a relatively small amount of hops and is aged from six weeks to six months.

NON-ALCOHOLIC MIXERS

alcoholWater, juice, sparkling beverages, syrups, coffee, chocolate. What are its short term effects? When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, and goes to all the tissues. The effects of alcohol are reliant on on a variety of factors, including a person’s size, weight, age and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol expended. The disinhibiting effect of alcohol is one of the main reasons it is used in so many social situations. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, bothered sleep, nausea and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Aftermaths are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness and fatigue.

What are its long-term effects?

Lengthy, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism). Sudden cessation of long term, extensive alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, illusions and convulsions. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol, especially when joint with poor nutrition, can lead to perpetual damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver. In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental hindrance and other irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at superior risk than other children of becoming alcoholics

Can’t Stop Taking Alcohol? Get Help Here

A team of experts from New Frontier Medicine Academy have determination to work with you obstinately until you finally stop consumption. We treat all clients in a sole manner after listening to their problems and assessing their situations. Your well-being is our duty consequently, we will not only help you stop drinking but also get you back into a perfect shape. Heal your body, mind and spirit so you start a whole new life free of liquor and depression. Come to New Frontier for reliable results.

Understanding Alcohol, Its Effects and Categories

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Common Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

June 25, 2014

Are you having an alcoholism Problem?

addiction withdrawaAlcohol withdrawal refers to an assemblage of symptoms that may occur from suddenly discontinuing with the use of alcohol after chronic or prolonged ingestion. Not everyone who stops drinking experiences withdrawal symptoms, but most people who have been drinking for a long period of time, or drinking frequently, or drink heavily when they do drink, will experience some form of withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly.

What Is It?

Alcohol withdrawal is the fluctuations the body goes through when a person suddenly stops consumption after prolonged and heavy alcohol use. Symptoms include trembling (shakes), insomnia, anxiety, and other physical and mental symptoms. Alcohol has a decelerating effect (also called a sedating effect or depressant effect) on the brain. In a heavy, long-term drinker, the brain is almost continually exposed to the depressant effect of alcohol. Over time, the brain adjusts its own chemistry to compensate for the effect of the alcohol. It does this by producing naturally stimulating chemicals (such as serotonin or norepinephrine, which is a relative of adrenaline) in larger quantities than normal. If the alcohol is withdrawn suddenly, the brain is like an accelerated vehicle that has lost its brakes. Not surprisingly, most symptoms of withdrawal are symptoms that occur when the brain is over stimulated. The most hazardous form of alcohol withdrawal occurs in about one out of every twenty people who have withdrawal symptoms. This condition is called delirium tremens (also called DTs). In delirium tremens, the brain is not able to smoothly readjust its chemistry after alcohol is stopped. This creates a state of temporary confusion and leads to dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing. The body’s vital signs such as your heart rate or blood pressure can change dramatically or capriciously, generating a risk of heart attack, stroke or death.

  • Pathophysiology

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is mediated by a variety of mechanisms. The brain maintains neurochemical balance through inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters. The main inhibitory neurotransmitter is γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA), which acts through the GABA-alpha (GABA-A) neuroreceptor. One of the major excitatory neurotransmitters is glutamate, which acts through the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) neuroreceptor.

Alcohol enhances the effect of GABA on GABA-A neuroreceptors, resulting in decreased overall brain excitability. Chronic exposure to alcohol results in a compensatory decrease of GABA-A neuroreceptor response to GABA, evidenced by increasing tolerance of the effects of alcohol.

What causes withdrawal?

Alcohol thinning is a physical reaction to cutting down or discontinuing alcohol use. It is most common in people who are heavy drinkers because they have developed a tolerance to alcohol. Alcohol acts in the central nervous system by changing the balance of neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that send messages between nerves. Alcohol reduces the effect of excitatory neurotransmitters, and increases the effect of inhibitory neurotransmitters, altering the natural balance of the nervous system. Over time, the brain tries to fix this unevenness by increasing the activity of the excitatory neurotransmitters and reducing the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitters. When alcohol is suddenly taken away, this compensatory effect keeps going, resulting in over activity of the excitatory neurotransmitters and under activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitters. This causes withdrawal syndromes.

What Are the Common Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?

Withdrawal symptoms are hinged on the amount you were drinking and for how long. Some persons will have only mild symptoms while others will have severe, even life-threatening symptoms.

  • Mild to moderate symptoms

These can start from six to forty eight hours after people stop drinking or cut down, and usually last one to five days. They include: Shaking, Sweating, Racing heart, Feeling sick and vomiting, Headaches, Trouble sleeping, Feeling anxious or agitated, and Hallucinations

  • Very severe symptoms

Seizures -Usually occur within the first two days, it occur in about 2-9% of alcohol dependent people. Delirium tremens’ Usually occur 3-4 days after stopping drinking and typically resolves within 3 days, it occurs in about 5% of people admitted to hospital for alcohol problems Includes: Vivid hallucinations, confusion and disorientation ,agitation and hyperactivity, Insomnia, trembling, racing heart, sweating and fever.

Diagnosis

addiction withdrawal symptomsAlcohol withdrawal is easy to identify if you have distinctive symptoms that occur after you stop hefty, habitual drinking. If you have a past experience of withdrawal symptoms, you are likely to have them return if you start and stop heavy drinking again. There are no specific tests that can be used to diagnose alcohol withdrawal. If you have withdrawal symptoms from drinking, then you have consumed enough alcohol to damage other organs. It is a good idea for your doctor to examine you prudently and do blood tests, checking for alcohol-related damage to your liver, heart, nerves in your feet, blood cell counts, and gastrointestinal tract. Your doctor will evaluate your usual diet and check for vitamin deficiencies because poor nutrition is common when someone is dependent on alcohol. It is customarily difficult for people who drink to be entirely honest about how much they’ve been drinking. You should bang your drinking history straightforwardly to your doctor so you can be treated safely for withdrawal symptom.

Obtain Expert Help and Care at the New Frontier Medicine Academy

Our good and hardworking team of experts from New Frontier will toil with you persistently until you lastly heal from alcohol withdrawal symptoms. We treat all consumers in an exceptional manner after listening to their problems and assessing their conditions. Your well-being is our duty consequently we will not only help you from alcohol withdrawing symptoms but also get you back into a faultless shape. Heal your body, mind and spirit so you start a whole new life free of liquor and depression. Visit New Frontier for reliable results.

Common Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

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