Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction

February 7, 2016

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Coping with craving of cocaine (part two)

In our part one of this series of articles about the cognitive behavioral approach of treating addiction, we had highlighted some of the areas to focus on as listed below and we were able to explore on the first one i.e. understanding craving. You can actually make reference on that as we progress but for the purpose of this article we want to continue from where we left and see how best we can describe craving which is one of the biggest elements when it comes to solving the problem of addiction. Our team of experts from the home of addiction solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility, we want to explore on the possibilities of dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction with a view of finding lasting solutions to the scourge of addiction.

Understanding craving
Describing craving
Identifying triggers
Avoiding cues
Coping with craving

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Describing craving

Having understood what cravings is our next point would be to get the essential sense of the patients’ experience of craving. This can be very broad and may include having the knowledge about the following information.

What is craving like for you? – Doctor Akoury says that cravings or urges as it is commonly known is experienced in many different of ways by different patients. Like for instance an individual could say, the experience is primarily somatic that is to say, a patient would just get a feeling in the stomach or the heart races or just start smelling the element being craved for. For others, craving is experienced more cognitively; like for example one would say that “I need it now” or “I can’t get it out of my head” or “It calls on me.” Or it may be experienced effectively; for example, “I get nervous” or “I’m bored.” Depending on your individual experience, it is important that when seeking for help, you let your therapist know your experience with craving, this way they will be able to get to the roots of the problem and offer solutions effectively.

Are you bothered by craving? – There is tremendous variability in the level and intensity of craving reported by patients. For some, achieving and maintaining control over craving will be a principal treatment goal and take several weeks to achieve. Other patients deny they experience any craving. Gentle exploration with patients who deny any craving especially those who continue to use cocaine often reveals that they misinterpret a variety of experiences or simply ignore craving when it occurs until they suddenly find themselves using. Other, abstinent patients, who deny they experience any craving often, when asked, admit to intense fears about relapsing.

How long does craving last for you? – In this journey doctor Akoury says that to make the point about the duration and nature of craving, it is often very important for professionals to point out to their patients that they have rarely let themselves experience an episode of craving without giving in to it.

How do you try to cope with it? – Getting a sense of the coping strategies used by patients will help the therapist identify their characteristic coping styles and select appropriate coping strategies.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Identifying triggers

The next point to focus on would be the identification of the triggers to the substance of abuse. It is important that therapists should work very closely with their patients to develop a comprehensive list of their own triggers. Some patients become overwhelmed when asked to identify cues. From experience doctor Akoury says that when handling addicts, you will notice that someone may even associate breathing with cocaine use. Again, it may be most helpful therefore to concentrate on identifying the craving and cues that have been most problematic to the patient in recent weeks. This should commence immediately during the therapy session and this should include self-monitoring of craving so that patients can begin to identify new and more subtle cues as they arise.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Avoiding cues

When considering the avoidance of cues it is always advisable that you keep in mind the general strategy of “recognize, avoid, and cope.” These strategies are particularly applicable to craving for all substances and not necessarily cocaine. Doctor Akoury says that real experts would first identify the patients’ most problematic cues then make an exploration of the degree to which some of those could be avoided. This will come with certain sacrifices including breaking ties or reducing contact with individuals who use or supply you with cocaine, getting rid of paraphernalia, staying out of bars or other places where cocaine is used, or no longer carrying money, as in the following example:

Finally in dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction one needs not to let any stone unturned. I am saying this because we are all aware that cocaine is an illegal substance but other substances like alcohol which are legal can form a perfect avenue for the consumption of cocaine without being noticed. Besides that the ability to pay for the substance is another point of consideration. When the financial strength allows users to access cocaine could easily form a solution in an alcoholic drink. Therefore experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center recommends that for any meaningful treatment to be realized, therapists and other professionals in the line of substance abuse must spend considerable time exploring the relationship between alcohol and cocaine with patients who use them together to such an extent that alcohol becomes a powerful cocaine cue. Specific strategies to reduce, or preferably, stop alcohol use should be explored. We appreciate that doing this may not be easy for many people and that is why doctor Akoury will be readily available on call for you to schedule for an appointment so that any pending or unclear issues relating to addiction can be attended to professionally.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Coping with craving of cocaine (part two)

Brain Activity In Sexual Addiction

February 4, 2016

Understanding Brain Activity In Sexual Addiction

Brain activity was studied while the subjects were looking at pornographic pictures. The researchers responsible for this study used fMRI which uses a BOLD signal to monitor brain activity. They studied the responses of 19 male subjects who were self-admitted sexual addicts who were unable to control their sexual behavior and whose sexual behavior was causing significant problems for them. They then compared these findings with 19 other young men who were classified as being healthy and who had no problems with controlling their sexual habits.

Compared to the 19 healthy volunteers, the men afflicted with compulsive sexual behavior had started looking at pornographic pictures at a younger age and spent significantly more time looking at pornographic literature than did the healthy volunteers. In many ways, the patients resembled people who are addicted to drugs, in that they continued behaviors that were having negative impacts on their relationships and jobs. The objective of the study was to find out if their brains mirrored the same type of activity as did the brains of drug addicts.

Brain Activity In Sexual Addiction

To this end, both the healthy volunteers and the patients were shown a series of short videos. The videos were either sexually explicit in nature, or they were oriented towards sports. While these videos were being shown, their brain activity was monitored using an fMRI which uses a BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) signal. The result was that the patients brains had significant increases in activity in three separate areas of the brain, the ventral striatum, the dorsal anterior cingulate and the amygdala, are regions that are also particularly activated in addicts when shown drug stimuli.

The ventral striatum is involved in processing rewards and motivation while the anterior cingulate is involved in anticipating rewards and therefore in drug craving. The amygdala is involved in the processing of the significance of events and emotions. The participants in the study were asked to fill out a questionnaire which asked them to rate the videos they saw as to the level of sexual desire experienced while they watched the videos and how much they liked each video.

The reason for the questionnaire was to measure the amount of desire experienced and compared that to the amount of liking. This is because drug addicts are driven to seek their drug because they perceive a need for it, but have little or no enjoyment of it. In fact, many addicts will state that they don’t use drugs because they enjoy the high any more but because they become really ill if they don’t.

The result of the questionnaire was as expected—the sex addicts rated the amount of desire experienced while watching the sexually explicit videos as being high or very high, but rated the liking of the same video as being poor or very low. This means that the experience perceived by the patients was while stimulating, not very enjoyable. The patients also experienced higher interactions within the regions of the network identified—with a greater amount of cross-talk between the three regions specified—while watching the sexually explicit rather than the sports videos.

The researchers also found a higher correlation between the age of the patients and the amount of brain activity—the younger patients had higher levels of activity in the ventral striatum in response to pornography. This association was strongest in patients with abnormal sexual activity. The frontal control regions of our brains—the brakes that control our compulsiveness—continue to develop into the mid-twenties. This imbalance may account for the greater impulsivity and risk-taking associated with young people. The age-related findings in these patients suggest that the ventral striatum may be involved in the development of compulsive sexual behavior much as it is in the development of drug addiction.

Also, a second study seems to show that people with compulsive sexual behavior are more susceptible to cues that trigger their compulsion than are healthy men. This study showed the men, who were divided between “healthy” men and sex addicts. They were given identical tasks. The first task involved looking at a series of images in pairs. These images were of naked women, furniture, and clothed women. They were then shown another series of images, some of which were familiar, and others which were not and told to choose a pair of pictures to win a specified amount of money. The researchers found that the sex addicts were more prone to choose the novel over the familiar choice for sexual images relative to neutral object images but that healthy men were more likely to choose the novel choice for neutral female images over neutral object images.

A second task involved learning to associate certain images overlaid with patterns with reward—similar to Pavlov’s dogs. The men were then given a choice between those images and novel images. This time, the addicts were more likely to pick cues associated with monetary and sexual rewards. This supports the theory that seemingly innocuous cues can trigger a sex addict to seek out sexual images.

Understanding Brain Activity In Sexual Addiction

Drug addiction problems must be solved medically

December 2, 2015

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally: Consult with AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally if we want to defeat this scourge from our lives and society.

The fight against alcohol and drug addiction is one campaign that is not about to end any time soon. Each day new developments come up for fighting the vice yet at the same time users of these drugs also get more rooted to their addictive habits. Even though a lot is being done to correct this problem, many people are still suffering in silence for various reasons including denial. As addiction professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we have made it a priority to help in finding lasting solutions about alcohol and drug addiction. And that is why we have consistently posted very informative blogs on this site to create more awareness and to educate the public of some of the actions they can take even before the get to us for help. Therefore “Drug addiction problems must be solved” is our choice topic for this article because it has come to our attention that despite the information available in the market about addiction recovery process and treatment, a majority of the societies are still ailing from this problem. Remember that AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an establishment of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the President of the institution. Doctor Akoury is a veteran addiction expert who has dedicated several decades of her life in bringing hope to the hopeless drug addicts not just in the US but across the globe. Therefore if you think that you or someone you care about is addicted to drugs or alcohol, help is on the way if only you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today because drug addiction problems must be solved professionally.

However doctor Akoury is encouraging that even as you consider making that appointment, it is very important to note that the genesis of this entire recovery journey begins with you recognizing that you have a problem. This is the first step in getting help. We know that many people often think that they can tame or kick out the problem all by themselves, but the reality is that rarely works and that explains why getting help to tame the scourge of addiction is very important. Having felt that there are some signs of addiction in you, there are very many approaches you can apply including talking to someone you trust to help you make the right and productive decisions. Therefore if this is the approach you are considering, then it may help to talk to a friend or someone of your own age group at first, nonetheless a supportive and understanding adult should be your best option for getting help. We also know that sometimes it may not be easy for you to share this with your parents and therefore if this be the case, then you might want to approach a school counselor, a relative, a doctor, your favorite teacher, or even a religious leader. You must have noticed that the very moment you recognize the problem, action plan takes root and this is surely a step in the right direction.

Just to bring you up to speed with what to expect, it is important to understand from the very beginning that, overcoming addiction is not easy. Great determination will be expected of you along the way. And probably you will realize that quitting drugs or drinking is going to be one of the hardest things you or your friend have ever done. Even though that is so but be encouraged that it’s not a sign of weakness if you need professional help from a trained drug counselor or therapist. Most people who try to kick a drug or alcohol problem need professional assistance or a treatment program to do so and so you are not alone, keep on fighting because the end result is worth the sacrifice. Now let me bring to your attention some of the tips you need to succeed in this fight.

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally: Tips for recovery

Once you start a treatment program, you may want to consider trying the following tips to make the road to recovery less bumpy:

Share with your friends about your decision to stop using drugs. This is very important because going forward you will need only those friends who will be kind enough to support your recovery journey entirely and drop those that will pull you back.

Moral support is very important and therefore always asks your friends or family to be available whenever you need them. During this journey a time will come when it will necessary that you call for support even during very odd hours of the night. Your friends should be therefore you and remember that if you’re going through a tough time, don’t try to handle things on your own and accept the help your family and friends offer.

Be very selective on the invitations you receive and only accept that won’t involve drugs or alcohol. Going to the movies is probably safe, but you may want to skip a Friday night party until you’re feeling more secure.

The temptation will always be there sometimes; therefore put in some strategies about what you’ll do should you find yourself in a place with drugs or alcohol. This may also mean planning with your parents, siblings, or other supportive friends so that if you call home using a specific code, they’ll know that your call is a signal to them that you need a ride out of there.

Moments of relapse; such times will always be there but always encourage yourself, that having an addiction doesn’t make a person bad or weak. If you fall back, talk to an adult as soon as possible and pick up the pieces and move on. There’s nothing to be ashamed about, however it’s important to get help soon so that all of the hard work you put into your recovery is not lost.

If you’re worried about a friend who has an addiction, you can use these tips to help him or her. For example, let your friend know that you are available to talk or offer your support. If you notice a friend backsliding, talk about it openly and ask what you can do to help.

If your friend is going back to drugs or drinking and won’t accept your help, don’t be afraid to talk to a nonthreatening, understanding adult, like your parent or school counselor. It may seem like you’re ratting your friend out, but it’s the best support you can offer.

And most importantly, offer a friend who’s struggling with addiction lots of encouragement and praise. It may seem funny, but hearing that you care is just the kind of motivation your friend needs.

Drug addictions must be solved professionally: Staying clean

Finally doctor Akoury is emphasizing that recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction doesn’t end with a 6-week or so treatment program you take in an institution. This is a lifelong process and we want to encourage you to consider calling us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for further direction. We will always be here for you and if you ever have a relapse, take immediate action because this can be very critical and getting help right away is advisable so that you don’t undo all the hard work you put into your initial recovery and remember don’t be a fried of relapse it is normal and not a failure on your part.

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally: Consult with AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction

December 1, 2015

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction: Eliminating the confusion and getting facts right

The distinction between substance abuse and addiction

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction is often very confusing, nonetheless knowing the distinction marks the beginning of proper healing from the scourge of addiction

We are all familiar with the terminologies addiction and substance abuse from our common knowledge through the various sources including the media and information we get from our friends who in one way or another have been addicted or cared for an addict. But we may not know is the finer details of the distinction between substance abuse and addiction. Even though from our common knowledge we may have an idea, it is always very important that the distinction comes out clearly. This is what we want to discuss through this article with a view of placing to its rightful position. Putting aside what you already know doctor Dalal Akoury who is a veteran addiction expert of several decades is registering that there is a very slim difference between substance abuse and addiction and this may be the reason why many people often think that they are the same. The fact is when we make reference to substance abuse, it would mean using or consuming an illegal substance or even using a legal substance or element but in the wrong way whereas addiction begins as an abuse, or using a substance like marijuana or cocaine in a way that in their absence life stops until you have an access to the substance of preference.

With that explanation, doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is saying that for sure one can actually abuse any drug or alcohol without being addicted to it or them. To illustrate that let us take as an example, just because an individual is smoking or smoked pot a few times doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she has an addiction to the pot, in the same way it does not also mean that by this single act of abusing a drug then it is automatic that this will lead to an addiction. This is not always the case and in fact people can get addicted to all sorts of substances. It is always the norm that when we think of addiction, we usually think of alcohol or illegal drugs yes this is true however the scope of addiction is wide and vast and people can become addicted to a number of substances including medications, cigarettes and even glue among many others.

These addictive substances also come in different ways and intensities. Like for instance some substances are more addictive than others, and that is why drugs like crack or heroin are so addictive that they might only be used once or twice before the user loses control. Therefore when we talk of addiction we must be careful to note that it is a condition that will cause and individual to lose the ability to be in control over their lives. And in fact with addiction the person has no control over whether he or she uses a drug or drinks alcohol. Therefore what that communicates id that anyone who is addicted to drugs like cocaine has grown so used to the drug that he or she must to have it by all means and at all cost. In other words you became the slave of that drug when addiction set foot in. There are two types of addiction which can affect anyone and that is to say that addiction can either be physical or psychological and sometimes and individual can suffer both.

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction: Physical addiction

Being physically addicted means a person’s body actually becomes dependent on a particular substance (even smoking is physically addictive). It also means building tolerance to that substance, so that a person needs a larger dose than ever before to get the same effects.

Someone who is physically addicted and stops using a substance like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes may experience withdrawal symptoms. We have actually discussed in details some of the most common symptoms of withdrawal in the previous postings, however for the purpose of this article we can mention a few including: diarrhea, shaking, and generally feeling awful.

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction: Psychological addiction

Speaking to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, Psychological addiction often happens when the cravings for a drug are psychosomatic or emotive. People who are psychologically addicted feel overcome by their desire to have their drug of choice and they will do everything including telling lies or stealing just to get the drug. It therefore means that a person is deemed to have crossed the line between abuse and addiction when he or she is no longer trying the drug to have fun or get high, but has come to depend on it. At this point his or her whole life centers on the need for the drug. An addicted person whether it’s a physical or psychological addiction or both no longer feels like there is a choice in taking a substance.

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction: Signs of addiction

The most obvious sign of an addiction is the need to have a particular drug or substance. However, many other signs can suggest a possible addiction, such as changes in mood or weight loss or gain. These also are signs of other conditions too, though, such as depression or eating disorders. The following are some of the indicators that you or someone you know may have a drug or alcohol addiction:

Psychological signals

Use of drugs or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to relax
Withdrawal or keeping secrets from family and friends
Loss of interest in activities that used to be important
Problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or absences
Changes in friendships, such as hanging out only with friends who use drugs
Spending a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs
Stealing or selling belongings to be able to afford drugs
Failed attempts to stop taking drugs or drinking
Anxiety, anger, or depression
Mood swings

Physical signals

Changes in sleeping habits
Feeling shaky or sick when trying to stop
Needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect
Changes in eating habits, including weight loss or gain

Finally having got the distinction between substance abuse and addiction, you can now make a self-evaluation on you or your loved ones and if you notice any indication of addiction, you must chose to take prompt decision towards getting help by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for a more in-depth professional treatment today.

Distinction between substance abuse and addiction: Eliminating the confusion and getting facts right

Brain detox for successful addiction recovery

November 27, 2015

Brain detox for successful addiction recovery: The genesis of addiction treatment

The reason why brain detoxification is essential for mental health is because the brain is the coordinator successful of all bodily functions. It is therefore important that drug abuse be treated across all age groups.

In life if you want to be successful in anything you do, you must be in good health for it to come to pass. When the brain is ailing the whole body will be ailing too and that is why when dealing with the complications of alcohol and drug addiction, the health of the brain is very essential. That is why we want to focus our discussion on the possibilities of brain detox for successful addiction recovery. Experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury says that detoxing from drugs or alcohol can be a grueling experience but all the same it must be done because it is actually the genesis of addiction treatment whose primary goal is breaking the cycle of addiction and saving the value of life. And because we are talking about life we must emphasize that the successful detox will mark the beginning of the recovery process and mental health plays a significant role in determining the outcome says doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Brain detox for successful addiction recovery: The dynamics that fuel complications related to addiction

Still on the role of mental health in successful detox, it is important to note that this will always come with certain challenges because addiction itself is not only a problem but also a serious mental health disease. It is important to note that the very dynamics that fuel the disease of obsession, compulsion, stress, depression and poor judgment just to list a few examples are laid bare during the detox process, this should therefore challenge the patient to withstand the discomforts of withdrawal as and when they come. That actually means that one of the key elements of success in early recovery is the individual attitude. Doctor Dalal Akoury in her over two decades in administering addiction treatment to people across the globe registers that having the wrong attitude can be a primary determinant in the outcome of a course of treatment. Patients are therefore encouraged to remain focus and to fight any signs of denial by all means so that together this problem can be defeated in tis entirely.

One very fundamental fact that we must stay focused on is that withdrawal is a process that can actually kill when not properly managed. This is a condition in which addicts can suffer severe damages and actually when in its most severe form, alcohol or any substance withdrawal can cause complications including but not limited to fever, extreme nausea, delirium, tremors and seizures. Long-term use of anesthetics, especially Benzodiazepines, requires medical intervention in order to successfully eliminate dependency which can effectively be done at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury anytime any day of your choice. It is however important to note that the after-effects of withdrawal can last up to six months. Similarly, withdrawal from heroin or other opiates can cause extreme discomfort, and in the case of Methadone, can cause death. Meanwhile, detox from stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine poses fewer medical risks but can cause severe psychological discomfort.

The mental health component that treatment professionals hope for is the willingness to be compliant to cooperate in the brain detox process and hopefully have a goal in mind of long-term recovery. If this component is operative, then treatment can address both addiction and the underlying mental health issues. These underlying issues lie at the heart of addiction problem and are the key to solving it on a continuance basis. When these are identified and successfully addressed, the addict is less likely to feel that he or she must self-medicate in order to feel relief from an intolerable condition and that explains why brain detoxification is very essential in the whole process.

Brain detox for successful addiction recovery: Understanding drugs as one of the dark side of addiction treatment

Several drugs are administered in the treatment of addiction but this too can sometimes pose certain challenges. Like for instance just as an indicator of the scope of the current opioid addiction crisis, we can consider the following:

A single drug, intended to treat addiction, accounted for over one and a half billion dollars in sales annually. Originally billed as a safe alternative to methadone, buprenorphine primarily sold as Suboxone has a mixed history of success and unintended consequences in the world of addiction treatment.

Like methadone, Buprenorphine is an opioid. Opioids are substances that are classified as drug that includes any chemical that resembles morphine or other opiates in its pharmacological effects. The implication of that is that it produces a high besides causing dependency. This also appears to obey the law of diminishing returns in that using more of it does not produce a stronger high and the plateau effect is what makes Suboxone an attractive substitute for addicts seeking to manage their addiction. The inherent dangers of overdose, side effects from adulterants, and exposure to a criminal element when acquiring illegal drugs are all mitigated by taking a prescribed substance designed specifically to offer “harm reduction.” Alternatively, Suboxone is used to shift addicts’ primary addictions, after which a monitored tapering is employed with the ultimate goal of abstinence-based recovery.

Doctor Akoury is registering that although Suboxone, both as a maintenance drug and as an intermediary to abstinence, has had many successes it has its own dark side. The drug is often diverted from legitimate channels, and the profit motive has created a growing niche market. Clinics of dubious respectability dole out the drug with minimum restrictions, and people who don’t require or even like the drug personally buy it at the clinics and sell at a premium. There is enough of a euphoric high that there is a demand for Suboxone as a recreational drug, and now the safety of its use is being called into question. Those are just but a few dark sides of the drugs we often use and therefore we must all be on the look out to ensure that when looking at the role of mental health in successful detox, we do not slip into the dark side of the drugs we use. We all ore one another the duty of care by ensuring that drugs are only used for their intended purpose. You may want to get more clarifications from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today.

Tag Archives: Addiction