Tag Archives: Addiction

NAD Therapy for Cravings Reduction

May 24, 2015

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

NAD TherapyContrary to what many people think, addiction isn’t just a disease of the body alone but also of the mind and therefore any therapy for addiction has to treat all these aspects to be successful. When you are being treated from withdrawal effects of any drug but the doctors fail to give a therapy that will help heal the conditions that create depression, fatigue and anxiety, the chances of relapse become even higher and you may not completely recover from the effects of the drug.

Similarly if you withdraw from a substance and do not understand the psychological and spiritual issues that promoted the need for it, then relapse is likely and the lessons of disease have not been learnt.

Integrative medicine avails the tools that are instrumental in assessing and treating the conditions in the body that culminate into fatigue, depression, and anxiety, thereby increasing the likelihood of chemical dependency. These include:

These “terrain issues” in the body have to be properly addressed so as to make detoxification easier and to inhibit relapse.

Addiction is a complex disease that must be properly addressed as it doesn’t only affect the body alone but also the mind. most of the symptoms that are exhibited in the body are developed within the consciousness, the body is just an avenue through which these emotional traumas, fears , irrational thoughts, chemical imbalances in the brain and conflicts are showed.

Diseases are a way through which the body seeks your attention and beckons self-exploration in pursuit of true healing.

One of the hardest stages in addiction treatment and recovery that those addicted to drugs have to endure is detoxification. this is necessary as drugs of abuse always alter the chemical balances in the brain hence this balance must be restored.

Drug withdrawal can cause symptoms such as sweating, fever, hallucinations and even seizures. The severity of these withdrawal symptoms can prevent a person from maintaining sobriety. It can even make it impossible for a person to stop using the drugs in the first place.

The coenzyme NAD, also known as “biological rocket fuel,” is a good approach to treatment of addiction and recovery. It might also help in reducing the drug cravings .

What is NAD?

NAD is an abbreviation that stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. this is an activated form of vitamin B3. It is naturally present within every cell in the human body. It not only helps in regulating gene expression but also mediates calcium levels. NAD is also a participant in a number of redox reactions – in other words, it reacts with oxygen in the body.

Owing to these reactions, It is a powerful anti-oxidant that can help in reducing the populations of dangerous free radicals hence protecting the body from aging and diseases that are caused by oxidative damage like cancer. nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is also an essential component of the citric acid cycle known to many people as Krebs cycle; a cellular process that is essential for the production of energy for every cell and organ in the body.

How can IV NAD therapy benefit drug addicts?

When a drug of abuse is used for a long time, it alters the chemical makeup of the body. The addict will be glued to the drug and whenever he stops the brain has to begin learning how to work. For this reason any recovery plan must put in place ways to help the brain to rebuild and to function optimally. Without healing the brain the withdrawal symptoms and cravings for a drug will relapse.

Since NAD is essential for energy production, increasing the availability of NAD increases cellular energy. When the energy is increased the brain can more quickly rebuild its neurotransmitter population and fix its connections. This condition will help in rebuilding the brain and restoring its functions.

The NAD therapy results in an increased sense of well-being, clearer cognition. it also reduces the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.

What are the advantages of NAD over other detox methods?

NAD works better and quicker as compared to other detoxification methods. Just within four days of treatment with NAD the withdrawal symptoms as well as physical cravings are reduced. This can be especially inspiring during the beginning phases of drug cessation. Other detox methods take a while before they start working – with NAD infusions, recovering drug addicts are provided with near-immediate relief, encouraging them to continue pursuing sobriety.

NAD TherapyUnlike other treatment methods, NAD is completely natural and non-addictive. This therefore is a guarantee that the addict will not suffer another addiction as a result of the drug used in treating him that was addictive.

Addicts who have received NAD therapy have testified that it helps them feel better and more energetic. They have also shown NAD have reported decreased withdrawal symptoms and a diminished desire to use. Since this treatment has no side effects and has received positive reviews, it may be prudent and safe to try the therapy.

NAD therapy is offered at AWAREmed Health and Wellness resource center. Here we ourselves fully to offering lasting solution to the menace of addiction. Don’t hesitate to call Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) on (843)213-1480 for help.

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

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Dopamine and Infidelity

May 23, 2015

Dopamine, Infidelity and Sex Addiction

DopaminePeople think of infidelity differently from other social vices like marijuana addiction. They need to think of these two phenomena the same way since the behavior that takes place during an affair mimics exactly the behavior of a drug addict. A person who is addicted to sex or is practicing infidelity has been compared to a moth attracted to candle light. And infidelity has been referred to as “flame addiction.”

Infidelity can be defined as unfaithfulness in a relationship. It is a societal vice that has far reaching negative impacts on relationships and most painfully marriages. Infidelity is one of the major contributors to the tremendous numbers of divorce cases witnessed in the world today.

Another vice that goes hand in hand with infidelity is sex addiction. Sex addiction is in most cases the seed upon which infidelity sprouts. It is a compulsive behavior that completely takes control over the addicts life. The addict is willing to sacrifice what he/she cherishes most in order to preserve and continue his/her unhealthy behavior. They use sexuality to regulate their emotional life like relieving pain or anxiety.

Helping sex addicts and infidels requires first understanding the science of what happens in the brains of these people and seeking to find a way of controlling these biochemical processes towards the desired direction.

What happens when one falls in love?

The brain will produce changes in neurochemicals that alter the feelings of normality at the beginning, a period of infatuation. Then there will be a surge of adrenaline which will take the love struck individual to unimaginable heights. After this serotonin will drop thereby leaving a feeling of emptiness and an obsessive preoccupation with the other person. As have always been known, dopamine is the lighter of the flame addiction (infidelity).

What is dopamine?

Dopamine is a very crucial hormone as it is crucial for such effects as boldness, improved memory, attention, elation and a temporary desire to explore the world and take risks. During orgasm the levels of dopamine surge intensely and the person will be affected in similar manner to a person who has taken heroin. Dopamine is the hormone that causes addiction and once its levels have been fluctuated it will take up to a week to return to normal.

 

After dopamine surge has calmed down, prolactin is released and it works against the effects of dopamine causing such effects as depression, irritability and depletion.

If you have been blaming your lover for your post-sex and post-romance frustration, you need to know the chemistry causing it. It is advisable to have non-orgasmic sex as it helps avoid the dopamine peak and its side effects.

Dopamine and infidelity

Dopamine may cause infidelity. when a couple has been married and nothing is kept new or fresh the dopamine levels will be low while when a person has been seeing an attractive person out of marriage and he/she seems unreachable the levels of dopamine will surge and so the pursuit begins.

Since time immemorial, mating and reproduction is an activity that was not for the faint hearted as an individual has to pursue the possible mate with efforts and even fights to win. This could not be possible without a reward system, so the reward center was placed in the brain dopamine and it heightens when the pursuit for mate is successfully finished, hence a motivation to the pursuer.

Something new in relationship will boost the dopamine level that is why a couple who has been married for a long time will spend some nights without sex but a man who has just had sex may have sex with other women as the level of dopamine will be rekindled with each new partner. Infidelity is fuelled when the partner is playing hard to get as it heightens dopamine level.

Dopamine and sex addiction

Sex is addictive. All human behaviors that are rewarding in nature are prone to be addictive and sex is just one of the many addictive human behaviors, once a person has tasted the waters it becomes very hard to quit. If you need to break the chains of sex craving you need to be principled and committed to the course as it’s not an easy task.

Addictions sometimes do overlap and replace each other. When a person falls short on the dopamine triggered by having sex, he will turn to another source like eating, to fill the vacuum. This explains why some people prefer smoking a cigarette after sex; they seek the dopamine heights from nicotine smoking to make up for the falling levels after sex.

Apart from dopamine here are other hormones that may cause happiness but it is the hormone that persistently asks you to repeat an act that induces pleasure even when it has adverse effects.

Dopamine is a vital hormone but the pleasure it offers is addictive but you will never be willing to face the truth as it will be very rewarding. You therefore need to mind the frequency at which you do some pleasurable activities as you may become addicted to them.

Is there hope for infidels and sex addicts?

DopamineUnderstanding the process of flame addiction is crucial to healing—for both the victim and perpetrator. For any person who wants to quit philandering, it is essential to cut all the links between him/her and the mate with whom they had an affair.

Just like drug addictions quitting this behavior needs commitment, you may fail many times but you should not give up on your marriage. Feel open; seek help from leaders and people you respect.

Finally, Sex addiction is a serious menace, please call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre will give you the support you require and help you wrestle down this menace.

Dopamine, Infidelity and Sex Addiction

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What is Sex Addiction?

May 20, 2015

Is Sex Addiction A Disease Or A Symptom?

Sex AddictionSex addicts are among the addicts who will suffer for a longer time before they are known to be suffering from the disease. This can be attributed to the traditional model of addiction that had it that addiction is a choice and not a disease. The society has placed high standards of morality that to find a sex addict stating publicly or even sharing the issue with those dependent to them is very rare and this may only make them suffer longer and may fail to get help for their condition. The earlier models of addiction escalated the chances of addicts getting stigmatized and sex addicts can be the ones who will be subjected to the most degrading treatments if they were to come out declaring that they need help in a society where sexual issues are known to blankets alone. So is sex addiction a disease or a symptom? This is a really mind boggling question as some experts I’ve shared this question will tell you. It is like asking which came first; the egg or the chicken? So to simplify things lets broaden our view and look at addiction generally before we confine it back to the topic.

Is addiction a disease?

Well, According to American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a disease and not a symptom. They define addiction as a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Addiction of any kind affects the flow of signals within the nervous system. It alters neurotransmission and interactions within reward structures of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, basal forebrain and amygdala. When these areas of the brain are affected, the addictive behavior begins to replace the healthy behaviors, this is the neurobiology of addiction, and it doesn’t matter whether its alcohol, gambling or sex addiction; once the neurotransmission is inhibited then the addictive behaviors becomes a part of a person and a chain not easily broken.

Hippocampal and cortical circuit’s interactions are also altered by addiction, the brain reward structures are also altered by any addiction irrespective of what type of addiction it is. When the reward structures are affected, the memory of earlier exposures to rewards like sex, pornography and the like will lead to biological and behavioral response to external signals, in turn triggering craving and engagement in addictive behaviors.

As much as the neurochemistry of reward plays a role in addiction, there is more to neurobiology of addiction beyond the reward system. The frontal cortex of the brain and underlying white matter connections between the frontal cortex and circuits of reward, altered judgment, motivation and memory are fundamental in the manifestations of altered impulse control and the dysfunctional pursuit of rewards seen in addiction.

Sex addiction isn’t just a symptom

As have been explained above, all addictions can pass for diseases as they are primarily involved in wrecking the nervous system, causing chemical imbalances and alters the functions of crucial brain sections that are concerned with issues of reward.

From previous researches, it has been shown that sex addiction affects three regions in particular that are important in the reward mechanism; the ventral striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate and amygdala. These pars of the brain are more active in people with compulsive sexual behaviors; in research it has been shown that they are more active in sex addicts than in the healthy brains. This is an indication that that sex addiction is a chronic disease that affects the brain chemistry. These parts are equally active in those addicted to drugs and other substances, if drug addiction is a disease, and we have seen that both sex addiction and drug addictions affect the brain in similar manner then why can sex addiction be termed a symptom?

Sex addiction has its causes and symptoms

Sex addiction is characterized by an intense craving for sexual activity and an inability to control these desires for sex despite the risk that they may be exposed to. This inability to control the desire is not the only problem but the behavior changes that comes with sex addiction is a real reason to worry. Very many relationships have been broken because of sex addiction; it has also led to the patients contacting venereal diseases as result of their untamed sexual exploration with different partners.

Some of causes of sex addiction

People addicted to sex get a sense of euphoria from it that seems to go beyond that reported by most people. The sexual experience is not about intimacy. Addicts use sexual activity to seek pleasure, avoid unpleasant feelings or respond to outside stressors, such as work difficulties or interpersonal problems. This is not unlike how an alcoholic uses alcohol. In both instances, any reward gained from the experience soon gives way to guilt, remorse and promises to change.

Sex AddictionMost of the people who are addicted to sex came from broken families and maybe have been sexually abused in their lives. In a study it was found that 82 percent of sex addicts who participated in the study were sexually abused early in their lives. Other sex addicts have got here because of uncaring and distant parents who in most cases were substance abusers.

Despite the controversy of whether sex addiction is a disease or a symptom, it is a real menace that you should not accept to be silent with if you are affected. The journey towards recovery begins by accepting that you are affected and need help. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we know of the nightmares sex addicts go through; the very reasons why we are devoted to availing help to sex addicts. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) and get the burden off your shoulder.

Is Sex Addiction A Disease Or A Symptom?

 

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Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery

May 19, 2015

Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Relapse Prevention

Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery

Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery is very paramount in treatment of drug addiction

The consequences of substance abuse are real and life threatening. We cannot pretend that it is business as usual when the prevalence of drug addiction is ravaging and killing the economic fabric that we all work hard to improve every day. Have you ever imagine the economic and social losses that come with drug addiction? Each government today is formulating new legislations that bring even tougher penalties for the law offenders. It is a pity that these laws are only being made because of our failures to curb the situation. Is there anything you can do to help? There is actually a lot that you can do, and in fact if you are reading this article right now, you are already doing something. The information registered in this article is very rich with facts about containing the challenges involved in drug addiction recovery process. Therefore I want to encourage you to continue reading and not just reading but also invite your friends to the site of health information that delivers to greater heights. Doctor Dalal Akoury has been working round the clock to offer her contribution in the fight of this catastrophic problem in this point of time.

You may be wondering how she does this and how you can get to meeting her for a one on one discussion about some of those drug related problems that you may consider confidential. Well doctor Akoury is a medical doctor who has been in this line for over two decades helping people overcome their greatest fears of drug addictions. And while observing the great suffering of the societies, she made a very wise decision to establish a health facility where people from all walks of life can walk in for treatment about their various addiction conditions. The objective of this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) is to transform the lives of the suffering members of the societies by first creating an increased awareness about health and wellness. This she does by empowering everyone into finding their own inner healing power which everyone has is only that many have not known how to tap it for their own benefits.

The increase in awareness is all about health and wellness which when adopted will empower each individual to finding their own inner healing power. You remember when we started I stated that everyone can do something in helping solve the problem of addiction. That is not a fiction because when you discover your inner healing power, nothing will stand your way. This is what doctor Akoury desires you. Besides that it is also very important to note that doctor Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This can only communicate total professionalism and high level of experience and working with such professionals is all that people who are looking for real solutions to their addiction problem can consult with. Therefore you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for any concern you may be having in relation to drug addiction. In the meantime let us get back to the discussion of containing the challenges involved in addiction recovery.

Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: The after math of Addiction treatment

After successful treatment for substance abuse, addicts are faced with new challenges when reintroduced to the world as sober individuals. All addicts face temptations in recovery, and some may feel lost in the quest for sobriety. Drug relapse prevention is crucial in maintaining a sober lifestyle. There are many roads you can take to prevent relapse in recovery. Doctor Akoury says that getting sober and staying sober is the hardest part of recovery for most patients. Nonetheless staying sober can be made easier by taking certain measures which we are going to discuss shortly in this article. We mention earlier something about relapse prevention and actually drug rehabilitation is the foundation is the foundation of drug relapse prevention in addicts and very vital in the recovery process. As a recovering addict, you need to feel encouraged for the step you have made of acknowledging that you have a problem and that you want to seek for ways of fixing it. Many people are suffering from addiction and all the complications that come with it yet they are unable to take that step.

Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: A Healthy Mind and Clear Goals

Now that you know of the challenges involved in the recovery process, your actions towards addiction will and treatment will be very vital. Remember that the biggest challenge would be that of relapsing. The solution to this would be constant consultation with the experts like an addiction treatment counselor or other mental health professional to discuss your progress in sobriety. These meetings are a key part of your addiction relapse prevention regimen. Ongoing meetings with a professional strengthen an addict’s sobriety by reinforcing the skills learned while in rehabilitation.

Addiction counselors use a variety of methods to help addicts remain sober. When you or your loved one meets with a counselor, different types of therapies will be used, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. In this type of therapy, an addict will learn to cope with and avoid situations where drug use is likely to occur. An addiction treatment counselor may also use motivational incentives that encourage you or your loved one to remain sober. However, if drug relapse prevention measures are to be effective, they need to give addicts the strength to avoid drugs, not just the motivation to do so.

Besides that some addicts may require medications to remain sober. These medications suppress cravings that an addict may experience and help regulate brain functioning in patients who may experience imbalances. Such medications may include methadone, a synthetic narcotic used to suppress cravings in opiate addicts. Alongside medications meeting with a psychiatrist is also recommended as this will help you or your loved one manage recovery with medications if needed.

Subsequently, it’s very important to take care of your mind. An integral part of drug relapse prevention is keeping the mind healthy and focused. An engaged, healthy mind is less likely to be constantly thinking about using drugs. Staying occupied with positive things such as career, educational and personal goals are great ways to maintain sobriety. As you achieve these goals, you will gain a sense of pride and improve your self-esteem. As these things occur, you will be less tempted to use drugs.

Finally maintaining your stress levels also helps in drug relapse prevention. According to a study by the Social Ecology Laboratory it was established that that addicts who faced multiple negative life experiences after treatment had worse results than those who did not. Therefore it is important in times of negativity to remain positive. During such times, you may require more visits to counselors to help maintain your sobriety. This is normal and a very healthy decision to make. Do not stress over handling recovery alone because we are here to help you all the way says doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Containing the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Relapse Prevention

 

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The Sex Differences and Addiction

May 19, 2015

Women Are More Susceptible To Addiction than Men

DifferencesIn the past drug addiction was not a discussion for women; it has long been known that men are more likely to suffer from drug related consequences than women, while this is true; Men are more prone to become addicted to substances than women. This is why most research studies have been focused on men. In comparison the pace at which women develop dependence and addiction to drugs is quicker than in men. They also get to suffer the negative effects of drugs and other addictions earlier and more severely than men. They show the effects of drugs earlier in their physical conditions, medical conditions and social effects as compared to men. Several studies have also shown that women find it more difficult to quit using their drugs of abuse or quit their addictive behaviors and may relapse easily as compared to men.

There has been a cause for alarm in the rate and pace at which women fall into addiction. It has been documented that women may begin using drugs later than men and may use it less frequently but when they begin using the drugs they take less duration for the addiction to peak than in men. They become dependent on the drug of abuse sooner than men and the side effects of using the drugs set in them earlier in the addiction cycle than in men.

The number of women battling addiction is on the rise

This risk of addiction that has been shown in women has soon changed the trend in research, today researchers are more concerned about women, and they are enrolled in good numbers in research studies as opposed to earlier time when all research studies were all about men. with this change in trend there is hope that more will be unearthed about the differences gender play in addiction and hopefully this will lay ground for giving treatments that will best suit each gender especially women who are now on the rise in issues of addiction.

According to a literature review on Gender similarities and differences: the prevalence and course of alcohol- and other substance-related disorders by Zilberman M, Tavares H, el-Guebaly N in 2003; the number of women abusing alcohol are fewer than men. But the rate at which young women are getting intoxicated on alcohol regularly is on the rise and the consequences of alcohol consumption are more severe on women than in men. it has been established that women become more rapidly addicted to alcohol than men do and brain chemistry become altered in women faster than in men. Generally the effects of drugs and alcohol use weigh down on women earlier and more adversely than in men.

some of the biologically factors that have been identified as likely cause of the differences in the way women are affected by drugs include the fact that women generally weigh less than men since their bodies are made of more fats and less water, fat retains alcohol while water does the opposite; diluting it. So their biological make-up favors alcohol and puts them at risk. Another factor is that they have low amounts of enzymes that help in breaking down the alcohol once consumed so whenever they consume alcohol, they will remain with high amounts of alcohol in their bloodstreams than men. This enzyme is known as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).

Women and addiction to illicit drugs

Like mentioned earlier, in the past decades researchers prioritized men in their researchers and so there is still need for more literature relating women to drug addictions. Currently, there is clarity in the ways that women and men react differently to alcohol; however there is haze on how women respond to drugs like cocaine, meth as they are abused equally by the genders. However, for cocaine research has shown that women begin using the drug earlier than men; they develop dependence more quickly and have higher chances of relapse after treatment. This difference is attributed to the fluctuations in the hormonal levels that take place during menstruation which intensifies cravings for drugs. This can be blamed on the effects of estrogen on dopamine systems.

DifferencesIn the use of opioid the differences in effects has been drawn from men and women users. Research has shown that women are more likely to become addicted to prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, morphine and methadone since they suffer more to chronic pain. This in return places them at a higher risk of becoming addicted to the opioids than men. However in relation to the pace at which they become dependent there is more that still needs to be done to clearly show the difference.

In conclusion, the physiological and psychological sex differences in response to drugs of abuse are well documented and this is mostly attributed to hormonal interactions between dopamine and estrogen, however there is yet to be an explanation of how the interactions between these two hormones relate to the use of drugs of abuse and their effects in the dopamine systems.

The rate at which women are becoming addicted to drugs is a call for concern. We at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to giving help to those battling with addictions. Just in case you are affected, feel free to call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for help

Women Are More Susceptible To Addiction than Men

 

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