Tag Archives: Addiction

The Human Brain

July 24, 2014

The Human Brain – Human Operation Manager

Brain

The Human brain. Being the nerve center and regulator of all body functions, drugs must not be allowed to get into the brain

Have you ever considered how the brain works, the a mount of information being processed by this organ is huge and what is surprising is how orderly and efficient hey are being processed. Take for example one of the life practical example like driving a car. A lot of multi-tasking will be taking place like you position yourself well on the steering wheel, focused on the road and not sleeping, communicate with your feet, leg, hands and arms, knowing where the brakes are  among very many things like listening to the radio, talking to your passengers. Can you imagine the kind of speed involved in processing such an amount of data all at the same time! While you look at these tasks as simple either because of your driving experience it may not be so if you bring the nerve center in the picture. In fact all these you are able to do them because of the proper functionality of your brain and so how does the brain work all these efficiently and perfectly?

Different Brain Regions Contribute to the Regulation of Different Functions

Taking our example of driving as the bigger task, the brain will break it into smaller units like communicating, hearing, seeing etc. for them to be processed. A section of the brain will analyze movement of objects we see, the other part will be organizing the tasks in other words each part of the brain carry out specific task meaning that whenever a given task is to be done the right information is processed by that specific part of the brain. The other aspect of the brain is that in the event that a section of the brain is damaged then all the functions done by that section will not be done and that is why in an accident if the occipital lobe at the back of the brain is damaged then blindness occurs but other unaffected areas like seeing and movement continues to function normally because the job of seeing is highly compartmentalized, individuals who have lost one aspect of sight like the ability to see colors or to recognize faces, may still be able to do other visual tasks can you imagine being able to recognize people by hearing their voices but not being able to recognize them by their faces when you see them?

The advantage of this localization of function is when larger jobs are parceled out throughout the brain they all can be done at once. This decentralization of labor adds great speed to our ability to understand what is happening in the world around us, to analyze it, and then to generate appropriate responses. Dealing with information in this way is called parallel processing and it has been used by the computer scientists in the development of computers.

The human brain consists of several large regions, each of which is responsible for some of the activities necessary for life. These include the brainstem, cerebellum, limbic system, diencephalon, and cerebral cortex.

The brainstem is that part of the brain which connects the brain and spinal cord. This part of the brain is involved in coordinating many basic functions such as heart rate, breathing, eating, and sleeping.

The cerebellum coordinates the brain’s instructions for skilled repetitive movements and for keeping balance and posture.

The limbic system is involved in regulating emotions, motivations, and movement. It includes the amygdala and hippocampus, which is important for memory formation.

The diencephalon contains the thalamus and hypothalamus. The thalamus is involved in sensory perception and regulating movement. The hypothalamus is an important regulator of the pituitary gland, which directs the release of hormones throughout the body.

The cerebral cortex makes up the largest part of the brain mass and lies over and around most of the other brain structures. It is the part of the brain accountable for thinking, perceiving, and producing and understanding language. The cortex can be divided into areas that are involved in vision, hearing, touch, movement, smell, and thinking and reasoning.

Drugs on the Reward System in the Brain

The same ways specific areas of the brain control seeing and hearing, specific brain areas also control emotions, motivations, and movement. These functions are carried out by a part of the brain called the limbic system. The limbic system prevails on how we react to the world around us. Imagine a cool sunny day. You finish your work early and head to your favorite park for a leisurely walk with your dog. You are feeling so mellow that when the dog slobbers on your clean shirt, you merely scratch him behind the ears. Nonetheless on another day you have a completely different experience when you have to work late, traffic is up, and the dog runs away instead of coming to welcome you home. This time when the dog slobbers on you (after he finds his way home again) you shove him away and scold him.

The feelings you have in those two different situations are a result of your limbic system at work. The limbic system uses memories, information about how your body is working, and current sensory input to generate your emotional responses to current situations.

The limbic system is involved in many of our emotions and motivations, particularly those related to survival, such as fear and anger. The system is also involved in pleasurable activities necessary for survival, such as eating and sex. If something is pleasurable, or rewarding, you want to do it repeatedly. Pleasurable activities engage the reward circuit (or system), so the brain notes that something important is happening that needs to be remembered and repeated. The reward system includes several interconnected structures the ventral tegmental area (VTA), located at the top of the brain stem; the nucleus accumbens; and the prefrontal cortex). Neurons from the VTA relay messages to the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex. Information is also relayed back from the cortex to the nucleus accumbens and the VTA.

Most drugs of abuse activate the same VTA and nucleus accumbens neurons and that is why drugs produce pleasurable feelings to the drug user. And, because the feelings are pleasurable, the user wants to continue to experience the pleasure which they felt during previous drug use.

One of the reasons that drugs of abuse can exert such powerful control over our behavior is that they act directly on the more evolutionarily primitive brainstem and limbic structures, which can override the cortex in controlling our behavior.

The Human Brain – Human Operation Manager

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Employees and Drug Addiction

July 24, 2014

Employees and Drug Addiction – Workplace

Addiction

Workplace must be accommodating enough to discourage drug addiction. Stressful set ups will only injure any meaningful gains made.

The reality of addiction related problems in the workplaces is becoming a common phenomenon and unless we positively come out to address it we will soon not have an economy to run as organization or nations. The prevalent of addiction cut across all sectors of life of both the individuals and the society and when it does it destroys one’s health, relationships, emotional well-being and this effects eventually finds their way in the workplace bringing very negative results. It is believed that majority of people struggling with addiction are employed in various sectors of the economy and because of this their performance is reduced to about two thirds in relation to those employees free from the scourge.

Various studies have established that prior to enrolling for treatment these employees were unproductive due to consistent absconding of duty, lateness or just lazing a round because of their addiction problems. This is a clear indication that employees addiction impacts negatively to their work performance which eventually translate to the inflated cost of doing business to their employers beside the dented reputation of the organization image and goodwill. In the interest of this it’s important to consider and understand the role of the workplace and the employer in the addiction recovery process. Therefore:

Why is it Difficult for Employees to Ask for Help?
It may not be easy for employees to seek for help for fear of being victimized by their employers and the related stigmatization. However employers should take note that support their employees with addiction problems to reach out for help not only benefits the employee in terms of their physical, emotional, and mental health but also benefits the organization in many productive ways.

The Benefits of Addiction Treatment

As indicated above helping employees with their addiction conditions in beneficial to both the employees and the employer as discussed below.

Benefits to an Employee and the Employer – when our mental health is good, we are able to cope with the hassles and stressors of everyday life. We are purposeful and productive. But our mental health is poor it can impact a variety of aspects of our lives. When someone is suffering from mental health problems or illness, such as a substance abuse problem or other type of addiction, the impact on the individual can be more pervasive and severe. Co-workers may perceive these types of individuals as difficult or unreliable, and this can create a very unpleasant work environment.

When mental health or other medical conditions become so severe, the individual may have to take a leave from work for an extended period of time. This can escalate:

  • Disability costs
  • Benefits utilization
  • Replacement costs and
  • Costs associated with lost productivity.

Failing to address the underlying mental health problems of the employee increases the likelihood of the individual developing recurring problems at work. However, with adequate intervention and an ongoing treatment strategy, someone suffering from a mental health illness such as an addiction can experience good mental health and an improved quality of life.

How Employers Can Help?
There are several ways an employee can benefit including some of the recommendations made by the Mental Health Commission of Canada which include the following steps to be taken by the employers at workplaces:

  • Health promotion and prevention of psychological issues at work
  • Early identification of psychological problems and optimal treatment of mental health conditions to reduce disability and to support a return to work strategy.

Early Intervention for Best Results
What makes the establishment of wellness programs even more imperative, is that research has demonstrated that individuals struggling with an addiction, on average wait thirteen and a half years before entering residential treatment. The goal therefore is, to intervene early with an employee who has a substance use or behavioral addiction problem, before it progresses and worsens over time. By establishing a non-punitive, supportive organizational culture involved in the psychological well-being of their employees, an organization can minimize the potential escalating costs associated with employees and their problematic substance use and behavior.

Treatment Benefits beyond Absenteeism, Tardiness and Productivity
Even though studies have established the above as some of the costs and benefits associated with addiction in the workplace, employers must not limit their evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of treatment based exclusively on workers’ absenteeism, tardiness and productivity. The economic benefit of addiction treatment goes beyond these variables to include reduction on-the-job errors, accidents and injuries, and reduced disability costs. Other benefits may include improved morale, decreased conflict among workers and reduced costs associated with dismissal, hiring and training. Depending on the workplace context, other potential benefits can also include reduced legal liabilities and minimizing potential negative impacts on organizational reputation and trust between stakeholders and clients.

However it is understandable that becoming involved in employees’ psychological well-being is not an easy feat for employers and when performance is affected, it’s difficult to have the tough talk. This is where adequate training and education for managers and employees would help organizations to overcome this potential barrier.

The Bottom-Line and Beyond
Appealing to “the bottom line” and outlining the economic benefits of addiction treatment has shown to be an effective way to engage employers in the recovery of their employees’ addiction. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a primary neurological disease affecting brain reward, motivation, memory and its related circuitry. Because it is a chronic brain disease, addiction requires treatment and management over a lifetime unlike other chronic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Addiction can be as devastating as any other illness and is classified as a disability by many employment legislations across the globe.

It is therefore very important to assist employees in their recovery process. Common barriers such as shame, organizational denial, and enabling behaviors of coworkers can prevent employees from seeking help for this medical and psychological problem. Employers need to understand the ways that their organizations may maintain these barriers and appreciate that employer involvement in the recovery process is beneficial for both the employee and the organization.

Effective addiction treatment that includes long-term continuing care and support from family and employers is a mutually beneficial solution to a problem that often permeates a variety of aspects of an individual’s life – including their work. So when it comes to your employees and addiction it is your business to liaise with reputable addiction professionals like doctor Dalal Akoury who founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where addiction treatment is administered in total focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Employees and Drug Addiction – Workplace

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Positive psychology in addiction treatment

July 24, 2014

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Drug Addiction

Addiction

Positive psychology in addiction treatment. It is much healthier to treat addiction when there is common understanding of the problem at hand.

Everyone would want to be given hope that their life situation is not permanent and there is light at the end of the tunnel. When professionals are administering treatment they often give their patients words of hope and keep it that way even when they are convinced that chances of living the hospital bed is diminishing every passing second after all the patients only visited the facility to get better and being hopeful is very necessary in treatment of any kind of health condition. However there are instances when this has not been the practice in some quarters like in addiction related problems we know for sure that there is high possibilities of relapsing during and after recovery a process that may occur repeatedly and can be very discouraging. When one relapses consistently such a person needs to be encouraged to soldier on and be given hope that this is normal and will be defeated with time. To do this it will be important that we cultivate the positive psychology in both the addict and the health care provider.

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Definition

Therefore let us understand what positive Psychology is all about. First this is a new initiative in the arena of psychological research and intervention defined as the scientific study of the strong points and virtues that enable individuals and communities to flourish. The initiative is founded on the understanding that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to promote what is best within them and to improve their experiences of love, work, and play.

In effective addiction treatment, positive psychological approaches play an important role in achieving long-term addiction recovery goals. Usually addicts are told that:

  • They have a disease which they will have to manage for the rest of their lives.
  • To expect relapse and that from a statistical perspective, most will die from their illness.

This is extremely demoralizing prognosis to provide to someone who has presented a problem to you for help. This is not the way to go and a positive psychologist would rearrange the conversation and the situation by instilling hopeful suggestions that addiction is a behavioral disorder and even the most rooted behaviors can be changed with proper treatment and change of life style among other applicable factors. While not denying the negative statistics surrounding addiction recovery, reframing of the opportunity to recover into something achievable is empowering and motivating giving hope to many who may be suffering from substance abuse.

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Self-discovery

Positive psychology is a continuous process and is boundary less so long as the patients still need help. Therefore after giving these quality encouragement to the addict patient by suggesting that recovery is possible not just for a select few, the positive psychologist will then begins to work with the addict to re-evaluate life and initiate a process of self-discovery where the addicted patient get to know the kind of activities and relationships of great importance to and for them.

Like I said before with this positive psychology there are no limits. For instance example, consider a physically challenged person on a wheelchair all his or her life being pushed to your office for advice in life telling you that what they want to do is to be serving seals, what would you tell them? Many may condemn then because they cannot walk and so may not be productive in an assignment. This is the wrong way of handling people by doing this you will for sure achieve great injury and demoralization to this people, instead you may instill hope in them by suggesting  and encouraging them to look into what it would take for them to save seals. You may inspire them that since they are not able to walk and be physically active what about if they be involved through the internet in those types of activities and raise funds to support the work! Being visionary is the kind of process being applied to the people suffering from addiction to help them a world and life beyond substances they abuse and to give them achievable goals to work towards with the sole objective helping them keep to their recovery.

Meaningful recovery is achieved when the pain of the past is worked through and goals for the future are set and worked toward. Part of the problem of addiction generally may include: An inability to envision a different future, future in which happiness, good work, and strong relationships are the fabric of daily life. With the application of positive psychology, the therapists are able to inspire and help addicts plan for and believe that they can attain the kind of future of which they previously could not even dream. This is the spirit that is transformative and realistic. If you have been with me on this link you may have read from our previous articles putting emphasis to every one of the duty of care owed to one another, this is an endless commitment that you and I should embrace for the good of our well-being. In attempting to achieve this doctor Akoury a known addiction professional of several decades founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where total care and treatment is administered to all in need while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE this is ware to be for all kinds of addiction related problems.

Positive psychology in addiction treatment – Drug Addiction

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Obesity and Addiction

July 24, 2014

Obesity and Addiction – Scientific findings

Obesity

Obesity and Addiction. What happen when you follow on good diet and proper physical activities. Good health and comfort

It is common knowledge in the minds of many people that obesity is caused by overeating and laziness but is this really the true picture? Could some kinds of foods be addictive like substances like cocaine or nicotine? At least these have been the feelings of people in respect of these tow health conditions however new studies are proving differently that some foods rich in fat and sugar leads to changes in the brain in the same way as does with drug addiction. And because of these revelations the perception of what may be driving overeating is changing and this is what we want to discuss in this article.

It is becoming relatively difficult for many people to avoid consuming certain foods. For instance they clear the whole content of a mug of ice cream rather than just having a scoop or two practicing this even when it is not necessary like when they are no starving. Actually in the past overeating and obesity were regarded as failures of self-control or willpower and the professionals were recommending that overweight people eat less and do more exercise to lose some excess weight however new findings suggest that it may not be that simple. Researchers are finding that high-fat and high-sugar foods can trigger lasting brain changes which are likely to make it difficult to resist overeating. There is all indications that those changes resemble what happens in the brain when an individual is addicted to drugs like nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine.

The implications of this research are considerable. More than 33 percent of adults and 17 percent of children and teenagers in the United States for example are obese and about 300,000 people are said to be losing their lives annually because of obesity-related diseases making it the nation’s second-leading cause of preventable death. Economically this is estimated to be costing the authorities a hooping $147 billion as annual medical cost of treating obesity related diseases.

Obesity and Addiction – Hormone Leptin

When studying how food changes the brain structures and functions, scientists are finding more about the neurobiological factors associated with the obesity epidemic. This ongoing research is enabling scientists to:

  • Understand how food affects the brain’s reward system.
  • Develop more effective therapies for preventing and treating obesity.

One of the central players in the regulation of appetite is the hormone leptin. Produced in the body’s fat cells, leptin lets the brain know when there is enough energy stored in those cells. It informs the brain when to stop eating, at least for a while. Some evidence suggests the brains of obese individuals are less sensitive to the hormone and in extremely rare cases of obesity those in which the body produces no leptin because of a genetic mutation overeating was cut and weight was lost after leptin injections.

Scientists found out that leptin acted in the hypothalamus, a brain structure involved in the regulation and control of hunger. More recently, they discovered leptin also influences appetite by acting in a midbrain region known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This section of the brain contains dopamine neurons, which play a key role in the brain’s reward system the source of the feeling of pleasure we get when consuming some kind foods and in the development of drug addictions.

Obesity and Addiction – Junk Food Diets

While carrying out studies using rats it was established that junk food diets produced addictive-like behavior as well as dopamine-related changes in the brain. In one study, rats were divided into three groups.

  • One group was fed regular rat food.
  • A second group was given access to fatty or sugary foods, such as sausage, bacon, cheesecake and frosting, for one hour a day.
  • A third group was allowed to munch on the junk food whenever they wanted.

The second group quickly started binge eating the junk food, consuming most of their daily calories during the one hour they had access to the junk food.

The third group not only gorged on the junk food, they also became obese. The researchers identified one possible reason why. Dopamine receptors in the reward circuitry of the obese rats had become desensitized, potentially compelling the animals to eat increasing amounts of the food to get the same level of pleasure from it. A similar effect on dopamine receptors is associated with drug addiction, and may explain why addicts crave increasing amounts of a drug.

But overeating wasn’t the only addictive-like behavior observed among the obese rats. The rats also showed compulsive-like intake of food. To test for this, all the rats were trained before the study to anticipate and try to escape a small electric shock to their feet when a light came on. But after the rats became obese, they stopped taking evasive action. When the light appeared, they kept eating. This behavior disregarding the threat of punishment also occurs among rats that have extended access to cocaine and is thought to reflect the development of compulsive-like consumption.

Yet in other research, scientists discovered another similarity with drug addiction. When rats previously fed on junk food were suddenly switched back to a healthier diet, they avoided anxiety-inducing situations just as they do when going through withdrawal from cocaine and other addictive drugs.

Obesity and Addiction – Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)

Tests showed these rats had five times the normal amount of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA in their brains during this denial period. CRF helps regulate fear, anxiety, and stress. Once the rats were put back on a junk food diet, they no longer avoided stressful situations, and their CRF levels returned to normal. They also began to overeat even more than before — a finding that may suggest why people who go on and off diets tend to find it increasingly difficult to lose weight.

Through other intriguing research, scientists discovered that a junk food diet can alter the production of dopamine and other genes in the brain’s reward system — even after the diet is abandoned for a healthier one. Studies also found these brain changes can be passed on from pregnant mice to their offspring, making the mice pups more vulnerable to both obesity and addictive-like behaviors in adulthood. Such findings may help explain why overcoming obesity is much more complicated than RESISTING to junk food and may point to possible interventions to help people struggling to make positive behavioral change and doctor Akoury can be of help to you in ensuring these desired changes for a better life a head of you.

Obesity and Addiction – Scientific findings

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Best Addiction Treatment

July 23, 2014

Best Addiction Treatment – Food Addiction

Addiction

Best addiction treatment. Food addiction is real and the earliest we acknowledge this the better for recovery

It is common knowledge that on a daily basis we have to eat to get the energy we need for the day’s activities. The fact that we eat periodically may not look like being addicted to food but before I get to solutions of food addiction, I want to help you understand how food becomes addictive. How do you begin your day? Probably when you wake up you purpose to do your work and eat responsibly and healthy food and you start with one healthy breakfast at home and on your way you navigate through mouthwatering bakery goodies which are tempting and you finally make it to work ready for the day’s assignment only to be received by your stressful boss laying on your table a new project deadline that is practically impossible. Minutes later yourself holding meat pie in your hand consuming down sugary anesthetics and desiring for more. By the time you leave our moment of eating and the truth of what you’ve done begins to sink in, the subsequent feelings of shame and guilt fuel your stress levels more and you’re already plotting your next food fix then you wonder. Why do I keep yielding to these cravings? Where’s my self-control and willpower? My friend this is just your brain being addicted to food.

The feeling of denial will follow and encourage yourself that you are not and that you only love sweet food once in a while but the bottom line is that food addiction is factual and realistic. It affects so many people and this is what the food processors ride on when producing their products for the market. Production of addictive food is a marketing tool for these organizations and that is why their ingredients is a perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory to ensure you keep reaching for more. The moment you find yourself losing your willpower and desiring for more and more then you are not just in love with these food stuff but you are now addicted to them and that is what we want to address. To start us off let’s look at some of the ways of beating food addiction:

Best Addiction Treatment – Take the test

Taking the test would mean that you make a self-evaluation of your relationship with food with an aim of ascertaining whether you’re eating habit is a healthy one. Experts are in agreement that the many overweight or obese have some level of food addiction even though anyone of any age bracket or size can have this issue of food addiction.

Best Addiction Treatment – Know your staples from your treats

Our brains are rigged to seek out the delicious reward of natural carbs like berries from a bush or veggies from the ground. We savor healthy fats from avocados, olive oil, and fish and lean meats. Our brains drive us to forage around to find these foods so that we have quick energy (from carbs) and long-lasting fuel (from fat). These natural whole foods have sustained us since the dawn of time. Our brains were acclimated to the taste of these rewards. Every now and again, we’d savor a treat that contained more natural sugar (grapes) or fat (dairy or meat). This mix of staples and treats became our natural balance of healthy nutrients.  Flash-forward, and now we have manufacturers creating hyper-palatable foods full of sugar, fat, and salt. And because they are ubiquitous, cheap, and easily accessible, fewer people cook. Grab and go is now the way to go.

Best Addiction Treatment – Rein in your reward center

When hyper-palatable race with natural foods your brain’s reward center, which secretes the pleasure chemical dopamine, gets hijacked. Insulin levels increases and drive you to desire for more and more. Suddenly, that bowl of fresh berries can’t compete with the über rewards of a Pop-Tart or a chocolate-coated breakfast bar. Occasional treat like birthday dessert, also leads to a dopamine rush, but then your brain settles down to more normal levels of dopamine. But when you can get your hands on hyper-palatable foods daily seven days a week and you start the day with that sugary, fatty, salty pastry and Grande sugary coffee drink, you end up with an endless appetite for more.

Best Addiction Treatment – Recognize the False Fix

After constant exposure and consumption of these hyper-palatables and let us call them False Fixes in The Hunger Fix, your brain essentially changes. The brain cannot stand this level of hyper-stimulation. It then reduces the number of dopamine receptors so that you no longer experience it as overstimulation and that is what is good about it however the bad news is that by doing this, your typical serving of food is no longer as rewarding. You find yourself not feeling as pleased and satisfied. The end result of this is that you end up with second and third and fourth portions, packing on weight along the way.

Besides this your reward center is being hijacked that is the brain’s CEO which is the prefrontal cortex (tap your forehead and that’s where the PFC is located), is becoming spoiled and impaired. The PFC can no longer help you rein in impulses or stay focused and vigilant which is why when one is in fully in addictive mode, moderation is a moot point.

Best Addiction Treatment – Know your enemy (False fix food)

Make a list all of your False Fix foods that you know will lead you to feel out of control and overeat. As you prepare to detox, look around you and take stock of all persons, places, and things that trigger your food addiction. This isn’t just about substituting False Fix foods for Healthy Fixes it’s also about scrutinizing your entire lifestyle so that you can make fresh healthier choices to support your recovery. It is important to note that you will not be able to change everything in one go and so you will gradually start with small but powerful steps to ensure sustainability of long-term success.

While doing all these you must appreciate that food addiction is real and the faster you make this acknowledgement the better because it is only when you do so is when you will have the ability to reverse the damage and reclaim your healthy, natural relationship with food. Remember I did not promise you that the journey will be easy and therefore careful selection of professionals to help you overcome will be necessary. For instance at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care ware addiction treatment is focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE will be very ideal for all your addiction related problems.

Best Addiction Treatment – Food Addiction

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

  • Recent Posts

  • Blog Categories