Gender and Addiction

July 8, 2014

Gender and Addiction-Male and Female

This is the kind of happiness you will have if you keep addiction a way from your family. Gender does not count in addiction.

It said that addiction is becoming part of life in day to day operations and it is also a fact that addiction does not choose who to affect, it does not discriminate and has no specific time frame when it attacks. With this understanding at the back of our mind dear reader we want to look at addiction and gender in today’s society. For a long time addiction has been associated with men for reasons you may be privy to. However studies on addiction has established the variance impact addiction has in the lives of both men and women thanks to technology today we know about the biological and psychosocial factors affecting how both sexes experience addiction.

We therefore need to ask ourselves that in the battle of among sexes who will have an upper hand in addiction recovery? It will not surprise anyone if you go for men as the possible winners since women often progress quickly into chemical dependency and meet serious consequences faster than men. Nonetheless women may not tussle with addiction than men but respond well to treatment. Whichever way you look at it neither gender is better or worse off they will both respond differently to addiction and its recovery.

Gender and Addiction-Dominance

Drug and alcohol addiction are more dominance with men than women. Findings according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, men are two times likely to meet the criteria of drug addiction in their lifetime than women. The difference appears to be even bigger for alcohol abuse, with men being besieged three times the rate of women.

Gender and Addiction-Risk Factors

Both genders is influenced to addiction differently as is evident in findings from studies that men turn to drugs to resonate good moods and cope with social and behavioral problems while women often use drugs to relieve themselves of the emotional and psychological issues. Anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder and eating disorders normally affect women and can escalation their risk of drug use. Men on the other hand are more often affected by antisocial personality disorder which may or otherwise increase the risk of drug use.

It must be noted that for women, relationships, childhood trauma, stress, parental drug use and home environment, victimization, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders precipitate substance abuse and relapse. Funnily enough most women are often lead to drugs and matters related to drug use like sharing needles by their boyfriends, spouse or other important people in their lives. This is normally used to strengthen and cement these connections. They (women) will also use substances like nicotine, cocaine or amphetamines to quash appetite purposely to bring their weight to a manageable level.

Science (Biology) plays a vital role in the advancement of addictions and particularly in women. Normally women will get drunk after taking just a smaller quantity of alcohol compared to men. Because of little water in the body and certain metabolizing enzymes they will have higher blood alcohol concentrations after taking the same units of alcohol as their male counterparts. Studies have also established the presence of estrogen in the development of addiction. In addition to affecting dopamine release, hormonal changes impact women’s sensitization to drugs that is the long-term changes that occur in the brain as a result of drug use.

Gender and Addiction-Penalties

There is no absolute winner when it comes to the penalties and consequences of addiction. Since it doesn’t discriminate when it attacks everyone will suffer extreme hardship as a result of chemical dependency. However when we take a side-by-side comparison women, have a habit of to experience more serious drug-related medical, social and psychiatric consequences much faster than men. They then advance more swiftly than men from use to dependence to treatment (a phenomenon called telescoping) and despite using smaller amounts and being addicted for a shorter period of time, their symptoms are often as severe as men’s by the time they get to rehab.

Women are also at risk of specific consequences that are less likely to impact men, including certain physical complications (e.g. women are more likely to develop lung cancer and have a heart attack from smoking) as well as victimization, abuse, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Gender and Addiction-Obstacles to Treatment

Both genders face substantial obstacles to and during treatment, however studies have indicated that most women who abuse drugs normally shay away from seeking help. Some of their reason not seeking for help may include:

Practical concerns such as cost
Child-care arrangements
Lack of social support
Responsibilities at home and work
Heightened stigma of being a female addict

These are just but a sample of the hurdles women face before they can be said to have willingly consented to seeking for help.

Gender and Addiction-Response to Treatment

The moment women consent to treatment they respond the same way as men by staying there and have comparable abstinence and relapse just as men do. Some research have established that women may have head start in the addiction recovery program with little relapse period and greater willingness to seeking for help after a relapse, and similar to men women may profit/benefit from sensitive services which are very specific to their needs e.g. family/group therapy, parenting education, treatment for mental disorders and other supportive approaches.

It must finally be noted that men and women are different although there are some similarities in their way of responding to addiction. But most importantly when it comes to addiction and mental health, we do not have winners or losers but then again we must appreciate that the differences between men and women certainly impact on the course of treatment and recovery. Dear reader aw we conclude this article it is not just the gender the bottom line is the solution to this problem of addiction. You can get all the answers to your many unanswered question at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility founded by Doctor Akoury who is an addiction professional and has had experience of over two decade. When you get to this facility you will be attended by team of experts who will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE and your life will never be the same again.

Gender and Addiction-Male and Female

Watch out for elements of an addiction

July 8, 2014

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is the number one enemy of relationships. It may not be long before you land in problems. Get to know the causes of addiction and act positively.

It is an open secret that the global world is under undue pressure of the effects of substance abuse and addiction. Effort is being made by all like-minded people to bring normalcy back to the society and live in an addiction free society. We are not left out either and because of that we want to discuss some of the elements that you need to look into to be able to distance yourself and family from the problems caused by addiction. If you have been on this link for some time before you must have noted that we have made effort informing the globe of the risk involved when addiction set foot into the family. This article is going to be a continuation of what we had started and we shall continue with unlimitedly because we are passionate about our resolve to eliminate the scourge of addiction. All we ask of you is to keep on the link and invite your friend on to get this honorable information about addiction.

There are many ways in which addiction finds its way into our society. The following causes of an addiction are just but a few we want to share with you briefly:

Genetic
Peer influence
Stress
Exploration
Addictive personality
Surrounding

Like I said these are just a small portion of what causes addiction and the do so differently. Some of these may be considered to be more provocative than others.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Genetic

There is indication to propose that some people are more vulnerable to developing an addiction looking at the history of their lives and relationships. The hereditary cause is not conclusive but gives all the indicators. This doesn’t suggest that the addiction is flowing in their family blood stream and so it is passed from one to the other that is not the case but that their biological make up is rooted in such a way that makes them more vulnerable to dependency.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Peer influence

This is leaning much on young people than adults due to their vulnerability to the influence of their surroundings. The youth would generally want to be identified with the new and current happenings and celebrities. For instance if one is keeping friends who are into drugs, alcohol or smokes then this individual is likely to give in to the pressure from their friends into their habits. We have discussed this in our addiction and peer pressure segment and you may have a look for more.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Stress

Stress can be very dangerous in one’s life. It is true that our ways of doing things is becoming increasingly demanding in nearly all sectors like we work longer hours trying to provide the best for our families and in the process fail to create time for relaxing and when we do we choose to relax the wrong way like going for a few drinks after work. This may look nice in the beginning as a way of coping with stress but if it graduates to being a habit then you will be in danger of being addicted and suffers an addiction. You can read for more in our article on the stress management segment.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Exploration

This is an element generally associated with the young people and particularly the teenagers. Teenagers in their desire to fit in would want to explore and be seen to be belonging to a given set up. If the teenagers are associated with a given group good or bad they would want to fit in and adopt the behavior of that group by doing what they do without proper judgment whether their actions is good or bad. The teenagers will want to experiment and in the process may become addicted to that practice. The sad fact is that this might happen with a different group of friends and in different circumstances and all for the wrong things.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Addictive personality

We have witnessed certain traits in some people that points towards addiction. Looking at the traits of these people it may be concluded that they have addictive personality meaning that they are more vulnerable to drugs, cigarettes or alcohol than other group of people. This may not be conclusive but there are all the indications of possibility though open for discussion.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Surrounding

The environment in which we reside and brought up in has a significant factor in addiction. Take for example if you were brought up in a family where all your grandparents, parents and senior siblings are all alcoholics, you may not have who to give you’re the right guidance that alcohol consumption is bad. You may believe that alcohol is a healthy drink after all it is all alcohol that you have been seeing all your life and the people to guide you are so much in it. In the holy book (Bible) it is written that “show a child the right way to go and when they grow up they will not depart from it” and so this kind of environment may not be good and anyone brought up this way is likely to be addicted. This may not be automatic since one can make a good choice not to mimic what they see and be free from addiction.

Like I had indicated above drug addiction is such a complex and devastating situation and involves more than one factor. The few we have discussed in this article are not conclusive we have discussed them in greater details in our previous individual addiction causes and you may want to read more from those detailed articles but for now I want to introduce you to the experts who will help you and your friends on the best ways of handing any matter related to addiction. Meet Dr. Dalal Akoury the best in addiction and all problems related to addiction. She is also the Founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility whose objective is to offer exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to everyone including other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. We welcome you to this facility and meet doctor Akoury together with her team of experts and get the best treatment ever on matters addiction.

Watch out for elements of an addiction-Drug Addiction

Assessing level of Addiction

July 7, 2014

Assessing level of Addiction-Teenage Drug Addiction

This is what drug addiction can do to you if you don’t take proper assessment of addiction from childhood,teenage and adulthood

It is the joy of every parent to have their children lives a life full of peace of mind, sobriety and social stability. These are powerful ingredients that we would all want to have in our children up-bringing. However many a times this is usually not the case because of the prevalence drugs and bad influences from all manner of technological devices we have today. Because of this real obstacles in the society we live in today, it is important that we from time to time take stock of our children’s developments in life and this will be the guiding factor in this article so that you and I get to know some tips which can help us to have our children escape the scourge of addiction of whatever nature. Therefore when you notice that any negative occurrence in your children, it must be followed by an immediate assessment to establish the problem. This is very necessary because any use of psychoactive drugs is harmful to their moods and mind affects their independence in making normal and caring judgment and perception this influences their decisions to be impulsive, irresponsible and potentially harmful to themselves and the society.

This then leads us to the question what are these harm? Let us consider the following risks which parents must take keen interest in especially when the children are going through the various stages of life like adolescent:

Victimization from violence
Accidental injury
School failure
Illegal activities
Sexual misadventures
Daring risk taking
Suicidal despondency
Drug and alcohol involvement

All these and many more are possible risk that we must be keen to eliminate and I would want to suggest that if you were to start the elimination in any particular order, then start with number 8 since this is the genesis of all others. Top of FormBottom of FormAdolescence is therefore the risk process during which young people are eager and motivated socially to explore the worldly experiences and substance use only increases these normal risks. A sober path through adolescence is the safest passage of all.

When parents have suspicion that their children are using substances, they need to identify the level of use with which they are dealing so they do not over or underestimate the seriousness of the experience. If you were to overestimate the seriousness you may panic over what could be just a one-time experimental use while on the other hand to underestimate the seriousness you may deny troubling signs of increasing dependency. What would then follow can only be described in the following level:

Assessing level of Addiction-Experimental use

This is motivated by curiosity and the teenage child only makes attempt to get the feeling and satisfy their curiosity. They can explain that they are only using drugs once in a while then you must make them know that that is not just in a while but such frequency of consumption is not just experimental but recreational. Experimental use is restricted to one or two times. Sometimes a teenager will experiment and find the experience of drug use not to be worth it and stop. This experimental use is not good and must be discouraged because the younger the age the less safe it is to the consumer. This can be dangerous to the brain of the teenager.

Young ones must take note that this is just gambling with once safety since there are not mechanisms on knowing how the brain/mind will react to the substance and cause injury to their wellbeing but subjecting themselves to unknown experiments whose results can be fatal.

Assessing level of Addiction-Recreational use

Teenagers who have made a routine in consuming their drugs are not experimenting but are recreational users. This group may be using drugs moderately meaning that such substance use does not cause any significant problem to them or others however they must be caution to take note of the content and remain within the regulated dose. Moderate means:

That use is intentional, not automatic.
It is a matter of choice it is not dictated by habit.
That the choice is independently made and not dependent on socially fitting in, going along, keeping up, or competing for most use.

Second the use is monitored. Monitored use means being gradual and so your teenager maintains sufficient awareness of the effects of use on mind and body to judge when they need to have no more. Substance use takes the alcohol user, for example, from a caring (sober) to a less caring (high) to a completely care-free (drunken) state. Recreational drinkers draw a line somewhere been a caring and non-caring condition that demarcates when enough has been consumed.

They want to use within the limits of maintaining contact with the values and judgments about personal behavior that normally matter to them. They don’t want to cross over the enough line into a significantly less caring or non-caring state where words can be spoken, decisions made, and actions taken that later sober reflection will cause them (or others) to regret. Recreational using means maintaining sufficient presence of mind to stop when one has had enough.

Assessing level of Addiction-Excessive Use

This happens in different ways, it sometimes happens accidentally or intentionally, a teenager will get extremely drunk and wasted. It’s important for parents to determine if the excess was accidental or intentional. Accidental excess comes as a surprise, and the effects can have a cautionary value. Thus a teenager, who never drank hard liquor before, drinks so much so fast he bypasses feeling drunk, passes out, and is rushed to the hospital which pumps his stomach out as part of their intervention to prevent alcoholic poisoning. Coming to, the teenager reflects on the fact that he almost killed himself by accidental excess and, when making the best of a bad situation, feels disinclined to drink that much that fast again.

Anytime you have a teenager who likes to drink to get drunk, you have a problem drinker on your hands. If he or she is running with a drink to get drunk crowd, do what you can to discourage that socializing. Using or drinking to deliberate excess is a common bridge to the next level, substance abuse.

Assessing level of Addiction-Abuse

Once a teenager descends into substance abuse, discipline problems get more frequent and serious at home, and academic motivation and performance typically decline at school.

The first sign of substance abuse are: A significant loss of caring about performance, values, reputation, and relationships that previously mattered. Now freedom from not caring has taken hold.

The second sign of drug abuse appears. Progressively bad decisions – educational, familial, and social – begin to be made. For example, school may be avoided, telling lies become more frequently told to parents, and problems with police may happen as laws are broken out in the community.

Unfortunately, a connection between the two signs of abuse can now occur. Lack of caring encourages bad decisions, and bad decisions are dismissed by lack of caring. Now lack of caring encourages more bad decisions. Most teenagers who reach the level of abuse do not self-correct without some outside help. Most parents cannot effectively play a role in this assistance without getting some outside help for themselves as well. Continued substance abuse can lead to addiction.

Assessing level of Addiction-Addiction

This is the most devastating of all levels it is at this point that young people become dependent on self- destructive substances to keep going. It is important that affected individuals work round the clock to free themselves from the two elements of addiction i.e. the first is psychological whose signs include among others denial, compulsion and escape. The second is physical dependence with signs like tolerance, craving and withdrawal.

The power of addiction is often misunderstood by many including parents. Nonetheless it is at this moment that seeking for help from experts and rehabs sets in and if you find yourself in this situation of addiction then self-help, twelve-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous usually have a role in supporting sobriety and guiding recovery into a healthier drug-free life.

In general, where experimental, recreational, and accidental excess occurs, parents must maintain a productive and friendly two-way communication with their teenager to determine circumstances of use, choices made, effects experienced, risks taken, and what parents need to have happen now. Where intentional excess occurs, parents should get their teenager to a certified drug or alcohol counselor to assess risk of more serious substance involvement. Where abuse or addiction is evident, drug counseling or treatment is probably in order. Finally assessment alone may not be enough and so the need to seek an expert opinion on this problem of addiction. Dr. Dalal Akoury, Founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars making her the best you can get anywhere in the globe.

Assessing level of Addiction-Teenage Drug Addiction

MDMA-Ecstasy and Molly

July 7, 2014

MDMA-Ecstasy and Molly-Drug Addiction

Ecstasy directs its primary effects in the brain on neurons that use the chemical serotonin to link with other neurons. Avoid drug addiction

Ecstasy (MDMA 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug chemically related to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline with several street names given to it MDMA. Of the street names Ecstasy and Molly the most noticeable ones even though you will find other like E, XTC, X, Adam, hug, beans, clarity, lover’s speed, and love drug. It is an illegal drug which acts as both stimulant and psychedelic, generating an invigorating effect, as well as falsifications in time and perception and enhanced satisfaction from palpable experiences.

Ecstasy directs its primary effects in the brain on neurons that use the chemical serotonin to link with other neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. Scientist has established that Ecstasy is neurotoxic and currently they are in the process of ascertaining whether or not e or not it is neurotic inhuman. They (Ecstasy and Molly) are slang terms for MDMA, which is the short form for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night merrymakings where MDMA is often used. And that explains why MDMA has been nicknamed a “club drug.” It has effects related to those of other stimulants, and it often makes the person feel like everyone around is their friend, even when that’s not the case.

We must appreciate that MDMA is produced artificially and does not come from vegetation’s like marijuana or tobacco do. Other chemicals or substances—such as caffeine, dextromethorphan (found in some cough syrups), amphetamines, PCP, or cocaine are sometimes added to, or substituted for, MDMA in Ecstasy or Molly tablets. Producers of MDMA can add anything they want to the drug making them impure and questionable.

Addictiveness of MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)

Documented statistics according to 2012 NIDA survey over the past decade many young people have consistently avoided the use of these drugs and the decline has been very significant begging the question that is Ecstasy/Molly addictive? It must therefore be noted that just like any other drug MDMA can be addictive to some people. Why is this so? It is because many tend to continue the consumption of drugs in spite of the unpleasant feelings of physical side effects and social, behavioral and health penalties or consequences. It is normally not very practical to know the quantity of drugs one should take to make them vulnerable or to make a ruling that they are now becoming addicted to the substance however like any other substances where there could be indicators like the genes and the surrounding among other known factors MDMA acts in the same manner and so we can follow such indicators to tell whether one is falling prey to MDMA addiction.

Common Effects of MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)

MDMA affects people differently however there could be some element of similarity as many people get MDMA hit lasting for between 3-6 hours from the moment the pill is taken.
It then takes just 15min for the substance to finds its way into the blood stream and finally to the brain.
In about another 45minutes the consumer will experience the MDMA high and that is normally when it is said that the drug is at its peak.
Some users of MDMA occasionally feel alert and attentive in the beginning.
Some lose a sense of time and experience other changes in perception, such as an enhanced sense of touch.
Others experience negative effects right away. They may become anxious and agitated. Sweating or chills may occur, and people may feel faint or dizzy.
MDMA can also cause muscle tension, nausea, blurred vision, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Forceful clenching of the teeth can occur, and individuals at clubs have been known to chew on pacifiers to relieve some of the tension.

But it doesn’t stop there. Even if a person takes only one pill, the side effects of MDMA including feelings of sadness, anxiety, depression, and memory difficulties can last for several days to a week or even longer in people who use MDMA regularly.

Demerits of Using MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)

Users of MDMA can become dehydrated through vigorous activity in a hot environment.
When MDMA interferes with the body’s ability to regulate its temperature, it can cause dangerous overheating, called hyperthermia the effects of this may result in serious heart and kidney problems or rarely death.
MDMA can be tremendously dangerous in high doses or when numerous small doses are taken within a short time spun to maintain the high.
High levels of the drug in the blood stream can increase the risk of seizures and affect the heart’s ability to maintain its normal rhythms.

Long-Term Effects of Using MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly)

It is still not very clear whether MDAM causes long-term brain damage in humans or whether the effects are reversible when someone stops using the drug. However a study of animals showed that exposure to high doses of MDMA for about 4 days produced brain damage which can be visible up to 6 or even 7 years after usage.

The good news is that the researchers found that some of the nerve fibers grew back in the same places. But, then again it is still not very clear if these new neurons work like the old ones. It’s like cutting off a branch of a fruit tree: The tree is still alive and can sprout a new limb near the site of the cut, but it may not bear as much fruit as the old one.

Risks caused to the Brain by MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly) Use

The brain as the nerve center receives signals through the nerve cells also known as neurons. Studies suggest that MDMA may affect neurons that use serotonin to communicate with other neurons.
The serotonin system plays a direct role in regulating our mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain.
Lastly and this is discouraging researchers have seen memory loss among regular users of MDMA.

Looking at some of the possible risks involve you would definitely want to be on the safe side of life. Imagine memory loss I know for sure this is not what you want in your life and I want to lead to into the path of help and comfortable life. Talking to Dr. Dalal Akoury who is the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center would be the starting point. She is one professional with vast experience that runs into decades and together with her team of experts she has been offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to everyone globally and you are just in time for the much needed help. Like I have said doctor Akoury is there to help all PEOPLE of all disciplines be they physicians, health care professionals or any other you are all welcome to be part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

MDMA-Ecstasy and Molly-Drug Addiction

Pornographic Addiction

July 6, 2014

What’s Pornography Addiction?

Pornographic addiction is one that is caused by habitual and repeated use of pornographic material which causes serious negative effects to ones mental, physical, financial and social welfare or safety. Internet pornography or cybersex has also contributes a great deal to such addictions. There is however no such thing as pornographic addiction diagnosis. An addict can also view pornography that is problematic that is called ‘problematic internet pornography’ viewing for various reasons that will include social or personal reasons. Most people will resort to problematic internet pornography mostly when they are undergoing difficult times. In most cases , when they are isolated by friends, family members, when undergoing financial problems, when they have recently lost their jobs and are not finding any these people will resort to such acts to pass time and release the tension they are undergoing.

Pornography or visual sex stimuli as its otherwise known is almost if not as strong as pathological gambling, cocaine or heroin addiction and sexual addiction and should be treated seriously before it gets out of hand. Since the world is quickly moving to digital age, pornographic addiction will not be for a particular age group, it will be for all age as there will be no limit to internet and television usage. There also will not be any way of adults finding out whether their children are glued to it on screen or not. It is also necessary for everyone to know that over five billion people will move to join internet in the next ten years. That in itself is an alarming number so just imagine how many from that number will be lured to viewing internet pornography?

pornography addiction

So how does one know if they are addicted to pornography or not? Well, just like any other addictions, if one finds themselves consistently engaging in sexual activities for a long time than necessary as a way of running away from distress or adopt it a way to distract themselves from problems. If it’s interfering with other obligations then it could be pornographic addiction in waiting. Pornography has been opposed from every corner of the world by social conservatives citing that it offends tradition and social values. Religious leaders also say that it’s against religious and Christian culture. Catholic leaders have been particularly vocal about this act.

Pornography is also believed to demean women in particular. It is also believed that pornography causes psychological harm to the addicts with the end result of pornography induced erectile dysfunction. These various sectors have publicly opposed pornography. The opposition of pornography also varies from country to country or group to group. Many of whom make distinction between pornography that they are opposed to. Some religions and culture however consider pornography less harmful. Some social liberals have also supported pornography saying that its ones freedom. They claim that accusing one of spending too much on pornographic materials in infect infringing in someone’s right or freedom.

Treating of pornographic addiction

Pornographic addiction just like any other addiction is something that comes from deep within someone’s mind and seeking counseling is always the first step. One should also consider abstaining from watching such materials completely. Remember it all starts from the head.

What’s Pornography Addiction?

Tag Archives: Addiction