Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric

August 6, 2015

Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric: Possible remedies discussed

Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric are real and heartening. It may not matter how the drug is administered into the body, the consequences remain the same.

The already delicate nature of our social fabric is consistently receiving undue pressure from the illicit use of drugs and the pain is growing day by day. Experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center have time and again reported that the problem of addiction is not only a problem of the individual addict. And therefore besides the known health damage effects, alcohol addiction and drug addiction have an extremely negative social aspect. And that is why we want to focus our discussion on the effects of drug addiction on our social fabric with a view of finding lasting solutions to this enormous problem. To start us off doctor Akoury a veteran expert in addiction confirms that the problem of substance abuse has serious negative impact on such aspects of social life including:

Marriage and interpersonal relationships
Extended family relationships
Education and development
Professional activities and employment
Financial issues and growth
Law-abiding and order in the society

The list above is a mirror of what areas of our social health that is greatly affected by the indulgence in drugs and alcohol abuse. Let us take some time to analyze what is likely to happen in these categories of our social life.

Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric: Marriage and interpersonal relationship

Marriage is very sensitive in every community and any negative effect to it has its way of spilling out to the community. Drug addiction is one way through which this can take place and that is why it is very imperative that we all make all the necessary efforts to protect our marriages. Take for example if one or both partners in marriage are struggling with alcohol and drug abuse there is no doubt that this will impact negatively to this marriage. The introduction of misuse of drugs in marriages will come with very devastating changes like for instance, if your partner was previously a very committed and dedicated to his or her marriage or was easy going, kind, supportive person drugs is likely to change all these good characters into agony, secretive, cruel, arrogant, explosive egoist prone to frequent mood swings from deep apathy to inexplicable joy and aggressiveness thereby distorting the once known harmony in the family.

For the purpose of good health and peace, doctor Dalal Akoury suggest that this can be corrected by making some positive adjustments and compromises where is necessary. Consistent communication with an addict is incredibly hard not only to strangers, but also to close relatives, spouses. The situation becomes even more complicated when children are involved because for children to see either or both of their parents under constant influence of drugs can be extremely traumatizing and devastating for their tender ages. The significance of this will no doubt leave negative imprint on the formation of their future psyche.

Besides that it is very common that drug addicts will always spend a lot and in most cases extravagantly in financing their habits. The result of this is that the family will start seeing some financial problems which may have not been there before the problem of addiction came in and as time lapses, this problem becomes apparent. Before you know it the problem escalates and multiplies into constant financial problems, numerous debts, problems with employment by the freak behavior with frequent violent outburst and paranoia, unwillingness to work, repeated problems with the law – and you will get the ready recipe for almost inevitable divorce. It is very sad that all these changes in personality occur to people who are not the aggressive psychopaths or complete egoists by their nature, but who become ones as a result of drug and alcohol addiction. At this point drugs or alcohol is all they can see, think and do because it has become the meaning and part of their life. Everything else has little importance, or generally regarded as an obstacle to achieving their main goal which is the acquisition of drugs or alcohol.

Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric: Alcohol and drug abuse affects everyone in the family

The families of the victims of drug abuse, especially children, are ashamed of their behavior. They are constantly worried about what their neighbors and friends may think about them and in many cases they don’t know how to solve the situation. Initially in the introduction part of addiction, the drug addict’s relatives surround one with care, trying to show him their love, support, trying to enable him to recognize the problem, the need for treatment and make him do the first step to recovery. However, quite often after making several unsuccessful attempts to persuade them to enroll into a recovery program to no avail, many at time this support fades off and the people they need the most gives up on them and sometimes it can come to the extreme where the victim is expel from the family. Nonetheless doctor Akoury says that that even though in some few selected instances members of the family may chose isolation, professionally isolation doesn’t solve the problem. According to her family support deprivation will leave the addict alone to face his addiction and thus makes the vicious circle closed and the truth is that this is a collective responsibility and getting out of this hell without the help, support and love from the family is impossible.

Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric: Education and employment effects

The prevalence of drug addiction is no doubt escalating to the amazement of many. What is even worrying the most is that the age bracket of those young people getting into drugs is ever increasing? Unless something is done drastically management of addiction may become very difficult. Socially education is very basic and without it there is no hope for a better society tomorrow. Therefore, when discussing the subject addiction in relation to education and employment our young ones come to the fore front. Like for instance a teenager or a young adult with his unformed psyche and immature volitional mechanisms, it will be very difficult to resist the temptation to indulge into smoking, drinking alcohol or to taking drugs. The desire to be part of the “circle”, to try the forbidden fruit, “to be like an adult” can quickly lead to addiction.

As a parent you may not be aware of the signs of addiction more so when you have done your part well in bringing up the children. But it is very important that you have these facts together. Antisocial or irrational behavior, unexplained poor school or college attendance, larceny reports, as well as, poor performance, reduced concentration, lack of motivation for continuing education can be some of the signs of using the drugs. Remember that in many instances expulsion from school, college, university is always as a result of the abuse of substances so whenever this happen, be very watchful and take action immediately should you notice any sign of drug abuse. Finally take note that drugs destroy professional skills. Therefore to protect your investment in your children’s education schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today to get further insights on the best possible ways to go about the emergence of drug addiction in our children today.

Effects of drug addiction on our social fabric: Possible remedies discussed

The necessity of addiction treatment in time

August 5, 2015

The necessity of addiction treatment in time: Drug addiction is a curable disease

The necessity of addiction treatment in time is not an option but a must owing to the complications that may come with it if treatment is not done in time.

I want to bring to you the message of hope particularly to those who may be losing hope in their struggle with addiction. We understand the difficulties you and your family are going through in your struggle with the condition. It also concerns us as professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a medical facility that was founded by one of the veteran addiction expert doctor Dalal Akoury with the primary objective of bringing hope to all addiction victims like you. Because of our great concern, we want to assure you that somebody cares and you are not alone. The good news about this problem is that it is curable meaning that you can have you life back and live it to the fullest. However for this to take effect it is important that we share with you the necessity of addiction treatment in time. Remember that just like all other health conditions, prevention would be the best so that we don’t have to get to the treatment phase. Nonetheless, because this is already with us professional treatment becomes necessary. It will therefore interest you to note that, the formation of this facility was guided by the good will doctor Dalal Akoury is having in making her contribution towards eliminating this problem from your life and that of your family. Doctor Akoury practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Therefore if this introduction suits your situation, then you are at the right place and calling doctor Akoury for an appointment should be the first thing to do so that she can enroll you to the right addiction recovery program.

Now back to our topic of discussion “the necessity of addiction treatment in time, it is quite unfortunate that despite this condition being curable many people still don’t come out for help and they chose to suffer in silence. Yet some still argue that the addiction treatment does not help and that it is only the patient’s own strong will that can solve the problem of addiction. This is what I will call a terrible mistake. It is important to note that the journey for treatment of addiction is along one. Like for instance, in the first 3-5 years of addiction victims are generally inclined to deny the existence of any problem. Then after this the next phase of the process is delaying and searching for the short cuts and cheapest treatment, and then the statement that nothing helped them is followed. With all these time wasting the intensity of addiction increases meaning that there will be need of a lot of motivation on the part of loved ones for this process to be a success. Doctor Akoury says that even though motivation is necessary, it is meaningless to keep postponing treatment until the moment when motivation appears, when a person’s physical and emotional will power have been completely worn out.

The usual argument and blame game where victims defend themselves by using cases where some people’s addiction treatment were unsuccessful to declare that addiction is incurable disease is pure manipulation and shifting of responsibility on parents, doctors, government, aliens and other such institutions and individuals. The true position is that people who have recovered from their addiction will always try as soon as possible to forget the period of their lives which was associated with drugs. They often do so because they are ashamed and sorry for many mistakes they made. People just don’t want to recall that time. For man of sense it is stupid to walk around and boast to everybody that he was cured. On contrary, a drug addict with a peculiar tendency to change reasonable behavior for empty rhetoric will be arguing that treatment doesn’t help, because two or three of ten undergoing treatment failed. Therefore, the negative feedback on different drug forums and in the streets always prevails yet this is not always the case. If you want to be helped, speak to the experts and don’t listen to street garters. Your health is very important for you to take wrong information from quakes and believe them.

The necessity of addiction treatment in time: Drug addiction is a serious disease not a bad habit

Did you know that at this point of time there are still very many people who still believe that addiction is all about weak character? It is quite unfortunate that after many years of communicating with the addicts and their relatives we could still realized the following:

Despite the fact that nowadays, when information about addiction available to everybody, most of the people, oddly enough, know little about drug addiction as a disease and often underestimate its seriousness and destructiveness to the body. And in this regard, they just don’t realize how deep, diverse and the same time complex must be the treatment. Most people believe that drug addiction is rather a bad habit than an illness. But in fact, this is a very serious disease that affects all body systems – from the higher nervous activity to intracellular metabolism. That is why addiction must be considered as one of the most intractable diseases. Everyone knows that our organism is endowed with protective systems which protect us from germs, viruses and other disease-causing factors. To such protective systems can be attributed a system that produces ingenious “hormones of pleasure” – endorphins and enkephalins. The purpose of which is to protect the body from such harmful factors as stress, pain, shock. For instance, in case of injury or disease the endorphins protect the whole body and especially the nervous system from excessive pain, which in its turn may be very detrimental by itself. Sufficient level of endorphins makes a person feel good, optimistic, productive, and active during the day and provides good quality sleep during a night.

The necessity of addiction treatment in time: Drug addiction and endorphins

When we talk about endorphins we refer to any group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system which are tasked with a number of physiological functions. Ordinarily they are peptides that activate the body’s opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect. Now having got that explanation, it is important to note that the external narcotics will destroy the ingenious narcotic system and thus leave the individual without its protection. It therefore means that foreign drugs displace the body’s own endorphins and gradually become an essential element of biochemical processes in nervous system. In this case the person is forced to use the drugs to maintain his health condition in a “normal” state. The nature of endorphin-enkefhalin system is such that it is not able for self-recovery. It means that without proper repair of this marred by drugs system, to defeat craving for drugs is impossible. A person with impaired endorphin system is vulnerable to stress, to situations where even the slightest provocation can cause him to resort to drugs again. We will continue the discussion of this hormone in our next article but in the meantime, treatment of addiction must be done in good time if any meaningful result is to be realized. Therefore if addiction is causing you sleepless nights, reach out for help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center today.

The necessity of addiction treatment in time: Drug addiction is a curable disease

The power of addiction and stress in life

July 31, 2015

The power of addiction and stress in life: The dangers of mixing stress with drugs

The power of addiction and stress in life can be the reason of your endless frustrations and discomfort in life. Real time action should be taken to correct any mess that may have been created by addiction and stress in your life

What kind of life is this? Why must be always me? Will I ever overcome these challenges? When will all these end? I am tired and frustrated with this kind of work? It is now time for paying bills and I don’t have money how will I face my landlord? These and many more are some of the questions that illustrate the kinds of life we live today, a life full of demands with very limited resources in a fast moving society. People are discouraged, lost in thoughts and ideas on how to make ends meet. The result of this is living a very stressful life full of worries, temptations, anarchy and wishes. I wish I had this, did that and so on. The question that begs for an answer is how do you cope with situations like these? Many people often resort to using drugs as relief providers. They just want to have everything behind them thinking that they will indeed succeed in doing so by taking drugs or alcohol. This is not always the case because the power of addiction and stress in life are not limited to drugs. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury who is an expert in addiction for well over two decades and she acknowledges that substance abuse is one way through which many people think of when it comes to relieving of their stressful moments.

She says that even though this is the common practice across the globe, it is the worse anyone can do for him or herself. By resorting to drugs you are indeed adding more problems into your life instead of eliminating them. It is true that when under the influence of drugs, you are not really yourself and as long as the substance is still controlling your systems you may not experience the effects of your stressful life. However the moment sobriety sets in, you pick up the pieces from when you left and this time it will even come with other additional complications. When you are overwhelmed you resort to drugs again and again and before you know it, you are addicted to that. It now means that besides the stress you were trying to escape from, you have added into your life the garbage of addiction to that specific drug.

The power of addiction and stress in life: Substance abuse as self-medication for stress

Like we have already mentioned self-medication is a situation where people turn to alcohol or drugs in an attempt to manage their problems. Depressants like alcohol produce a calming effect on the body, and so the individual will feel like they have escaped their difficulties. They may start to take these substances more and more as a way to manage their stress levels. This is dangerous because the cure can be far more damaging than the initial symptoms.

The power of addiction and stress in life: The dangers of using alcohol and drugs to deal with stress

If you understand the consequences of using drugs or alcohol in excess, then you wouldn’t use them when stressed. It may be true that using alcohol or drugs to deal with stress is at best a short-term solution but the resulting consequences are very dangerous because:

It can lead toaddiction. If this happens then the individual may find it difficult to stop. Addicts can end up losing everything including their possessions, health, friends, family, and self-respect.
Substance abuse only masks the problem and doesn’t eliminate it. It will be almost impossible for the individual to learn better ways of managing stress while they are still abusing alcohol or drugs.
Substance abuse increases the amount of stress in people’s lives. It makes it difficult to be effective at work, and it damages people’s ability to form meaningful relationships. The longer a person abuses these substances the more things they will have in their lives to feel stressed about. They can then get into a vicious circle of abusing drugs more and more to escape the stress that is being caused by their substance abuse.

The power of addiction and stress in life: Symptoms of stress

It is possible that sometimes people can be stressed and not even noticing therefore is important to have the understanding of some of the most common symptoms which may include:

Inability to sleep properly
Loss of appetite and discomfort when eating
Headaches
Feeling antsy
Indigestion
Stomach discomfort or ‘butterflies in the stomach’
Getting irritated easily
Luck of concentration– sometimes described as ‘fuzzy thinking’
Anxiety
Lack of energy
Thinking negatively most of time
Muscle tension
Evidence of an ineffective immune system – e.g. frequent colds
Loss of interest in sex
Feelings of frustration

The power of addiction and stress in life: Effective ways to deal with stress

It may not be possible for people to completely eliminate stress from their lives. Because of that fact it is important that we develop strategies for managing it. In those strategies substance abuse must never be part of the solution because they are not. The most effective solutions include:

Learning a meditation technique such asmindfulness. This teaches people to observe what is happening in their mind without taking it so personally. Just the simple technique of naming and observing stress can be enough to reduce it.
Relaxation techniques provide the body with the opportunity to let go of stress. This could include simple breathing techniques or visualizations.
Exercise is another good way to relieve stress. This is because itincreases the release of body chemicals that make people feel good. Just going for a long walk every day can be enough to keep stress levels under control.
Listening to music or spending time engaged in a hobby can also dramatically reduce stress levels.
Getting away for a few days can help people recharge and escape the usual stressors. A break away from normal living also provides the opportunity to reassess life.
Keeping a journal provides the opportunity to vent about stressors. These annoyances tend to be more damaging when they are internalized. Just writing about them on paper can diminish the strength of these stressors.
Talking about problems to other people is another good way to reduce stress levels

Finally it is necessary that when people continue to struggle with chronic stress for unnecessarily too long, they should advice from a therapist immediately. Talking to doctor Dalal Akoury the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will go a long way in finding lasting solution to all your addiction or stressful life concerns. Call her today on Tel: 843 213 1480 to schedule for an appointment right away.

The power of addiction and stress in life: The dangers of mixing stress with drugs

Why Exercises During Addiction Recovery?

July 26, 2015

Roles of Exercises and Addiction Recovery at a Glance

Addictive drug substances influence production of endorphins. Similarly exercises promote release of endorphins. This is one of the body’s feel good chemicals that makes both drug users and those who exercise “feel high”, with the former group developing increased tolerance for drugs. Whereas long-term exposure to alcohol damages parts of the brain’s white matter, several reports indicate exercises causes neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to recover from an injury. A commonly cited research study conducted in Colorado found that regular aerobic exercises like cycling or running helped protect the brain against this damage. Other than these two exercises and addiction recovery have the following commonalities.

Exercises Acts Alternative Source of Happiness

As mentioned earlier exercises promote release of endorphins. These chemical substances bring a sense of joy and happiness in the body. By doing the same they act an alternative source of the same. Patients who exercise are therefore more likely to reduce substance abuse, by extension they may as well abstain. Also it is much easier for them to opt for exercises in places of drugs.

Exercises

Exercises of Reduce Mental Damage

Mental illnesses are often caused by anxiety, schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder. These mental conditions often drive many people to using drugs in the first place. However influence of the same on abating these mental disorders reduces with time, hence driving them into a situation of increased dosage, overdose and perennial drug abuse. Similarly, regular exercise has the ability to reduce these conditions and is more effective even on long-term basis.

Exercise Help Reduce Stress

Drug addicts get caught up with addiction while trying to escape stress. Based on various media reports it is a major cause of addiction. Conversely regular exercising is a proven alternative to dealing with stress. It changes how cortisol, one of the body’s stress hormones is processed in the body thereby increasing tolerance of stress.

Exercises Alters Brain Response to Drugs

The brain is automated to respond to its environment in a process neuroplasticity. Extended exposure to drugs causes the brain to develop neuron pathways around the drug substance, thereby increasing its recognition and tolerance. In a similar process the brain may reject other substances with different chemical compositions. For instance some raw egg-yolk may be given to a person with excess alcohol in their blood stream to induce vomiting. Just like in the case of alcohol addiction, regular exercising increases the brain’s plasticity hence less difficult to quit drugs.

Exercises

Exercising Offers Alternative Leisure

Many addicts take drugs as a pastime activity. On the other hand one of the greatest fears of an addict is the possibility of a boring life after addiction. Regular exercising however fills these gaps perfectly for many hence it becomes easier to quit.

Regular Exercise Good for Sleep

Even though this is more of a secondary cause of addiction, sleep deprivation is an underlying reason for many such predisposing factors. Successive lack of sleep for instance causes stress and anxiety. It is common knowledge sleep has a positive effect on these. And the result on addiction recovery is no less important.

Exercise Enhances Self-Esteem

When a person concludes an exercise regime, s/he gets an immediate reward, accomplishment. Creating novel routes for rewards very well offer alternatives to drug abuse. Similarly, exercises normally lead to improved self-esteem, including a boost to one’s image from and a better shape. Great shape gained through repetitive exercises with time is quickly noticed by friends who will often offer commendation that all together reinforces the need to do exercise and if you may stop addiction.

Regular Exercising Instills Discipline

Adhering to an exercise schedule is in itself a sense of discipline. Regular exercising also instills a sense of order. It shows one cares about attaining a healthy life. Regular exercising does shape one’s behavior, leading to development of more desirable characteristics. It may also rejuvenate in an addict the desire to live a more healthy life, hence may reconsider addiction recovery.

In a commonly cited study on exercises and addiction recovery some 60 to 90 percent drug addicts who try to quit on their own often relapse within a year, mostly this is due to snags keeping up necessary lifestyle changes. In a guided research program, participants steadily increased levels exercising for a period over 12 weeks. Together they met as a group to receive extra coaching on how to increase their physical fitness, offering peer support. Finally, the participants received $5 each for group and exercise session they attended, giving them the motivation to continue. Result of the 12-week schedule, involved the participants’ average number of drinks per day drop from 13 to two, with effects going for at least three months.

For more information on the above, click http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com. The link will be your guide to sign up for the conference as well give you more incisive information about exercises and addiction recovery as well as a backgrounder about speakers lined up for the mega integrative addiction conference. You may as well call Dr. Dalal Akoury, founder of the Integrative Addiction Institute and founding member of International Organization of Integrative Addiction physicians. She is also expected to speak about her specialties at the upcoming August integrative Conference.

Roles of Exercises and Addiction Recovery at a Glance

PTSD and Addiction Cause-And-Effect!

July 26, 2015

Cause-And-Effect Relationship between PTSD and Addiction

It is a common medical practice addicts are tested for co-occurring physical and mental conditions each time they seek treatment. In many of those occasions they have actually been diagnosed with various forms of the same. Very much common among them is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There are several accounts as to the connection between these two. One such theory is based on the fact many victims of PTSD have drug addiction or related issues. And there are available data that pretty much supports this.

According to a commonly cited report, an estimated 8% of Americans have suffered PTSD at one point in their lives. Out of them 34% men and 27% women have recorded drug addiction. Again, 52% men and 28% women victims of PTSD tested alcoholics. Given the statistics, PTSD ranks very highly among predisposing factors to drug addiction; that is, when compared with other forms of co-occurring physical and mental medical conditions.

From PTSD to Addiction; Escape Theory

The first explanation, rather one that is considered too obvious is that patients with PTSD related symptoms including: insomnia, pervasiveness, nightmares and mood swings sought escape in drugs. This according to proponents of the theory was one way the patients got reprieve from physical, psychosocial and the emotional pains.

With time more exploratory studies have been done. Some of these opine, suggest the reason many PTSD victims are diagnosed with drug addiction was broader than that. They do not however contradict the fact the paradigm of escape has offered a good part of the reason PTSD and addiction have such a relationship. For instance alcohol is a great depressant, given the statistics above it could as well be true very many resort to drinking the addictive substance in order to discharge their “pains”.

Cause-Effect PTSD Addiction Relationship; Increased-Risk Theory

Other than that the increased-risk philosophy also posits a cause-and-effect kind of relationship between PTSD and drug addiction. Proponents here argue before PTSD can develop a traumatic incident must occur first. They also posit the drug abusers often expose themselves to higher risks of such traumatic events. The point here is in as much as various PTSD symptoms very much pushes victims into drug use and addiction the vice versa is also true; that sometimes those already addicted may as well through their acts develop PTSD.

PTSD AND ADDICTION

From Addiction to PTSD; Vulnerability Theory

Some scientific researchers also argue whether PTSD symptoms come first or last, they have the ability to either cause an addiction or PTSD or make them perennial. Vulnerability theorists do not concern themselves with which causes what between these two, rather they concentrate on effects of PTSD symptoms and experiences of addicts on the functioning of their brains. Intoxicants for instance they argue have damaging effects on the brain that may make it very difficult for an addict to recover in this case therefore making it possible they develop persistent PTSD.

It has been established genetic factors make some people more susceptible to drug and alcohol addiction. In a recent study conducted by UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, it was found there is a link between particular genetic components and symptoms of PTSD. While there are no specific explanations yet as to why PTSD and addiction commonly co-exists, it is anticipated continued research may provide the missing links.

Effects Created by Co-Occurring Drug Addiction and PTSD

Effects of addiction far go beyond influencing a person’s body functions to both their physical and psychosocial lives. They include among others; physical pains, mental and emotional pains, relationship problems, work related problems, anger, memory loss, family quarrels and fits, depression, irritability, and problems falling asleep. PTSD pretty much has similar effects on its victims, which makes people who exhibit both PTSD and Addiction often perennial problems, for them these issues never seize. Such include: They tend to have escalated forms of these symptoms, hence making it much more difficult to get treated from any either drug addiction or PTSD.

Treatment Options for PTSD and Addiction

There are well over 17 medically recognized symptoms linked to PTSD, which clearly indicates just how troublesome it can be in the lives of victims. It is therefore prudent to seek relevant treatment for PTSD while seeking addiction related therapy. On the other hand drug addiction has a tendency to influence recognition of the brain to various drugs and related medical conditions. Drug addiction therefore has the capacity to make healing from PTSD very difficult. Treating both PTSD and addiction therefore requires a simultaneous approach.

PTSD AND ADDICTION

The first stride when for a patient with both conditions is to talk to his/her physician and seek more information about the treatment options. Medical scientific research evidence shows patients with both PTSD and SUD symptoms generally improve when provided with treatment options that addresses both conditions, which may involve among others the following:

For more information on the above, click http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com. The link will also guide you on how to sign up for an upcoming Integrative Addiction Medicine Conference. You will also find a backgrounder about speakers lined up for the conference. If you need to learn some of the most recent studies on both PTSD, addiction, genetic transfer along generations, their relation, and more treatment options, the event is a must attend.

CAUSE-AND-EFFECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PTSD AND ADDICTION

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