Detoxification for Addiction Treatment

July 4, 2014

Detoxification for Addiction treatment-Drug Addiction

Detoxification is a proper way of removing toxins from the body of addicts. We can be free from drug addiction

Having seen people suffering from addiction and addiction related problems for several years I took it upon myself and made it to be a burden on my shoulder to offer help through written articles that are very informative and educative to the suffering societies. Drug addiction has been a thorn in many peoples flesh and the sooner we get the corrective measures the better for everyone. This is going to be one of the many articles of this nature I will be posting to help us live in an addiction free environment. We will concentrate on detoxification as a method of addiction treatment in this article and staying on the link to read more will be worth it. Detoxification or just detox is a method of addiction treatment which removes the physical effects of drug addiction from the body.

This word detox is normally very popular moments after Christmas when everyone is rushing to undo the effects of excess consumption of alcohol. This usually involves abstaining or following a very strict diet in order to cleanse the body of toxins. The detox of drug or alcohol is done in the same way to flush out toxins present in the body as a result of addiction. Toxins are responsible for the cravings experienced by many addicts and must be removed before the process of recovery begins.

Detoxification for Addiction treatment-Alcohol detox

During alcohol detox the alcoholics will receive medication only when they have stop drinking and are relatively sober this is done purposely to prevent or bring the possible side effects to manageable levels. The medications are prescribed by the GP who have a duty to help the patient go through the entire process of treatment and detox period. However in the absence of the GP’s then prescription may be done by a practicing nurse. The whole treatment process may involve the following;

The prescription of medication is only done once you have stopped drinking. This medication will be a chlordiazepoxide. The patient is advised to take a high dose the first day they stop drinking and then gradually reduce this dose over the next 7 days. This will help to ease any withdrawal symptoms.
The patient must NOT drink any alcohol at all during this process. They may be required to undertake a breathalyzer test to confirm this.
The patient is then put under observation of either the GP or practice nurse during this time. He/she will also prescribe vitamins to boost the patient’s health as many alcoholics tend to follow a poor diet or not eat at all which can cause a vitamin deficiency.
Further prescribed may be necessary for further medication after the detox to prevent a relapse. This is very important because quite often some people do go back to drinking after a detox and so medication can prevent this from happening.

During this period of detoxification it is important that the patient get all the support they need from their family members, friends and relatives. In addition to this the patient should enroll in a support group or a self-help group like AA and also be attending counseling sessions consistently.

It must be noted that detoxification is not a ‘magic bullet’ and does not mean that with this the addict will stop you drinking automatically. Much as we may want this it is not always the case and so the individual patient must take the lead role in deciding to stop. They must have greater determination and willpower as they will still experience some cravings even after this period.

A detox removes the toxins which have accumulated in your body as a result of your drinking. This enables your body to become used to not having alcohol which will improve your health and well-being.

Detoxification for Addiction treatment-Drug detox

The process of drug detox is the same to that one of alcohol as has been discussed above in that the addict is given medication to control withdrawal symptoms, e.g. methadone, once they stop taking drugs. The idea is that body will flush out the toxins which have built up over time as a result of drug use. During this time they will be offered counseling and other forms of support.

There are residential centers which offer treatment for drug addiction which includes detox, counseling and group meetings. They may also offer complimentary therapies such as massages or acupuncture, or advice on diet and exercise.

A detox can form part of your treatment plan. Once it has been completed you will still experience a few cravings so you will need to remain focused upon your goal of beating your addiction. That is why a support network is important as they will be able to help you go through this and prevent you from relapsing once the detox is over.

Cravings and withdrawal symptoms are an unpleasant but inevitable side effect of the addiction recovery process. These can be dealt with via medication but it is important for you to recognize what they are and what triggers them so that you can deal with them when this arises.

Detoxification for Addiction treatment-Cravings

These are strong urges for something, for example a cup of coffee or a cigarette which come on suddenly. They are extremely powerful emotions which can affect the way someone thinks or feels but they are also short lived.

A craving only lasts for a few minutes and then passes. If you can adopt a mindset in which you will not give in to the urge then this will get easier as time passes.

Once you know what to expect then you can prepare yourself for when a craving arises and deal with this. This can mean occupying yourself so that it takes your mind off it, telling yourself that it will pass and repeating this or using relaxation exercises.

Whatever strategy you use, you will find that your cravings reduce over time and will become less important in your life. If you do give in then don’t beat yourself up over this. Recognize that it has happened, make a note of how and why and carry on with your treatment plan. Proceeding may be an uphill task on your own and so you need help to move, you can and will always get this with Dr. Dalal Akoury the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Together with her team of experts you will get treatment tailored just for you, and the focus will be exclusively Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Detoxification for Addiction treatment-Drug Addiction

Substance Abuse and Addiction

July 2, 2014

Substance Abuse and Addiction- Alcohol the most Abused drug

Substance abuse and addiction are not friendly to anyone but the good news is whatever drug you are addicted to be it alcohol there is hope of recovery

In your neighborhood probably there is a bar or just any place ware legal is sold and you will confess that in those places there are individuals who will never miss visiting those joints not even for one day. These are the people I want to talk about in this article. Moderate alcohol consumption may not be that bad health wise and in fact can be soothing and relaxing. However when consumed disorderly alcohol can be poisonous and injurious to human life in many ways which includes traffic accidents, homicides, suicide and rape, alcohol abuse also has adverse effects on social and domestic life ranging from absconding employment duties, spousal and child abuse and even crime.

Those who take alcohol are likely experience changes in their bodies immediately as mood changes to complete loss of coordination, vision, balance, and speech these changes can be attributed to acute intoxication or just drunkenness. It is important for the public to know that the authorities regard a rate of 0.08% of alcohol in the bloodstream as evidence of intoxication. If the rate becomes more in the blood then this can impair brain function and eventually cause unconsciousness but an extreme overdose is serious alcohol poisoning and can be fatal.

Substance Abuse and Addiction- Understanding Alcohol Abuse

Chronic alcoholism is a potentially fatal disease characterized by continuous craving for amplified tolerance of physical dependence upon and loss of control over alcohol consumption. The physical dependence on alcohol differs with individual consumer with some chronic alcoholics get very drunk and others exercise enough control to give the appearance of coping with everyday affairs in a near-normal way. However, alcoholism can lead to a number of physical ailments, including hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, brain and heart damage, end-stage liver damage, enlarged blood vessels in the skin, pneumonia, tuberculosis, chronic gastritis, and recurrent pancreatitis.

The consequences of alcoholism may include: impotence in men, damage to the fetus in pregnant women, and an elevated risk of cancer of the larynx, esophagus, liver, breast, stomach, pancreas, and upper gastrointestinal tract. And also because alcoholics rarely have proper diets, they are at a high risk of being malnourish. Nevertheless high level consumers will have impaired liver function with one in five developing cirrhosis.

Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

If you have to take good precaution to be free from being an alcoholic, you must know the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse and the following are just but a few:

Short-term blackouts or memory loss.
Repeated arguments or fights with family members or friends as well as irritability, depression, or mood swings.
Continuing use of alcohol to relax, to cheer up, to sleep, to deal with problems, or to feel “normal.”
Headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, or other unpleasant symptoms when you stop drinking.
Flushed skin and broken capillaries on the face; a husky voice; trembling hands; bloody or black/tarry stools or vomiting blood; chronic diarrhea; and drinking alone, in the mornings, or in secret; these symptoms are specifically associated with alcoholism.

Keep in mind that alcohol abuse is different from alcohol dependence.

With abuse, a person uses alcohol in excess but may not have regular cravings, a need to use daily, or withdrawal symptoms during sudden stoppage. The person may often have heavy alcohol binge episodes separated by periods of not drinking.
If a person is dependent on alcohol, he or she needs to drink regularly or even daily and drink more and more to get the same effects. The person also experiences withdrawal symptoms if he or she stops drinking and wants to quit drinking alcohol but can’t.

Substance Abuse and Addiction- Treatments for Alcoholism

The ultimate objective of treatment for alcoholism is abstinence. Among alcoholics with otherwise good health, social support, and motivation, the chances of regaining is good. About 50% to 60% remain abstinent at the end of a year’s treatment and a majority of those break dry permanently. However those with poor social support, poor motivation, or psychiatric disorders have a tendency to relapse within a few years of treatment. For these people, success is measured by longer periods of abstinence, reduced use of alcohol, better health, and improved social functioning.

Substance Abuse and Addiction- Conventional Medicine for Alcoholism

Treatment for alcoholism can begin only when the alcoholic accepts that the problem exists and agrees to stop drinking. They will have to understand that alcoholism is treatable and must desire to change and to diligently follow the three treatment procedures:

Detoxification (detox): This may be needed immediately after stopping alcohol use and can be a medical emergency, as detox can result in withdrawal seizures, hallucinations, delirium tremens (DT), and in some cases may result in death.
Rehabilitation: This involves counseling and medications to give the recovering alcoholic the skills needed for maintaining sobriety. This step in treatment can be done inpatient or outpatient. Both are equally effective.
Maintenance of sobriety: This step’s success requires an alcoholic to be self-driven. The key to maintenance is support, which often includes regular Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings and getting a sponsor.

Because detoxification does not stop the craving for alcohol, recovery is often difficult to maintain. For a person in an early stage of alcoholism, discontinuing alcohol use may result in some withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety and poor sleep. Withdrawal from long-term dependence may bring the uncontrollable shaking, spasms, panic, and hallucinations of DTs. If not treated professionally, people with DTs have a mortality rate of more than 10%, so detoxification from late-stage alcoholism should be attempted under the care of an experienced doctor and may require a brief inpatient stay at a hospital or treatment center.

Treatment may involve one or more medications. Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety drugs used to treat withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and poor sleep and to prevent seizures and delirium. These are the most frequently used medications during the detox phase, at which time they are usually tapered and then discontinued. They must be used with care, since they may be addictive.

There are several medicines used to help people in recovery from alcoholism maintain abstinence and sobriety. One drug, disulfiram may be used once the detox phase is complete and the person is abstinent. It interferes with alcohol metabolism so that drinking a small amount will cause nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, confusion, and breathing difficulty. This medication is most appropriate for alcoholics who are highly motivated to stop drinking or whose medication use is supervised, because the drug does not affect the motivation to drink. Our job is to help you get better and be free from any form of addiction and that is why at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center Doctor Akoury who is the founder is offering a focused Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) treatment with the sole intension to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE when this is done you will not only have a testimony but life a productive and happy life free from addiction.

Substance Abuse and Addiction- Alcohol the most Abused drug

Seek Addiction Knowledge: Read Addiction Books

June 24, 2014

Get Equipped With Addiction Knowledge through Reading Addiction Books

Free eBooks are also a better way to learn more about addiction

Our current population is experiencing a lot of health challenges and addiction rates are staggeringly scary. So I thought I could share with you about this thorny topic and inform you of some of the best books that you can get your hands on for in-house help and reading. Substance abuse and addiction have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Every day, on average, about 8,120 individuals age 12 and over try drugs for the first time and 12,800 try alcohol. About 60 million people binge drink. Mortality rates from abuse of prescription pills are skyrocketing. All-in-all, in addition to destroying families, devastating inner cities, and causing crime and car accidents, substance abuse is responsible for more deaths than any other “non-natural” cause.

In Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy, David Sheff, the author of Beautiful Boy, a moving account of the addiction and treatment of his son, Nic, draws on research in psychology, neuroscience and medicine to present a new approach to dealing with what may well be our greatest social problem. Sheff insists that addiction is an incurable but treatable disease, not a moral failing. Since choice “has nothing to do with the disease,” he emphasizes, it is counter-productive to exhort young people to “Just say no” or dismiss addicts as dissolute or undisciplined. Treatment must be based on evidence, not urban legends, guilt or wishful thinking.

Providing a wealth of information and practical advice, Clean is the best book on drug abuse and addiction to appear in years. Sheff’s claims about choice, however, raise far more questions than they answer.

Clean busts a mountain of myths. People living below the poverty line, he reveals, are 100 percent more likely to abuse or be addicted than more affluent individuals. Sheff cites studies that show that the DARE program, which is used in 75 percent of the nation’s school districts, may actually raise rates of drug use. He demonstrates that addicts will not respond best if they’re allowed “to hit bottom.” He makes a compelling case that “no one really knows how often AA works and for whom,” and that we do know that AA retention is low and attrition is high. Although he cites no studies, Shef claims that “the science based approach rejects cold-turkey detox.”

Sheff also makes specific recommendations about management options and how to make informed selections. He sorts out types of accreditation and licensing for facilities; favors programs where psychologists, clinical social workers and family therapists are “full-time and don’t just stop by weekly” and psychological and physical examinations and medications (if necessary) are managed on site; and he advises nailing down ahead of time the assistance staff will provide with a transition to a new program when the patient is ready or he or she has been expelled.

Grounded in evidence of genetic predispositions and the effect of drugs on the brain, Sheff’s main theme — that addiction is a disease, not a character flaw — does counter a pervasive and pernicious tendency to “blame the victim” (or the parents of the victim). But it leaves us struggling to comprehend the role of “free will” in resisting the disease.

In our judgment, Sheff is neither consistent nor clear in distinguishing between drug abusers and addicts or in finding a way to understand or explain the choices users make. Hard put to explain “why some people do stop using on their own,” he speculates that members of this small group “aren’t as addicted in the first place.” His analogy, that “blaming an addict for relapse is like blaming a cancer patient when radiation and chemotherapy don’t work,” doesn’t seem entirely appropriate.

addicton books Throughout his book, it is worth noting, Sheff acknowledges that choices are available to abusers and addicts. “Before a person can change his behavior,” he writes, “[he] has to want to change it.” Motivational interviewing “can help addicts understand the conflict between their life goals and their drug use.” Given “cues” during Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sheff asserts, addicts can be trained to select alternative behaviors to defuse triggers — like going for a run — when they reach a “choice point.” When Luke Gsell took Dramamine and drank beer while in rehab to celebrate his 15th birthday, came down from it, recognized he was an addict and vowed “I’m done with this,” Sheff declares that “if he needed confirmation that his decision was a smart one, he received it the next day,” when his roommate OD’d after taking 36 pills. And in the appendix to Clean, Sheff concludes, “If kids are to make informed choices about drugs, they need to have facts about them. They need to know what they’re risking in order to get high.”

Free will is an elusive and enigmatic concept. Though philosophers have gone free will hunting for centuries, they have never really understood why people choose what they choose. Nor is free will yet amenable to measurement by scientists. We believe that choice, as it is commonly understood, and as Sheff himself uses it, is relevant to the scourge of abuse and addiction, and to the tactics, strategies, and policies his extraordinarily valuable book lays out to help us to overcome them. Contact NEW FRONTIER Medicine Academy for addiction help.

Get Equipped With Addiction Knowledge through Reading Addiction Books

How Alcohol Affects Your Health

June 14, 2014

EFFECTS OF ALCOHALISM

Ever known the effects those bottles of beer, wines and spirits could do to your health after an extended span of continuous consumption? Well, its deleterious, the result could be bizarre and if not dealt with in time one might sadly succumb to the complications that come with it. Don’t get it twisted; even moderate drinking could possibly lead to short time impairment. Below please find the most commonly known negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption over a long period of time.

1. Brain damage

Drinking heavily and excessively over a long period of time could easily lead to brain damage. Imagine being a slave to alcohol so much so that you always seem drunk even after getting back to sobriety? You don’t want to have blurred vision, seen staggering, have sluggish response or speech even after being sober. People always think of you as drunk even when sober?

This is exactly where veteran drinker is bound to end up to if they don’t stop drinking. Alcohol literally alters the neurotransmitter system of the brain. By so doing, the transmission of impulses to the brain falls short of their work and in turn interrupts with daily activities.

Long time effects of alcohol.

This varies from our age to gender to weight. Though as time goes by and the abuse and use of alcohol increases, gender does not really mater. Alcohol also contains chemical that can harm one now and in future. With all the chemicals used in alcohol nowadays, the damage can come rather sooner than later. Alcohol if not consumed in moderation and in full stomach can cause liver and kidney damage alongside other organs in our body.

Heart Damage

Alcohol can also cause damage to our heart if u take it in heavy and frequently. It gets riskier every time you consume it. It can also earn you high blood pressure and as we all know, high blood pressure has been branded as the silent killer. It shuts your system slowly but surely killing and destroying most organs in our system. Who can survive without this most vital organs?

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure caused by effects of alcohol can also lead to stroke. It doesn’t need rocket science to know what stroke is and how it affects us. Stroke as we all know is rarely treated or cured so to say. It can also mess up our cardiovascular system, heart beat irregularities have also been linked to effects of alcohol. The irregularities of the heart beat can also lead to chest pain that go as far as deny you the most precious, expensive yet very FREE thing in this life. BREATHE!!

Cancer

Alcohol can also slap you with a reward called CANCER. It could be cancer of the breast, colon or the bowel. Please note the keyword here, CANCER. Who would want to know or try and find out which cancer effects of alcohol can cause. Cancer is already bad enough as it is. No one want their livers inflamed or their breast cut off over something they can avoid or the can have control over. The good thing is that it can be reversed if you stop drinking once diagnosed.

3. Other effects

Effects of alcohol comes with age, especially as you get older is something that should be a must knowledge to all alcohol consumers. As we age, our muscles gets weaker so alcohol consumption is not about to make it any better for us. The older we get, the slower the alcohol takes to move on our blood stream which will eventually affect our liver. Excessive alcohol intake can also affect ones appearance negatively causing wrinkles and bad skin texture which is normally due to dehydration after consuming too much alcohol.

Do you love children or even want to have one your own someday? Even if it is just adding onto the one that you already have? Well, did you know that alcohol intake can ruin your body’s reproductive system? Meaning it can cause infertility in both men and women alike. It can cause menstrual cycle irregularities which in turn will interfere with the ovulation period in a woman leading to problem with conceiving. It can also damage men’s testicles causing them to shrink

However, at the New Frontier Medicine Academy institution, we can help take you through your healing process. We will help you with a comprehensive education and treatment that you need and require. For any information, please get in touch with us be you a victim or a physician and get your adequate help and knowledge as concerns effects of alcoholism. Our team of experts will work towards changing your life for the better, from the physical to the psychological aspect of it. Come to the New Frontier Academy for steadfast outcomes.

How Alcohol Affects Your Health

Understanding Alcoholism In Detail

June 12, 2014

Facts about Alcoholism That You Need To Know

Have you got the facts about alcoholism or prefer to just keep moving with the drunk mob? As you walk into a pub each evening after job in the name of having fun, keep in mind that you might be putting a whole lot of aspects of your life to risk. The fleeting fun of sharing bottles and renting the air with loud laughter with so called pals might turn out to total catastrophe. You may never see it coming until it actually enters your life without knocking. Not really, it actually knocks severally but you never listen, your attention and addiction to alcohol is too overwhelming to allow any sense into you.

The two bottles multiply to five a day and the number grows rapidly, you then develop alcoholism. A condition that if you someone could take you behind its true scenes, you would really regret. Alcoholism can be defined as a chronic and usually progressive condition that involves being preoccupied by alcohol. The result is always mental disorder and compulsive behavior.

Below are facts about alcoholism everyone should keep in mind.

Alcoholism and your other half

Do you love him or does she mean the whole world to you as you say? Well, maybe you do love and truly she means a lot to you, but then love is jealous and gentle. The moment you stray away from your relationship and fall in love with alcohol, you get only inches away from losing him or her. Turning up late on his birthday with a bottle on your hand looking unkempt and properly drank might just be embarrassing. Choosing to go out with pals for a drinking reunion instead of staying with him every time, for the night might go beyond his expectations about you.

The whole relationship begins losing its clear edges because you get very angry when drunk and keep shouting. They begin thinking you don’t love them, yet you truly do, only that alcoholism has taken the better of you. You may end up losing them if it entirely gets out of hand. Watch out.

Alcoholism and your well-being

Some health facts about alcoholism on your physical and mental health might be so scaring. You risk losing a liver and that could be so detrimental. Alcoholism could also cause mental illness in extreme cases. Medics have also proven that alcoholism could result into high blood pressure. Furthermore, amazing statistics link alcohol to over fifty different diseases. Don’t be deceived, though in most cases the symptoms and complications develop and start showing overtime, the fact is that some people are more vulnerable to these ailments than others. You never know what your body is like, the only solution is to avoid alcohol as much as possible.

Statistics and research about alcoholism

Research and statistics carried out by health professionals, some from New Frontier Medicine academy, prove different things about alcohol. Below are some amazing facts about alcoholism;

Most grown-ups consider moderate drinking to be; one bottle for female, two for male.

Alcoholism affects different old folks in unique ways. Sluggish response, sight and hearing complications, and reduced forbearance to alcohol’s effects makes older people more prone to incidents such as accidents with cars, falling off and other forms of injuries that may come as a result from alcoholism.

Out of every five victims of alcoholism who try to quit the drug without seeking medical assistance lose their lives as a result of a condition known as alcohol withdrawal delirium.

Of all the facts about alcoholism, this one calls for caution if you are willing to stop the habit. Be cautious or you might lose it all.

Alcohol has a different effects in women unlike in men. A single bottle of the same brand impairs a woman almost twice as much as it does to a man. It doesn’t matter the differences in body weight. The determining factor here the level of water in the human body since alcohol is directly absorbed in to the system. Generally men have more water than women in their bodies hence won’t suffer more when under the influence of liquor.

This certainly means that women are prone to alcoholism than men are. Therefore women should avoid alcohol by all means.

This fact about alcoholism goes out to mothers and even fathers who care. It is never safe to take alcohol during pregnancy. Despite the fact that your baby runs the greatest risk of health complications, Research is yet to establish a completely safe level of alcohol consumption for pregnant women. Moreover, there is no need of putting an infant’s life in danger

Young people, teenagers below 15 years of age are twice as much prone to develop alcoholism and suffer its severe consequences.

Get Expert Treatment from professionals at New Frontier Medicine Academy

Medics at New Frontier Medicine Academy have these facts about alcoholism in mind and are equal to the task of transforming your life for the better. Our training is tailored to help both addicts and physicians who wish to get into dealing with addicts. You will be trained on all aspects of addiction, for the genetics to the epigenetics of addiction. Be sure to get a life-transforming treatment that focuses on your body, mind and spirit.

Facts about Alcoholism That You Need To Know

Tag Archives: alcoholism