Tag Archives: Alcoholism recovery

alcohol-addiction

Detecting alcoholism presence in life

September 19, 2016
Detecting alcoholism presence

In detecting alcoholism presence in life, the challenge may look bigger but overcoming addiction recovery must remain the ultimate objective

Detecting alcoholism presence in life: Self-Testing

Am I an alcoholic? This is a very good question tailored towards preventing, treating and detecting alcoholism presence in one’s life. It is by asking such question and getting the right responses that will help in finding permanent solution to the scourge of alcoholism. Speaking to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is evident that sometimes it can be hard to draw the line between safe alcohol use and alcohol abuse or dependence. Professionally doctor Akoury registers that there are several ways of detecting alcoholism presence in life. She suggests that you can carry out a self-testing method to ascertain whether you are alcoholic or not. Professionally, you may have a problem with alcohol if you answer “yes” to some of the following questions:

  • Do you need to drink a lot more for you to feel the effects of alcohol?
  • Do you suffer guilty about your drinking?
  • Do you become short-tempered or violent when you’re drinking?
  • Do you have problems at school or work because of drinking?
  • Do you think it might be better if you cut back on your drinking?

Depending on how you respond to the above, a yes answer could point to the direction of alcoholism. Besides the self-testing, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence also offers more comprehensive self-tests which can help you assess whether you have a problem with alcohol. Away from the test doctor Akoury advices that you can also consult with your physician in very many ways for a professional diagnosis.

Detecting alcoholism presence in life: Professional diagnosis

Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcoholism by carrying out a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits. Like for instance your doctor may ask if you:

  • Drive when you’re drunk
  • Have experienced blackouts as a result of your drinking
  • Have missed work or have lost a job as a result of your drinking
  • Have tried to cut back on your drinking but could not
  • Need more alcohol to feel “drunk” when you drink

Typically, a diagnosis of alcoholism does not require any other type of diagnostic test. Chance are that your doctor may order for blood test to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. This is because alcohol abuse can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. Remember that it is your liver which is responsible for removing toxins from your blood and so when you drink too much, your liver will have difficulties in filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream which can lead to liver disease and other complications.

Detecting alcoholism presence in life: How is alcoholism treated?

Treatment for alcoholism varies, but each method is meant to help you stop drinking altogether (abstinence). Treatment may occur in stages and can include the following:

  • Counseling to solve emotional complications
  • Detoxification or withdrawal for the elimination of alcohol in the body
  • Medical treatment for alcoholism related health complications
  • Medications to help control addiction
  • Rehabilitation to learn new coping skills and behaviors
  • Support groups, including 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Finally you can prevent alcoholism by limiting your alcohol intake. This may not be easy (detecting alcoholism presence) but consulting with doctor Dalal Akoury will make it much easier for you. Your health is more important than anything else and therefore scheduling for that appointment will be a good start towards your recovery process.

Detecting alcoholism presence in life: Self-Testing

 

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Alcohol and work

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse

September 15, 2016
Understanding alcoholism

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse helps you be moderate in consumption

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse

We can widen our understanding of alcoholism and alcohol abuse due to many interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems. And remember that, those who had suffered from mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk of alcohol addiction because alcohol may be used to self-medicate. Therefore what are some of the indicators that one may be having addiction problems with alcohol?

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse: Do you have a drinking problem?

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one is likely to have a drinking problem if the individual is…

  • Feeling guilty or ashamed about his or her drinking.
  • Lie to others or hide their drinking habits.
  • Have friends or family members who are worried about their drinking.
  • Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.
  • Black out or forgetting what you did while you was drinking.
  • Regularly drink more than they intended to.

Since drinking is so common in many cultures and the effects vary so widely from person to person, it’s not always easy to figure out where the line is between social drinking and problem drinking. The bottom line is how alcohol affects you. If your drinking is causing problems in your life, you have a drinking problem.

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse: Signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse

We may not address conclusively the various signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse in this article but are only going to introduce that in brief. The in-depth discussion about this will carry into the next article. Therefore there is more in store for you with AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. In the meantime, it may not be very easy for ordinary patients or addicts to make a clear distinction between alcohol abuse and alcoholism or alcohol dependence however, this can be done by the substance abuse experts in the sense that unlike alcoholics, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking. However, this does not absolve them from the destructiveness or addictiveness of this substance instead their alcohol use is still puts them at risk of self-destructive and dangerous to themselves or others as well. Finally as an individual who is looking for health, you must not allow this problem to take control over your life, seek for help today by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today meanwhile if you are a professional doctor, nurse, addiction therapist etc. you certainly don’t want to miss the upcoming conference of great professionals in August. For all the inquiries about this great heath conference you can reach the following for more insight

Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse

 

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Alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse complications

May 13, 2016
alcoholism problems

Alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse complications

Alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse complications

Alcohol is said to be one of the most abused drugs globally yet it is not an illicit substance. All authorities across the globe acknowledges the effects of alcohol but they are not just bold enough to do the right thing other than keep blaming institutions of not doing enough to contains the disasters influenced by excessive consumption of alcohol. It is worrying seeing how life is lost in the full view of our authorities who have allowed this substance to be used freely. It is also in their knowledge that even though they have put certain ceiling of the quantity to consume, the substance is so addictive that when tasted, no one will remember the recommended units allowed for a daily consumption. Because of this alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse have become the order of the day. Lives are lost, people are arrested and more are arrested yet drinking is increasing minute after minute daily.

How then do we address this issue of alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse? We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury MD. President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to shed some light about this calamity befalling our nations. According to this great addiction expert no one will be able to accurately tell when they are crossing the line from the so called moderate or social drinking to problematic drinking. It is one problem that will continue to be there unless the policy makers come up with something else that is acceptable and implementable. From her experience she acknowledges that alcoholism and alcohol abuse is no respecter of anyone and so long as you are practicing what is known as social drinking, you are truly a candidate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse. If you want to be safe from this problem, the first thing to do is to be informed and understand what it takes to overcome this disturbing problem.

Understanding alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse

Experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury agrees that alcoholism problems and alcohol abuse are as a result of several factors including your social environment, emotional health, genetics among very many other factors. There are certain communities or racial groups who are at more risk than others like the Native Alaskans and American Indians. Again if you come from a family where drinking is part of people’s lives or if you are hanging out with people who drink, then your risk of becoming alcoholic is much higher. Besides these it has also been established that those individuals who are suffering from mental health complications like depression, anxiety or bipolar disorders are at risk to self-medicate their conditions using alcohol further putting them at more vulnerable situation of being addicted to alcohol. With this piece of information, you can now carry out a self-evaluation and ascertain whether you are at risk of not says doctor Akoury.

Assessing possibilities of having a drinking problem

From the list below you will be able to tell if you’re developing drinking problem if you can identify with any of these factors:

  • Black out or forget what you did while you were drinking.
  • Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking.
  • Have friends or family members who are worried about your drinking.
  • Lie to others or hide your drinking habits.
  • Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.
  • Regularly drink more than you intended to.

If these communicates to you anything, then you may want to consult with the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for further professional advice.

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

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Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits

August 27, 2015

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: Nutrition and recovery

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits is not only good for yourself but also beneficial to your loved ones. Take note of that and seek for professional help immediately.

Did you know that the food you eat could either help you out of your addiction situation? On the other hand the same food can also make you to sink further into addiction. These are two conflicting statements yet they are pregnant with a lot of truth in them. If you are wondering how, then you are just right in time for the commencement of this healthy discussion whose main focus is based on staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits. Now to begin with, there is the general concern that the escalation of substance abuse is ruining the young, the old and even the unborn children. This is not something to be taken lightly because lives are being lost, manpower in our work stations is reducing and the cost of maintaining the victims in the rehabilitations centers is chocking the economies of our states down to the local villages and to the smallest unit of our families. Doctor Akoury a veteran addiction expert is not left out in this matter and she is saying that as things stand right now, there is mounting evidence which suggests that some of these sweet and appealing food stuff may be the reason why we are ever struggling with all manner of addictions. If this is the prevailing circumstance, the question that begs for an answer is what is the best solution to the problem? This is the one million questions that we want to respond to in this discussion.

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: The nutritional double whammy

From the professional point of view, the nutritional dilemma faced by recovering addicts is coming in two different categories. The first one being the very act of ingesting drugs or alcohol which is no doubt wreaking havoc on the body of users. Like for instance alcohol is one of the greatest impediments to nutrient breakdown and assimilation resulting in nutritional deficiencies. Opiates on the other hand tend to cause gastrointestinal issues, and more so during opiate withdrawal, severe vomiting and diarrhea can lead to nutrient depletion while stimulants will be suppressing appetite which can ultimately lead to an insufficient intake of calories and nutrients.

In addition to the purely physiological implications of drug and alcohol abuse, there is another factor that results in a less than stellar nutritional report card for addicts and that is change in lifestyle. Professionally doctor Akoury reports that when a person is lost in an addiction, he/she is less likely to eat in a very unhealthy manner. This is so because some of these drugs will cause you to eat too much while on the other hand the others will do the opposite thereby causing you to eat too little. At the height of their drinking, alcoholics often derive as much as 50 percent of their daily calorie allowance from alcohol itself.  In most cases, the need for the addictive substance is prioritized over the need for, say, a whole-grain turkey sandwich or other high-quality nutrient-dense food says doctor Akoury.

We spoke to the professionals at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury and they are in agreement that given the nutritional standing of most recovering addicts, it’s surprising that proper nutrition is not emphasized more in recovery programs. And besides that there are mounting evidence pointing to one emerging consensus and that is the significance of nutritional therapy in helping those individuals who are recovering from addiction. It is ideally in order that proper nutrition has the potential to make those in recovery feel much better both mentally and physically. Moreover, various researches have suggested that the inclusion of nutrition education in substance abuse treatment programs can increase participants’ success in achieving recovery and these needs to be embraced by all standards if we are to see any meaningful changes in the fight against substance abuse.

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: The roles of nutrition in facilitating the healing process

Proper nutrition helps recovering addicts (and everyone else) feel better because nutrients give the body energy, help build and repair organ tissue, and strengthen the immune system. Because recovering addicts have usually damaged vital organs during the course of their drug or alcohol abuse, good nutrition provides them with the nutritional building blocks they need to begin restoring these damaged tissues. Besides that various studies have established that nutrition also plays an important role in mood. Research suggests that changes in your diet can alter brain structure both chemically and physiologically, and influence your behavior. Furthermore, the consumption of certain foods has been tied to increased production of key neurotransmitters like serotonin, which enhances mood.

This means recovering addicts can use food to feel better physically (as their bodies receive the nutrients they need to repair prior damage and operate on a more optimal level) and mentally (as they eat foods that enhance their mood and overall well-being). In many cases, feeling better will reduce the risk of relapse, as demonstrated conversely by the fact that recovering addicts with poor dietary habits are more likely to relapse. Additionally as we had mentioned before that in some cases, addicts may be so unfamiliar with the feelings of hunger, they misinterpret hunger as a drug craving and fall face-first into relapse. This is potentially a very disastrous mistake which can easily be remedied by frequent feeding on healthy meals.

Finally staying sober is the best thing you can do to yourself and to your loved ones. It will not only facilitate your recovery from all sorts of addictions you may have, but it will also bring a lot of comfort, piece and satisfaction in your whole life as a responsible bread winner of your family. We appreciate that doing this may not be very easy, and that is why doctor Dalal Akoury established this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) to help you go about any challenges you may be feeling in your struggle with addiction. Therefore if you are struggling with any kind of addiction, you can call doctor Akoury today and schedule for an appointment with her so that all your addiction concerns can be addressed professionally.

Staying sober by ensuring healthy eating habits: Nutrition and recovery

 

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Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim

June 2, 2015

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Why it is necessary to help drug addicts

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim may appear very difficult but it must be done for the safety of all victims

Knowing that majority of addicts will always be in denial and may take offence when this topic is introduced to them; it can be quite a challenge to initiate the discussion. It is because of these challenges that we often meet clients who visit this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) specifically to get the best approach applicable. I remember one client asking “how can i bring up the subject with the substance user? Will the discussion make the situation worse?” from this concern you realize that the approach is a big problem and that is what doctor Akoury wants to addressed in this section. People often worry that initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim may cause them to pull a grudge with them and that this will lead him or her (the addict) to take drastic steps. They might make a scene in front of other family members, move out of the house, and drop out of school, secretly drink or use other drugs even more and hide it from everyone or retaliate against them or other family members.

These are actually very genuine concerns however, even though these concerns may be genuine, you will not know unless you try and for your information, you might find out that the reception may not be as bad as you thought. It may turn out that the conversation will be a wonderfully productive experience. It is perhaps possible that the person may have not noticed behavior changes, or doesn’t realize that his or her substance use was a problem or was causing problems to other members of the family. It is therefore necessary that you make effort and try because you will not know the outcome unless you try. Remember that when solutions are not realized, the problems may become so severe that the same drastic outcomes could result.

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Guidelines for a healthy approach

The following guidelines could be helpful for you in the initiation of the discussion:

  • Don’t bring up the subject when the person is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. When people are high, they are less able to understand logic and are more likely to be impatient, dismissive, angry and blaming. Some people have poor impulse control and may act irrationally or violently if the subject is brought up while he or she is under the influence.
  • Don’t be under the influence of substances yourself when initiating the talk.
  • Ensure that you chose the best time to talk preferably when the two of you can have more than a few minutes alone. Remember that your objective is to have a dialogue and a healthy two-way conversation in which you can state your concerns and understand the person’s perception of the situation. Ask if you can set a time to speak in the next few days to discuss something on your mind. If the person responds by saying, “Now is fine,” tell them you’d prefer to set time aside and not be interrupted.
  • When you meet, tell your family member that you care for him or her. Emphasize that it’s this concern for their well-being that has led you to have this conversation.
  • List the behaviors you’ve observed, state that you are worried about the effect drinking or drug use is having and express concern about continued use.
  • Create a two-way dialogue so the person doesn’t feel lectured or badgered. Use open-ended questions.
  • If the person states that there is definitely not a problem, ask to talk again at some point in the future. Your goal is not to convince the person that there is a problem, but to let them know that you believe there is one and that your belief is based on observable behaviors.
  • Don’t try to speculate, explore motives or judge. It can sidetrack you from the main point.
  • Don’t expect a dramatic shift in thinking or behavior right away; this conversation may be the first time the person has thought about this problem.
  • Keep in mind that there is no quick fix and prepare yourself for the long haul and you will appreciate that initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim was well worth it.
  • If the problem has only occurred over a short period of time, or has not reached a severe stage, it is possible that the victim you care about could successfully cut back on the use of alcohol or other drugs. If the person has not tried cutting back, you could suggest this strategy as a first step. Some people in the risky or abuse stages of substance use, or even in the early stage of addiction, are able to cut back and consistently use only minimal amounts in the future.

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Defeating the powers of denial

You may find, though as many do that people who can cut back are the exception, not the rule. Many people try to cut down and discover that they can’t. Or, they can only cut back for a few days or a few weeks before resuming heavy or excessive use. Trying to cut down and failing may help the person realize that the problem is more extensive than once thought. In the process of helping, you may also find that the person is able to stop completely. But many addicts have tried this strategy and couldn’t stop or remain abstinent for any significant amount of time. Ideally, the person should be assessed by a professional who can determine the best course of action depending on the severity of the problem and the person’s medical, psychological and social history. If you sense the person is willing to consider that there is a problem, suggest that an evaluation or a consultation with a trusted medical or mental health professional. (This suggestion may be too threatening for some people during a first conversation of this kind.)

Although you probably want the substance use to stop as soon as possible, immediate abstinence from certain drugs has risks, including withdrawal symptoms with serious medical consequences. Many people need to be admitted to a detoxification center to help them physically withdraw.

It is important to note that even if detoxification is not necessary, a formal, structured treatment program is vital for sustained abstinence. This is where a health care professional or substance use counselor would be very essential to help you and the person in need assess your options.

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Why it is necessary to help drug addicts

 

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