Tag Archives: coping with craving

drug addiction treatment

Unseen addiction craving challenges

June 6, 2017
Unseen addiction craving

Unseen addiction craving challenges can be avoided by engaging in meaningful activities

Unseen addiction craving challenges: Using self-talk

For many patients, a variety of automatic thoughts accompany craving but are so deeply established that patients are not aware of them. Automatic thoughts associated with all the hidden or unseen addiction craving challenges often have a sense of urgency and exaggerated dire consequences. Some of those automatic thoughts may include the following:

  • I have to use now
  • I’ll die if I don’t use or
  • I can’t do anything else until I use.

According to the expert opinion of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in coping with craving, it is important that both the patient and the therapist should collectively recognize the automatic thoughts and take measures of encountering them effectively. To help patients recognize their automatic thoughts, therapists can point out cognitive distortions that occur during your sessions with the client. Like for instances, your therapist could point out that a few times today you’ve said you feel like you have to use the drug and then the question would follow that,  while you were having that feelings were you really aware of those thoughts when you mentioned them? That is just one strategy and the other strategy could be when you are using a tape recorder, you could help your patients by slowing down the tape to recognize cognitions.

Unseen addiction craving challenges: The benefits of recording therapy sessions

The good thing about recording the session is because it can be replayed over and over. Like for instance, the patient may have said something and so you could play it again saying “when you decided to go out last night, you said that you really weren’t aware of thinking about using cocaine.” That is when he/she said but in your own professional evaluation you think otherwise, in situations like that you could play the tape again and help the user to try to remember what the night was like, sort of play it back like a movie in slow motion, we could find a couple of examples of things you said to yourself, maybe without even realizing it, that led to cocaine use.

Finally, once automatic thoughts are identified, it then becomes much easier to counter or confront them using positive rather than negative self-talk which may include cognitions such as challenging the thought like “I won’t really die if I don’t have cocaine” and normalizing craving which can be very uncomfortable if not handled professionally. Remember that if you are having any concerns about craving for any drug and you are wondering where to begin from, you can call on doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your treatment today.

Unseen addiction craving challenges: Using self-talk

 

 

 

 

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addiction

Craving reduction to tame nicotine

May 30, 2017
Craving reduction

Craving reduction to tame nicotine addiction is a good working formula

Craving reduction to tame nicotine: Starting the day without smoking

Many smokers light up a cigarette right after they wake up because they are not able to do without the flow of this substance. After 6 to 8 hours of sleep, a smoker’s nicotine level drops and the smoker needs a boost of nicotine to start the day. However, after you quit, you must be ready to overcome the physical need and routine of waking up and smoking a cigarette by making a deliberate decision of ensuring craving reduction of nicotine is attained. It is only through this that nicotine power can be eliminated. According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is possible to start your day without smoking. That is to say, instead of reaching out for your cigarettes in the morning, you could do things differently by adopting the following tips:

  • Be sure no cigarettes are available.
  • Before you go to sleep, make a list of things you need to avoid in the morning that will make you want to smoke. Place this list where you used to place your cigarettes.
  • Begin each day with a planned activity that will keep you busy for an hour or more. It will keep your mind and body busy so you don’t think about smoking.
  • Begin each day with deep breathing and by drinking one or more glasses of water.
  • The morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. Plan a different wake-up routine, and divert your attention from smoking.

Craving reduction to tame nicotine: Resisting smoking urge when stressed

Most smokers report that one reason they smoke is to handle stress. This happens because smoking cigarettes actually relieve some of your stress by releasing powerful chemicals in your brain. Temporary changes in the brain chemistry cause you to experience decreased anxiety, enhanced pleasure, and alert relaxation. Once you stop smoking, you may become more aware of stress.

Everyday worries, responsibilities, and hassles can all contribute to stress. As you go longer without smoking, you will get better at handling stress, especially if you learn stress reduction and relaxation techniques. Here are some tips:

  • Know the causes of stress in your life (your job, traffic, your children, money) and identify the stress signals (headaches, nervousness, or trouble sleeping). Once you pinpoint high-risk trigger situations, you can start to develop new ways to handle them.
  • Create peaceful times in your everyday schedule. For example, set aside an hour where you can get away from other people and your usual environment.
  • Try relaxation techniques, such as progressive relaxation or yoga, and stick with the one that works best for you.
  • Rehearse and visualize your relaxation plan. Put your plan into action. Change your plan as needed.
  • You may find it helpful to read a book about how to handle stress.

Finally, in your wise decision of quitting smoking, you must remember that this substance is very addictive and because of that, there will be moments when you will relapse and crave for the stick. But when that happens, pick up the pieces and remain focus on your quitting goals. You can always consult with doctor Akoury from time to time to keep on track.

Craving reduction to tame nicotine: Starting the day without smoking

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pornographic addiction

Eliminating addiction formations

April 4, 2017
Eliminating addiction formations

Eliminating addiction formations is a perfect way of gaining freedom and health without stress

Eliminating addiction formations: Craving, withdrawal, relapse and triggers

Many drug addicts often find it difficult in eliminating addiction formations in their lives for various reasons. This challenge is supported by several factors including denial and relapse among many others. Nonetheless, while these challenges are real, it is important to note that eliminating addiction formation is possible. With the right experts’ like doctor Dalal Akoury MD President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, this can be done within a record time. If you have been there, you will agree with me that besides relapse and denial, withdrawal is such an unpleasant experience that one wouldn’t want to repeat since it serves as a serious influence and a motivation to get back to your old habits. When this finally happens (getting back to your addiction), it becomes much more pleasurable to the victim even as the consequences of addiction sink further. And because of its pleasurable nature, it even becomes more rewarding and therefore it is bound to be repeated again and again.

Some drugs substances like alcohol and opiates have withdrawal effects that are both physical and emotional. Other drugs or addictive activities may primarily involve around emotional symptoms. This characteristic of addiction occurs because of several changes in the brain meaning that we must do all it takes to ensure that defeating addictive habits and formations including craving, withdrawal, relapse, triggers of addiction are won. And with the help coming from doctor Dalal Akoury MD a veteran expert in addiction and her team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center this journey and mission are attained.

Doctor Akoury explains that as drug use or the addictive activities escalates the involvement of various brain regions associated with our emotional state also increases. Therefore the brain region that is most often associated with our emotional state is the extended amygdala. Experts are of the opinion that, this area of the brain plays an important role in addiction because of its association with emotions and stress. And like we had mentioned previously that addiction and stress are closely related, we are going to be looking at the two progressively as we progressed into the discussion.

Eliminating addiction formations: Amygdala

We all have memories of various events in our lives which can either be bad or good. These memories and emotions can be affected by the amygdala. They can also be can be categorized as good or bad depending on the emotional states that happen during those events we are remembering. It is therefore very important to appreciate that these memories are formed from the brain and upon their formation, they are kept still within the brain along with the emotional attachment that occurred during those events.

In the same way, an addicted person may only need to visualize about engaging in his addiction and that will be enough for him to experience pleasure. In that case, the memory of engaging in the addiction is stored with a pleasant emotional state and hence the pleasing memories of engaging with an addiction can lead to repeating those behaviors and eventually forms a habit. That explains why defeating addictive habits and formation is very important. And to effectively do that all you have to do is to call doctor Akoury to schedule your appointment and your life will never be the same again.

Eliminating addiction formations: Craving, withdrawal, relapse and triggers

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brains and addiction

Hidden craving challenges patients struggle with

November 14, 2016
Hidden craving challenges

Hidden craving challenges patients struggle with that hinders successful healing process

Hidden craving challenges patients struggle with: Coping with cocaine addiction

In dealing with drug addiction it is important that we first deal with the element of ignorance which can pose a great hindrance towards realizing the success of the objective which is total eradication of addiction from our lives and societies. It is no wonder in the holy book it is recorded that “our people suffer because of lack of knowledge” meaning that if we are enlighten of the facts around addiction, we will be comfortable not only in identifying but also dealing with hidden craving challenges of cocaine addiction professionally for the betterment of our health. Doctor Akoury acknowledges that it is only after identifying the problem, it’s only then can you start on the modalities of dealing with it. In other words you may not succeed in addressing addiction if you haven’t identified the kind of addiction you are struggling with. That is why we want to focus this discussion on the identification then we can react to what is known. Our drug of exploration in this article is going to be cocaine and how users craves for it even when they are in the treatment process.

Hidden craving challenges patients struggle with: Recalling negative consequences

Craving for drugs makes many drug users lose hope on ever recovering from their addiction. This is because when one is receiving treatment for any kind of addiction, the urge to continue with the habit never dies and with the abundance of triggers around the users on treatment the problem is compounded. Doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is a veteran addiction expert having been in consistent practice for over two decades says that when people are experiencing craving, they often have a tendency of only remembering the positive effects of cocaine or any other drug they have used before; this is often the norm and it is regrettable that users in that state of mind often forget the negative consequences which has far reaching effects on their lives. But on the contrary, doctor Akoury says that when experiencing craving, it is good for users to remind themselves not just the benefits of abstinence but also the negative consequences of continuing indulgence in cocaine addiction.

Finally because of the difference in feelings, doctor Akoury advices that users’ needs to document in writing all the reasons why they want to be abstinent alongside the negative consequences of usage. This list will act as their point of reference and therefore must be kept safely and be made available as and when it is needed. Remember that a glimpse of the document when confronted by intense craving for cocaine or a high-risk situation can remind the user of the negative consequences of cocaine use at a time when they are likely to recall only the euphoria. This may sound useless to many but believe you me it will impact to you very positively and by being reminded of the bitter consequences of using the drug, you are likely to deal with that craving by engaging in other useful activities to distract you from causing more harm to yourself. Now as we make progress in dealing with hidden craving challenges, you can always call on doctor Akoury from time to time to help you address any concern you may have along the way.

Hidden craving challenges patients struggle with: Coping with cocaine addiction

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over the counter drug abuse

Hidden addiction craving challenges on recovery

November 14, 2016
Hidden addiction craving challenges

Hidden addiction craving challenges on recovery can cause real obstacles during treatment

Hidden addiction craving challenges on recovery: Using self-talk

For many patients, a variety of automatic thoughts accompany craving but are so deeply established that patients are not aware of them. Automatic thoughts associated with hidden addiction craving often have a sense of urgency and exaggerated dire consequences. Some of those automatic thoughts may include the following:

  • I have to use now
  • I’ll die if I don’t use or
  • I can’t do anything else until I use.

According to the expert opinion of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in coping with craving, it is important that both the patient and the therapist should collectively recognize the automatic thoughts and take measures of encountering them effectively. To help patients recognize their automatic thoughts, therapists can point out cognitive distortions that occur during your sessions with the client. Like for instances your therapist could point out that a few times today you’ve said you feel like you have to use the drug and then the question would follow that,  while you were having that feelings were you really aware of those thoughts when you mentioned them? That is just one strategy and the other strategy could be when you are using a tape recorder, you could help your patients by slowing down the tape to recognize cognitions.

Hidden addiction craving challenges on recovery: The benefits of recording therapy sessions

The good thing about recording the session is because it can be replayed over and over. Like for instance the patient may have said something and so you could play it again saying “when you decided to go out last night, you said that you really weren’t aware of thinking about using cocaine.” That is when he/she said but in your own professional evaluation you think otherwise, in situations like that you could play the tape again and help the user to try to remember what the night was like, sort of play it back like a movie in slow motion, we could find a couple of examples of things you said to yourself, maybe without even realizing it, that led to cocaine use.

Finally once automatic thoughts are identified, it then becomes much easier to counter or confront them using positive rather than negative self-talk which may include cognitions such as challenging the thought like “I won’t really die if I don’t have cocaine” and normalizing craving which can be very uncomfortable if not handled professionally. Remember that if you are having any concerns about craving for any drug and you are wondering where to begin from, you can call on doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your treatment today.

Hidden addiction craving challenges on recovery: Using self-talk

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

 

 

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