Tag Archives: Detoxification

cocaine-addiction1

Detoxification commencement process

June 29, 2016
Detoxification commencement

The best treatment approach of any addiction problem will include detoxification commencement process

Detoxification commencement process: What are your health goals?

There are several ways of doing this. It can either be done naturally or at the rehabilitation facility for those who are severe into addiction. According to the experts of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, it is important to note that the uniqueness of cleansing detoxification process is individually tailored based on the individual patients’ health goals, biology, body chemistry, exposure to toxins and current health status. Doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction experts for several decades is reiterating that removing the toxins from any individuals’ body will involves understanding the process and products.

Patients who are making this very important decision of detoxification commencement, must appreciate that the process is evolutionary and may expands as the individual patients health improves and starts to optimize. Besides that it should interest you to note that some of the toxic elements that you consider eliminating from your body system for it to function optimally may include some of the following: toxic chemicals, halogens like chloride, fluoride and bromine, heavy metals, toxins from chronic infestations like Lyme, candida, mold, virus and parasites; and unwanted calcium accumulation.

Detoxification commencement process: Detoxification process

According to the expert from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, the detoxification commencement process begins from the outside which is also known as external environment, to the inside of the body which is also referred to us the internal environment. A qualified professional will then carry out an assessment of your health, mouth (to establish the presence of mercury fillings, cavitation or jaw bone infection), and external environment. You will clean up your external environment and begin to detoxify the bowel, liver and blood with natural cleansing products.

When all this has been done, the next phase may start with the addition of supplements or additional strategies such as IV therapy, or Detoxification Therapies such as far infrared sauna and colonics, or colon hydrotherapy.

Finally even though many people are often able to carry out simple natural cleanse on their own, through research, it has been established that it may not matter what kind of process one may opt for in detoxification, because the common denominator is all patients reap the most benefits when they are guided by a coach or medical supervisor on their detoxification journey. A coach can tell you what to expect and help you stay on your tailored program and interface with the medical doctor. Remember that such trainers can also help with any questions you may have about detoxification and also guide you towards the modalities of detoxification that best suit your lifestyle and budget says doctor Akoury. Therefore if you or anyone you know is struggling with any of the toxins, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for further guidance.

Detoxification commencement process: What are your health goals?

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
SUDs

Nutritional Intervention For Substance Use Disorder (SUDs)

March 24, 2016

Evidence-based nutritional treatment interventions should be initiated for all patients referred to specialty care treatment of SUDs

SUDsSubstance Use Disorders (SUDs) alternatively called drug addiction has long kept the focus of scientists and other medical practitioners. Once a person has been become an addict, quitting addiction become s are really difficult decision to make. Surprisingly many of the drug addicts for once in their life time do gather the courage and will power to quit substance abuse. Once a decision is undertaken, choosing the right addiction option is really important. These individuals have mostly got only one shot at recovery because there is no guarantee that they will be able to have such high motivation to quit again ever in their life. Unfortunately it has been seen that people have tried quitting but they ended up with a treatment option that wasn’t suitable for their needs. That’s where Evidence based treatments come into play.

The foremost requirement for people in order to make the best choice for addiction treatment is their access to reliable information. Specifically they should be provided with some evidence that how a treatment performs, and how it had helped people having similar symptoms and severity of addiction. They also need to know if the treatment had worked for people who were addicted to one type of substance or multiple drugs. This is exactly what evidence based substance abuse treatment refers to. Every addict is different so are their treatment requirements, in evidence based treatment an addiction specialist tailors a treatment option to make sure that his client gets the best available resources present at their disposal. Despite noteworthy advancement in improving the evidence base for SUDs treatments, only a portion of the spectrum of care for SUDs is validated by the most thorough evidence in the current scientific literature.

Evidence for substance use treatment (SUD) can be divided into different levels which include:

  • Level 1: The evidence that is gained through true experimental design such as clinical trials that includes some randomization.
  • Level 2: This evidence comes from a quasi experimental design that does not include randomization.
  • Level 3: This level indicates those treatments that have been decided on the basis of consensus between most of the professional community.
  • Level 4: Evidence gained through literature reviews and publications.
  • Level 5: The last level of evidence based treatment includes personal experiences by other addicts related to a certain treatment option.

Evidence based treatment is an integrative approach; it does not only rely on medication or only behavioral counseling. This integrates multiple aspects of medication, psychotherapy and even nutrition. It is a great misconception that medication and psychotherapy is enough of a treatment combination for substance use disorders neglecting the fact that how important a role nutrition plays in over all wellbeing of an individual. It is now stressed upon at most forums that evidence-based nutritional treatment interventions should be initiated for all patients referred to specialty care treatment of SUDs. It is important to get a nutritionist on the panel while treating SUDs and the role played by dietician in treating substance abuse is very important but often had been eliminated from the patient’s long term recovery process. Nutrition therapy is a complex procedure as the risks vary considering the substance of choice and some negative overall conditions such as poor support from the family, other co occurring mental disorders and sometimes financial instability.

Proper balanced diet and hydration are tantamount to the substance abuse healing process because they help in restoring physical and mental health and improve the chance of recovery. While a person is suffering from SUDs, their eating habits are usually disturbed, they often eat a lot or too less and even if they eat well enough, their diet lack certain nutrients that are required for proper functionality of human body. Another explanation for lack of these nutrients is that they are depleted from the body due to drug abuse. These macro- and micronutrient deficiencies can directly lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and low energy, all of which can force someone who already has a tendency for addiction to start using drugs or alcohol or trigger a relapse.

There are multiple programs and courses that aim at substance abuse prevention and concentrate on nutrition as well because a healthful lifestyle can promote mental health and that too for people who have been involved in substance abuse over a number of years prior to treatment. For those who are fighting substance abuse, diet tends to play the same important role in sustaining recovery while also improving the resulting health conditions and deficiencies.

Nutrition can help an addict in many ways. Substance abuse leads to vitamin and other essential mineral deficiencies that damage physical and mental health, vital organs, nervous system, and also been known to decrease immunity. Drugs and other psychoactive substances have been found to have detrimental and toxic effects on brain’s chemistry; this toxicity could lead to psychiatric problems. Balanced diet having enough carbohydrates can greatly remediate the damage that has been done to the reward and survival pathway of the patient. A stable blood sugar can also help avoid craving and irritability.

There are innumerous other benefits an evidence based nutritional intervention can offer to a substance abuser. It is safe to say that excluding nutrition therapy from treatment options can greatly reduce the treatment efficiency. There are multiple other aspects of this integrative approach that require further discussion. We are proud to announce that we have tried to bring health professionals, psychologists, and other stake holder in this area over one platform through our “Integrative Addiction Conference”. If you are somehow affected by any of the consequences of the above mentioned addictions or you are an expert on evidence based treatments of addiction, we warmly invite you to register with us on the link below and share your valuable views with us thus helping us build an integrative approach towards addiction treatments. The link is as follows: http://integrativeaddictionconference.com/

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction

February 7, 2016

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Coping with craving of cocaine (part two)

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction

In our part one of this series of articles about the cognitive behavioral approach of treating addiction, we had highlighted some of the areas to focus on as listed below and we were able to explore on the first one i.e. understanding craving. You can actually make reference on that as we progress but for the purpose of this article we want to continue from where we left and see how best we can describe craving which is one of the biggest elements when it comes to solving the problem of addiction. Our team of experts from the home of addiction solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility, we want to explore on the possibilities of dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction with a view of finding lasting solutions to the scourge of addiction.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Describing craving

Having understood what cravings is our next point would be to get the essential sense of the patients’ experience of craving. This can be very broad and may include having the knowledge about the following information.

What is craving like for you? – Doctor Akoury says that cravings or urges as it is commonly known is experienced in many different of ways by different patients. Like for instance an individual could say, the experience is primarily somatic that is to say, a patient would just get a feeling in the stomach or the heart races or just start smelling the element being craved for. For others, craving is experienced more cognitively; like for example one would say that “I need it now” or “I can’t get it out of my head” or “It calls on me.” Or it may be experienced effectively; for example, “I get nervous” or “I’m bored.” Depending on your individual experience, it is important that when seeking for help, you let your therapist know your experience with craving, this way they will be able to get to the roots of the problem and offer solutions effectively.

Are you bothered by craving? – There is tremendous variability in the level and intensity of craving reported by patients. For some, achieving and maintaining control over craving will be a principal treatment goal and take several weeks to achieve. Other patients deny they experience any craving. Gentle exploration with patients who deny any craving especially those who continue to use cocaine often reveals that they misinterpret a variety of experiences or simply ignore craving when it occurs until they suddenly find themselves using. Other, abstinent patients, who deny they experience any craving often, when asked, admit to intense fears about relapsing.

How long does craving last for you? – In this journey doctor Akoury says that to make the point about the duration and nature of craving, it is often very important for professionals to point out to their patients that they have rarely let themselves experience an episode of craving without giving in to it.

How do you try to cope with it? – Getting a sense of the coping strategies used by patients will help the therapist identify their characteristic coping styles and select appropriate coping strategies.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Identifying triggers

The next point to focus on would be the identification of the triggers to the substance of abuse. It is important that therapists should work very closely with their patients to develop a comprehensive list of their own triggers. Some patients become overwhelmed when asked to identify cues. From experience doctor Akoury says that when handling addicts, you will notice that someone may even associate breathing with cocaine use. Again, it may be most helpful therefore to concentrate on identifying the craving and cues that have been most problematic to the patient in recent weeks. This should commence immediately during the therapy session and this should include self-monitoring of craving so that patients can begin to identify new and more subtle cues as they arise.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Avoiding cues

When considering the avoidance of cues it is always advisable that you keep in mind the general strategy of “recognize, avoid, and cope.” These strategies are particularly applicable to craving for all substances and not necessarily cocaine. Doctor Akoury says that real experts would first identify the patients’ most problematic cues then make an exploration of the degree to which some of those could be avoided. This will come with certain sacrifices including breaking ties or reducing contact with individuals who use or supply you with cocaine, getting rid of paraphernalia, staying out of bars or other places where cocaine is used, or no longer carrying money, as in the following example:

Finally in dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction one needs not to let any stone unturned. I am saying this because we are all aware that cocaine is an illegal substance but other substances like alcohol which are legal can form a perfect avenue for the consumption of cocaine without being noticed. Besides that the ability to pay for the substance is another point of consideration. When the financial strength allows users to access cocaine could easily form a solution in an alcoholic drink. Therefore experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center recommends that for any meaningful treatment to be realized, therapists and other professionals in the line of substance abuse must spend considerable time exploring the relationship between alcohol and cocaine with patients who use them together to such an extent that alcohol becomes a powerful cocaine cue. Specific strategies to reduce, or preferably, stop alcohol use should be explored. We appreciate that doing this may not be easy for many people and that is why doctor Akoury will be readily available on call for you to schedule for an appointment so that any pending or unclear issues relating to addiction can be attended to professionally.

Dealing with the minds perception about cocaine addiction: Coping with craving of cocaine (part two)

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Withdrawal

Post acute withdrawal complicates recovery process

November 24, 2015

Post acute withdrawal complicates recovery process: The variances with individuals

post acute withdrawal

The knowledge and patterns of post acute withdrawal will go a long way in solving the problem and fear of enrolling for addiction treatment to avoid instances of intoxication.

Over the past few days we have been focusing on the significance of Post acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS) in the life of many addicts which are not really the same in everyone. We can confidently say that the variation is very evident and that is why we want to focus our discussion on this article about understanding how post acute withdrawal complicates recovery and how best it can be managed. To do this effectively, we are going to relay on the experts experience of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a health facility that was established by doctor Dalal Akoury who is a medical and also a veteran addiction expert for several decades now. Her passionate decision to formulate this facility was motivated by the desire of making a difference in people’s lives especially those who are struggling with any kind of addiction whether directly or indirectly. With her input we are going to have the clear understanding of the patterns of post acute withdrawal. This is therefore very important and I want to request you to stay with us on the link and together get the vital information we all need to be on the safer side of any complications that are associated with drug addiction. Now back to the understanding the patterns of post-acute withdrawal, the variation can be categorized in various ways including how severe they are, how often they occur and how long they last. In the same breath some people will often experience certain symptoms while some will also have other symptoms and yet again some people will have none at all says doctor Akoury.

From the expert’s point of view, it is important to note that over a period of time PAWS may get better, it may get worse it may stay the same, or it may come and go. Now take note of this:

  • That every time it gets better we call it regenerative
  • If it gets worse it is known as degenerative
  • If it stays the same we call it stable and
  • If it comes and goes we call it intermittent.

We all need to be informed of the functionalities of each of these stages. Information is power and the more you know about post-acute withdrawal symptoms the better since you will not make certain mistakes that are predominantly being made by many uninformed people across the globe. Now take a moment and listen to the following facts as we progress into the discussion.

Post acute withdrawal complicates recovery process: Regenerative

Addiction is not a respecter of anybody and we must do all it takes to bring it to manageable levels. Doctor Dalal Akoury says that at this stage the good news about it is that the regenerative PAWS gradually improves over time. She adds that the reason why sobriety is very important is because the longer period of time a person stays sober the less severe the symptoms become. It therefore means that it become much easier for people with regenerative PAWS to recover because the brain rapidly returns to normal and that explains why we must all take the front lane in eliminating misuse of alcohol and all other substances of abuse says doctor Dalal Akoury.

Post acute withdrawal complicates recovery process: Degenerative

Having understood how regenerative PAWS works, the degenerative PAWS is the direct opposite. In this case the symptoms get worse the longer a person is sober. This may happen even when a person is going through rehabilitation to AA/NA or even when following some type of recovery program. It is regrettable to note that in many cases the people with degenerative PAWS often become relapse prone. The most devastating part of this is that at this point sobriety becomes so painful to the victims that they feel they must take it up on themselves by self-medicating the pain with the wrong substances including alcohol or drugs. The consequences of this may include the collapse physically or emotionally, or commit suicide to end the pain.

Post acute withdrawal complicates recovery process: Stability

Doctor Dalal is registering that under normal circumstances a person with stable PAWS experiences the same level of symptoms for a long period of time into recovery. There may be days when the symptoms are a little better or a little worse, but essentially the symptoms remain unchanged. Most recovering people find this very frustrating because they believe that they should be feeling better the longer they are sober. With sufficient sober time many people learn to manage these symptoms.

Post-acute withdrawal complicates recovery process: Intermittent

Finally with intermittent PAWS the symptoms come and go. At the initial stages, people with intermittent symptoms will appear to experience a regenerative pattern. That is to say that their symptoms will get better rapidly. But then they begin to experience periodic PAWS episodes that can be quite severe. It is equally important to note that for some people the episodes get shorter, less severe, and farther apart until they stop altogether while in others they occur periodically throughout life.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center these patterns actually describes people who have not had treatment for PAWS and who do not know how to manage or prevent the symptoms. It is also necessary to mentioned that the traditional treatment does not address these symptoms because until recently they were unrecognized. If you know what to do and you are willing to do it, degenerative PAWS can be changed into stable, stable into regenerative, and regenerative into intermittent PAWS.

Doctor Akoury is making emphasis that the most common pattern of PAWS is regenerative and over time it becomes intermittent. From there it gradually gets better until the symptoms disappear and then it comes and goes. It therefore means that the first step is to bring PAWS symptoms into remission. This means bringing them under control so that you are not experiencing them at the present time and the ultimate goal is:

  • To reduce how often they occur
  • How long the episode lasts and
  • How bad the symptoms are.

In all these you must always remember that even when you are not experiencing them there is always the tendency for them to recur. It is therefore necessary to build a resistance against them and you can always consult with the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Akoury for further professional guidance.

Post acute withdrawal complicates recovery process: The variances with individuals

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Nutrition benefits

Nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts

November 23, 2015

Nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts: Doing the right thing to escape addiction

Nutritional benefits

What do you drink? and what flows in your glass? Whatever the answer remember that there are numerous nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts if you feed well.

Previously while we were exploring on the good nutrition and diet for recovering people with addiction we noted that there are applicable factors which when applied with the guidance of addiction experts, real time solutions can be realized. Those factors included exercise, relaxation, spirituality and adaptation of a balanced living. We were however able to discuss the exercise portion and now while focusing on the nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts, we are going to look at the remaining three, and with the help of professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the MD founder and president of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we are going to give to details all that you need to know about these three factors and so stay tuned and invite a friend to the link so that we move together as a committed team in the elimination of drug addiction by all means.

Nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts: Relaxation

Relaxation is very crucial and actually there are several things you can do to readily reduce or escape the stress you feel. Doctor Akoury is registering that when you are unable to change a situation or to better cope with the stress of everyday living some of the applicable solutions are very simple and very common such that people often ignore the power behind them. Take for example simple things like laughing, playing, listening to music, storytelling, fantasizing, reading and massage are some methods of natural stress reduction yet we often ignore them. Besides that deep relaxation can be a way of relaxing the body and mind. The objective of this is to reduce stress and produce a sense of well-being. Deep relaxation rebalances the body and reduces the production of stress hormones. What happens when you relax is the opposite of the “fight or flight” reaction. When you relax, your muscles become heavy, your body temperature rises and your breathing and heart rate slow down. Remember that tension hinders muscle relaxation and that is why it is impossible to maintain tension while physically relaxing. A visit to the home of solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) will equip you with all the needed techniques which will allow your body to relax effectively. You can therefore schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for further professional direction on the relaxation modalities. And even as you do that it is important to note that the distress resulting from thought process impairments, emotional process impairments, memory impairments, and stress sensitivity can be reduced or relieved through proper use of relaxation. There are a variety of relaxation exercises that you can use including:

  • You can get a book that will offer you a selection of exercises or you can purchase tape-recorded exercises.
  • You can close your eyes in a comfortable position and repeat a pleasant word over and over to yourself.
  • You can imagine yourself in a soothing environment such as by a quiet lake or in a green meadow.

Pick a method that is relaxing to you and use it often. The experience will be very productive since you will find it a helpful aid for reducing stress and creating peace of mind and serenity.

Nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts: Spirituality

Spirituality can be defined as “an active relationship with a power greater than yourself that gives your life meaning and purpose.” When you work a spiritual program, you consciously, actively attempt to become a part of something bigger, greater, and more powerful than yourself. The effectiveness of this is that believing in a Higher Power will take you out of the center of your universe and offers peace of mind and serenity by awareness that there is a power that is not restricted by your weaknesses and limitations. Through spiritual development you can develop new confidence in your own abilities and develop a new sense of hope. It is through a spiritual program that you can reach with hope and a positive attitude toward the future.

In working on your spirituality it is important for you to use the principles of the AA/NA program. AA/NA provides guidelines for “increasing your conscious contact with your higher power.” You do not have to have any one image of your higher power to increase your conscious contact. You do have to be open to the possibility of a Higher Power and be willing to experiment with communicating with that Power. It is important to structure your life in such a way as to spend time alone each day to interact with your Higher Power. It is important to examine your values and look within yourself to determine whether your life is in harmony with those values. And take note that spiritual discipline is a consciously chosen course of action. Discipline is uncomfortable for many recovering addicts. They have lived lives of immediate gratification, and discipline is the reverse of that. The purpose of spiritual discipline is freedom from the slavery of self-indulgence. Spiritual discipline includes prayer and meditation, spiritual fellowship, and regular inventory of your spiritual growth.

Nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts: Balanced living

Balanced living can be defined in several ways including:

  • Balanced living means that there is bio-psycho-social-spiritual harmony in your life.
  • It means that you are healthy physically and psychologically and that you have healthy relationships.
  • It means that you are spiritually whole.
  • It means that you are no longer focused on one aspect of your life.
  • It means you are living responsibly, giving yourself time for your job, your family, and your friends as well as time for your own growth and recovery.
  • It means allowing a Higher Power to work in your life. It means wholesome living.
  • It means having a balance between work and play, between fulfilling your responsibilities to other people and your need for self-fulfillment.
  • It means functioning as nearly as possible at your optimum stress level, maintaining enough stress to keep you functioning in a healthy way and not overloading yourself with stress so that it becomes counterproductive.

Finally a balanced living requires proper health care so that the body is functioning well. Nutrition, rest, and exercise all receive the proper focus in your life to provide energy, manage stress, allow freedom from illness and pain, combat fatigue, and rebuild a damaged body. Freedom from physical distress allows psychological growth. When you feel good it is easier to think about your attitudes and values and to work on eliminating denial, guilt, and anger. Balanced living requires doing things to develop self-confidence and self-esteem and learning to feel good about your-self. All these factors are geared towards ensuring total elimination of addiction by putting aside all triggers of addiction and you can get more information on this and other nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts by visiting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and all your concerns will be addressed professionally.

Nutritional benefits enjoyed by recovering addicts: Doing the right thing to escape addiction

 

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

  • Recent Posts

  • Blog Categories