Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad

July 28, 2015

Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad: Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism

Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad will involve knowing all the information you need about the host country. The type of treatment may not be different from because of standards set globally.

It is not a secret any more that the problem of substance abuse is on the rise. The effect of this problem is being felt across the board even with those whose families are not directly affected. People who are sober do not have the peace of mind in their neighborhood because of the misbehaviors of our sons and daughters who are seriously into addiction. Our institutions of learning are not left out because every time and again our children are on rampage thanks to the easy accessibility of drugs. The economy of nations are struggling to meet the ever increasing demands of maintain law and order as well as offering medical assistance to the direct victims. All these explain the need to take immediate action in order of kicking out drug addiction out from our societies. This desire has actually made many people to seek for treatment outside their borders in the foreign land. Doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction expert is in agreement that this is one of the many way of fighting drug addiction and advises that, before one can opt for this, due diligence needs to be done and for that reason she says that there must be proper strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad so that the goal of recovery is met with minimal challenges. In that respect, we want to look at a few areas of concerns that we need to work on as we progress into the discussion.

Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad: Concerns about traveling abroad to rehab

The information gathered from experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury indicates that the idea of traveling abroad for addiction treatment is not something that is going to instantly appeal to everyone. There will be some common teething problems along the way and that is why it is important to have the strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad in place before embarking on the journey. There are concerns that people will have about this option including some of the following:

Some people worry that a foreign rehab will be inferior to one in their own country. They may not understand that a cheaper facility does not mean a reduction in service.
The individual may be worried about cultural differences and language problems in a foreign rehab.
Those individuals who have never traveled much abroad may view such places as hostile and dangerous. They enjoy their home comforts and do not see any reason to give these up.
The price of going to these places (e.g. flights) may offset the savings to be made by choosing a foreign rehab.
It may be necessary for the individual to arrange some type ofimmigration visa before they can travel to some of these places. This can seem like a great deal of hassle.
The individual will be far away from friends and family.
The person can be worried about the climate in the foreign country – it might be too hot or too cold.
They can be worried about what they will be able to eat while they are there. Some people have no interest in experimenting with foreign cuisine.
There is the worry that getting sober will already involve a great deal of change so staying in a completely new environment will only add to this strangeness.
Some people may feel that going abroad for rehab increases their risk of relapse. This is because their favorite thing about foreign travel is using alcohol and drugs while there – they find it difficult to imagine being abroad and not engaging in such activities.
The individual may have a fear of flying that they usually manage with inebriation. This can mean that they are worried about their return home from foreign rehab where they will need to be sober during the trip.

Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad: Overcoming Objections to Foreign Rehab

The other area of concern is the fact that this is not your homeland and so it will come with certain challenges which we must be prepared to both psychologically and even physically. Knowing some of these challenges is very important because it will help you to strategies on how to overcome them. Some of the valuable information you may need may include the following:

Prestige – Understanding that there are many prestigious rehabs abroad that offer a service that is at least equal to the best in the individual’s home country. These foreign rehabs often rely on foreign clients, and they could not operate if they did not offer an internationally recognized standard of care.

Language barriers – Those foreign rehabs that welcome people from English speaking countries will be able to communicate in English. It is also likely that most of the clients will be from other English speaking countries as well.

Home environment – Some of these foreign rehabs do a great job of providing the clients with plenty of home comforts. This means that the rehab will feel less strange to the foreign client.

The cost of flight – It may be that the cost of flights offsets some of the savings made by choosing a foreign rehab, but in most instances this won’t be the case. It is important that the individual does the math so they can see if it is a good deal or not.

Visa and travel documents – If there is any type of visa or travel document needed to travel to the country the rehab will be able to advice and possibly even help. In most instances there will be little or no need for this.

Climate variation – The individual should consider the practicalities such as climate before choosing a foreign rehab. Those places who cater for foreign visitors will usually offer air conditioning or heating as required.

Local transportation – Many of these facilities will arrange transport to and from the airport.

Transition to travel back home – One of the most important tasks in rehab is preparing the individual for the transition back home. This will include making it soberly back to their home country.

Relapse problem – The fact that the individual is in rehab will mean that they are protected from the temptations to relapse. These facilities will usually be well away from the tourist’s bars.

Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad: Choosing to travel abroad to get help for a substance abuse problem

Finally doctor Akoury says that the decision to travel aboard for rehab can make all the difference for many people especially those with stigma related issues. The truth is that this decision may not be applicable to everyone, but will have to be made individually after considering certain factors discussed above. After one has done all the due diligence, then this journey for seeking addiction treatment may be considered because all the cost elements have been taken care of. Remember that delaying the treatment is not always a good idea and therefore all the necessary investigations must be done in reasonable time so that the patients can get the best type of treatment that is most likely to lead to success in the future. Meanwhile if you have any other clarification about substance abuse treatment, then don’t hesitate to contact doctor Dalal Akoury veteran expert in addiction today.

Strategies for seeking drug addiction treatment abroad: Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism

Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism

July 28, 2015

Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism: Would you travel abroad for addiction treatment?

Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism, you realize that the most important thing is getting the problem sorted out. Therefore if traveling abroad would help then it is necessary and must be done.

The trend of treatment is changing from time to time due to various reasons. There are some illnesses that make people feel that they cannot be attended to from their locality again because of several factors. And as a result of this many are opting to seek for the same treatment far away from their localities. In this case distance may not matter but the interest and ability to meet the cost becomes the key factors for consideration. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center about her experience with clients in her over two decades of practice. And she said that addiction treatment is one that is being sought for by many across the borders. According to her most of her clients who are not residence of state are concerned about stigma. As it has been stated severally on this link that in the olden days individuals who were suffering from substance abuse were actually seen to be of weak character. And even though things are now changing, pockets of people are still harboring this old school of thought hence the reason of acute substance abuse problem and medical tourism in most parts of the globe.

If you are still wondering what medical tourism is then you are on time for the most cherished source of medical information. This simply refers to the practice of traveling across international borders in order to obtain health care. Ideally there are many reasons for why people might choose to do this but the most common are that it can be significantly cheaper to get treatment abroad, and it can also mean better options. Those individuals who are dealing with a substance abuse problem are now following the example of the medical tourist. They too are looking at their options in foreign countries and an increasing number of them are deciding that traveling abroad for addiction treatment just makes sense.

Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism: Importance of choosing the right rehab

In order for the individual to have the greatest chance of success in recovery they need to choose the right rehab. The problem is that the facility that might be right for one person might not be such a good option for someone else. If there was one facility that was right for everyone the rest of the rehabs could follow this template and this could help to eliminate addiction completely. The reality is that no such facility exists and there can only be a rehab that is right for the individual. This is why when choosing where to go the individual needs to consider their own needs and how the treatment program will match those needs. For example, some people are quite secular in their beliefs, and they might struggle in a rehab that focused too much on spirituality. On the other hand, those people who have strong religious beliefs will probably benefit from a rehab that emphasizes spirituality.

Even if the individual knows what type of rehab is most likely to work for them it does not always mean that this option will be available to them. The most common reason for this situation is that the individual feels they would do better with some type of private facility, but they do not feel able to afford it. One way to overcome this obstacle to choosing the right rehab is to consider traveling abroad for addiction treatment. This can also mean that the individual has new alternatives that would not be available to them back in their home country.

Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism: Benefits of traveling abroad for addiction treatment

People do not just travel overseas for no reason there must be some good things that motivate them to travel across the borders in search for treatment. The following are some of the benefits of traveling abroad for addiction treatment:

It means that the individual may have recovery options that would not be available to them at home. Some of the international rehabs offerunique programs that might be just what the individual needs.
By traveling abroad the individual will often find cheaper options than they would find in their home country. This could mean that even those with a modest salary can benefit from a stay in a moreluxurious facility.
There are some individuals who will not want other people to know about their stay in rehab. One way to protect their anonymity is to travel abroad to stay in a rehab in most of these placed they will not even need to use their real name further offering them the best of protection from any stigma.
It is possible to attend a facility in an exotic location such asThailand. By entering recovery the individual is building a foundation for a better future and it seems fitting that they do this in a special place.
Some people often feel or view rehab abroad as a reward for doing the right thing.
There will be some discomforts related to the rehab process that are unavoidable (e.g. being away from family), but there will be other discomforts that will be complete avoidable (e.g. staying in an environment that is not conducive to recovery). By choosing a foreign facility the individual may be able to eliminate many of the unnecessary discomforts associated with this type of treatment.
Combining rehab with a foreign holiday can make the whole process more meaningful. It will ensure that the start of the journey into sobriety will be special as well as memorable.
Some people will choose a remote location with stunning scenery. This ambience will make their stay in rehab all the more comfortable.

Finally the objective of traveling or medical tourism will always remain the same when it comes to fighting drug addiction. It is important to note that traveling alone will not offer the solution but all other factors of treatment must be observed if any meaningful result is to be attained. If the patient is still in denial and he/she is flown abroad for recovery treatment, such individual will not be able to optimize on their medical tourism and will probably return the same or even worse as they left. Therefore there must be good preparedness before this decision of traveling is arrived at. It will be very important that you talk with professionals in your region to help you understand some of the coping needs that you must observe. If you are looking for where to get this information, then look no further because we are here for you. Talk to us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and we will be of great help to you in all matters pertaining to drug addiction recovery process.

Acute substance abuse problems and medical tourism: Would you travel abroad for addiction treatment

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area

July 20, 2015

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area: Stress regulation and withdrawal

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area is not only dangerous to the brain but the effects can also spread through other organs of the body

One of the areas of the brain that can easily be affected by effects of substance abuse is the hypothalamus area. This is the part of the brain that is responsible for several duties including controlling of the body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sleep. Owing to these functions, the hypothalamus is equally playing a key role in how we respond to stress. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, we cannot effectively talk about addiction without the mention one stress. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the founder of this facility agree that stress regulation is highly relevant to our understanding of addiction. And that is why we want to explore further into details the effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area of the brain even as we also look the stress regulation and withdrawal. It is therefore important to note that when an individual experiences stress, the hypothalamus releases chemicals known as hormones. It is these hormones that allows’ the brain and the body to respond to that stress. Unlike neurotransmitters (which are chemicals limited to the brain) hormones travel throughout the body via the blood system. It therefore means that hormones can exert an effect on other body systems as well. When these chemical hormones operate in the brain, we refer to them as neuromodulators. These hormones (neuromodulators) can act just like neurotransmitters in the brain. Like neurotransmitters, they have their own receptors associated with them.

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area: Stress the motivator of relapse

From our studies, it is obvious that stress is a well-known relapse trigger to all users of drugs. It capable of prompt powerful cravings in addicted persons I can therefore say almost with certainty that majority of us in one way or another have come across someone who struggled with an addiction and tried to quitting but ultimately relapsed when they became stressed out. Doctor Akoury says that under normal circumstances, at the beginning periods of recovery withdrawal symptoms often create stress and the vicious cycle continues. It is however very important to appreciate that stress will always prompts the addictive use, while efforts to discontinue use prompt stress. During withdrawal, these stress hormones are elevated. Even though stress levels are high, the brain’s anti-stress neuromodulators appear to decrease, as do dopamine and serotonin in the nucleus accumbens. This suggests that withdrawal affected the reward system (evidenced by decreasing dopamine and serotonin). At the same time, withdrawal activates the stress and anxiety systems. This “1-2 punch” heightens the negative experience of withdrawal. This prompts people to seek relief via the addictive substance or activity (i.e., relapse).

In summary, the neurotransmitter pathways associated with the amygdala and the hypothalamus play a crucial role in sustaining the addiction process and this occurs thorough:

The negative emotional memory that is associated with drug withdrawal
The positive emotional memory that is associated with drug cues
The disruption that occurs to stress regulation
The pleasurable relief from withdrawal symptoms that occurs by resuming drug use or addictive activities

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area: The brain also helps to reverse addiction

There’s no doubt that addiction is wreaking havoc on the brain. That is the naked truth that addiction causing significant chemical, structural, and molecular changes that quite literally hijack the brain. However, treatment can reverse or counteract these effects. Besides, as the recovery process proceeds, the brain continues to heal. And even though it is true that many changes do occur in the brain after addiction takes hold. Nonetheless, we must also remember that the brain is a dynamic and ever-changing system. Changes to the brain’s neuronal circuits, chemistry, and structures powerfully drive the addiction forward. However, a strong motivation to change, can just as powerfully counter these changes. People can learn new coping skills. They can practice behavioral modification techniques. These efforts will counter those damaging changes.

Abstinence from addictive substances or activities can lead to a reversal of many physical changes that occurred during addiction. Combination therapies (medications plus psychotherapy) help the recovery process by managing the physiological effects of addiction and withdrawal. Cognitive-behavioral treatments work to mend and repair the psychological impact of addiction. Doctor Akoury says that from this discussion, it should come out clearly that the brain is quite amazing. Like for instance it has the capacity to control its own physiology and is highly adaptive. Each behavioral step we make forward has a beneficial physiological effect on the brain. Therefore a sincere effort to change behavior is a powerful tool that mends the damaged brain. It therefore means that when we change our behaviors by finding new healthy outlets for satisfying cravings, we succeed in correcting the damaged brain functions. These positive changes form new memory and behavioral circuits in the brain that strengthen and reinforce recovery efforts. Yes, the brain has changed because of the addictive process. Nevertheless, even people with severe addiction problems succeed in overcoming their addictions. Many do so without any outside help. Motivation is one of the key.

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area: The Psychology of Addiction and Recovery

We have introduced the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) model of addiction. We will use this model to answer the question “How do people get addicted?” So far, we have reviewed the biological reasons people can get addicted. The biological portion of the BPSS model considers addiction a brain disease with biological, chemical, and genetic roots.

We now turn our attention to the psychological portion of the BPSS model. The psychological portion of the BPSS model views addiction in different ways. It is important to note that people may get addicted to whatever they are addicted to through various means including the following:

It could be as a result of learning the habit from others
People may find recovery difficult because of the way they think about things.
They may also lack good problem-solving skills.
Addiction may occur as a means of coping with uncomfortable feelings.
Addiction could also develop because of a personality defect or mental disorder.
Addiction may be due to developmental immaturity.

We will explore the psychological factors that affect addiction and recovery in due course however, even if addiction originated because of some biological process, it is important to note that recovery from addiction requires people to become motivated to make significant changes. Psychology is a science that studies what motivates people to behave in certain ways. Therefore people can improve the quality of their lives by learning new behaviors and changing old thought patterns. People can also benefit from increasing their maturity, and improving their copings skills. Finally to get these full benefits, it is only fair for you to consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the professional guidance of doctor Dalal Akoury today to free yourself from all the effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area of your brain and all other organs of your body today.

Effects of addiction on the hypothalamus area: Stress regulation and withdrawal

Addiction changes brain structures and their functions

July 18, 2015

Addiction changes brain structures and their functions: Addictions’ Effect on the Cerebral Cortex

Did you know that addiction changes brain structures and their functions all for the wrong reasons? What you smoke, drink or inject could affect your brain functions badly.

The brain as an organ is a single unit which is driving the whole body daily operations. It is composed of many different parts otherwise known as regions and structures. The brain’s main role is that of transmitting effective communications to various parts of the body. This communication system enables the various regions and structures to coordinate their activities well. Each of these regions and structures are independent and serves different purposes. One of the biggest enemies to these regions and structures is the problem of drug addiction. This condition can alter these regions and structures. Besides that, addictions can also alter the way brain regions function. Therefore in this article, we are going to discuss the regions and structures that are affected by the addictive process. It is therefore very important to appreciate that addiction changes brain structures and their functions in very many ways. And going forward, we will be relying on the expert opinions from doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in reviewing the brain’s role in some of the commonly observed problems associated with addiction including the following:

Impaired decision-making, impulsivity, and compulsivity
Drug-seeking and cravings
Habit formation, craving, withdrawal effects, and relapse triggers and
Stress regulation and withdrawal

Addiction changes brain structures and their functions: Impaired Decision-making, Impulsivity, and Compulsivity

The cerebral cortex is the outer most layer of the brain. The cerebral cortex is further divided into four areas. These four areas are: the frontal lobe (or frontal cortex), parietal lobes (left and right), temporal lobes (left and right), and occipital lobes (left and right). Each area is associated with certain brain functions: One area of the frontal cortex is called the prefrontal cortex. It has a vital role in higher-order functions. These functions include language, spatial learning, conscious thought, judgment, and decision-making. The process of addiction can negatively affect this area and alter its functioning.

Addiction changes brain structures and their functions: The prefrontal cortex

This enables us to make rational, sound decisions. It also helps us to override impulsive urges. If acted upon, these impulses urges can cause us to act without thinking. This is usually not in our best interest. For instance, suppose I’ve had a bad day at work. I may have an impulsive urge to tell my boss exactly what I think of her. To act on this impulse is not in my best interest. Fortunately, my prefrontal cortex is functioning quite well. I still have my job!

Obviously, this ability to inhibit impulses is very helpful. It enables us to function well in society. It protects us from harm by allowing us to consider the consequences of our actions. However, when the pre-frontal cortex is not functioning correctly, the opposite occurs. Addiction causes changes to the prefrontal cortex. These changes account for two characteristics of addiction: impulsivity and compulsivity.

Impulsivity is the inclination to act upon sudden urges or desires without considering potential consequences. Sometimes people describe impulsivity as living in the present moment without regard to the future. On the other hand, compulsivity is a behavior that an individual feels driven to perform to relieve anxiety. Once a person performs the compulsive behavior, the anxiety goes away and restores comfort. Thus, the presence of these behavioral characteristics in addicted persons indicates that changes to the prefrontal cortex have occurred. Unfortunately, these changes also make the discontinuation of drug use more difficult.

When we talk of addiction changes brain structure and their functions, the message being delivered is that an addiction is a process that coordinates the transition from impulsive to compulsive behavior. Impulsivity occurs during the early stages of addiction. During this phase, people impulsively act on powerful urges to experience the pleasure of their addiction. Anxiety is not associated with the urges during these early stages. Instead, addiction reflects acting on impulsive desire to receive immediate pleasure from the drug or activity. People are not considering the future consequences.

Addiction changes brain structures and their functions: The shifting progress of addiction

As addiction progresses a shift begins to occur. At this point, the compulsive aspect of addiction takes hold. When this shift occurs, people are no longer pursuing their addiction solely for pleasure. The compulsions compel them to participate in their addiction to relieve anxious, uncomfortable feelings. These may arise at the mere thought of stopping the addiction for any reason (supply shortages, lack of opportunity, etc.). At this later compulsive stage, “pleasure” comes in the form of relief from these anxious, uncomfortable feelings. Thus, despite the negative consequences of addiction, the addictive behavior continues in a compulsive manner.

Another way to describe the pre-frontal cortex is to think of it as a braking system. The pre-frontal cortex acts as the brain’s brakes. It sends out signals to inhibit particular behaviors or actions. When addiction damages this brain area, it limits the brain’s ability to control other behavioral systems as well. Imagine how difficult it would be to operate a car without brakes. At this point, we might say the brain is “high-jacked” by the addiction. The prefrontal cortex also projects to other brain regions associated with addictive problems. These include the reward system; memory and emotion; and stress regulation centers of the brain. Therefore, damage to the prefrontal cortex may further interfere with the functioning of these other brain regions as well.

Although addiction damages the brain’s brakes (pre-frontal cortex) this is not to say there is a complete loss of control. We are not slaves to our biology. We have a tremendous amount of control over our actions. This is true even when impulsive and compulsive forces are operating. This recognition is vitally important if someone wishes to recover from addiction. When a person consciously decides the costs of addiction outweigh its benefits, they become motivated and able stop. This allows them to actively counter the effects of addiction on the pre-frontal cortex and other brain regions. Therefore if this description suits your situation, then you are in the right path and calling doctor Akoury today will go a long way in helping you solve all the addiction problems you may be having.

Addiction changes brain structures and their functions: Addictions’ Effect on the Cerebral Cortex

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds

July 16, 2015

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: How does it get there and how does is leave?

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds and when this is done, users of various drugs can do very crazy thing all in the name of satisfying their addiction.

The brain is the engine that drives life and the moment it stops, life equally stops. This is one organ which by all means must not suffer from any kind of pressure. However the kind of life we live today is exacting a lot of pressure to the brain. The prevalence of substance abuse is not helping either in keeping the good health of the brain and this is what we want to engage the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center on. This is a facility that was the brain child of doctor Dalal Akoury and its formation was primarily to offer solutions to people who are struggling with addiction. Therefore doctor Akoury is going to help us understand how substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds even as it causes other chronic health problems to the body.

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: New understandings into a common problem

Owing to the consequences that comes with substance abuse, Ideally nobody would on a voluntary basis wants to desire to develop an addiction, however many people get caught in its snare from very humble beginnings. And today looking at the prevalence of addiction it is amazing that drug use is almost getting out of hand. Take for instance the latest statistics from the government America where nearly 23 million Americans are addicted to either alcohol or other drugs representing a worrying figure of one in every ten being an addict. The statistics also indicate that more than two-thirds of people with addiction abuse alcohol. While the top three drugs causing addiction are marijuana, opioid (narcotic) pain relievers, and cocaine.

In the past the perception about addiction was not right and people who developed signs of addiction were actually seen as people with questionable character and lacking in willpower. As such the remedy was punishment since they were considered wrongdoers besides that they were also encouraged making peace with the community by turning away from their bad habits. Nonetheless a lot has currently been done and scientific findings are changing this old perception of addiction. Today addiction is recognized as a chronic disease that changes both brain structure and function. Just in the same way as cardiovascular disease damages the heart and diabetes impairs the pancreas, addiction hijacks the brain. This happens as the brain goes through a series of changes, beginning with recognition of pleasure and ending with a drive toward compulsive behavior.

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: Pleasure principle

One of the functions of the brain is to registers all pleasures in the same way, irrespective of their origin. That is whether they are associated with a psychoactive drug, a monetary reward, a sexual encounter, or a satisfying meal. The fact is in the brain, pleasure has a distinct role which is the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a cluster of nerve cells lying underneath the cerebral cortex. Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens is so consistently tied with pleasure that neuroscientists refer to the region as the brain’s pleasure center.

All drugs of abuse, from nicotine to heroin, cause a particularly powerful surge of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. The likelihood that the use of a drug or participation in a rewarding activity will lead to addiction is directly linked to the speed with which it promotes dopamine release, the intensity of that release, and the reliability of that release. Therefore addictive drugs provide a shortcut to the brain’s reward system by flooding the nucleus accumbens with dopamine. The hippocampus lays down memories of this rapid sense of satisfaction, and the amygdala creates a conditioned response to certain stimuli.

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: Learning the process

Previously it was believed that an experience of pleasure alone was enough to compel people in to consistent seeking of addictive elements or activities. However new research findings indicates that the situation may be more complicated. This is because dopamine’s are not only responsible for the experience of pleasure but are also playing a role in learning and memory which are the two key elements in the transition from liking something to being addicted to it. Currently the philosophy about addiction is that dopamine interacts with another neurotransmitter, glutamate to take over the brains system of reward related learning. Remember that this system has an important role in sustaining life because it links activities needed for human survival (such as eating and sex) with pleasure and reward.

It may interest you to note that he reward circuit in the brain may include areas involved with motivation and memory as well as with pleasure. Addictive substances and behaviors stimulate the same circuit and then overload it. And therefore repeated misuse of any addictive substances or behavior will cause nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain involved in planning and executing tasks) to communicate in a way that couples liking something with wanting it, in turn driving us to go after it. That is, this process motivates us to take action to seek out the source of pleasure.

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: Development of tolerance

By nature, rewards usually come only with time and effort. And like I had mentioned before, addictive drugs and behaviors provide a shortcut, flooding the brain with dopamine and other neurotransmitters. Our brains do not have an easy way to withstand the onslaught. Addictive drugs, for example, can release two to 10 times the amount of dopamine that natural rewards do, and they do it more quickly and more reliably. In a person who becomes addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. The brain then responds by producing less dopamine or eliminating dopamine receptors—an adaptation similar to turning the volume down on a loudspeaker when noise becomes too loud.

As a result of these adaptations, dopamine has less impact on the brain’s reward center. People who develop an addiction typically find that, in time, the desired substance no longer gives them as much pleasure. They have to take more of it to obtain the same dopamine “high” because their brains have adapted and that is what is known as tolerance.

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: Compulsion takes over

At this point, compulsion takes over. The pleasure associated with an addictive drug or behavior subsides—and yet the memory of the desired effect and the need to recreate it (the wanting) persists. It’s as though the normal machinery of motivation is no longer functioning.

The learning process mentioned earlier also comes into play. The hippocampus and the amygdala store information about environmental cues associated with the desired substance, so that it can be located again. These memories help create a conditioned response—intense craving—whenever the person encounters those environmental cues.

Cravings contribute not only to addiction but to relapse after a hard-won sobriety. A person addicted to heroin may be in danger of relapse when he sees a hypodermic needle, for example, while another person might start to drink again after seeing a bottle of whiskey. Conditioned learning helps explain why people who develop an addiction risk relapse even after years of abstinence. And that is why keeping close touch with the experts is very important. If you have any concern about addiction, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your recovery process.

How substance abuse is hijacking individual’s minds: How does it get there and how does is leave?

Tag Archives: drug addiction prevention