How does substance abuse affect the brain

July 17, 2015

How does substance abuse affect the brain: The most dynamic and complex organ of the body

The question everybody is asking is “How does substance abuse affect the brain?” This organ must be protected by all means from all kinds of addictions.

The brain is the engine that drives the human body. If the brain is healthy, then it will process all the information given to in in a healthy manner, in the same way if it is struggling with an impurity, the processing of information will also deliver impure result. Therefore we need to understand the brain well if we want to get full optimum from it. We must also care for it well and keep it safe from all substances which are likely to bring damage to it and that is why we want to focus our discussion on how does substance abuse affect the brain. This is a very wide topic and for a couple of times we will be running a series of articles touching on the effects of addiction to the brain. Remember that the brain is the most dynamic and complex organ in our bodies. I believe that you are interested in finding out how to care for this most vital organ of your body. Therefore it will do you good to keep on the link to find out more from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. According to these experts, the proper functionality of the brain delivers quality assurance of our very survival. Doctor Akoury says that when our brains (the human brain) functions well, we are constantly adopting or adjusting to our environment (our surroundings) changes well. What many may not know is that this smooth adaptation is the work of our brain. And ironically, it is the brain’s ability to be so adaptive that contributes to the formation of all manner of addictions. From the various studies conducted by researchers across the globe, it has been established that addiction has direct effect to the brain and that it causes changes to the brain in at least four fundamental ways:

Addiction causes changes to the brain’s natural balance (homeostasis).
Addiction alters brain chemistry.
Addiction changes the brain’s communication patterns.
Addiction causes changes to brain structures and their functioning.

With the help of the professionals we have on board from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we are going to discuss each of these fundamental changes that come with the effects of addiction to the brain progressively.

How does substance abuse affect the brain: Addiction changes the brain’s natural balance homeostasis?

One of the fundamentals in our response to the question of discussion “how does substance abuse affect the brain” is that addiction will always change the brain natural balance which is scientifically known as homeostasis. The truth is that addiction interferes with an important biological process called homeostasis. Scientifically the human body is considered as a biological system. All biological systems attempt to maintain a “normal” balance, known as homeostasis. Doctor Akoury says that the brain actually functions as the administrator of this balance by making various adjustments where is necessary to maintain a balanced, well-functioning, biological system. Each person’s “normal” balance is individually determined. Drugs of abuse and activity addictions lead to changes in this normal balance.

Chronic over-stimulation of the brain (like that which occurs in addiction) interferes with the maintenance of this balance (homeostasis). When the brain has difficulty maintaining homeostatic balance, the wonderfully adaptive brain makes adjustments. It does this by creating a new balanced set-point. The creation of a new balance is called allostasis. This may not be very clear to many, but let me make it simpler by using a daily life illustration. Take for instance if you add more weight by 20 units, you will try fitting into your clothing’s despite the discomfort. But with time this will not be bearable and so you will have to adapt to the new body size by buying new clothes that will fit you well. Once this is done you will be more comfortable and at this point you will get used to the fact that your cloths are now large size and not medium or small sizes as it used to be and in the process your homeostasis balance changes from medium to large. And with this adjustment you become comfortable again. Nonetheless the reverse can also take place in the future where the added 20 units may be lost to keep healthy and when that happens you will be compelled to make further readjustment to your clothing size by buying smaller sizes. Therefore even though at this moment you will be healthy due to the loss, you will still need to make an unpleasant and costly adjustment by buying smaller clothes. This is very similar to the unpleasant adjustment the brain must go through when people try to give up their addiction. Although this is a positive change, we will be uncomfortable while the brain makes readjustments to suits the present circumstances.

How does substance abuse affect the brain: The brains ability to cope?

I hope that the concept is coming out clearly from the above illustration. But nonetheless even with the brain’s wonderful ability to make the readjustments, these changes are still causing significant changes to the brain’s functioning. And in fact it is these changes that account for many behaviors associated with addiction such as:

The powerful and lustful need to obtain drugs or continue with the indulgence of harmful activities despite the harm to self or loved ones
The difficulty of quitting an addictive drug or activity, and
The obsessive, all-consuming nature of addictions such that little else in life matters

This is because addiction caused the brain’s balance to change to accommodate the addiction. Once changed, the brain requires the addictive substance or activity in order to maintain this new homeostatic balance. Finally we all have a duty to keep our health above board and the brain is playing a key role in ensuring that this dream is realized. Therefore anything that makes the brain to function improperly must be the biggest enemy to us. I am talking about substance of abuse. Drugs and alcohol are not helping us in anyway. All we get from them is poor health and social discrimination. I want to offer you a solution if you or anyone you know is struggling with any form of addiction. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for a one on one sharing of what you are going through and she will in the most professional way offer you lasting solutions to all your concerns.

How does substance abuse affect the brain: The most dynamic and complex organ of the body

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?

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use

June 29, 2015

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use: The physical health of marijuana

it is very important that we all have the proper understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use so that we can be able to take the right steps in seeking for treatment in good time.

If you understand the delicate nature of health when it is infringed with substances, you wouldn’t dare to fellowship with any drug of abuse. I appreciate that these substances can be very addictive and so you may not have control over them, but that does not free you from being a victim of all the sufferings from the effects of using the drugs. Drugs like marijuana are very harmful and addictive users of such drugs are at risk of contracting various health complications which will be discussing in this article as we progress into the discussion. But in the meantime, we need to have proper understanding of the harmful effects of marijuana use to human health and to the society in general. While speaking with expert at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, we are able to make certain confirmations about the effects of this drug as follows. Doctor Akoury reports that the most immediate effect of taking marijuana will include rapid heartbeat, disorientation and lack of physical coordination often followed by depression or sleepiness. Doctor Akoury further says that the problem does not really end there with some users often suffering from panic attacks or anxiety. The scientific findings is not making the situation bearable with the revelation that the active ingredient in cannabis THC can actually remain in the body for weeks or even longer.

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use: Tobacco and marijuana smoke

Marijuana smoke can be very cancerous because it contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances in relation to tobacco smoke. The experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center while carrying out a study about the same established that a single cannabis joint could cause as much damage to the lungs as up to five regular cigarettes smoked one after another. Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract. In fact this drug can have far reaching effects on an individual’s physical health. This is a cording to some recent studies which associated many years of marijuana use to severe brain abnormalities. These facts are actually backed by the earlier research findings on the long-term effects of marijuana which indicate the changes in the brain similar to those caused by long-term abuse of other major drugs. And besides that a number of studies have shown a connection between continued marijuana use and psychosis.

The damages caused by marijuana have far reaching effects in our daily livelihood. Like for instance, this drug is capable of making alterations to the structure of sperm cells causing serious deformity in the cells. It is important to note that the quantity used is insignificant since even the very small amounts of marijuana can also cause temporary sterility in me. And besides that marijuana use can also upset a woman’s menstrual cycle. Studies show that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of marijuana tend to be reduced. The THC in cannabis disrupts nerve cells in the brain affecting memory.

Cannabis is one of the few drugs which cause abnormal cell division which leads to severe hereditary defects. A pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana or hashish may give birth prematurely to an undersized, underweight baby. Over the last ten years, many children of marijuana users have been born with reduced initiative and lessened abilities to concentrate and pursue life goals. Studies also suggest that prenatal (before birth) use of the drug may result in birth defects, mental abnormalities and increased risk of leukemia in children.

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use: Short-term effects

In the process of understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use in your life, you will most likely to be faced with the following short-term effects:

Increased heartbeat (and risk of heart attack)
Poor coordination of movement
Panic
Anxiety
Lowered reaction time
Sensory distortion
After an initial “up,” the user feels sleepy or depressed

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use: Long-term effects of marijuana

Likewise there will be those effects which will prolong to causing more health deterioration in several ways which may include the following:

Rapid destruction of lung fibers and lesions (injuries) to the brain could be permanent
Personality and mood changes
Reduced sexual capacity
Reduced resistance to common illnesses (colds, bronchitis, etc.)
Growth disorders
Increase of abnormally structured cells in the body
Reduction of male sex hormones
Apathy, drowsiness, lack of motivation
Inability to understand things clearly
Suppression of the immune system
Study difficulties: reduced ability to learn and retain information

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use: Seeking for professionalism in finding lasting solutions

When it comes to drug addiction problem, the best you can do to better your health is to find lasting solutions to this problem. There are very many people providing treatment for all manner of addiction currently and so when making the choice, you must ensure that you do not make mistakes from the beginning. That is why doctor Dalal Akoury in her contribution to helping in the fight against this problem of addiction made an informed decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. It will also interest you to note that Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses primarily on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Therefore if you or anyone you know is struggling with marijuana addiction or any other kind of addiction for that matter, then this is the place to begin from in your search for lasting solution to your addiction problem by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for the commencement of your recovery journey today. Remember that your health is the most valuable asset you have and you can’t afford to buy time with it. Take that bold step now and free yourself from the bondage of addiction for life.

Understanding the harmful effects of marijuana use: The physical health of marijuana

Why it is necessary to help drug addicts

June 2, 2015

Why it is necessary to help drug addicts: The benefits of helping out

Why it is necessary to help drug addicts. This is very necessary not just for the victims but also to the whole societies

I once told us in one of the articles that our health is the most valuable assets we can ever have. In fact in that article I did mentioned that it is one asset that we cannot quantify its value into monetary by all standards. Even though various insurance firms are trying to quantify health in some instances, the compensations they give will only remain to be very insignificant compensations in relation to good health and life. This treasure is currently under threat and it is being attacked from all directions by different obstacles including substance abuse. It is because of these threats that we are now trying to understand in this article why it is necessary to help drug addicts recover from this epidemics of addiction. There are several benefits of helping victims get well some of which we discussed previously and we also want to further the discussion in that same direction even as we come to terms with the real challenges of substance abuse.

Why it is necessary to help drug addicts: Benefits of Early Identification and Action

Like in all other health complications, early detection of substance abuse is very vital for proper healing. Therefore because our children are the major targets of bad influence it is important for all of us to ensure that no trace of addiction is left unresolved. Any untreated problems if left to continue, it is possible that family members will develop their own issues out of the unresolved problems thereby creating further emotional complications. Common symptoms include headaches, backaches, digestive problems and depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Children of substance users can experience school behavior problems and poor academic performance and are more likely to become substance users themselves.

It is not easy to live with someone who is using mind-altering substances. Taking steps to begin treatment and recovery can be a painful process, but it is the only path that holds promise for something better. As long as family members deny that there is a problem, the problem will progress and so will be the suffering. Doctor Akoury suggests that your starting point in situations like this should be by seeking for help all for yourself. You can begin by restoring your own emotional stability by bringing in new direction and meaning to your life. You will be better equipped to deflect crises and arguments, and shift interactions with your impaired friend or family member. Getting help for yourself may seem counter-intuitive, but it is crucial for you so that you can cope better with the myriad problems that emerge and effectively overcome the obstacles to wellness and recovery.

Some people find when they seek help for themselves that the person with the substance use problem gets angry, perhaps because the efforts represent a loss of control. Also, getting help signals that you are serious about changing the situation. Some people threaten those seeking help to stop their efforts. Nonetheless these are normal set bucks and it is important that you remain firm in your resolve to go forward, and be aware of your personal safety. Remember that it is never too soon or too late for you or for the substance user to seek help, the best time is always now. This journey will not be a smooth one, there will be obstacles and challenges all the way but seeking for help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury will be very ideal in ensuring that this problem is defeated and eliminated completely out of your life.

Why it is necessary to help drug addicts: The Ideal professional impact

The desire to help and make a difference made doctor Akoury to establish a health facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Over the years doctor Dalal Akoury has been helping people across the globe find lasting solutions to their individual addiction related problems. Therefore if you or any one you know is struggling with any form of substance abuse, then you can be the best link between them and the source of lasting solutions.

In the meantime doctor Dalal Akoury is also reaching out for other professionals in various forums in an effort to improve their expertise in dealing with matters relating to addiction. Through AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, doctor Akoury will be conducting the first ever Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference for doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference is schedule for August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”. Opportunities like this are not easy to come by and therefore if you are a professional in your own right and you would want to meet and share your experiences with the other colleagues then this is the place to be.

This conference “Integrative Addiction Conference 2015” mission is to provide prevention education, awareness, options and support to patients and physicians dealing with addiction. Empowering physicians to be involved in determining their personal “best answer for addiction” and promoting physician/patient awareness of a natural, yet profoundly effective, addiction treatment options that result in you “thriving while surviving” during treatment and recovery. Integrative Addiction Conference 2015 will cover topics such as addiction as a holistic body ecosystem derangement, the interaction between stress, survivorship, pain and addiction, the role of hormonal imbalance in the disease of addiction, the genetic and epigenetic influences on the disease of addiction, psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration essential to reverse addiction as well as new and future therapies in the horizon for addiction treatment including stem therapy for psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration. This conference is all you need to move your career to the next levels and for more information you can log on www.integrativeaddiction2015.com or email sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com.

Why it is necessary to help drug addicts: The benefits of helping out

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse

June 2, 2015

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: The possibilities of dealing with Addictions

The problem of alcohol and substance abuse has a very long history in every nation. Much as we may have the same narratives word by word, the common denominator in in all these stories is that drug abuse is a great threat to human lives and a set back to the economy of most nations. People who are directly affected by this problem will tell you of the great suffering they and their loved ones go through. These sufferings are what we the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the MD and the founder of the facility desires to address. Medically the best way of dealing with all manner of addictions is by endeavoring to prevent them and ensuring that no sought of substance abuse is anywhere close to our vicinity. Several studies have established that even though prevention is the best, many are still falling victims of alcohol and drug abuse even with the knowledge of prevention. And therefore while appreciating these facts and that it’s true that practically it’s impossible to prevent anyone and everyone from using drugs, there are several things we can all do to avoid drug and alcohol abuse from raging havoc in our families and societies. To help in offering the much needed solutions and with the guidance, of professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we want to share with you some of the practical ways of preventing substance abuse and we believe that by sharing this knowledge with those closest to you, you yourself may be able to prevent them from doing drugs too and live their lives to the fullest. Here are some of the top preventive ways you can adopt to help prevent drug abuse:

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: Proper management of peer pressure

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse when adopted can help many young people be safe with the authorities

In many families, parents and care givers are often caught unaware of their children involvement in drugs. Many of the times we all believe that we have done a good job in bringing them up morally and with high standards of discipline only to be told that they are not what we think they are. These often happen when we are not with them. Yes we teach our children the right ways of life, but those are just our good teachings, when they are out with their friends, they are also in another environment of teaching and it is this point that things begins to go wrong. And that therefore explains that the biggest reason teens start using drugs is because their friends employ peer pressure. The sense of belonging is one big problem that is very instrumental in luring our teens into drugs even with the good teachings we impact on them. No one likes to be left out, and teens (and yes, some adults, too) find themselves doing things they normally wouldn’t do, just to fit in. Therefore we have to deal with this problem from the on start, meaning that in such cases, as a teenager you need to either find a better group of friends that won’t pressure you into doing harmful things, or better still, you need to find a good way of saying no and when you say No let that position remains no matter the pressure circumstances and push and pull. Teens should prepare a good excuse or plan ahead of time, to keep from giving into tempting situations.

We appreciate that this may not be very easy and that is why our facility is open all the time to help you cope with the pressure as and when they come. You can therefore schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the much needed professional input in whatever addictive situation you may have found yourself in due to peer pressure. It is also very important that to note that doctor Akoury is also training other professionals on matters relating to drug addiction and how to be the best in offering solutions to your patients especially those struggling with drug addiction and alcohol abuse. This coming August doctor Akoury has organized an integrative addiction conference & expo under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”. This conference (Integrative Addiction Conference 2015) mission is to provide prevention education, awareness, options and support to patients and physicians dealing with various forms of addiction. The conference is targeting doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists and will cover will cover topics such as addiction as a holistic body ecosystem derangement, the interaction between stress, survivorship, pain and addiction, the role of hormonal imbalance in the disease of addiction, the genetic and epigenetic influences on the disease of addiction, psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration essential to reverse addiction as well as new and future therapies in the horizon for addiction treatment including stem therapy for psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration. More information on how to participate in this conference is via the event website – www.integrativeaddiction2015.com or email sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com. This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Now back to the practical ways of preventing substance abuse.

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: Dealing with life pressure

People today are overworked and overwhelmed, and often feel like a good break or a reward is deserved. But in the end, drugs only make life more stressful and many of us all too often fail to recognize this in the moment. To prevent using drugs as a reward, find other ways to handle stress and unwind. Engage in healthy activities like exercising, reading good books, volunteering with the needy, in whatever you chose to do, ensure that you only create something that will impact positively. Engaging in positive things and relaxing helps take the mind off using drugs to relieve stress.

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: Seek help for mental illness

Mental illness and substance abuse often go hand-in-hand. Those with a mental illness may turn to drugs as a way to ease the pain. Those suffering from some form of mental illness, such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder should seek the help of a trained professional for treatment before it leads to substance abuse.

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: Examine the risk factors

It is always said that knowledge is power and this must never be taken for granted. Remember that if you’re aware of the biological, environmental and physical risk factors you possess, you’re more likely to overcome them. A history of substance abuse in the family, living in a social setting that glorifies drug abuse or family life that models drug abuse can be risk factors.

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: Keep a well-balanced life

People take up drugs when something in their life is not working, or when they’re unhappy about their lives or where their lives are going. Look at life’s big picture, and have priorities in order. And when there is any cropping problem, seek the attention of your doctor immediately, and for the professionals who would want to become the elite leaders in tomorrow’s addiction medicine, the Integrative Addiction Conference 2015 is a must attend and for more information about Integrative Addiction Treatment consult with:

Doctor Dalal Akoury

MD AWAREmed

Tel: 843 213 1480

Email: dollyanis@hotmail.com

www.awaremednetwork.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILBEhjYkwKQ

Practical Ways of Preventing Substance Abuse: The possibilities of dealing with Addictions

Tag Archives: Fighting substance abuse