The importance of detox before addiction treatment

September 10, 2015

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: The essentials in addiction recovery game plan

The importance of detox before addiction treatment is very crucial as it lays strong foundations for meaningful treatment and total recovery.

For anyone to be considered as an addict to alcohol or any other substance the individual must have had an accumulation of toxic elements in his or her body system. These toxic elements must be eliminated for the body to regain its optimum capacities in discharging the various need of the body. That is why it is very important that we scrutinize the importance of detox before addiction treatment is done and any benefits that can result out of it. Therefore when an individual is addicted to drugs or alcohol or even both, the body develops a physical dependence to the substance which then results into chemical changes that occur within the brain. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) and founder of the same facility reports that, due to these physical and chemical changes that occur as a result of substance abuse, any attempts to terminate consumption by sudden or progressive quitting either through the cold turkey way or otherwise in many instances do often fails and the consequences of such failures can tantamount to significant health risks for the addict and by extension to their loved ones and the society at large. Therefore in order to eliminate or minimize the physical and psychological symptoms that can occur during the withdrawal process in a safe manner, doctor Akoury recommends that it is very important that medical detox is considered as an essential cornerstone of the recovery game plan. Professionally this service is available at the home of addiction solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) and up on scheduling for an appointment with the experts at this facility, you will have your case evaluated professionally and the most appropriate treatment administered to you for the most desired result.

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: How medical detoxification came to the forefront

History has it that the importance of detox in regards to the recovery process from addiction came to the forefront and was first administered in the 1970’s with the emergence of the medical model. Previously and before this time (1970’s), the patterns and behaviors associated with addiction were commonly dealt with as a criminal offense and people who were struggling with such kinds of addiction were considered to be of week character a factor that was very discriminative and unfair to both the patient and their loved ones. During that time the practice was that individual addicts were often arrested and held in places like “drunk tanks” and other similar holding places of confinement where there were taken through the withdrawals without any form of medical supervision. Nonetheless and progressively as reality sunk into the society and sense of what addiction really down to the societies, they on a voluntary basis begun embracing and adopting more humane and constructive ways in dealing with individuals who were struggling with all manner of instances of substance abuse issues, and it is at this point that the methods of detoxification started to evolve and therefore we can now begin to discuss authoritatively the purpose of detox and its importance before any addiction treatment.

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: The purpose of detox and its’ importance before treatment

The importance of detox in the treatment process, as stated above, is to help rid the body of the toxins that are the result of either intoxication or dependence on a substance or substances. Another purpose of detoxification, again as stated earlier, is to minimize both the physical and psychological symptoms associated with withdrawal. And according to the Quick Guide for Clinicians booklet created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) regarding medical detoxification, detox in of itself is not seen as a sufficient treatment option. The main feature of detox, as noted in this guide, and its’ importance in the recovery picture is that it serves as the start of the intervention process. The detox process needs to take place in a medical facility or other licensed and accredited environment in which the detox services are performed by certified personnel. There are three main components that are very essential and entail the detoxification process. These components are available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and up on scheduling for your appointment with doctor Akoury, they will form the starting point of your recovery treatment process as follows:

Evaluation – consists of testing for the presence of substances in an individual’s bloodstream as well as screening for any co-occurring mental and physical conditions will be done on the patient professionally, and besides that there are also comprehensive assessments of an individual’s medical, psychological and social functioning and situations, all these are tailored at ensuring that your recovery process is procedural, timely and most importantly effective.

Stabilization – detoxification is quite a process and therefore the patient needs to be assisted through the medical, psychological and social processes of withdrawal. This is essentially tailored towards getting them to a state in which they are stable medically and free of substances.

Entry into Treatment – the moment all these are done and the doctor is certified that the patient is now ready for treatment; they are then prepared for the entry into a comprehensive treatment program.

Finally doctor Akoury reiterates that detoxification is not treatment on its own, but it is the starting point of the overall treatment and recovery process. Besides its’ stabilizing effects, it is worth appreciating that the primary importance of detox is to assess the individual across a wide spectrum of factors and establish a treatment game plan that best fits that individual. In the detoxification process, the addict is given the message that recovery from substance abuse is possible and there is hope for recovery. Starting with the detox process, those who are struggling with substance abuse understand that addiction lies within the brain and is not solely the result of weak morals on the part of the addict. Ultimately, the importance of detox is the start of being proactive in regards to treatment where family and other support networks are involved in the treatment process. This is very important and if you or any of your loved ones is struggling with any form of addiction, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for further professional one on one deliberations and all your concerns will be addressed timely.

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: The essentials in addiction recovery game plan

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction

August 13, 2015

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction: Risk and reward that trigger for the release of dopamine

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction must never be ignored since it forma part of finding the solution

Dopamine is neurotransmitter in the brain that plays vital roles in a variety of different behaviors. The major behaviors dopamine affects are movement, cognition, pleasure, and motivation. Dopamine is an essential component of the basal ganglia motor loop, as well as the neurotransmitter responsible for controlling the exchange of information from one brain area to another. However, it is the role that dopamine plays in pleasure and motivation that attracts the most neurobiologists attention. And that is why our discussion is focusing on dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction in this article. We would appreciate if you can stay with us on the link so that together we can learn and take action where necessary in order to defeat addiction. Nonetheless for a better understanding of this topic, we are going to be relying on the expert opinion of doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a facility that she founded primarily to make a difference in the life of people who are suffering from the various forms of drug addiction which is very rampant in the current societies we live in.

For better understanding of this point doctor Dalal Akoury says that in certain areas of the brain when dopamine is released it gives one the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. These feelings of satisfaction become desired, and the person will grow a desire for the satisfaction. To satisfy that desire the person will repeat behaviors that cause the release of dopamine. For example food and sex release dopamine. That is why people want food even though their body does not need it and why people sometimes need sex. These two behaviors scientifically make sense since the body needs food to survive, and humans need to have sex to allow the race to survive. However, other, less natural behaviors have the same effect on one’s dopamine levels, and at times can even be more powerful. Often these behaviors can result in addiction due to their effect on dopamine, and that addiction can have negative effects on a person’s well-being.

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction: Cocaine

Cocaine is by far the more severe in relation to other substances in terms of addiction. Cocaine chemically inhibits the natural dopamine cycle. Normally, after dopamine is released, it is recycled back into a dopamine transmitting neuron. However, cocaine binds to the dopamine, and does not allow it to be recycled. Thus there is a buildup of dopamine, and it floods certain neural areas. The flood ends after about 30 minutes, and the person is left yearning to feel as he or she once did. That is how the addiction begins and with time adaptation builds up due to the fact that the person is consistently behaving in the same way that he or she had the first time. However, the individual cannot, because dopamine is also released when something pleasurable yet unexpected occurs. During the first time, the person expects the effect, thus less dopamine is released, and the experience is less satisfying. This cause explains why gambling releases dopamine.

Many studies have been done which targeted neural response to rewards. The findings were in agreement that when one performed an action repeatedly, and is given a reward randomly, the dopamine levels rises. If the reward is administered for example every four times the action was performed, the dopamine levels remained constant. Whereas when no reward is given dopamine levels dropped. These random rewards can be seen in gambling and since the outcome is based on chance, one may not know prior if he or she will win. Therefore, if he or she wins, dopamine levels increases. However, unlike cocaine, gambling causes addiction in relatively low levels of participants. This is because Cocaine’s chemical input is much more influential on dopamine levels than gambling’s behavioral input meaning that only people whose dopamine levels are low, become addicted to gambling.

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction: Variance in dopamine levels

This is may be due to genetics, environment related or a combination of factors. A study concluded that pathological gamblers most often experienced traumatizing experiences when they were younger. Since most people who became addicted to gambling have low dopamine levels, and also that same group usually has endured a traumatic experience, it was concluded the overall dopamine levels can change due to environmental factors. This supports the opinion that both the mind and the brain can change due to environmental factors. However in yet another study it was established that a gene related to dopamine is sported twice as often in pathological gamblers than non-gamblers. To this effect, doctor Akoury says that this view seems to supports the observation that dopamine levels are genetic. We can therefore come up with two possible observations. Either both genetics and environmental factors affects ones brain anatomy and mind simultaneously, or that environmental factors can affect genes which in turn affect ones brain and mind.

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction: Why is risk and reward a trigger for the release of dopamine?

It’s scientifically logical that sex and food release dopamine, because they are essential for the life of human beings. Risk and reward are not. It is believed that everything happens for a reason; meaning, there must be a scientific explanation for the increase of dopamine levels as a result of risk and reward. Like for instance the human race is different from other species on this planet not only by its ability to reason, but also its ability to create and be innovative. Therefore nature dictates that humans are creative and innovative, and for this to happen a person should have some level of satisfaction when one accomplishes an innovation. Doctor Akoury agrees that for one to accomplish an innovation he/she must take certain risks. It is risky to try to do something that no other being on earth has ever accomplished. Therefore, there must be a reward other than material that one gets when he or she accomplishes the innovation, otherwise that person would not take the risk. The reward here is the release of dopamine and the feeling of satisfaction. The problem with this process is that not only can one be satisfied after a major risk and accomplishment, but that one can also be satisfied through constant minute risks and accomplishments.

The feeling of satisfaction that dopamine exhibits are so strong that one can often lose his or her ability to reason in order to achieve satisfaction. It is that unconscious state of mind that takes over and begins to make certain decisions. The brain develops neural circuits that unconsciously assess reward. Since dopamine plays an active role in these circuits, people will act in what they think is in their best interest, when in fact the only interest it satisfies is the release of dopamine. This can be exemplified in gambling where one insists on gambling even though he or she knows that the odds are against them. Finally we appreciate that there is a lot of scientific explanations in this topic which may not be very clear to many people and if you are one of them then we are more than ready at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to listen and help you be on the know. All you have to do is to call doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) who is also the founder of the facility for an appointment and all your concerns will be addressed professionally.

Dopamine the neurotransmitter role in drug addiction: Risk and reward that trigger for the release of dopamine

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

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