Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim

June 2, 2015

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Why it is necessary to help drug addicts

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim may appear very difficult but it must be done for the safety of all victims

Knowing that majority of addicts will always be in denial and may take offence when this topic is introduced to them; it can be quite a challenge to initiate the discussion. It is because of these challenges that we often meet clients who visit this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) specifically to get the best approach applicable. I remember one client asking “how can i bring up the subject with the substance user? Will the discussion make the situation worse?” from this concern you realize that the approach is a big problem and that is what doctor Akoury wants to addressed in this section. People often worry that initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim may cause them to pull a grudge with them and that this will lead him or her (the addict) to take drastic steps. They might make a scene in front of other family members, move out of the house, and drop out of school, secretly drink or use other drugs even more and hide it from everyone or retaliate against them or other family members.

These are actually very genuine concerns however, even though these concerns may be genuine, you will not know unless you try and for your information, you might find out that the reception may not be as bad as you thought. It may turn out that the conversation will be a wonderfully productive experience. It is perhaps possible that the person may have not noticed behavior changes, or doesn’t realize that his or her substance use was a problem or was causing problems to other members of the family. It is therefore necessary that you make effort and try because you will not know the outcome unless you try. Remember that when solutions are not realized, the problems may become so severe that the same drastic outcomes could result.

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Guidelines for a healthy approach

The following guidelines could be helpful for you in the initiation of the discussion:

Don’t bring up the subject when the person is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. When people are high, they are less able to understand logic and are more likely to be impatient, dismissive, angry and blaming. Some people have poor impulse control and may act irrationally or violently if the subject is brought up while he or she is under the influence.
Don’t be under the influence of substances yourself when initiating the talk.
Ensure that you chose the best time to talk preferably when the two of you can have more than a few minutes alone. Remember that your objective is to have a dialogue and a healthy two-way conversation in which you can state your concerns and understand the person’s perception of the situation. Ask if you can set a time to speak in the next few days to discuss something on your mind. If the person responds by saying, “Now is fine,” tell them you’d prefer to set time aside and not be interrupted.
When you meet, tell your family member that you care for him or her. Emphasize that it’s this concern for their well-being that has led you to have this conversation.
List the behaviors you’ve observed, state that you are worried about the effect drinking or drug use is having and express concern about continued use.
Create a two-way dialogue so the person doesn’t feel lectured or badgered. Use open-ended questions.
If the person states that there is definitely not a problem, ask to talk again at some point in the future. Your goal is not to convince the person that there is a problem, but to let them know that you believe there is one and that your belief is based on observable behaviors.
Don’t try to speculate, explore motives or judge. It can sidetrack you from the main point.
Don’t expect a dramatic shift in thinking or behavior right away; this conversation may be the first time the person has thought about this problem.
Keep in mind that there is no quick fix and prepare yourself for the long haul and you will appreciate that initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim was well worth it.
If the problem has only occurred over a short period of time, or has not reached a severe stage, it is possible that the victim you care about could successfully cut back on the use of alcohol or other drugs. If the person has not tried cutting back, you could suggest this strategy as a first step. Some people in the risky or abuse stages of substance use, or even in the early stage of addiction, are able to cut back and consistently use only minimal amounts in the future.

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Defeating the powers of denial

You may find, though as many do that people who can cut back are the exception, not the rule. Many people try to cut down and discover that they can’t. Or, they can only cut back for a few days or a few weeks before resuming heavy or excessive use. Trying to cut down and failing may help the person realize that the problem is more extensive than once thought. In the process of helping, you may also find that the person is able to stop completely. But many addicts have tried this strategy and couldn’t stop or remain abstinent for any significant amount of time. Ideally, the person should be assessed by a professional who can determine the best course of action depending on the severity of the problem and the person’s medical, psychological and social history. If you sense the person is willing to consider that there is a problem, suggest that an evaluation or a consultation with a trusted medical or mental health professional. (This suggestion may be too threatening for some people during a first conversation of this kind.)

Although you probably want the substance use to stop as soon as possible, immediate abstinence from certain drugs has risks, including withdrawal symptoms with serious medical consequences. Many people need to be admitted to a detoxification center to help them physically withdraw.

It is important to note that even if detoxification is not necessary, a formal, structured treatment program is vital for sustained abstinence. This is where a health care professional or substance use counselor would be very essential to help you and the person in need assess your options.

Initiating the discussion about substance abuse with the victim: Why it is necessary to help drug addicts

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery

May 30, 2015

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Why we must defeat Relapse

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery is often the beginning of lasting treatment for patients suffering from addiction

When dealing with drug addiction by all means there will be numerous challenge along the way. How you go about those challenges will determine how determine you are with the treatment program. Ideally it will not be a walk along the park and occasionally you may stumble, that is very normal however the way you will behave when you stumble matters a lot to your recovery process. Many have relapse and stood up to pick the pieces and have succeeded while others have relapsed and deteriorated further into addiction of the substance they were taking and even more. This article is going to help us comprehend the challenges involved in addiction recovery and how best we can overcome them. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center tells us that comprehending the challenges involved in addiction recovery is not very easy due to the fact that most addicts are in denial and do not want to acknowledge that they have a problem.

In our last article we mentioned that a healthy mind and clear goals are very crucial when dealing with challenges involved in the treatment process. When the mind is not healthy, goals cannot be realized. That is why many are in great denial because their minds have been corrupted with the substances they are abusing. However it is not only a clear conscience that will help in this challenge, there are very many factors which when addressed properly, the issue of will be settled and that is what we want to further on this discussion.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Healthy Relationships

You may get the best professionals like doctor Dalal Akoury taking you through the recovery process but if the people around you are not supportive in your course, then the treatment efforts will be greatly affected. Remember that these drugs are very addictive and life threatening. Therefore maintaining your sobriety goes hand in hand with caring for the relationships in your life. There is no two ways about it; the relationship must be healthy and supportive by all means. And for the avoidance of doubt a healthy relationships will offer you support in your recovery program best. This support is very essential in drug relapse prevention. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, a healthy family environment contributes in many ways including the following:

Providing support in sobriety
Creating a stress-free environment
Providing happiness and overall well-being
Offering a healthy outlet to talk about your feelings openly

How then do you bond with your family? Because these people will be there for you, it is very important that you strengthen your relationships with your family by attending family therapy with a mental health counselor. You and your loved ones will work on your communication skills with one another and strengthen the bond that you share through the therapy. You will learn to work through potential conflicts in healthy ways and establish a healthy family atmosphere says doctor Akoury.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Reaching Out to Others

Oh yes, education or reaching out with addiction recovery programs is very important not just to the recovering addicts but also their counterparts who are yet to register into the program. If you have made the first step of acknowledging the problem treatment becomes easy and even drug relapse prevention becomes attainable. At this level you can become a very good tutor tor the other addicts. Therefore creating awareness to other drug users and surrounding yourself with drug prevention materials encourages you to stay sober and serves as a reminder of how far you’ve progressed. Drug relapse prevention is strengthened by holding yourself responsible for spreading encouragement and education to others.

An opportunity to reach out is to speak to members of our youth such as students at a high school. According to the 2010 NSDUH report, 10.1 percent of youths ages 12 to 17 use illicit drugs. Speaking to youths about your addiction promotes drug-free habits in young people, and working with them is very rewarding for some addicts. Educating others about drugs helps you feel empowered and reinforces what you know about drugs and the effects of addiction. This will lessen your risk of relapse as you will continue to feel good about what you’re doing. You will begin to feel responsible for your work as a drug educator and feel a sense of accomplishment. This feeling of accomplishment will help you in drug relapse prevention.

Educating young adults is especially helpful in alcohol relapse prevention. Over 15.6 percent of college-aged persons are heavy drinkers, and 42.2 percent are binge drinkers according to the 2010 NSDUH report. These rates are extremely alarming, and a recovering alcoholic may find solace in educating students about alcoholism and sobriety.

Attending group meetings for addicts is very beneficial for recovering addicts as well. Meeting with other addicts provides peer support for recovering addicts. Other addicts understand what you are going through and provide encouraging words to help in recovery. Seeing people who have maintained sobriety for an ongoing period is uplifting and helps in drug relapse prevention.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Mistakes Do Happen

As hard as recovering addicts try, some may slip up and relapse. If you suffer a relapse, do not fear that your path to recovery is blocked, because you are not the only one who may go through ups and downs on the road to recovery. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 40 to 60 percent of substance abusers relapse at some point in recovery. Drug relapse prevention is an ongoing process that may need to be adjusted after treatment.

Should a relapse happen, it is important to immediately seek treatment for yourself or a loved one? Starting the addiction treatment process over again is most beneficial as you or your loved one will relearn the essentials of sobriety and detox in a safe environment that is free of temptations. It is also important that the addict remains in treatment for as long as needed. According to NIDA, the most effective treatments for substance abuse addiction last longer than three months.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: The Best Drug Relapse Prevention

As with treatment, the best form of drug relapse prevention varies by the addict. Different addicts need different kinds of treatment to continue recovery. The most effective method of drug relapse prevention is one that not only treats the substance addiction but also any underlying physical or mental conditions that may exist. And that is what we will give you at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Get to that phone and call us right now and we will be there for you all the way to your total recovery process.

Comprehending the challenges involved in Addiction Recovery: Why we must defeat Relapse

Did you contribute to your sons Addiction

May 15, 2015

Did you contribute to your sons Addiction: Is there anything you could have done differently?

Did you contribute to your sons Addiction? trace your actions and mend the ribbon where necessary

The challenges we have in life today causes us to do certain things that under normal circumstances we would have not done. The economic hardship is on such factor that takes all our attention. We are deeply rooted in the business of chasing for contracts, connections and business meetings all in an effort to adding value to our lives and families. I have realized that while doing all these things time is spent and every moment certain activities get the upper hand or the lion’s share of time allocation. This is where in my view the problem begins from. You will agree with me that currently our work takes most of our time in relation to the time we spend with our families. Did that catch your attention? How much time do you take with your family? Are your children able to wish you good night physically or are you wishing them good night on phone? How often do you visit your children in school and follow their academic performance with their teachers or you have found refuge in their teachers to take part some of your responsibilities as you look for money? Is your neighborhood safe for your children like they cannot get bad influence and become liabilities to the society? In this point of time when substance abuse is almost the order of the day do you know your child well? And if your child is already an addict, did you contribute to your son’s addiction? These are very are very pertinent questions which needs to be addressed with great honesty. To help you bring these concerns to perspective, let us listen to one of the client doctor Akoury attended to recently.

Did you contribute to your sons Addiction: What I Wish I Had Done Differently with My Addicted Son?

In my line of duty I attend to very many people from all walks of life but recently I received an e-mail from a concerned parent. In her main she described her son’s addiction very passionately explains doctor Akoury. She spoke about several experiences that I believe are similar to many people today. The mail continues that she was getting worried because she had done all that she though was humanly possible but all yielded very minimal result and now she is worried of losing her son to drug addiction. The question she thrown after all this is what I want to through back to you, so that you can see what you can learn from it. She asked “what do you wish you had done differently?”

I believe that responding to this question will make a big difference for many people whose children are struggling with addiction and even those who are planning to have children in the future. What are you thinking about right now? This can be very helpful when responded to with lots of wisdom. Ask yourself the same question, what do you want to do differently? We have all made some mistakes in the past which when added up, probably may have made a difference, or maybe some little changes here and there may have prevented this (addiction) from happening. You may or may not get the satisfaction from all those deliberations but I want to share with you some of the things you need to discover to be a good parent. The following lessons can be extracted from this question:

Did you contribute to your sons Addiction: I would have learned to listen?

Listening is always the very first thing we must all chose to do. Listen to your children when they speak to us. Many times we often brash off what they say arguing that an addict doesn’t have anything worth listening to. Like in this case her son told her that there was nothing she could do to fix his problem. As a parent when you are told this, you may dispute it right away after all it is your duty to fix your children’s issues. Listening is very important because if she had done so, she would have sought the services of a professional. No addiction can be treated if the addict is in denial, and denial is one thing that only the addict can fix. So when this boy alluded to the fact that nothing could be done in his case, someone needed to have listen.

Professional advice are very important, parents must listen to them and apply their guidelines to the letter. It is very important to note that listening is different from looking for answers. Getting answers to questions or “what to do” solutions assume that there is a single answer or methodology that will awaken not just you but also your addicted loved one from this nightmare.

Another lesson would be learning to listen to your own internal with what you are told by your son. Take time and evaluate in this order; what have you heard, what do you feel and why are you being scared? Any emotional reactions you may have will be as a result of all you unresolved internal struggles.

Finally, from this question, you can also pick this lesion as a parent. It is necessary that you learn to listen to your heart and your mind. Take time to reconcile what the two are saying. Like for instance your heart will tell you that where there is life, there is always hope. It allows you to love someone even if their actions may seem to be communicating otherwise. On the other hand your mind/ brain will speak the realities of life and tell you facts about drug addiction. Therefore it is important to appreciate those matters of the heart and the mind is not about winning or losing the argument. Your heart and your mind must be reconciled to work together in unity. It is possible for your heart to accept that your son may die and in the same way it is also possible for your mind to understand that there may not be an answer for addiction and loving for just today is all you get. With those insights I appreciate that sometimes listening can be very difficult, but if this will help you get help to your children, then if am asked again what I wish I had done differently. Then I will give a straight answer that I wish I had learned how to listen to my children sooner. And now that you are a listening parent schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today to listen and apply some of her professional treatment options available for your addicted children.

Did you contribute to your sons Addiction: Is there anything you could have done differently?

The battles of Heroin Addiction in Families

May 15, 2015

The battles of Heroin Addiction in Families: The wrong choices we often make

The battles of Heroin Addiction in Families must all be inclusive. Heroin addiction is a great to every family

There are certain things that we do not because we want to but because we see our friends and relatives do. The motivation is to have the feelings they have upon using the things they use or doing what they do. In other words the sense of belonging is the reason why all these are happening. Take for instance in the world of drug addiction you will be amazed at what people do just not to be left out and in the process they find themselves into real problems not just in their health and peace of mind but also with the law enforcement agencies. Even though addiction cuts across and everyone is vulnerable, it hit the hardest at the family unit. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center about the battle of heroin addiction in families and it is amazing seeing how simple desires can land us into real threats of addiction.

As a professional in this discipline doctor Akoury is going to shed some light on how influential heroin can be in your life no matter how you got introduced to it. She says that one morning while in her office a lady walked in and was very depressed. When she gave her time to share her problem she open up and poured out her heart on the battles she has with heroin addiction. For confidentiality we will call her Jimssy not her real name. Jimssy is a full-time housewife and mother and hardly fits the stereotypical picture of a heroin addict. However for the past two of her adult life, she was obsessed with getting high on heroin a passion she shared with her husband, Jim not his real name who has been battled his own addiction for over two decades now.

Jim had been struggling with heroin addiction for years when his wife joined the league of shooting up heroin. Even though Jimssy was not ignorant of the effects of heroin on her husband, she voluntarily decided to test the water one day following an advice from her friend who informed her that using heroin would significantly relieve the pain of headache and muscular pains she had suffered from epileptic seizures she has been struggling with for more than 15 years now. It is amazing how friends can be very destructive to our well-being. This friend without any consideration of the know consequences, approached her friend with the news she knew Jimssy would be interested in, that is the solution to her struggle with pain. Jimssy acknowledges that, that was her first time and regret having such a friend in her life. She goes ahead to explain that her main reason for testing the waters even though she knew the struggles her husband, was to get better, the pain was becoming unbearable. What do you think about her decision? You may suggest that under the circumstances she was justified because she was looking for solutions about her pain. Nonetheless it is still not right, every advice you get from a friend must be confirmed by a medical doctor and that is why doctor Akoury founded this facility where you can get all the professional assistance concerning your health and addiction at any time of the day.

The battles of Heroin Addiction in Families: Breaking the Boredom

Another point doctor Akoury observed from the patient is the mind set of many people about things and situations around them. Like for instance Jimssy says that besides the advice from the wrong friend, she was curious, she wanted to understand the feelings of this drug heroin, and she confesses that “I wanted to know what this was that [Jim] was doing. Why it was so attractive. And she sought the silence that if she was to try it just briefly for a few times, it won’t do her any harm and that it wouldn’t result into addiction since it is only for a few times.” That is what she thought and besides she had also heard that heroin improved sexual performance. (The seizure medications she had taken for her epilepsy had dampened her libido.) Heroin, she says, helped her feel more sexual, and that was a big attraction.

Doctor Akoury says that she had it all well planned. And in her own wisdom, to avoid getting hooked, she refrained from doing the drug for four days between uses. Then, she started doing it on the weekends “to break the boredom.” This plan may have looked brilliant, but remember that heroin is such an addictive drug and so despite her plans and to her great denial she quickly became addicted. She adds that “I saw what it had done to my husband. But I had no idea at all of the pull it had on users.” If you are listing keenly to Jimssy and you or anyone you know is struggling with any form of addiction, you can be of help first to yourself and then to the others by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

In the meantime Jimssy tells us that as at that time she was being introduced into drugs, she was working and earning her money from her job which was well enough to finance this new expenditure. The income helped her feed their habits and every day was such a good day because they could afford for more drugs. But it also caused strife in their relationship. They would share their drugs, and Jimssy says, the pull of addiction quickly introduced an enemy in their relationship, the enemy known as mistrust. They longer had trust for each other. She feared sending him alone to buy drugs with her money because he would take more than his share on the way home. He felt the same way about her. “It just starts eating away at your love, your partnership, the whole marriage,” she admits. Doctor Akoury reacts to this professionally and informs Jimssy that drugs will remain bad irrespective of the influence you may get from any of your friends. We will continue listening to Jimssy in our next article but for now, we must choose and choose wisely. This life we have, we can only live it once and when we still have that opportunity, then we must consult with the medical experts from time to time to have things done the right way. Talk to us today at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and we will offer you real time solutions to all your addiction problems.

The battles of Heroin Addiction in Families: The wrong choices we often make

The rough Road of Quitting Heroin Addiction

May 14, 2015

The rough Road of Quitting Heroin Addiction: The Experiences of Heroin addicts when the quit cold turkey

The rough Road of Quitting Heroin Addiction begin with the victim acknowledging that there is a problem which needs to be fixed

We are at it again and I long for that day when we will in unison change to the tune of victory that we have both collectively and individually defeated the problems of drug addiction. Our sons and daughters, parents, relatives and friends are all suffering the scourge of this problem. This is one of the biggest reasons why doctor Dalal Akoury decided to form AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, a facility 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 therefore means that when we acknowledge that we have a problem on our own will without any threats or undue influence, then and only then will start the rough road of quitting heroin addiction and other addictions as well. Remember that when you have made up your mind, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for professional help. Even as you consider doing that, it may interest you to know that doctor Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. I encourage you to make that lifesaving call today and escape the agony of addiction today.

The rough Road of Quitting Heroin Addiction: The agony of Heroin Addiction

The rough road of quitting heroin addiction is one that you need to take and do not be scare with the used adjectives. This is just to prepare your for the healing process because the truth is, it will not be an easy one. Let us listen to the story one former addict and her experiences with heroin addiction. She says that the last time she quit heroin, she went cold turkey on a friends couch. This was not really planned but all the same it happened something like this. At that time she was living with some junkie in her parent’s house. Her parents were both coke heads and they knew she was an addict to heroin. Her stay here did not last long since this family had a strong policy in their house that no needles’ shall be used in their home. What that meant is that her welcome was no longer needed there and she was requested politely to leave.

At this time I was again becoming homeless and with no money I had to do something she says. This is the rough road of quitting heroin addiction she wondered. In that state of confusion, she thought of an old friend and as fate will have it this friend agreed to accommodate her on her couch as long as she wanted. Immediately I bought a bus ticket headed to my friend’s place which was quite a distance of about 10 hours’ drive. To keep me going I chose to take with me some ten bags of dope and ten needles and by the time I got to my friend’s place only one dope and one needle was left, this was the beginning of my gradual reduction technique.

The rough Road of Quitting Heroin Addiction: Fighting Craving

It was the middle of the night at my friend’s house and I could not hold it no matter the efforts I made and as it is accustom, I took a small shot before going to bed. I finished it off the following morning in her bathroom and this time round committed to going cold turkey. The new environment was very hostile to me and since I knew nobody in the area there was very little I could do to get another shot no matter the intensity of craving. Things happened very first and this one thing I’ll never forget. The first morning, I was very nervous as I sat and waited for the unforeseeable. I and my friend we sat together chatting trying to catch up with the lost time and believe you me, I tried all I could not to let her notice my struggle but deep inside I was not myself.

As the hours went by, I kept running into her bathroom to do what the people I knew called “cotton shots” and “scrape bags” (keeping empty bags and used cottons to try to get a tiny bit of dope just to take the edge off). I thought doing this would help or delay the withdrawal or something (because this is what I had been brought up during my introduction moments into drugs). But in reality, it was just like a nervous tic. The demands of my body said something else and it kept pushing and reminding me that “it’s time for a shot” so I did whatever I could to comply. It will be my pleasure if my story can help you in this journey we are calling the rough road of quitting heroin addiction. Remember that it is not just about heroin addiction but this is applicable even to other substance abuse. But in the meantime the very first thing I noticed was that I was shaking violently as I tried to shoot up what was basically just dirty water. It was not a very good seen because I was struggling to locate the veins on my arms and in the process jabbing randomly and bleeding furiously everywhere. Besides that I was also sweating profusely. Or what some junkies may call the cold sweats because it was freezing cold and burning hot at the same time.

For a couple of days a week or more this was the order of the day and my friend’s bathroom was like my second home. While at the bathroom all I could do was to shooting up water, vomiting constantly in her toilet and soaking my achy body in a hot bath. Dear readers she posse, the pain of addiction is indescribable and to be honest I won’t even try to describe it. Suffice it to say that I hurt in places I didn’t know I had. Every inch and every cell of my very being screamed out in endless agony for days on end. And when I could not cope any longer it had to come out in the open and I begged my friend to help me find something just anything that could “get me through this.” Like a good friend she was she tried (or claimed to) but she didn’t have a clue. One day she came to me with some prescription strength ibuprofen and I almost strangled her. But after all she was letting me stay in her house and puke in her toilet so I couldn’t afford to be a bad house guest and the story continues in our next article … but in the meantime, from the narrations above, it is obvious that addiction harts and treatment also come with its own challenges. To help you overcome those challenges or at least reduce them, visiting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center would be the starting point. At this facility, doctor Akoury and her team of experts will help you in the most professional way to get your life back because you deserve to live and enjoy life to the fullest.

The rough Road of Quitting Heroin Addiction: The Experiences of Heroin addicts when the quit cold turkey

Tag Archives: Heroin addiction recovery