Tag Archives: Heroin overdose

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Sobriety obstacles to heroin addiction

August 19, 2016
Sobriety obstacles

Sobriety obstacles to heroin addiction includes all the factors increasing addiction risk on drug users.

Sobriety obstacles to heroin addiction: Why treatment can be difficult?

From the expert point of view doctor Dalal Akoury MD is registering that there are several challenges that could lead to the sobriety obstacles to all substance of abuse and more so to heroin. From her decades of experience in addiction treatment, she acknowledges that it could be difficult to treat heroin addiction because of several reasons including the following:

Withdrawal symptoms

This is a serious sobriety obstacle in the sense that when a heroin addict attempts to stop using cold turkey, the symptoms of withdrawal can be devastating. Vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, bone and muscle pain, restlessness, cold flashes and overwhelming cravings for the drug will plague addicts trying to escape from their habit, and with the discouragement their resolve to quite will sabotage their campaign for sobriety even before it begins. Remember that sobriety obstacles is not simply a matter of willpower. It’s worth noting that heroin addiction is a life-altering brain disease and holding it at bay is extraordinarily difficult. Therefore, the brain must be reprogrammed over time if any successful treatment is to be realized.

Failure to appreciate the long-term recovery process and possible relapse

The time spent in the rehabilitation center is only the first step on the road to long-term sobriety. Addiction has deeper roots than you can ever imagine, meaning that, the initial stages of recovery will require weeks of detoxification followed by years of consistent follow-up therapy and peer group interaction and for heroin, medicinal cures may also be used. Take note of the possibility of relapse which is very normal and when it happens, picking up the pieces to the recovery process is a better way of defeating sobriety obstacles.

Neglecting the underlying psychological problems

In most cases, drug abuse is a coping mechanism for people who have severe and unaddressed psychological and emotional issues. Heroin addiction is such a serious threat, however, that getting through detox and finding sobriety must take precedence for all addicts regardless of their backgrounds and personal histories. Consequently, deep, underlying problems may not be dealt with as quickly, proactively and openly as they should be, allowing them to lie in wait in the shadows where they can easily destroy the recovery process.

Addicts frequently return to the scene of the crime

Finally when recovering patients are allowed back home from the rehab, they (heroin addicts) often fall back in with the same triggers. Remember that substance abuse often develops in a (dysfunctional) social context, meaning that, when recovering addicts return to their old lives, it can be difficult to avoid the triggers that motivated their heroin dependency in the first place. The greatest regret is that in most cases, they join company with the same friends they were using drugs with. This is very disastrous and a serious sobriety obstacle by all standards. Old habits will definitely reassert themselves pretty quickly when addicts fail to make a clean break with the past. Now that you are well informed of the sobriety obstacles, you can make the right decision in your journey to full recovery. In the meantime doctor Akoury will always be there should you need any help along the way.

Sobrieties obstacles to heroin addiction: Why treatment can be difficult?

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Addressing craving challenges in dealing with addiction

October 6, 2015

Addressing craving challenges in dealing with addiction: Coping with cocaine addiction

addressing craving challenges

Cocaine can only be described as the crystal of death and therefore Identifying and addressing craving challenges is very fundamental in finding lasting treatment solution.

In dealing with drug addiction it is important that we first deal with the element of ignorance which can pose a great hindrance towards realizing the success of the objective which is total eradication of addiction from our lives and societies. It is no wonder in the holy book, it is recorded that “our people suffer because of lack of knowledge” meaning that if we are enlighten of the facts around addiction, then we will be comfortable addressing craving challenges and dealing with addiction of cocaine  professionally for the betterment of our health. Doctor Akoury acknowledges that it is only after identifying the problem, and then can you start on the modalities of dealing with it. In other words you may not succeed in effectively dealing with addiction if you haven’t identified the kind of addiction you are struggling with. That is why we want to focus this discussion on the identification then we can react to what we now know. Our drug of exploration in this article is going to be cocaine and how users often crave for it even when they are in the treatment process. In our previous articles we did mentioned a lot of negativity of drugs cravings and strategies of coping as and when craving knocks on our appetite. We want to progress on that by focusing on two elements including recalling negative consequences and using self-talk.

Identifying and dealing with hidden craving challenges: Recalling negative consequences

Craving for drugs often make very many users of drugs to lose hope and give up on ever recovering from their addiction. This is so because many at times when one is receiving treatment for any kind of addiction, the urge to continue with the habit never dies and this is further complicated with the abundance of triggers around the users on treatment. Doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is a veteran addiction expert having been in consistent practice for over two decades says that many at times when people are experiencing craving, they often have a tendency of only remembering the positive effects of cocaine or any other drug they have been craving for or using before; this is often the norm and it is regrettable that users in that state of mind often forget the negative consequences which has far reaching effects on their lives. But on the contrary, doctor Akoury says that it is very important that when experiencing craving, it is often effective for them (users) to remind themselves not just the benefits of abstinence but also the negative consequences of continuing indulgence in cocaine addiction. When this perfectly done, it therefore become much easier for patients to remind themselves that there is actually nothing good in using drugs let alone cocaine.

Because of the difference in feelings, doctor Akoury advices that it is necessary that users document in writing on a piece of paper all the reasons why they want to be abstinent and alongside that all the negative consequences of use. This list will act as their point of reference and therefore must be kept safely and be made available as and when it is needed. Remember that a glimpse of the document when confronted by intense craving for cocaine or a high-risk situation can remind the user of the negative consequences of cocaine use at a time when they are likely to recall only the euphoria. This may sound useless to many but it will impact to you very positively and by being reminded of the bitter consequences of using the drug, you are likely to engage in activities that will help in addressing craving challenges by distract you from causing more harm to yourself by avoiding further usage.

Addressing craving challenges in dealing with addiction: Using self-talk

For many patients, a variety of automatic thoughts accompany craving but are so deeply established that patients are not aware of them. Automatic thoughts associated with craving often have a sense of urgency and exaggerated dire consequences. Some of those automatic thoughts may include the following:

  • I have to use now
  • I’ll die if I don’t use or
  • I can’t do anything else until I use.

Doctor Akoury is of the opinion that in coping with craving, it is important that both the patient and the therapist should collectively recognize the automatic thoughts and take measures of encountering them effectively. To help patients recognize their automatic thoughts, therapists can point out cognitive distortions that occur during your sessions with the client. Like for instances your therapist could point out that a few times today you’ve said you feel like you have to use the drug and then the question would follow that, while you were having that feelings were you really aware of those thoughts when you mentioned them?. That is just one strategy and the other strategy could be when you are using a tape recorder, you could help your patients by slowing down the tape to recognize cognitions.

The good thing about recording the session is because it can be replayed over and over. Like for instance the patient may have said something and so you could play it again saying “when you decided to go out last night, you said that you really weren’t aware of thinking about using cocaine.” That is when he/she said but in your own professional evaluation you think otherwise, in situations like that you could play the tape again and help the user to try to remember what the night was like, sort of play it back like a movie in slow motion, we could find a couple of examples of things you said to yourself, maybe without even realizing it, that led to cocaine use.

Finally once automatic thoughts are identified, it then becomes much easier to counter or confront them using positive rather than negative self-talk which may include cognitions such as challenging the thought like “I won’t really die if I don’t have cocaine” and normalizing craving which can be very uncomfortable if not handled professionally. Remember that if you are having any concerns about craving for any drug and you are wondering where to begin from, you can call on doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your treatment today.

Addressing craving challenges in dealing with addiction: Coping with cocaine addiction

 

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Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

July 7, 2015

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: Symptoms and treatment of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose is everyone’s in the fight against drug addiction responsibility

Have you ever imagined life without drugs? This is not just intended to drug users but to everyone. The presence of drug abuse in any society is not just affecting the direct users, but also indirectly to their caregivers, family members and friends. Using drugs can only be compared to the body. If the body is healthy there is comfort and contentment all through, however if any part of the body is not well and is in pain the whole body will be suffering from that one condition. In the same way when one member of the family is misusing drugs, he will suffer directly but his family, friends and relatives will equally bear the pain indirectly. Therefore in the interest of offering lasting solution to this devastating problem, acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose would be very important as this will enable caregivers an opportunity to act timely before the addiction get out of manageable levels. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the direction heroin abuse is taking is worrying, currently more than 50 percent of people who use heroin have an addiction to the drug. This calls for an intervention so as to prevent further escalation of the problem. If you are wondering how to get this information, today is your lucky day because you are at the right place where health information is delivered with a lot of professionalism. Doctor Dalal Akoury is a veteran expert in addiction and she will be speaking to us about acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose in human life.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment formulated by doctor Dalal Akoury, heroin comes in a powder form that ranges from bright white to dark brown that users administer into their bodies either by mixing with water to inject, smoke or snort. Besides that, the other element of heroin is that which is known as the black tar heroin. This type of heroin has some resemblance of a tar. This type of heroin (black tar heroin) is typically injected into the by its users. Doctor Akoury advices that these drugs are very strong and dangerous and therefore when a person exhibits heroin overdose symptoms after using the drug, such individuals needs to seek and get help for the experts immediately. This treatment will be available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. All you have to do on your part is to call her today and schedule for an appointment with her for the commencement of your recovery journey. Now that you know where to get help, let us get into the discussion even as you consider making that appointment.

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: What is an overdose?

The term overdose medically has been misconstrued by many. Ignorantly you will hear discussions around overdose from people in hospitals or along the streets, and in most cases majority really doesn’t understand what it means. Doctor Akoury says that will occur when someone takes a large amount of a substance. Take note of the singular expression. It is not as many think that it is only the new users of heroin or those who use the drug most frequently. That is a misconception; overdose is an occurrence which can happen to any person. Nonetheless users are at risk of suffering an overdose because they might take a higher dose than intended. On the other hand long-term users of the drug can also suffer an overdose because of the tolerance the person has to the drug. It is however very important to appreciate that majority of people who take heroin cannot get the same rush after several uses as they did in the beginning. In that case, to get that initial rush, the user must take increasingly larger doses. The body adjusts to each new amount, which makes the person take larger and larger doses. When the body can no longer adjust to the increased levels of heroin in the system, it reacts in the form of heroin overdose symptoms. In addition, a user might encounter an unexpectedly pure batch of heroin, so that user injects more of the active ingredient than anticipated. This is sincerely very frustrating and all we can do is to pool together to bring this problem to a manageable levels.

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: The future of integrative addiction

In an effort to have everyone on board in the fight against drug addiction, overdose and its consequences, AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, will be conducting the first ever Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference tailored for professional including doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference is schedule for August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new cutting edge in Addiction Medicine and it 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”.

We are very passionate about this integrative addiction conference 2015 whose mission is to deliver prevention education awareness options and support to patients including the physicians dealing with addiction globally. Our aim is to empower those physicians to be involved in the determination of their personal best answer for addiction by promoting patient-physicians awareness of a more natural yet still profoundly effective addiction treatment options that result in you thriving while surviving during treatment and recovery. We have prepared a very rich menu for you and throughout the integrative addiction conference 2015 we will be covering topic like addiction as a holistic body ecosystem derangement, the interaction between stress, survivorship, pain and addiction, the genetic and epigenetic influences on the disease of addiction, the role of hormonal imbalance in 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.

With this rich menu you can’t afford to miss this one in a lifetime health conference. We want therefore to take this earliest opportunity to invite you whole heartedly to come and let us compare our experiences in dealing with this problem of addiction. for further enquiries about the conference, you can send all your queries to the event organizer through the email address or sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com log in to the event web site for more www.integrativeaddiction2015.com you can also make a direct call to Sharon Phillips the event planner on telephone number 954 540 1896

 

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: Symptoms and treatment of heroin overdose

 

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How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women

June 5, 2015

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women: Various health complications of Heroin abuse?

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women is a worthy concern for all mothers and the family as a whole. Both the life of the mother and the unborn child will be at risk if treatment of heroin addiction is not done in good time

Heroin abuse can cause serious complications during pregnancy, including miscarriage and premature delivery. Children born to addicted mothers are at greater risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), as well. Pregnant women should not be detoxified from opiates because of the increased risk of spontaneous abortion or premature delivery; rather, treatment with methadone is strongly advised. Although infants born to mothers taking prescribed methadone may show signs of physical dependence, they can be treated easily and safely in the nursery. Research has demonstrated also that the effects of in utero exposure to methadone are relatively benign.

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women: Pregnant & Using Heroin?

When we are struggling with drug addiction as adults we often find it to be very difficult to deal with. We first refuse to acknowledge that we have a problem with drugs and in the process our health deteriorates rapidly. Is there anything that can be done to remedy the situation? Certainly yes says doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. The concern of many is the health complications that are associated with substance abuse. The problem is further complicated if the victim is a pregnant woman. When we are talking about pregnant women the whole situation changes because the effect is now not just on the adult but also to the unborn baby begging the question “how does heroin abuse affect pregnant women?” this is what we want to unlock in this even as we progress into this discussion.

There is no doubt that if you are pregnant and using heroin it is fundamentally crucial that you need to be under a doctor’s care. If you are already seeing a doctor for prenatal treatment, it is not just enough to see him but it is important that you be honest and informs your doctor that you are using heroin quantity doesn’t matter the doctor needs to know if he is to help you and your unborn child get better. Remember that your case needs special medical attention and holding any information may not serve you well in this case. You may be in denial but the truth of the matter is that if you’re using heroin during pregnancy, you baby is also using the same. This is because your baby depends on you for everything food, breathing and any other needs of life while in the womb.

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women: Effects of heroin on the unborn child?

Heroin slows the growth of your child both during and after pregnancy. As painful as it may be if you do not get medical care in good time, it is four times more likely that your baby will die during your pregnancy or shortly after being born. This is because the baby will be too small to survive thanks to heroin abuse. Doctor Akoury explains that babies born of heroin addicts weigh about one-fourth less than average infants resulting in premature delivery in many cases. It is equally important to note that even a year after birth, most babies of mothers who used heroin while pregnant will still be much smaller than average, and have smaller heads. The complications are further worsened if you fail to get treatment for your addiction. What will happen is that, there’s a good chance that your baby will experience heroin withdrawal, which can cause them to suffer pains for months. Therefore if you are pregnant and using heroin, you need to get help now. This is not something that you can take care of on your own. Talk to the experts AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and get the professionalism in this life threatening situation.

In an effort of trying to get solution, careful attention should be taken so that you do not add more problems than you already have. Like for instance if you try to go “cold turkey” and quit drugs too quickly, you can cause the death of your baby abruptly. Experts believe that this occurs because the baby suddenly becomes hyperactive, then oxygen deprived. For this reason, doctors usually withdraw mothers from heroin after the baby is born or very gradually during pregnancy and on very close supervision, and sometimes this is done by using a replacement drug like methadone. Besides the effects it has on the baby your heroin use puts you too at risk for some serious health conditions. For example, you have a 50 percent chance of developing heart disease, anemia, diabetes, pneumonia, and hepatitis during your pregnancy. These are much higher odds than the average mother faces.

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women: How does Heroin Abuse affect Pregnant Women?

As is the case with every person who uses heroin, pregnant women who expose themselves and their children to this drug run the risk of developing a wide range of health complications with the greatest one being death. Accidental overdose can cause the death of the mother and can also result in spontaneous abortion of the fetus, and can lead to infant death shortly after birth but even if no fatalities occur, the results of heroin use during pregnancy can still be devastating:

Like everything a pregnant woman ingests, heroin can cross the placenta meaning that their babies can develop a dependence on the drug before they are even born. According to the American Pregnancy Association, heroin use during pregnancy can lead to the following conditions in the baby:

  • Premature birth or low birth weight
  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
  • Bleeding in the brain
  • Impaired ability to breathe

Compared with a host of other risks, “low birth weight” may sound like a relatively innocuous effect but being born at less than 5 lbs., 8 oz., has been associated with myriad health problems, including heart failure, intestinal damage, and blindness. Various studies have linked low birth weight with an increased likelihood of developing certain health problems including hypertension, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Women who use heroin while pregnant are also more likely than sober women to experience poor nutrition and inadequate prenatal care both of which put mother and child at a decided disadvantage. Effects including impaired immune function, delayed cognitive development, behavior disorders, and stillbirth have all been associated with substandard nutrition, while neglecting proper prenatal care can allow relatively manageable conditions to progress into more substantial threats to both mother and child. Finally experts are working round the clock to develop safer and more effective means of treating heroin addiction in pregnant women and you can get more information about the best treatment options available for you by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today.

How does heroin abuse affect pregnant women: Various health complications of Heroin abuse?

 

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Various health complications of Heroin abuse

June 5, 2015

Various health complications of Heroin abuse: Short and long term effects

Various health complications of Heroin abuse

Various health complications of Heroin abuse can be corrected if treatment is sought in good time

While looking at the elaborate information about heroin addiction in our previous article, we noted that various studies have established the undoubted prevalence of heroin addiction in this generation. Doctor Akoury establishment of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center has been taking the lead role in creating awareness about the scourge of addiction and most importantly offering lasting solutions to the victims. This is the spirit that every other organization should have and meticulously implement for us to have a vibrant healthy and economically productive society. Because of the addictiveness nature of heroin, the various health complications of heroin abuse are very indiscriminative and everybody is vulnerable in equal measures. With the help of professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, we are going to explore with a view of understanding some of the effects of heroin abuse in our health.

As we had mentioned before that there are three major means of administration of heroin into the body with injection being the most predominant, it has also been established that soon after injection or inhalation and heroin crosses the blood brain barrier. And while in the brain, heroin is converted to morphine and binds rapidly to opioid receptors. With these done abusers will typically report feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation, a “rush” which now brings us to the understanding of some of the short term effects of heroin abuse.

Various health complications of Heroin abuse: Short-term effects of heroin abuse

  • “Rush”
  • Depressed respiration
  • Clouded mental functioning
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Suppression of pain
  • Spontaneous abortion

The intensity of the rush is a function of how much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain and binds to the natural opioid receptors. It is important to note that heroin is particularly addictive because it enters the brain so quickly. With heroin, the rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching. Doctor Akoury further explains that after the initial effects, abusers usually will be drowsy for several hours. Mental function is clouded by heroin’s effect on the central nervous system. Cardiac functions slow. Breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes to the point of death. Heroin overdose is a particular risk on the street, where the amount and purity of the drug cannot be accurately known.

Various health complications of Heroin abuse: What are the long-term effects of heroin use?

One of the most detrimental long-term effects of heroin is addiction itself which is a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Heroin also produces profound degrees of tolerance and physical dependence, which are also powerful motivating factors for compulsive use and abuse. Other long-term effects of heroin abuse may include the following:

  • Addiction
  • Infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C
  • Collapsed veins
  • Bacterial infections
  • Abscesses
  • Infection of heart lining and valves
  • Arthritis and other rheumatologic problems

The common denominator with all addictive drugs is that their users will become their prisoners. In the same way heroin abusers will by and by spend more of their time, energy and resources in obtaining and using the drug. And once addicted and are now prisoners of drugs, their primary purpose in life will be to seek for the drug and use it disorderly thereby making very significant changes in their brains. Besides that as they continue abusing the drug, physical dependence develops with higher doses of the same. This will then cause the body to adapt to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occurring should the drug use be stopped abruptly. When we talk about withdrawal, it is important to note that this can take place even within few hours from the last usage. The following are some of the symptoms of withdrawal restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold sweats with goose bumps (“cold turkey”), and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. And even though heroin withdrawal may never be fatal to healthy adults, this may not be so with unborn children in the womb, it can cause death to the fetus of a pregnant addict.

When using heroin, it is important to note that the continued use of this substance may lead to the user being addicted to it. And this happens; many addicts will have to endure many of the withdrawal symptoms to reduce their tolerance for the drug so that they can again experience the rush. In the past explains doctor Akoury, physical dependence and emergence of withdrawal symptoms were believed to be the key features of heroin addiction. However studies have revealed that this may not be the case entirely, since craving and relapse can also occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone. We also know that patients with chronic pain who need opiates to function (sometimes over extended periods) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is resolved by other means. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief of pain and not the rush sought by the addict.

Various health complications of Heroin abuse: What are the medical complications of chronic heroin abuse?

Finally medical consequences of chronic heroin abuse include scarred or collapsed veins, bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves, abscesses (boils) and other soft-tissue infections, and liver or kidney disease. Lung complications (including various types of pneumonia and tuberculosis) may result from the poor health condition of the abuser as well as from heroin’s depressing effects on respiration. Many of the additives in street heroin may include substances that do not readily dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys and the brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs. Immune reactions to these or other contaminants can cause arthritis or other rheumatologic problems. And of course, sharing of injection equipment or fluids can lead to some of the most severe consequences of heroin abuse – infections with hepatitis B and C, HIV, and a host of other blood-borne viruses, which drug abusers can then pass on to their sexual partners and children. With these explanations, it is only prudent that if you are struggling with heroin addiction, then you need to seek for immediate treatment which can be done professionally if you schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Up on receipt of your request they will slot you in for treatment and help you all the way to reclaim your life back professionally and confidentially.

Various health complications of Heroin abuse: Short and long term effects

 

 

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