Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon

March 13, 2015

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: Important Facts about Cocaine

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon and it use is causing more harm to life. Snorting cocaine is one of the most commonly used method

It is true that cocaine is currently one of the most abused major stimulant drugs not just in America but across the globe. Surprisingly it has recently become the drug most frequently involved in emergency department visits. Cocaine may not be newly abused drug but all the same it is often considered the “caviar” of recreational drugs. Nonetheless this difference is reflected in its descriptions. The cocaine abuse is an endless phenomenon and has been given called the champagne of drugs, gold dust, Cadillac of drugs, status stimulant, yuppie drug, and others. Besides those nouns it also has other street names which are used depending on its appearance or method of use. Such street names may include flake, snow, toot, blow, nose candy, her, she, lady flake, liquid lady “a mixture of cocaine and alcohol”, speedball [cocaine and heroin], crack, rock. In all these names cocaine is commonly known as coke. The name is actually not very important for us says doctor Akoury. Our interest is not in the name because the name alone doesn’t affect life. Whether you nick name it what the impact on its usage is the same and that is our point of concern. That is why we have the choice topic of cocaine abuse is an endless phenomenon.

Even though this is a global problem, we want to zero it down to US for the purpose of this article. The available statistics regarding the use of cocaine in the US is worrying. It is estimated that by 2012 children as young as 12 years representing the younger lot and moving to adulthood had used cocaine. That translates to about 1.7 minion people. And in that same time it is estimated that up to 1.1 million people had suffered from cocaine abuse or dependence. The other important facts about cocaine use include the drop in cocaine use is that men tend to be the biggest users of the drug more often than women. And in fact adults of between 18-25 years of age are by far the highest rate of cocaine use.

Even as we venture into this discussion of cocaine abuse is an endless phenomenon, myths about the drug will always be there and one common myth is that cocaine is not addictive because it lacks the physical withdrawal symptoms seen in alcohol or heroin addiction. In paper that may sound factual, however cocaine does have influential psychological addictive properties. This has been demonstrated by more than one user in the past and in quotes, “if it is not addictive, then why can’t I stop?” That is actually the common statement given by all users of cocaine further confirming the addictive power in this drug. Like for instance, currently the tendency in drug abuse in the United States is currently numerous or poly-drug abuse, and cocaine is not immune either. It is often used with alcohol, sedatives such as diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), or heroin, as an upper/downer combination. Normally in instances like this the other drug is used to moderate the side effects of the primary addiction.

If I may ask why do we say that cocaine abuse an endless phenomenon? The answer to that is in the pattern in which this drug is being used. It appears that at every stage of life there is a group of users who graduate to the next stages and the vicious cycle continues. For example, while college students tend to abuse alcohol more than teens the same age who do not go on to college, non-college students seem to abuse cocaine, as well as marijuana and tobacco, more than their peers who attend college. A common poly-drug abuse problem, seen especially in adolescents, is cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana. If nothing is done then this generation of cocaine, alcohol and marijuana will graduate to collage with this baggage on their shoulders then to adulthood and finally old age. In dealing with this problem, it is important that we appreciate that drug-use disorders spare no one and it cuts across all societies. It has no respect for gender, age, profession, race, religion, or physical attributes.

Cocaine Abuse an endless Phenomenon: History

The ultimate objective of this article is to understand the effects of cocaine abuse and dopamine deficiency syndrome. But before we get there, let us get an overview of the history of this drug. Cocaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid usually extracted from the leaves of the coca shrub, which was originally found in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia. With its appreciation as a lucrative cash crop, it is now cultivated in Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the West Indies, Ecuador, and Java. Coca leaves were mixed with lime and chewed by the Peruvian Indians as early as the sixth century to allay the effects of cold, hunger, and fatigue. It is still used as such as a gift from the Sun God. In this sense, coca is an important sociocultural tradition for Peruvian and Bolivian Indians and should not be confused with the cocaine snorting, smoking, and injecting of the Western abuser. Coca was later introduced to Europe, where the alkaloid cocaine was isolated. Its medicinal effects on depression, alcohol and morphine addiction, fatigue, and as a local anesthetic were discovered. However, these discoveries were not without cost to those who experimented with it. The result was addiction and dependency on the drug.

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: A brain tonic

Interestingly around 1886, an elixir containing cocaine from the coca leaf and caffeine from the African kola nut was introduced in Atlanta. It was traded as a brain tonic recommended as a medication for headaches, alcoholism, morphine addiction, abdominal pain, and menstrual cramps. This elixir, appropriately named Coca-Cola, rapidly became one of the most popular elixirs in the country. However because of the adverse effects of cocaine, appreciated even then, the Coca-Cola Company decided to use a de cocainized coca leaves in 1903. At this time cocaine was under strict control in the United States in 1914 with the Harrison Narcotic Act. It was finally listed as a narcotic and dangerous. Though its use is dangerous, it is not a narcotic, but its use is subject to the same penalties as those for opium, morphine, and heroin.

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: Limited medical use

Cocaine has little medical use. Because of its anesthetic effect, it was used for eye surgery. But because of its profound ability to vasoconstriction blood vessels (that is, make veins and arteries narrow, thus stopping bleeding), it can lead to scarring and delayed healing of the cornea. Medications that are chemically similar to cocaine are available for use in the nose for surgery, stopping nosebleeds, and as a local anesthetic for cuts in children. We are going to continue with is discussion looking at how and why people abuse cocaine both in the past and present but in the meantime if you have any concern about cocaine abuse, you can schedule for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and doctor Dalal Akoury will be of great help to you.

Cocaine Abuse is an endless Phenomenon: Important Facts about Cocaine

How Drug Abuse Affects the Skin in all seasons

December 19, 2014

How Drug Abuse Affects the Skin in all seasons – All drugs are illicit and unhealthy for the Skin

How drug abuse affects the skin in all seasons in many ways. drug addiction is very dangerous to all the body organs including the skin.

We have been talking about the protection of the largest organ for some time now on this link. If you have been on this link in the recent past, you must be aware of the implications of various substances on the skin. We all want to have a radiant looking skin and that is why doctor Dalal Akoury founded a health facility known as AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a medical doctor who has made a lot of change in people’s lives across the globe in her more than two decades of skin care treatment experience. Calling doctor Akoury today for an appointment would mark the first step towards your skin and beauty transformation of a life time. To help you understand the magnitude of being lazy with your skin, we are going to discuss in this article how drug abuse affects the skin in all seasons.

There is no better drug any ware on the surface of the earth. They are all Illicit and some of them include: heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. All these and many more can take a severe toll on the health of your skin. Heroin for example is a central nervous system depressant that slows heart rate, blood circulation, respiration and metabolism

Skin popping as it is commonly known or the practice of injecting heroin under the top layer of the skin leaves distinctive round sores along the skin’s surface. These sores can easily become infected, resulting in permanent scars. For users who are anxious, restless or experiencing cravings, the scabs can become the focus of obsessive picking. Picking at the sores increases the risk of cellulitis, or the infection of the soft tissues underlying the dermis.

Skin lesions are common in heavy methamphetamine users. This central nervous system stimulant can cause a condition called delusional parasitosis, or the false believe that the user is infested with organisms that are crawling across her skin. This condition which is also known as “meth mites” or “cocaine bugs” can lead to severe self-mutilation if the user is acutely intoxicated.

How Drug Abuse Affects the Skin in all seasons – Skin Picking and Heroin Withdrawal

Withdrawing from heroin, a highly addictive opiate is an intensely uncomfortable experience. Restlessness, nervousness, severe cravings and goose bumps can trigger the urge to self-mutilate. Users in withdrawal often say that they feel like they’re crawling out of their skin. In this state, skin picking may provide a momentary sense of release.

Heroin withdrawal affects the skin in several important ways. Goose bumps, along with chills, shivering and cold sweats, occur as the brain adjusts to the absence of this powerful opioid. These bumps are caused by tiny muscles that tighten at the base of the fine hairs that cover the skin. For the user in withdrawal, compulsively rubbing or tugging at the skin may counteract the sensations of cold and restlessness.

Skin picking and self-mutilation can also help the user cope with opiate cravings. The sensations of pleasure or pain are a temporary distraction from the desire to use heroin. Ritualistic picking can provide an outlet for the intense anxiety, nervous tension and restlessness that characterize withdrawal.

But skin picking provides only a temporary relief from the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Once physical withdrawal symptoms begin, they can last for several days. The best way to avoid withdrawal symptoms like goose bumps, sweats and muscle pain is to enter a medically supervised detox program like AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. At a detox center, you can receive the physical and moral support you need to minimize the symptoms of withdrawal and avoid a relapse.

How Drug Abuse Affects the Skin in all seasons – Treatment for Skin Picking Disorders

This is one such treatment which needs a lot of professionalism, for instance doctor Akoury will first carry out an assessment on you to evaluate your psychological soundness before taking any treatment action on such addicts. It must be noted that this substance is very addictive and a comprehensive psychiatric assessment is very vital. Under normal cases an initial, personalized assessment should cover the following areas:

What triggers the behavior?
What does the individual get from the behavior?
Does the individual have co-occurring mental health problems, like anxiety or depression?
Does the individual have an alcohol or drug problem?
Does the person have a family history of mental illness?
Has the person tried any medications or therapies in the past?

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not yet approved any medications specifically for the treatment of BFRBs, several drugs have been used successfully to control the impulse to pick or scratch the skin. The following are some of the medications which can be essentially helpful:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and escitalopram (Lexapro), have been approved for the treatment of depression and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Elavil)
Opioid antagonists, such as naltrexone (ReVia), are used to reduce the pleasurable effects of alcohol and certain narcotics
Neuroleptic medications, such as olanzapine (Zyprexa) and risperidone (Risperdal), are used to treat repetitive, compulsive behaviors

Along with medication, behavioral modification therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can help reduce the urge to self-mutilate. These therapies have also proven to be valuable in the treatment of drug addiction.

How Drug Abuse Affects the Skin in all seasons – Hope for Compulsive Behaviors

Skin picking and hair pulling, like drug or alcohol abuses are not conditions to be taken lightly because the consequences of not taking immediate action can be very destructive. Because we are dealing a very delicate organ, when strong substances like heroin are a bused, the effect on the skin can be very wanting. I encourage you to take the beauty restoration of your skin seriously by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for an elaborate treatment procedure. Dr. Akoury will be waiting for your call to help you regain the life of your skin. Remember that the main objective of doctor Akoury and her team of experts are 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 is very interesting to note that 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. Take that bold step and call her today so that you can have your beauty back with the most experienced professionals.

How Drug Abuse Affects the Skin in all seasons – All drugs are illicit and unhealthy for the Skin

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin

March 17, 2014

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin-Drug Scourge

There is evidence of heroin and cocaine deaths in male than female according to studies conducted

The society and the world over are weeping in great anguish of endless death thanks to the renewed vigor in drug usage. You take a walk in the streets and parks of our beautiful nations and you are saddened with what you see, young and old together drinking and smoking publicly and secretly. Our governments have legalized the use of some of these drugs and are making millions and millions of money inform of taxes all in the name of revenue for development, security and wellbeing of its citizens.

When you take a keen observation on majority of illness keeping patients in hospitals for weeks, months and even years are 90 percent related to the drug consumption. It does not matter the intensity of the consumption, whether one is an addict or not the common denominator is that both are using drugs. Legal or illegal, cheap or expensive whatever the adjective you choose to describe the noun drug we have patients in hospitals, at homes and learning institutions suffering from different illnesses associated with drug use.

Researches are working round the clock trying to find remedies for drug related problems and the authorities/governments are spending a big percentage of the revenue they collect from firms associated with drugs in treatment research and creating awareness of what they themselves are promoting in some way. Anyway there are numerous types of drugs being abused today and it is all important that we talk about them openly and without any shame. I beseech all of us to face the society with the real truth about the abuse of drugs but for the purpose of this article I want to zero in to two killer drugs in our society (especially in Europe) today that is Cocaine and Heroin.

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin-Drug induced deaths

Much as there are many unreported cases, the number of reported drug-induced deaths today can be influenced by the prevalence and patterns of drug use (injection, polydrug use), the age and the co-morbidities of drug users, and the availability of treatment and emergency services, as well as by the quality of data collection and reporting. Improvements in the reliability of European data have allowed better descriptions of trends, and most countries have now adopted a case definition endorsed by the EMCDDA. Nevertheless, caution must be exercised when comparing countries because there are still differences in reporting methodology and data sources. But the common denominator is that drug induced deaths are skyrocketing.

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin-Opioids

Opioids, mainly heroin or its metabolites, are present in the majority of drug-induced deaths reported in Europe. In the 22 countries providing data for 2008 or 2009, opioids accounted for the large majority of all cases: over 90 % in five countries, and between 80 % and 90 % in a further 12. Substances often found in addition to heroin include alcohol, benzodiazepines, other opioids and, in some countries, cocaine.

This suggests that a substantial proportion of all drug-induced fatalities occur in a context of polydrug use, as illustrated by a review of toxicology of drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2000-07. It showed that the presence of heroin and alcohol were positively associated, particularly among older males. Among men whose deaths were related to heroin, alcohol was present in 53 % of those aged 35 and more, compared to 36 % in cases under 35.

Men account for most overdose deaths reported in Europe at 81 %. Overall, there are around four males for each female case (with the ratio ranging from 1.4:1 in Poland to 31:1 in Romania). In the Member States that joined the EU more recently, reported drug-induced deaths are more likely in males and in younger people compared to the pre-2004 Member States and Norway. Patterns differ across Europe, with higher proportions of males reported in southern countries. Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway report higher proportions of older cases. In the majority of countries, the average age of those dying of heroin overdoses is in the mid-thirties, and in many countries it is increasing.

A number of factors are associated with fatal and non-fatal heroin overdoses. These include injection and simultaneous use of other substances, in particular alcohol, benzodiazepines and some antidepressants. Other factors linked with overdoses are binge drug use, co-morbidity, homelessness, poor mental health (e.g. depression and intentional poisoning), not being in drug treatment, previous experience of overdose, and being alone at the time of overdose. The time immediately after release from prison or discharge from drug treatment is a particularly risky period for overdoses, as illustrated by a number of longitudinal studies.

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin-Trends in drug-induced deaths

Drug-induced deaths increased sharply in Europe during the 1980s and early 1990s, paralleling the increase in heroin use and drug injection, and thereafter remained at high levels. Between 2000 and 2003, most EU Member States reported a decrease, followed by a subsequent increase from 2003 until 2008. Preliminary data available for 2009 suggest an overall figure equal to or slightly below that for 2008. Where a comparison is possible, the numbers of deaths reported have decreased in some of the largest countries, including Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The reasons for the sustained or increasing numbers of reported drug-induced deaths in some countries are difficult to explain, especially given the indications of decreases in injecting drug use and increases in the numbers of opioid users in contact with treatment and harm-reduction services. Possible explanations include: increased levels of polydrug use or high-risk behavior; increases in the numbers of relapsing opioid users leaving prison or treatment; and an ageing cohort of more vulnerable drug users.

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin-Overall mortality related to drug use

Overall mortality related to drug use comprises drug-induced deaths and those caused indirectly through the use of drugs, such as through the transmission of infectious diseases, cardiovascular problems and accidents. Deaths indirectly related to drug use are difficult to quantify, but their impact on public health can be considerable. Such deaths are mainly concentrated among problem drug users, although some (e.g. traffic accidents) occur among occasional users.

Estimates of overall drug-related mortality can be derived in various ways, for example by combining information from mortality cohort studies with estimates of drug use prevalence. Another approach is to use existing general mortality statistics and estimate the proportion related to drug use.

The source of death in Cocaine and Heroin-Drug Scourge

Tag Archives: Heroine and Cocaine