Tag Archives: Mental disorder

Naloxone and Sex Addiction

May 23, 2015

The Role of Naloxone in Sex Addiction

NaloxoneSex addiction is not yet recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a distinct diagnosis and they coat it in names like hypersexual disorder but are just that, it doesn’t reduce the severity that those addicted to sex suffer. Sex addiction is one of the most common addictions today that many teens as well as adults alike are enslaved to. Sex addiction has been on the rise thanks to the digital age that has availed pornographic materials at the click of the button. Just like with other forms of addiction exposure to erotic movies, books and pornographic clips play a role in escalating the rates of addiction generally and increasing an individual’s chances of getting into the bottomless abyss of sex addiction.

However, there is a misconception that sex addiction is just about sex, Robert Weiss the director of Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles is quick to rubbish this, he says that sex addiction isn’t just about sex but rather the obsession about sex. Sex addiction is characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and actions. If a person has a sex addiction he will no longer have the power to control the sexual desires that will crawl his mind all the time. When a person is addicted to sex he loses his will not only in controlling his/her desire for sex but he will also lose focus on other aspects of life as his thoughts become caged in a sexual abyss.

Just like any form of addiction sex addiction has its share of darkness, when one is addicted to sex, he will suffer the consequences in all his spheres of life; socially, physically and emotionally. As have been evident those who are addicted to sex may never maintain any steady relationship and even they may become withdrawn and find it hard to easily mingle in social circles. Like in heroin addiction, the brain chemistry will be adversely altered; the neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin become dependent on the acts of sex as they will become the only avenue through which the levels of dopamine can be boosted. When this doesn’t happen they will exhibit down feelings and depression and anxiety will find their way in.

However, sex addicts should be treated with care and shown love as most of them never played a part in the events that culminated into sex addiction. Statistics have shown that most of those who are addicted to sex got there because of acts of sexual abuse they were subjected to earlier in their lives. Sex abuse is a leading cause of sex addiction. Nevertheless the cause of sex addiction doesn’t matter what matters is the menace is real and is underrated by the American Psychiatric Association. The addicts need help just like other people addicted to drugs and other behavioral addictions.

Some of the signs and symptoms of sex addiction include;

Like I stated earlier, sex addiction impacts your life in all spheres; socially, physically and emotional. But since I can’t tell all about sex addiction in a single post, I will not delve much into these categories of the signs and symptoms.

Sex with multiple partners– when a person has an obsession for sex he may not draw the redline to demarcate who he involves with sexually and who he doesn’t and so he may engage in sexual activities with even strangers and this may put him / her at risk of venereal diseases.

They may often suffer mental emotional torture as the feelings of guilt loneliness and fear may creep in their thoughts most of the times they are lonely. Feelings of emptiness may even catapult their urge to meet new sexual partners.

Treating sex addiction with naloxone

NaloxoneToday there is little literature on the effectiveness of naloxone in treatment of sex addicts. There have been few research studies that have been done on the same and even the very studies that have been done were done on a much smaller scope to communicate any reliable information. With this said, naloxone isn’t a new drug as it has been used in the past for treatment of heroin overdose and addiction to opioids. This drug has been a favorite for many addicts and doctors as it is non-addictive unlike other opiates like methadone. It has been particularly been found to be effective in treatment of addiction-induced respiratory depression. It is also useful in ultra-rapid detoxifications and helps restore balance in the brain chemistry. Naloxone is an antagonist and works by blocking receptors in the brain hence breaking the chain in reward mechanism.

Today the WHO still maintains that naloxone is an essential drug owing to its effectiveness in treatment of heroin addiction. Its use in health institutions all over the world is approved by the FDA. There is much to be done in order to show the effects of this drug on sex addiction treatment. There has been growing body of interest in its use in the area as it has been found to be free from abuse by those using as it is not addictive.

Sex addiction isn’t about sex, it is the obsession about sex and lots must be done to free anybody caged in this. We at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to giving help to those addicted to sex. Could you be a victim of this menace, feel free to call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for help.

The Role of Naloxone in Sex Addiction

 

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Medical Tourism And Treatment of Addiction

March 11, 2015

The Role of Medical Tourism in Treatment of Addiction

Basically medically tourism can be defined as the act of a person leaving his country to seek medical care in a different country or simply beyond the country’s borders. In the past medical tourism involved patients from third world countries traveling to developed countries in search of qualified medical doctors to treat their diseases. This meant that the patient had good money to spend in treatment in the country he was visiting for medical care. However today medical tourism has taken a new dimension with patients traveling from the developed countries to developing countries for affordable medical care. These patients are evading heavy financial crisis that they may plunge into if they opt to treat the diseases in their own countries where the cost of treatment is higher than in the countries they are visiting.

It is important to appreciate the fact that the patients who leave their countries to come and seek medical attention in developing countries are not destitute. In their countries they may form part of the middle class but they certainly have higher purchasing power than the citizens of the countries they visit for medical attention. They are therefore welcomed in these countries by the governments who view medical tourism as a chance to create more national income from it therefore it is greatly encouraged.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is a multimillion business that is known worldwide. However medical tourism if not well managed may result in some problems to the countries the medical tourist visit. Just like the common tourism you always know of, I mean that of adventure and leisure that has both positive and negative impacts on the countries the tourists visit the medical tourism is also a double edged sword. It therefore needs to be well managed for the benefits to be enjoyed. Apart from all the benefits that a country visited by a medical tourist will get, we need to look at the role of medical tourism in treatment of addiction.

Medical Tourism avails effective treatment for addiction

Medical tourism has far many benefits to an addict seeking help. To begin with we know that that the biggest hurdle to addicts in overcoming addiction is the presence of triggers that lie just outside the rehab walls. A change in the environment especially leaving a country to a different provides an addict with an opportunity to evade these triggers that may make him to fall back into drug use. These triggers may include the people they were drinking with or even some type of music that is usually played in bars and other places of leisure as people drink and use other drugs. When a person is receiving treatment in a different country, not only the location changes but also the culture which places learning and adventure at the top of the list while pulling the triggers out of the way of an addict.

The addict will also have access to some of the most unique addiction treatment practices across the world, treatments that have been used for centuries in treatment of addiction and have been proved to be very effective. Without the limits of the addicts country’s borders, a whole new world of variety of effective treatments open up for the addict to explore and choose from, of course with help from highly qualified doctors and healers. An example of a unique treatment of addiction that medical tourism avails for an addict is the Ayurvedic herbal Treatment;

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments of addiction

Ayurvedic treatments are one of the oldest therapies in the world with its roots in India. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. But treatments may be recommended for specific health problems. The best thing with ayurvedic treatment is that it is holistic. That is to say that it focuses more on the wellness of the patient other than on treating the patient of the symptoms of the disease. It focuses on uprooting the disease by maintaining the delicate balance of the mind, the body and the spiritual being of the patient.

Medical TourismOne of the greatest Ayurvedic theories is that everything in the universe be it living or not are not is connected. Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe. Even the slightest disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness. A person should therefore coexist with the universe. To begin with you need to appreciate the fact that anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe and therefore bring you lots of diseases. Ayurvedic treatment is also known as Ayurveda. Through medical tourism addicts from all over the world have been travelling to India for Ayurvedic herbal treatments. This can be credited to its effectiveness in treatment of addiction. Ayurvedic medicine works through these mediums to help an addict overcome addiction and offer complete healing.

Ayurvedic Diet– through ayurvedic diet, a patient will get lost nutrients restored; ayurvedic healers will tailor a diet aimed at recovery for every patient.

Meditation – this is a crucial part of Ayurveda. Meditation helps addicts in the path of self-discovery and also helps them deal with stress and depression better. It effectively addresses depression which is common in addicts as a withdrawal symptom.

Yoga– this involves a series of exercise and postures that will help in deep purification that is needed in getting drug debris out of the system of the patient. It only improves good health and restores the balance of energy in the body.

Achieving Balance– when a person has recovered from drug addiction, ayurvedic medicine will help him to achieve and maintain the physical, mental, and spiritual health balance.

Finally, addiction is a disease that should be approached integratively just in order to be won. Medical tourism avails an opportunity for an addict to find integrative medicine that may not be in their countries. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to offer the best treatment available to addicts. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more help in any kind of addiction you may be wrestling with.

The Role of Medical Tourism in Treatment of Addiction

 

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Alcohol Abuse Linked To Head and Neck Cancer

January 21, 2015

Alcohol Abuse Increases The Risk of Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck cancerThere are several types of cancers that are not known to many but are just as serious as the other common cancers like the breast cancer, prostate cancer and even the cervical cancer. Head and neck cancers may be new to you but they have been in existence for just as long as the other common types of cancer it’s only that most people refer to this group by the identity of the individual cancers in the group. Today, head and neck cancers account for approximately 3 percent of all cancers in the United States alone. These cancers are nearly twice as common among men as they are among women. Head and neck cancers are also diagnosed more often among people over age 50 than they are among younger people but indulgence in behaviors that might increase your risk of getting head and neck cancers begin earlier.

Causes of the head and neck cancers

There are many causes of head and neck cancer but alcohol and smoking are the biggest culprits. This doesn’t come as a surprise as alcohol and smoking have been known to be carcinogenic. Researchers of the past have long been able to make it known that about 75 percent of head and neck cancers are caused by a combination of alcohol and tobacco use. Not long ago, two large studies have reviewed patterns of alcohol and tobacco use in people with cancer of the mouth, throat, and larynx, the head and neck cancers most likely to be caused by smoking and drinking.

Of these studies, one study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, and another was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Both studies assembled data from previous case-controlled studies and included myriads of cases of laryngeal, pharyngeal, and oral cancers matched against normal controls. The reported findings from these studies shed some light on just how alcohol and tobacco alone or in combination can influence the development of the head and neck cancers. Cancer and smoking to most seem synonymous but lately researchers have been able to establish links between cancers and alcohol drinking too. Here are some of the findings from these two studies findings.

  • Smoking lightly for many years increases the risk of head and neck cancer more than smoking heavily for only a few years.
  • Drinking heavily for a few years increases the risk of head and neck cancer more than drinking moderately for many years.
  • Smoking is most strongly associated with laryngeal cancer.
  • Just smoking increases the risk of head and neck cancer substantially and the risk goes up with the frequency and duration of smoking.
  • Just drinking only increases the risk of head and neck cancer if you have three or more drinks a day.

“These studies are interesting but the most important thing for people to know is that smoking and drinking each increase your risk of head and neck cancer and smoking and drinking together multiply your risk. That means that the cumulative effect is worse than just adding the two risk factors together,” warns Tamer Ghanem, MD, PhD, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

How alcohol Drinking and tobacco smoking causes cancer

As stated earlier, both alcohol and tobacco are known to be carcinogenic. The most known cause of cancer is DNA alteration which leads to gene mutation. Alcohol is full of these carcinogens that once inside the body triggers changes in the DNA make up. Equally tobacco is made up of a cocktail of many toxins that when consumed causes a series of DNA alterations.

Alcohol alone has been shown to cause changes in the cells of the oral mucosa and may damage head and neck cell DNA. This finding now points out to the reality that alcohol abuse alone even without the combination with cigarette smoking is enough to cause the head and neck cancers.

These reports also showed that in a tobacco smoke there are more than 60 are carcinogenic chemicals that does more harm than good when inhaled.

Alcohol may act as a solvent, making it easier for carcinogens in tobacco to enter head and neck cells. This may explain that in combination the effects of smoking and drinking of alcohol can be adverse and escalate the risk of head and neck cancers catching up with the smoker.

Head and Neck CancerFrom these study findings we can say that people who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk of developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone. However it is safe to quit using alcohol even if you are not a smoker as these two studies plus other earlier ones have been able to establish and cement the fact that alcohol drinking alone is enough to cause DNA alterations which eventually leads to cancers of the Head and neck.

Some common symptoms of Head and neck cancers

Some of these symptoms may include swollen Pharynx, breathing problems, a lump or a sore that does not heal, a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty in swallowing, and a change or hoarseness in the voice. When you find yourself suffering from these symptoms that may also be same as those people suffer when sick of colds and fever it is good to check with a doctor before it’s too late.

Finally, Drug abuse, addiction and independence are problems that people grapple with every day. These problems need to be treated effectively through integrative medicine. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert at this. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Alcohol Abuse and Head and Neck Cancer

 

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Low T linked to Depression in Women

January 12, 2015

Low T Levels Causing Depression in Women

DepressionTestosterone is needed by the women just like men need it. In case of a drop in its level below the optimum a woman may experience such symptoms as Low libido, fatigue and depression among other symptoms of low testosterone in women. Of the many symptoms, depression is a call for concern as it leads to even other bigger problems. Depression leads even to suicide among other health risks that can be directly linked to it. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle and bone development. Obviously males have a higher level of testosterone than women during adolescent years, which lead to a more muscular stature. This continues into adulthood and is the main reason why males have a bigger muscle mass than women. the fact that women have low testosterone levels as compared to men does not mean that they do not have much to do with the hormone, this hormone is crucial in the body of females and when the levels fall far below the optimum then the woman will suffer the symptoms already mentioned above.

Depression is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry. Researchers have found out the other factors contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstances. Any of these factors alone or in combination can precipitate changes in brain chemistry that lead to depression’s many symptoms. According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the most disabling disorders in the world, affecting roughly one in five women and one in ten men at some point in their lifetime. It is estimated that 21% of women and 12% of men in the U.S will experience an episode of depression at some point in their lifetime. These statistics show that depression is here with us and so we need to do much to save our women from its adverse effects.

Major causes of low testosterone

Low Progesterone Levels- when the levels of progesterone reduce then the levels of testosterone will also reduce. This is because it is progesterone that converts into androstenedione from which testosterone is produced. Therefore when there is an insufficient level of progesterone in the body then the production of testosterone will equally be insufficient. However as women approach menopause the production of progesterone hormone falls which in turn induces a fall in the production of testosterone hence this explains why women who are over 40 exhibit the symptoms of lower levels of testosterone fatigue and even depression.

Oral Contraceptive– there are contraceptives that causes low production of sex hormones in women. The contraceptives especially the oral contraceptives affect the production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Using oral contraceptives for a long time can alter the body’s ability to produce the sex hormones naturally leading to dwindling levels of testosterone in women. According to a study in the January 2006 issue of the “Journal of Sex Medicine,” women who used the pill may be exposed to long term problems with low testosterone. A protein called sex hormone binding globulin is found in the pill and binds with testosterone to stop it being used. Users of the pill have shown continued high levels of sex hormone binding globulin in their body after stopping use.

Age- naturally as a woman grows older the production of hormones become slowed, at menopause the ovaries will stop producing testosterone and even the adrenal glands will stop producing hormones that are often converted to testosterone and this leads to low testosterone levels.

Organ failure- just like any other organ of the body, the organs that are charged with responsibility of failure producing hormones like testosterone may fail to work properly. When the ovaries become dysfunctional which is often referred to us premature ovarian failure. This problem can also be caused by an illness such as cancer that results in removal of ovaries hence no more production of testosterone. The pituitary glands may also fail to regulate the amount of testosterone that is to be produced in case they malfunction.

Low T and depression in women

It is known fact that women suffer more often from depression than males and this is a clear indication that hormones might be involved in the etiology of this disorder. Low as well as high testosterone levels is related to depression and well-being in women, Lower levels are related to depression, osteoporosis, declining libido, dyspareunia and an increase in total body fat mass.

DepressionThere are also scenarios when the levels of androgens may be excess in the body of women. This is referred to as Hyperandrogenic. Its symptoms include hirsutism, acne and polycystic ovary syndrome. Through social research it has been suggested that high androgen levels cause aggressive behavior in men and women and as a consequence may cause depression. Higher androgen values are more pronounced at young ages and before and after delivery of a baby. It has also been found that depression in pubertal girls correlated best with an increase in testosterone levels in contrast to the common belief that environmental factors during the time of growing up might be responsible for mood swings in girls.

Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center has dedicated her life to helping patients restore their lives by use of integrative medicine. She also holds many conferences in which she offers training on how integrative medicine can be used to fight addiction and mental disorders among other conditions. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Low T Levels Causing Depression in Women

 

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Understanding Depression

July 16, 2014

What is depression?

Depression is one of the common symptoms of addiction from drugs. It refers to a condition or illness that causes a constant feeling of sadness and lack of interest. The depressed person will in most cases stay isolated and doesn’t like talking to other people around. Although it is common that any human being will at one time feel moody and not willing to talk with people around, this happens for some time then it disappears. In the case of depressed persons this state doesn’t seem to go away.

What causes this depression?

depressionDepression mostly is caused by chemical compounds which lower neurotransmission levels, which in turn depresses or reduces arousal or simulation in various areas of the brain. These drugs which contain this compound known to cause depression are widely being used all over the world either as prescription medicines or illicit substances. These drugs are used for their effects which are initially friendly e.g. pain relief, sedation etc. but in the long run or abuse, they result into depression.

Which are the indicators of depression?

Depression symptoms can be identified through behavior of the depressed person, or through the feeling of the depressed. Some of the common symptoms of depression may include;

  • Concentration difficulties, difficulties in remembering details of something and even decision making difficulties. The depressed person can be observed to possess at least one all even all of these challenges.
  • Loss of interest in activities. The person may loss interest in activities that he/she liked previously. For instance, a person who liked playing chess, may no longer show any interest in playing it and his/her friends may be able to observe this abrupt change in taste.
  • The depressed person may show signs of chronic headaches, cramps, pains etc.
  • Sometimes the depressed person will possess intense sadness, anxiety and “feeling” towards the people around.
  • The person may look restless. In many cases, a depressed person will not seem to settle and often he/she looks disturbed by something unknown.
  • Some victims of depression are faced with fatigue and decrease in energy that they initially possessed.
  • A depressed person may feel worthless and helpless. This can be observed when the person possessed indicators of low esteem.
  • A depressed person will either miss sleep or oversleep. In terms of sleeping they do it to the extremes.
  • Another symptom worthy mentioning is that a depressed person possesses thoughts of suicide or sometimes attempt to commit suicide.

Note: The depressed person may possess several of these symptoms at the same time and thus, do not over rely on one indicator to judgment. Also note that sometimes, what you see as a symptom may actually not be. For instance, not all the times being moody will be considered a symptom of depression!

Diagnosis of depression

The detection of depression and determination of its type and intensity requires a professional person. Are you wondering where you will get these professionals? Then you don’t have to worry anymore! At AWAREmed, we have professionals who will diagnose you and if diagnosed with depression, you will be given the appropriate treatment for you to recover completely.

How we diagnose

It is a fact that we had for long been accustomed to doctors using specialized blood tests or some other expensive lab tests which helped them in making a conclusive diagnosis. This is no longer helpful when it comes to depression. One of the most powerful tool which has been proven effective is talking to the patient, as you try to analyze the situation and identify symptoms. This is the tool that we mainly use to ensure that we give you the most appropriate and effective treatment which will lead you to a very fast recovery from depression. The importance of it is to give you a sustained recovery. It has been common that depression as a mental problem in many cases may have some other underlying factors, which not unless they are addressed, the result may not be sustained for long and thus lapse may occur.

depression

How do we treat depression?

Just like any other disease, treatment of depression begins with diagnosis. Once you have been diagnosed with depression, you can now proceed to the step of treatment. Here, the doctor will discuss various depression options with you. The appropriate treatment for depression will depend on the type of depression you have. For example, based on the type of depression that you have, the doctor will decide which of either antidepressants, psychotherapy or both will work best for you. The appropriate treatment will then be administered.

Sometimes, a person may be subjected to a given treatment and then he/she doesn’t respond to the standard depression treatment. In this case, the doctor may opt you train your brain via simulation techniques. Whatever treatment the doctor prescribes to you, it is importat to note that there is no instant solution. You must be patient to heal slowly and finally be fully depression free. You must remember that you should not give up in the race of addiction recovery.

What is depression?

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