Testosterone Replacement Therapy as Part of Addiction Recovery

November 15, 2014

Testosterone Replacement Therapy as Part of Addiction Recovery

Testosterone replacement therapy involves supplementation of testosterone inform of injections, pellets, patches or gel in order to treat conditions in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is also available in IV forms. Just like the estrogen replacement therapy in women, this ought to be done by an expert as the dosage is important for better results and to mitigate on the side effects. This therefore cannot be done without the help of an expert. This therapy has been found to be effective in fighting hypogonadism. It is also good in improves energy levels, perfect body mass, sex functions and muscle strength among other benefits.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been used for a long time in treatment of men with erectile problems. Hypogonadism is a problem that most men go through and seek treatment from every day. The use of testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadism is not news, however there is little known about the connection of testosterone replacement therapy and addiction recovery. To any layman there seems to be no connection between these two phenomena. Maybe it is better to know what roles the testosterone hormone plays in the bodies of human beings.

Roles of testosterone hormone

Contrary to what many people think, testosterone plays many roles in our bodies and not only sex roles. Many people think that deficiency in testosterone hormone can only affect your sexual life but the reality is that this hormone very many roles beyond ensuring a healthy sex life. Apart from production of sperms, the testosterone hormone is also crucial in production of red blood cells. This hormone also helps in distribution of fats in the body parts, increasing muscle mass, improving bone mineral density and even regulation of moods in a person. A person with low testosterone levels is often very moody, this explains why men with hypogonadal testosterone levels are mostly in bad moods. It is also this hormone that gives men the physique of man- masculinity.

Several studies have also found out that high levels of testosterone in a person reduce their risks of developing depression. Many researchers have proved that many men who suffer from depression are of low testosterone levels and therefore testosterone replacement therapy may help them to fight depression. After testosterone replacement therapy most depression patients break free from the bonds of depression. Depression is a major problem that men deal with today.

Today, in the United States alone, the number of men who have fallen victims to depression have doubled the number of women suffering from the same. This is because of the many roles that this hormone plays in men. Scientists have proved that maintaining an optimum level of testosterone hormone is an effective way of fighting depression. In a study that was published in 2005 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, a team of researchers from the US Department of Veterans Affairs examined the connection between low testosterone levels and future depression risks in more than 700 men who were at least 50 years old. The report concluded that men aged below 50 years with low testosterone level were more likely to become depressed than men within the same age but have optimum level of testosterone hormone.

This is not the only study that established the connection between testosterone and depression. Another study that was published in 2003 in the American Journal of Psychiatry also examined the connection between these two phenomena. The research done by Harvard University worked with 56 men who had developed major depression but had failed to respond to antidepressant treatments. The researchers found that 40 percent of the men had low testosterone levels. It is therefore safe to conclude that testosterone replacement therapy can help fight depression.

Depression and Addiction Recovery

Depression seems to be the major link between testosterone replacement therapy and addiction recovery. Addicts have to fight depression even during addiction recovery. Depression should not be mistaken for a mere feeling of being down. Depression takes longer and even drains a person’s energy, in fact it because of depression that addicts are trapped in their use of substances. They take drugs to help them escape depression but use of these drugs will also result in depression as a side effect and so it is a continuous cycle. Depression may cause addiction or exacerbate it. There are also cases where there may be a dual diagnosis of addiction and depression in a patient. Each of these conditions can be cause and result as to some addiction comes first while to others depression is the original disease. It is therefore necessary to fight depression during addiction recovery as it may force the addict to use the drug in a bid to escape the symptoms of depression. Due to poor management of depression addicts have committed suicide as a result of depression. Therefore using testosterone replacement therapy which is known to not only fight addiction but also improving cognitive functions of the brain can help a great deal in fighting addiction.

Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we encourage addicts to go for addiction recovery in rehabs we have qualified doctors who will see to it that every addict is helped to break the bond of addiction and enjoy life of freedom. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is committed to availing help to every patient. Call on her at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy as Part of Addiction Recovery

Understanding Addiction Therapy

July 6, 2014

Psychotherapy for Addiction

It is well known that therapy examines the patterns and rituals of the person who has the addiction beside his or her addiction history, usually beginning at a juvenile or youthful age. Psychotherapy also treats any substance abuse or an addiction that a person may have encountered as child or adolescent and aids a person make any association to his or her temporary behaviors. Mostly in therapy, a person learns to recognize his or her trigger and danger zones that can add to a trend to want to reiterate past behaviors. Such treatment may also discover a person’s automatic negative thoughts, so that he or she can learn to stop unnecessary thought patterns that donate to detrimental behaviors. It is vital that an individual seek management and healing from a skilled therapist or counselor that has received training specifically in their area of addiction and who has also worked with individuals in the past that have had a triumphant recuperation plan.

Counselor or therapist may also consist of contracting with the person to take part in a weekly support group, initiate an accountability loop that will involve at least two other people recuperating from such addiction, find a. adviser, or sponsor who they meet with several times a month, and/or read suggested or recommended books amid sittings or sessions to advance their approach of their situation or circumstance.

It is widely recognized that therapy examines the prototypes and habit of the personality who has the addiction alongside his or her addiction record, typically beginning at a youthful or juvenile age. Therapy also take care of any stuff abuse or an addiction that a person may have come across as minor or adolescent and aids one to make any connection to his or her brief or short behaviors. Habitually in therapy, a person learns how to distinguish his or her trigger and danger areas that can include a tendency to want to repeat past behaviors. Such like action may also realize a person’s habitual negative feelings or views, so that he or she can gain knowledge of to stop unnecessary thought patterns that contribute to harmful behaviors. It is essential and critical that a person seek management and healing from a expert and accomplished therapist or counselor that has received education exclusively and particularly in their area of addiction and who has also worked with persons in the past that have had a successful or victorious recovery plan.

addiction

The outcome of substance abuse can be major or important; nevertheless, with the accurate and correct addiction recovery therapy program, it is achievable to lead a strong, vigorous and healthy life. Substance abuse like drug and alcohol can take a weighty and insignificant toll on every phase or aspect of one’s life. It can cause strain in various relationship that can include family relationships, friend and can crash your wellbeing or health. According to the stuff Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there were a whooping five million and over visits to the emergency room in the year 2011 related to drug exploit. Roughly half of the visits made were connected with the abuse or mishandling of drugs.

What stage is the therapy needed?

Most of these victims of addiction frequently misguidedly think that they can overcome their addictions by themselves. In realism, drug addiction can be pretty difficult. Whereas our loved ones may really have a strong craving or yearning to quit, fruitfully recovering from addiction like drug or alcohol calls for specialized help. Still even the strongest person with the will to stop may find it tricky or hard to triumph over addiction without the aid of an addiction recovery plan. This will be because addictions like for drugs and alcohol in reality adjust or alters the way the brain works or functions. The elements contained in such thing s like drugs and alcohol generate changes in the brain that can actually cultivate substance abuse on an uncontrollable level. In case your loved ones or even yourself have tried to quit in vain or fruitlessly in the past, it is significant to recognize that it is possible to get better, and help is on hand and accessible.

addiction therapy

Acknowledging that your loved ones or even you may need addiction treatment or therapy can be hard and tricky at times, so the first step to really getting better is for one to come out and admit they have a problem. According to the National Council on Drug Dependence and Alcoholism, Inc., signs of dependency may comprise of mood swings, behavioral change, and social withdrawals among others. In case you notice any of these symptoms of addiction of any kind listed above in family member, a friend even your own self, then it’s time to look out for professional addiction therapy. Get hold of a professional help as it will be vital to addiction recovery. If anyone you know one is presently battling with any kind of addiction then do not wait for long before seeking help from a well qualified therapist.

Psychotherapy for Addiction

Internet Addiction and Its Treatment

June 30, 2014

Internet addiction is an impulse control disorder that does not usually require use of intoxicating drugs. It’s also very similar to drug addiction and even gambling. These addicts of the net may at times build up emotional affection to friends they meet online. Some of these friends that they have never met physically before in their lives. Some will even create activities online to keep them going back to the net. These platforms like social networking websites, chat rooms are just some of the aspects that these internet addicts use.

Blogging has also been known to keep internet lovers for many, many hours on screen while searching for internet topics and even end up trying to imagine themselves in the topic or discussion. What is blogging? It’s a web blog where a person can post their comments or ideas while keeping ordinary journal of events.

Just like other addictions, internet addicts usually have the desire of connecting to the real people or at least who they think are real through the net. They find it as an alternative to connecting to people who they would have not achieved by and large. This addiction is growing so much and very fast rate among the youth. The fact that gadgets like mobile phones are easily attainable has also widely contributed. There is also very little restrictions as to who and what age one should handle a phone. The world has gone very digital that a day without internet can be a very long day for these addicts.

Effects of internet addiction

Just like any other addictions, internet addiction will most of the time end in academic, , personal, financial, occupational and even family problems that are more often characterized by other addictions. Most real life affairs like marriage, friendship and even social life are always affected because of too much use of the internet because these addicts spend too much of their time in seclusion. They don’t spend enough time with the real people around them. They become so anti social that people will start finding them awkward because of the time they spend on the internet.

Have you even seen the people who surf the net and when they see someone approaching they hide whatever it is they were doing in the net? Well these are just some of the characteristics of internet addiction. They always don’t like people knowing that they spend too much of their time on the net. These kind of actions will also lead to the detriment of a quality relationship that was once very stable.

Some will even go as far as creating multiple online identities or profiles where they will pretend to be someone other people and even engage people in conversation using all those identities. They even go as far believing that all those identities are real. People who are susceptible to this kind of addictions are mostly people with very low self esteem of themselves. The ones who feel unwanted and inadequate in the society or among their peers

internet addiction

Addiction is addiction and people facing internet addiction are bound to face severe withdrawal symptoms that will include mood swings, fear, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, anger and even depression. Others will even be bored and have stomach upsets. Too much dependency on the net will also make someone develop medical problems that will most of the time include backaches, dry eyes and carpal tunnel syndrome. Some are even known to have eating irregularities, difficulty in sleeping and even poor personal hygiene.

Signs and symptoms of internet addiction

When one stays on the net for more hours than he had expected and is still not satisfied. When your thoughts are constantly on what you had encountered or watched on the net earlier even when you are not online and is anxious about the next episode or series or program. When you find yourself gradually remaining alone without friends, job or even an important relationship that there once was then know that you are headed to the problem of getting addicted to the net. Some even go as far as lying to close friends, bosses, family members and even therapists that they don’t have such problems in an attempt to hide the extent of the addiction.

Help and treatment of internet addiction

Agreeing and accepting that one has a problem with internet is the first step to getting help. There are usually trained addiction therapist who will more often execute assessment to find out the level of addiction and give an appropriate care. Counseling and abstinence can help resolve internet addiction. One needs to get help as soon as possible as this addiction has led to serious problems such as infant deaths or malnutrition due to neglect by their parents or caretakers who spend more time on net instead of tending to them due to internet addiction.

Internet Addiction and Its Treatment

Ritalin Addiction and Abuse

June 14, 2014

Ritalin Addiction and Abuse-Withdrawal and Treatment

Ritalin addiction affects the brain and can be very devastating.

Ritalin is a Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant psychoactive drug which is generically known as methylphenidate. Stimulant psychoactive drugs hasten or speed up the brain and central nervous system activity; producing general effects of increased alertness, heightened senses, surges in energy etc. Ritalin is used to treat attention deficit disorders, attention deficit hyperactive disorder and narcolepsy (a strong desire to stay asleep which is not normal).

Other psychoactive drugs

Psychoactive drugs are those chemicals which the capability to influence and interfere with the normal functionalities of the central nerve system (CNS) and the brain. This interference comes in two different ways:

Drugs which hasten or speed up the functioning of CNS and brain are called stimulants and some of them may include drugs like Ritalin, crack cocaine, amphetamine, and crystal meth etc.
Drugs that slow the CNS and brain are called stimulants and in this group are opioids and opiates (Hydrocodone, buprenorphine, Opana, Demerol and Tramadol etc.) and alcohol.

The mechanism that these drugs use in functioning with the body is attaching to the receptacles or inducing production of endorphins which attach to brain and CNS receptacles to alter or inhibit successful signal transmission from other body organs to the brain and vice versa. This slows the body, generally reducing heart rate and in essence blood pressure, respiration and breathing etc.

The other category of psychoactive drugs are the hallucinogens/psychedelics this category tends to rearrange ones thinking, in other words they distort thinking completely, falsifying the person’s sense of pleasure, peace, or even threat etc., when realistically this is not the real situation happening. The drugs which fall in this category may include marijuana, PCP and MDMA these substances normally exhibit some traits and similarities of this category such as hallucinations, mood swings among many others.

Ritalin use

Ritalin is used in the body to offer functions like:

Attention deficit disorder patients lack the swiftness of mind and body to act and respond to stimuli in time.
They can be said to be slow and the presence of Ritalin boosts their energy, increases their sensory perception, self-awareness and alertness, which make them normal-like.
Narcolepsy on the other hand, being an unending sleepiness, is treated with Ritalin since in its working mechanism the drug reduces this sleep tendency and may even cause insomnia which is lack of sleep or sleep disturbances.
Like any other drug Ritalin is also prone to abuse, it is sometimes taken against prescription for leisure.
Those who seek leisure from Ritalin abuse it by taking more of it and in shorter frequencies to maximize its effects in the body and mind.
They might also use the drug together with other drugs that stimulate the brain, or drugs that make the effects of Ritalin take longer to wear off.
Abuse comprises not only the stated points above but also taking the drug when the body is already overactive, which makes the presence of the drug make automatic processes such as breathing, respiration, heart rate and blood pressure blow out of proportion.

Abuse

Like any other drug Ritalin is also prone to abuse, it is sometimes taken against prescription for leisure.
Those who seek leisure from Ritalin abuse it by taking more of it and in shorter frequencies to maximize its effects in the body and mind.
They might also use the drug together with other drugs that stimulate the brain, or drugs that make the effects of Ritalin take longer to wear off.
Abuse comprises not only the stated points above but also taking the drug when the body is already overactive, which makes the presence of the drug make automatic processes such as breathing, respiration, heart rate and blood pressure blow out of proportion.

Effects of Ritalin on the body and mind

As a stimulant Ritalin has various effects on the body and the mind of its users. These effects may be positive or negative depending on the use and they include:

Increased alertness and ability to focus
Energy surges
Numbing of pain
A boost in self-awareness and self esteem
Hastened automatic processes in the body, such as heart rate, breathing and respiration rates etc.
Sweating induced by a rise in body temperature
Grandiosity and invincibility
Heightened senses
Loss of appetite
Headaches
Insomnia

Side effects

Depression
An unending craving for the drug
Hypertension: due to increased heart rate
Cardiac arrest
Hyperthermia may destroy some body cells, reducing their effectiveness in normal functioning, which might induce organ failure
Increased threat perception due to heightened senses
Rapid breathing
Extreme pupil narrowing which alters vision
Intense headaches
Anorexia – lack of appetite and poor eating habits
Poor health due to poor eating habits
Dryness of the skin, which might be marked by rashes and itching
Sleep disturbances
Extreme hallucinations and schizophrenia
Mouth or nose bleeding due to cavity destruction by the drug’s powder and smoke Involuntary twitching of muscles

Addiction

Use of Ritalin to treat narcolepsy or ADD/ ADHD or the abuse of the drug for leisure does not exempt it from developing addiction. Prolonged use of the drug (meaning long durations of use and somewhat increased dosages taken) reduces the body and brain’s response to the drug, forcing more intakes of the drug and in higher dosage to achieve the same effects that were achieved with lesser amounts. This is called increased tolerance for the drug. Abuse comprises taking the drug without any caution whatsoever, and this means that higher quantities and shorter durations, as well as faster means of administration are employed to intensify the effects of Ritalin.

This develops tolerance very fast. Tolerance is succeeded by physical dependence, which means the body is now used to the drug for its regular functioning. Addiction is an amplified version of physical dependence and is a perpetual physical and psychological compulsion for the presence of the drug in the body and mind and it goes beyond the will or conscious desires of the individual. Any absence of the drug, whether temporary or permanent, elicits withdrawal symptoms (most of which are fatal if not properly managed).

Withdrawal

This is the process of quitting or reducing the intake of the drug. This is sometimes intentionally carried out for the many negative effects it has on the individual and on society.

Ritalin withdrawal symptoms

These may include:

Slowed heart rate and reduced blood pressure
Intense headaches
Extreme hallucinations
Paranoia
Vomiting
Abdominal pains
Malfunctioning organs (liver, kidney etc.) and the list continues.

Ritalin overdose

A Ritalin overdose occurs when Ritalin levels in the blood reach lethal levels. It may be characterized by a ruptured heart or blood vessels, due to the very high heart beat destruction of the kidneys, liver, lungs and other organs, bluish skin due to lack of circulation, slowed heart beat and weak pulse, an indication of a failing heart, falling into a coma, realistic hallucinations etc. all these points only communicate one point that addiction is a scourge in the society which must be rooted out soonest.

Talking of rooting addiction out it is important that we seek the services of not just professionals but experienced ones. For instance Dr. Dalal Akoury is not just a professional in her own right but an experienced one for that matter. She is the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, a facility that has been very helpful to many addiction victims globally. Remember we want to kick out this scourge out of our society therefore a visit to this facility and meeting doctor Akoury and her team of experts will be the best you can do not just for yourself but to the society as well. Dr. Akoury is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to everybody including physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Welcome and be part of the endless list of beneficiaries in this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

Ritalin Addiction and Abuse-Withdrawal and Treatment

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy

May 12, 2014

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How it works

Addiction treatment can be done in many ways, psychotherapy is one of them where an expert takes the addicts through healing process by talking to them

Can you imagine life without people to talk to in times of joy and sadness? It is for sure unimaginable because human beings are social beings who will always want to be associated with someone by way of speech or otherwise. Many times we are faced with situations which we are not so sure of but all the same we are deeply into those situations. I am talking about drug use and being addicted to drugs. People with this kind of problem are very much reserved and would always want to distance themselves from the people who have been very close to them for different kinds of reasons. When addiction knocks your door there are several methods of treatments being administered and for the purpose of this article we are going to discuss the use of psychotherapy as a way of treating addiction.

Before we move on it is important that we explore the definition of psychotherapy.
It consists of a series of techniques for treating mental health, emotional and some psychiatric disorders.
Psychotherapy helps the patient understand what helps them feel positive or anxious, as well as accepting their strong and weak points.

If we can identify our feelings and ways of thinking we become better at coping with difficult situations. When we think of alcoholism and drug addiction most of us will straight away associate it with the life in the street I mean street families carrying their dirty loads and causing bodily and emotion harm to the delicate fabric of the society. Really do we think of white and blue class position holders who have great achievement in education, financial stability, or raised a family as someone who might be susceptible to addiction, this is a problem which knows no boundary and does not have any respect to any social class you may belong in. In other words addiction does not care if you are a doctor, professor, or successful business person and by the way your intellectual and fame in many instances can be a hindrance along the pathway to recovery. It is important to note that addiction to any substance, person, or anything is primarily concerned with easing and relieving suffering from emotional trauma, and this can happen to anyone regardless of your intellect.

Many at times we are wondering whether this problem of addiction is a genetic disease or it is something that we develop through our interactions with our environment. Probably you are enclosed in this bracket of wonder, my feeling is that a person with certain genetic make-up may be predisposed to the disease of addiction and is therefore more likely to develop dependency. However we all agree that humanity is in the wagon of dynamic interactions and relationship with the environment immediately one in born to breathing your last breathe on earth. We can therefore make an informed conclusion that both the genetic and the environment and the people we interact with have an important influence on our perception and experience of the world.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How do we treat addiction?
The common denominator why people become addicted to anything is emotions. The desire to manage our emotions is therefore the root cause of addiction. If this is the case then it would mean that when treating addiction then we should put emphasis in creating emotional awareness and the role it plays in how we cope with life’s stressors, as well as the development of new coping strategies. However this cannot be done alone and quite often the 12 step recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Sex Addicts Anonymous and many more will play a very vital role in the process of recovery. But this social support alone may not be enough to remove an addiction-forming orientation to life’s emotional stresses, even if the original addiction is in abeyance. The process of developing emotional awareness and intelligence primarily occurs in the right hemispheres of our brains, and it is dependent upon our relationships with others. Until these issues are dealt with, the individual may continue to feel emotional discomfort, even though their original addiction is gone. By working with a therapist the individual may seek to rewire neural pathways of their brain which once led to the repetition of addictive behaviors and to replace them with the ability to seek out appropriate emotional support through healthy relationships and activities. You may want to consider visiting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care where focus is on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How does psychotherapy work?
I will illustrate this using the family set up where the mother bears the burden of rearing the baby while still in the womb and even after birth, and so during infancy the bay is dependent to the mother for all its supplies. The mother will supply all that the baby needs for sustainability. She will also supply other necessities like emotional support and the way in which this information is acquired is through right-brain communication. This is the dominant characteristic of the developmental process of all human beings for the first two years of life. Looking at this we can learn to be humans from those that are around us. This is why the role of psychotherapy is so important. It is through right-brain communication between the therapist and patient that the individual is able to achieve the necessary growth to make up for deficits in the brains chemistry. This can lead to permanent changes in the way in which the brain processes information, and ultimately the way in which a person views the world. This is why it is important to seek out the help of a trained professional e.g. doctor Dalal Akoury who understands the mechanisms of the addicted mind, and who can provide the essential experiences needed within a relationship in order to heal emotional trauma.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How does trauma affect the brain?
If an individual grows up in an oppressive environment in which they are constantly being put down or abused by others, then it is highly probable that this individual will grow up with a large deficit in his/her perception of self-worth. The brain’s developmental process on a neuropsychological level is to develop adaptive pathways, structures and associations in response to the traumatic experience. In essence, they are developed as a survival mechanism. These pathways are designed to lessen the impact of the damage that the trauma wreaks on the individual. It is equally true that someone who might have been raised in a nurturing and healthy environment may go on to develop an addiction later on in life. Although the latter example is typically not the average, it is provided simply to demonstrate that the common denominator in the development of an addiction is the individual’s desire to manage their intolerable emotions, and this can take place at any point in our lives.

Addiction treatment through Psychotherapy-How it works

Tag Archives: Mental health