Elaborate information about Heroin addiction

June 5, 2015

Elaborate information about Heroin addiction: What is heroin?

Elaborate information about Heroin addiction is very necessary for the proper administration of treatment

Have you ever imagine life free of any kind of substance abuse? The benefits of that will be overwhelmingly very healthy and productive. That is the kind of life that we are championing for you and your family as experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility. In her over two decades of practice in medicine and in matters addiction in particular, doctor Akoury has over the years been a champion of addiction solutions to many victims globally. She says that for anyone to effectively deal with drug addiction, every individual needs to be well equipped with elaborate information about heroin addiction and all other substance of abuse including alcohol miss use. Because many people are suffering because of lack of knowledge doctor Akoury founded this facility and she has been using it as a plat form of creating awareness to the societies on matters relating to the protection of their health. In this article, our focus is going to be on the elaborate information about heroin addiction. Therefore what is this drug heroin?

In simple terms, heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug. It is one of the most abused and also most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as “black tar heroin.” Doctor Akoury says that although these days purer heroin is becoming more common, most street heroin is “cut” with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Street heroin can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Because heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at risk of overdose or death. Heroin also poses special problems because of the transmission of HIV and other diseases that can occur from sharing needles or other injection equipment.

It is believed that originally heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder and it is associated with several street names including “smack”, “H”, “skag”, and “junk”. Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical area, such as “Mexican black tar”.

Elaborate information about Heroin addiction: What is the Scope of Heroin use in our societies?

The available statistics is worrying and according to the 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, which may actually underestimate illicit opiate (heroin) use, an estimated 2.4 million people use heroin at some time in their lives, and nearly 216,000 of them reported using it within the month preceding the survey. The survey report estimates that there were 141,000 new heroin users about two decades ago and that there has been an increasing trend in new heroin use since that time. A large proportion of these new users were smoking, snorting, or sniffing heroin with majority of them being under the age of 26. The report also indicated that the estimates of use for other age groups also increased, particularly among youths age 12 to 17 and the incidence of first-time heroin users among this age group also increased fourfold subsequently from the 1980s to 1995.

Yet in another study the 1996 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), which collected data on drug- related hospital emergency department (ED) episodes from 21 metropolitan areas, estimates that 14 percent of all drug-related ED episodes involved heroin. Even more alarming was the fact that between 1988 and 1994, heroin-related ED episodes increased by 64 percent that is from 39,063 to 64,013.

NIDA’s Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG), which provides information about the nature and patterns of drug use in 20 cities, reported in its December 1996 publication that heroin was the primary drug of abuse related to drug abuse treatment admissions in most cities including Newark, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston, and it ranked a close second to cocaine in New York and Seattle. These statistics clearly shows that heroin addiction is with us and it is time to step forward progressively to root it out from our systems says doctor Akoury. Before we get into how heroin is used, let us further look at another set of studies conducted by NHSDA for more clarity about heroin abuse.

Elaborate information about Heroin addiction: National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA)

The 1996 NHSDA shows a significant increase from 1993 in the estimated number of current (once in the past month) heroin users. The estimates have risen from 68,000 in 1993 to whooping 216,000 in 1996. Among individuals who had ever used heroin in their lives, the proportion that had ever smoked sniffed or snorted heroin increased from 55 percent in 1994 to 82 percent in 1996. During the same period, the proportion of users who injected heroin remained about the same, at about 50 percent. With these data it is evident that the prevalence of heroin addiction cannot be ignored any longer. People are literally suffering both in public and in private and it is now time for action. We have able experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center who are well trained and are of high standards of experience to help you go through this problem of heroin addiction. Take that step of faith right now and schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for the commencement of your addiction recovery treatment.

Elaborate information about Heroin addiction: How is Heroin Used?

Now in conclusion of this article let us consider some of the modes of usage of this drug heroin. There are three major ways of administering heroin which usually include injection, sniffing or snorting or through smoking. Typically, a heroin abuser may inject up to four times a day. Available facts indicate that intravenous injection provides the greatest intensity and most rapid onset of euphoria (7 to 8 seconds), while intramuscular injection produces a relatively slow onset of euphoria (5 to 8 minutes). However when heroin is sniffed or smoked, peak effects are usually felt within 10 to 15 minutes. Although smoking and sniffing of heroin do not produce a “rush” as quickly or as intensely as intravenous injection, NIDA researchers have confirmed that all three forms of heroin administration are addictive.

From our observation at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, it is becoming clearer that of the three administration applications, injection continues to be the predominant method of heroin use among addicted users seeking treatment not just from our facility but across the board globally. Nonetheless specific studies have also perceived a shift in heroin use patterns, from injection to sniffing and smoking. In fact, sniffing or snorting heroin is now a widely reported means of taking heroin among users admitted for drug treatment in most rehabilitation centers across the globe. Finally it may not matter which method is commonly used, the bottom line is that people are being addicted to the drug and lasting solution must be sought timely. If you are enclosed in this bracket of suffering, talk to us today and we will be more than willing to help you get your life back.

Elaborate information about Heroin addiction: What is heroin?

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health

May 30, 2015

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Treatment for substance abuse and mental health problems

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health are equally very important in the treatment process. Addiction can be very depressive and all treatment mechanisms must be explored.

In our previous discussions we have dealt with several means and ways of administering treatment for substance abuse and mental health problems. However, when dealing with matters of this magnitude every possibility of nailing the problem must be embraced because our objective is to eliminate the problem in it’s entirely. That is why we want to take time and discuss other treatment for drug abuse and mental health problems in this article.

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Group support for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders

It is always said that a problem shared is half solved. That is the principle applicable here with groupings. And just like with other addictions, groups are very helpful, not only in maintaining sobriety, but also as a safe place to get support and discuss challenges and experiences. Sometimes treatment programs for co-occurring disorders provide groups that continue to meet on an aftercare basis. Your doctor or treatment provider may also be able to refer you to a group for people with co-occurring disorders.

It is important to note that while it’s often best to join a group that addresses both substance abuse and your mental health disorder the twelve-step groups for substance abuse can also be helpful besides today such services are well spread globally making accessibility much easier. These free programs, facilitated by peers, use group support and a set of guided principles like the twelve steps to obtain and maintain sobriety. Doctor Akoury advices that even as you opt for these groups you must make sure that the group is embracing the idea of co-occurring disorders and psychiatric medication. This is very important for you because at this time all you need is a place where you will feel safe and not where you will feel pressured in any way.

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Self-help for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders

Getting sober is only the beginning. Your continued recovery depends on continuing mental health treatment, learning healthier coping strategies, and making better decisions when dealing with life’s challenges. And this you can achieve by adopting the following:

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Recognize and manage overwhelming stress and emotions

Stress management – Even though stress is inevitable in this generation, it’s very important to have healthy coping skills so that you can deal with stress without turning to alcohol or drugs. Stress management skills go a long way towards preventing relapse and keeping your symptoms at bay.

Identify your triggers and have an action plan – If you’re coping with a mental disorder as well, it’s especially important to know signs that your illness is flaring up. Common causes include stressful events, big life changes, or unhealthy sleeping or eating. At these times, having a plan in place is essential to preventing drug relapse. Who will you talk to? What do you need to do?

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Stay connected

Get therapy or stay involved in a support group – Your chances of staying sober improve if you are participating in a social support group like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous or if you are getting therapy.

Follow doctor’s orders – Once you are sober and you feel better, you might think you no longer need medication or treatment. But arbitrarily stopping medication or treatment is a common reason for relapse in people with co-occurring disorders. Always talk with your doctor before making any changes to your medication or treatment routine.

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Make healthy lifestyle changes

Practice relaxation techniques – When practiced regularly, relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing can reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, and increase feelings of relaxation and emotional well-being.

Healthy eating habits – Start the day right with breakfast, and continue with frequent small meals throughout the day. Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar, which can make you feel more stressed or anxious.

Exercise regularly – Exercise is a natural way to bust stress, relieve anxiety, and improve your mood and outlook. To achieve the maximum benefit, aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days.

Get enough sleep – People often ignore sleeping because of the pressures of work and economic hardship however lack of sleep can exacerbate stress, anxiety, and depression it is therefore prudent that you sleep for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep a night.

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Helping a loved one with a substance abuse and mental health problem

Helping a loved one with both a substance abuse and a mental health problem can be a roller coaster. Resistance to treatment is common and the road to recovery can be long. The best way to help someone is to accept what you can and cannot do. You cannot force someone to remain sober, nor can you make someone take their medication or keep appointments. What you can do is make positive choices for yourself, encourage your loved one to get help, and offer your support while making sure you doesn’t lose yourself in the process. You could take either of the following in helping your loved ones:

Seek support – Dealing with a loved one’s dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse can be painful and isolating. Make sure you’re getting the emotional support you need to cope. Talk to someone you trust about what you’re going through. It can also help to get your own therapy or join a support group yourself.

Set boundaries – Be realistic about the amount of care you’re able to provide without feeling overwhelmed and resentful. Set limits on disruptive behaviors, and stick to them. Letting the co-occurring disorders take over your life isn’t healthy for you or your loved one.

Educate yourself – Learn all you can about your loved one’s mental health problem, as well as substance abuse treatment and recovery. The more you understand what your loved one is going through, the better able you’ll be to support recovery.

Be patient – This is very important because recovering from a dual diagnosis doesn’t happen overnight. It is an ongoing process that can take some times may be months or years, and relapse is common. Ongoing support for both you and your loved one is crucial as you work toward recovery. All these are just some guidelines to help you offer better support to your loved ones. And even as follow these guidelines it is still very important that you seek for the services of the experts in this discipline. You can reach doctor Akoury on phone today to schedule for an appointment with her and she will be of great help to you and your loved ones as well.

Other treatment for Drug abuse and mental health: Treatment for substance abuse and mental health problems

The Psychology of Addiction

October 22, 2014

The Psychology of Addiction: Key to Addiction Treatment

Addiction is a subject that up to now is still poorly understood. And researchers have different opinion to what causes addiction. To understand what a causes addiction and much more about addiction the researchers have developed two models. The first model of addiction is known as the disease model of addiction. This model describes an addiction as a disease with biological, neurological, genetic, and environmental sources of origin. The disease model of addiction has been criticized that it encourages stigmatization. The researchers opposed to this school of thought argue that when you label somebody as an addict he will lose self-control of the substance he uses and this will leave them withdrawn and stigmatized. The other model is known as the Choice model of addiction. The addiction is like the choice model with a disorder of genes, a reward, memory, stress, and choice. All these models of addiction result in compulsive behavior.

As known to you, psychology is a science devoted to understanding human behavior. By extension psychology tries to find out why people behave in a certain manner. Psychologists are very important people in the world today as they are devoted to improving the quality of people’s lives and their life satisfaction. Psychologists consider behaviors that promote people’s well-being and life satisfaction adaptive behaviors. Behaviors that serve to limit people’s functioning and diminish life satisfaction are termed maladaptive behaviors. These maladaptive behaviors are harmful not only in the people that possess them but to their environment as well and so should be curbed. Addiction is one of the common maladaptive behaviors that psychologists have put in place psychological models to help in understanding why people become addicted to some substances.

Typically, when an addict experiences pressures that comes with his daily life duties he will go for his drugs to help navigate through the hard time. There is something that triggers his memory and demands that he take his drugs of abuse to help him cope with the pressure. The addict feels that he must just use the drugs to be safe from the pressures. Most addictive drugs are taken for this purpose. Generally the psychology of addiction can be summarized in three crucial elements.

An addict gets a feeling of helplessness before indulging in the addictive act

Before someone goes for an addictive substance he will have a feeling of powerlessness. For example a father who is not able to cater for his family basic needs feels helpless and this feeling may overwhelm him. He therefore will go for a drink to help him view the situation more lightly. The person will feel empowered and in control of his situation after taking alcohol. Emotionally he will be at peace with himself when he is drunk. There are also other non-drug addictive substances that work in this same way. The use of drugs to reverse feelings of powerlessness is referred to as psychological purpose of addiction. However reasons that will make an addict helpless are different to every one of them. The bottom line is that addicts will attempt to solve problems by taking their addictive substances.

Feelings of overwhelming helplessness, such as the feelings that precipitate addictive acts result into a feeling of rage.

When an addict is in a helpless situation he will lose control of himself and the thought that he is out of control of his own life produces rage. The rage is a reaction to the feelings of loss of control and the emotional baggage that comes with the feeling of loss of control of oneself. This rage is the powerful drive behind addiction. The anger that a person gets when he feels helpless has the capacity to overwhelm his judgment while he is in the throes of the rage. It is precisely the presence of this rage at helplessness that gives to addiction its most defining characteristics which include the great intensity with loss of usual judgment and seemingly irrational destructive behavior that are common in addicts.

Addicts express their rage when helpless through substitute behavior

Psychologists opine that if all addicts expressed the cause of their rage directly then there would be no addiction. In most cases addicts will not face their problems head on but will do something to substitute for the head on interaction with their problems. An example here is this. Suppose a man comes back home and his wife begin quarreling him over a past mistake, he ought to sit down and talk about the issue but in case of an addict he may respond by going out for a drink to ease himself. In this place the right act that is to face his wife and talk to her is replaced by an addictive act which is going out for a bottle of alcohol to get drunk and make him feel much more in control of his situation. If he continues to solve his problems through drinking the behavior might become too compulsive to him such that he will never ever solve even a single problem without the help of alcohol and so he becomes dependent on alcohol.

The treatment of addiction requires massive knowledge on the psychology of addiction. Every person has a unique addictive behavior and so it is better to understand an addict and why he is dependent on a particular. The past treatments on addiction have been poor because of the simple reason; poor understanding of psychology of addiction. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is dedicated in helping all addicts. Visit her at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

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Prescription for addiction

Potent Pot: Is Marijuana Getting Stronger?

July 20, 2014

Is Marijuana Getting Stronger?

The debate on the potency level of marijuana is all over the world. Researches have also been conducted to try and answer the question of potency of marijuana of these days with reference to how it used to be 40years below the line. The U.S. federal government has been among those interested in getting the truth about the matter, and they said that the levels of potency have risen anywhere from 10 to 25 times since the 1960s. Whether this is a myth of reality remains debatable. Researches from elsewhere have seemed to concur with this argument and put it across that the potency levels of marijuana are on a rise.

marijuana

These researches have bee criticized especially by those people who are advocates of marijuana legalization. They argue that the data that formed the sample group was skewed and biased since the geographical area that it covered was not reliable. They argue that marijuana from different places is different from others from elsewhere in terms of their potency. Nevertheless, one thing is outstanding from the findings of different independent researches in that they all indicate potency of marijuana is on a rise.

Is legalizing Marijuana the answer?

This is also another motion which has attracted debate. There are proponents for legalization of marijuana and at the same time those against the idea. One thing that is outstanding is that the acceptance to the legalization of the “weed” is gaining grounds. In some areas in the world the usage of marijuana has already been legalized. Could this be the solution? Let’s look at some facts about legalization of marijuana:-

Marijuana is by far safer than most of already legal drugs

Researches done on the effects of marijuana when compared to some of the already legalized drugs are amazing. A person will look at drugs such as Cigarettes and alcohol and assess their known effects when consumed, then comparing with marijuana will leave one wondering which of them should be legal. From the study published by the U.K pointed out that the harm that is posed by drug such as alcohol and cigarettes is by far worse than what marijuana can. About the negative stigma, it pointed out that this is in most cases a matter of perception since the drug has been illegal and only those ready to break the law have been using it, hence people have had a culture of negative view to the drug.

Very low risk of abuse – unlike many other drug substances, marijuana has a very low risk of abuse. This is contrary to the belief; marijuana is not as addicting as one may think. Researches done by some doctors like Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “Why I changed my mind About Weed” show that chances of addiction to the marijuana users lies at 9-10%, while amazingly other already legal drugs like cigarette poses addiction dangers at 30-35% of its users becoming addicted.
Medicinal value – marihuana has been proven to have medicinal values. For instance, it has been extremely successful in relieving nausea which comes as good news to the patients of cancer and HIV/AIDS. It also has ability to relax muscles of tension and spasm and chronic pains.
Useful as sleep aid – as a matter of fact, sleep is essential to every human being. It is recommended that every person should get enough sleep which is prescribed to be, at least 6 hours in 24 hours. This has not been the case for many people due to a number of reasons. In this case, there is really a great need for the sleep of such persons to be facilitated so as to get them out of dangers of not getting enough sleep. Marijuana is known to be a substance which can help in the facilitation of sleep and relaxation. This would actually a good substance to a person missing sleeps. But how does the person get help from and illegal substance? Actually the weed should be legalized to ensure that people can purchase it from stores any enjoy its benefits.

marijuana

Even successful people smoke marijuana – even though marijuana has been illegal, its user have been many. The important thing to note is that there are many known successful users of marijuana all over the world. This includes prominent people in governments, artists, footballers etc. this is enough evidence that marijuana cannot prevent development in people as it used to be argued.
Marijuana is not a gateway drug – contrary to the belief that smoking marijuana will lead one to using other drugs; researches have indicated that the person who uses marijuana first, using the other drugs is a correlation but not causation. It goes ahead to explain that if a person smokes hard drug first, the chances of smoking other light drugs like cigarette which are harmful than marijuana are low. This means marijuana is really a good thing.

How are experiences of people from countries where marijuana is legalized?

Some research have been done covering the areas where the marijuana usage has been legalized. The amazing finding was that most of the people were positive about the laws of legalization of the weed. For instance, the research done in Colorado through voting, the result showed that 54% believed the legalization of marijuana was really a good idea.

Is Marijuana Getting Stronger?

Understanding Drug Addiction

July 14, 2014

Drug addiction treatment

Drug addiction is normally a very complex illness which is sometimes accompanied by intense craving which may be uncontrollable to the addict even when there is a direct danger posed by the substance.

Drug Addiction

The key principles to effective drug treatment

There are principles which have been proven to work effectively in ensuring that the patient regains normal life. These principles are:-

The first principle is to realize that addiction is by itself a complex which alters the normal functioning of brain but it is curable.
Secondly, it is important to understand there is never single treatment which is appropriate to everyone, and hence treatment of each individual should be examined and given independent treatment.
Counseling is very important, especially when treating individual or group from drug addiction.
Each individual’s treatment should be regularly assessed to know the patient’s progress and correct adjustments to the treatment made. This ensures suitability of medication to every patient.
Scientifically it has been proven that many drug addicts also have other mental disorders. Thus, the appropriate treatment should seek to address not only the addiction but also the mental problems.
Another important principal in drug treatment is that, the treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to be effective. The patient doesn’t have to be left to make decisions on whether, when and how he/she should be treated. Since in many occasions drug addiction comes with mental disorders, it is vital not to leave decision making in the hands of the patient.
The patient’s drug taking during treatment should be monitored, since lapses do occur especially when the patient cannot withstand the craving of the drugs during withdrawal.
Another principle is that, treatment should be readily available and in the reach of the patient when need be. The patient will be faced with challenges such as craving and necessity of medication adjustments. Therefore, it is very important that medication can be accessed when need be.
Also another important principle is that, any effective drug treatment should address multiple individual’s needs and not just addiction. The medication should not only revolve around treatment of addiction itself, without looking to address the needs of the individual.
Treatment period- remaining in treatment for adequately appropriate time is vital. The patient should be maintained under medication until it is ascertained that he/she has fully recovered. Stoppage of medication before the patient fully recovers may result to resistance to future medication after relapse and obviously the craving symptoms may follow the patient leading the patient back to the consumption of the addicting substance.
Importantly also, the treatment should assess the patient’s presence of other diseases like arthritis, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C and other infectious diseases. This will help in putting the patient under good conditions which will prevent the risk of contracting or even spreading an infectious disease.

Drug Addiction

Proven effective treatment approaches

For effective treatment, combination of both medication and therapy has worked well before. The process of treatment regularly begins with detoxification which aims at reducing or eliminating the effect of drug substance in the body. It is then followed by treatment and lapse prevention. The treatment process should be well monitored to ease the withdrawal symptoms and prevent lapse.

Medication

In any drug recovery program, medication is very important. It will help in different aspects of treatment process.

Medication importance on withdrawal – withdrawal under normal circumstances is accompanied by variety of symptoms which seek to return the patient to the consumption of addictive substance. These symptoms especially craving in some circumstances it may seem to be out of patient’s capacity to resist, especially when it is a drug related addiction. Medication in this case becomes important as it will try to suppress the withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. It is important to note that however, medically assisted detoxification in itself it is not a treatment but just the first step in the treatment process. The patient must complete the treatment process otherwise he/she will be similar to those never treated.

Medication vitality in Treatment – treatment is an important aspect in drug addiction recovery. It can be used to re-establish normal brain functioning and to prevent relapse and to minimize cravings. This agent of drug recovery requires intensive examination of the patient, to establish the type of addictive drug substance the patent is addicted of, and hence streamline appropriate treatment procedure. It has been found out that, many of the drug addicts consume more than one drug and hence their addiction may sometimes not be as a result of just one drug. Treatment of this kind of addiction must seek to address each of these addictions based on the underlying cause. Treatment of these individual drugs addiction will look at the class of the substance, whether it is an Opioid, tobacco or alcohol etc. this will form a good foundation for treatment to be built on. For more details, call or visit AWAREmed and get a professional advice.

Tag Archives: National Institute On Drug Abuse