Tag Archives: relapse

Misuse of alcohol

Getting substance abuse facts right

May 25, 2016
Getting substance abuse facts right

Getting substance abuse facts right includes drug addiction recovery and knowing the undesirable effects for a drug free society.

Getting substance abuse facts right: The effects of addiction on the brain

Those who don’t know often make very costly mistakes. In matters addiction such mistakes can be very fatal and cause death. In order not to make such costly mistakes, doctor Akoury is very categorical that getting substance abuse facts right from the beginning is very important. Before we can get into the facts, we’ve got to appreciate that drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain complication associated with compulsive use of drugs even in full knowledge of the attached consequences. This actually a brain condition owing to its ability to alter the functionalities of the brain. According to experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, it is worth noting that any alteration made to the brain by way of abusing substances can take seriously long duration and if not addressed timely, may lead to harmful behaviors including mental health problems.

Why do people abuse drugs?

While everybody is looking forward toward good health, things are different with drug addicts. One would wonder why people are still subjecting their health into great danger even after getting substance abuse facts right. We will revisit that as we progress but for now, let us consider why people abuse drugs. Doctor Akoury in her many years of practice as an addiction expert, has come across so many people struggling with drug addiction. And she says that there are very many reasons why people abuse drugs including just to feel good, feel better, out of curiosity and to do better. You realize that those using drugs are so much into feeling and that is where the problem lies. Let us discuss some of these reasons briefly:

  • Curiosity – This normally affects the young in adolescent. Teens want to identify with their mates and explore. Because of this they becomes vulnerable and can’t resist the power of peer influence.
  • To do or feel better – Most drugs are stimulant and many users often use them for that purpose. What they are forgetting or rather ignoring is the fact that improvement on performance is only for a little while normally at the initial stages of usage. But as they continue desiring for more and more of the substance, it takes effects on them and the purpose of doing better dies away. That therefore explains why getting substance abuse facts right is very important.

The feeling that is quite common is established with those who are struggling with mental health like depression, stress and anxiety. Such individuals may use drugs to temporarily lessen the bad feeling this is also the same case with users looking towards retaining the euphoric feeling occasioned by the drugs. In all these situations the initial sensation of euphoria is often followed by serious withdrawal symptoms.

Finally in whichever way you look at it, getting substance abuse facts right will help you stand out. This may not be easy and so if you need help in anyway, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for a more professional insight.

Getting substance abuse facts right: The effects of addiction on the brain

http://www.awaremednetwork.com/

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Cigarette

Drug addiction problems must be solved medically

December 2, 2015

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally: Consult with AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center

Drug addiction

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally if we want to defeat this scourge from our lives and society.

The fight against alcohol and drug addiction is one campaign that is not about to end any time soon. Each day new developments come up for fighting the vice yet at the same time users of these drugs also get more rooted to their addictive habits. Even though a lot is being done to correct this problem, many people are still suffering in silence for various reasons including denial. As addiction professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we have made it a priority to help in finding lasting solutions about alcohol and drug addiction. And that is why we have consistently posted very informative blogs on this site to create more awareness and to educate the public of some of the actions they can take even before the get to us for help. Therefore “Drug addiction problems must be solved” is our choice topic for this article because it has come to our attention that despite the information available in the market about addiction recovery process and treatment, a majority of the societies are still ailing from this problem. Remember that AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an establishment of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the President of the institution. Doctor Akoury is a veteran addiction expert who has dedicated several decades of her life in bringing hope to the hopeless drug addicts not just in the US but across the globe. Therefore if you think that you or someone you care about is addicted to drugs or alcohol, help is on the way if only you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today because drug addiction problems must be solved professionally.

However doctor Akoury is encouraging that even as you consider making that appointment, it is very important to note that the genesis of this entire recovery journey begins with you recognizing that you have a problem. This is the first step in getting help. We know that many people often think that they can tame or kick out the problem all by themselves, but the reality is that rarely works and that explains why getting help to tame the scourge of addiction is very important. Having felt that there are some signs of addiction in you, there are very many approaches you can apply including talking to someone you trust to help you make the right and productive decisions. Therefore if this is the approach you are considering, then it may help to talk to a friend or someone of your own age group at first, nonetheless a supportive and understanding adult should be your best option for getting help. We also know that sometimes it may not be easy for you to share this with your parents and therefore if this be the case, then you might want to approach a school counselor, a relative, a doctor, your favorite teacher, or even a religious leader. You must have noticed that the very moment you recognize the problem, action plan takes root and this is surely a step in the right direction.

Just to bring you up to speed with what to expect, it is important to understand from the very beginning that, overcoming addiction is not easy. Great determination will be expected of you along the way. And probably you will realize that quitting drugs or drinking is going to be one of the hardest things you or your friend have ever done. Even though that is so but be encouraged that it’s not a sign of weakness if you need professional help from a trained drug counselor or therapist. Most people who try to kick a drug or alcohol problem need professional assistance or a treatment program to do so and so you are not alone, keep on fighting because the end result is worth the sacrifice. Now let me bring to your attention some of the tips you need to succeed in this fight.

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally: Tips for recovery

Once you start a treatment program, you may want to consider trying the following tips to make the road to recovery less bumpy:

Share with your friends about your decision to stop using drugs. This is very important because going forward you will need only those friends who will be kind enough to support your recovery journey entirely and drop those that will pull you back.

Moral support is very important and therefore always asks your friends or family to be available whenever you need them. During this journey a time will come when it will necessary that you call for support even during very odd hours of the night. Your friends should be therefore you and remember that if you’re going through a tough time, don’t try to handle things on your own and accept the help your family and friends offer.

Be very selective on the invitations you receive and only accept that won’t involve drugs or alcohol. Going to the movies is probably safe, but you may want to skip a Friday night party until you’re feeling more secure.

The temptation will always be there sometimes; therefore put in some strategies about what you’ll do should you find yourself in a place with drugs or alcohol. This may also mean planning with your parents, siblings, or other supportive friends so that if you call home using a specific code, they’ll know that your call is a signal to them that you need a ride out of there.

Moments of relapse; such times will always be there but always encourage yourself, that having an addiction doesn’t make a person bad or weak. If you fall back, talk to an adult as soon as possible and pick up the pieces and move on. There’s nothing to be ashamed about, however it’s important to get help soon so that all of the hard work you put into your recovery is not lost.

If you’re worried about a friend who has an addiction, you can use these tips to help him or her. For example, let your friend know that you are available to talk or offer your support. If you notice a friend backsliding, talk about it openly and ask what you can do to help.

If your friend is going back to drugs or drinking and won’t accept your help, don’t be afraid to talk to a nonthreatening, understanding adult, like your parent or school counselor. It may seem like you’re ratting your friend out, but it’s the best support you can offer.

And most importantly, offer a friend who’s struggling with addiction lots of encouragement and praise. It may seem funny, but hearing that you care is just the kind of motivation your friend needs.

Drug addictions must be solved professionally: Staying clean

Finally doctor Akoury is emphasizing that recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction doesn’t end with a 6-week or so treatment program you take in an institution. This is a lifelong process and we want to encourage you to consider calling us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for further direction. We will always be here for you and if you ever have a relapse, take immediate action because this can be very critical and getting help right away is advisable so that you don’t undo all the hard work you put into your initial recovery and remember don’t be a fried of relapse it is normal and not a failure on your part.

Drug addiction problems must be solved professionally: Consult with AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction

July 20, 2015

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction: Addictions’ effect on the amygdala

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction. On the formation of these conditions, an immediate treatment for addiction becomes very necessary.

In many peoples’ minds addiction is a habit which is very difficult to disassociate yourself with once it settles in your body. There are several factors that supports this description including denial and relapse among many others. Therefore when people make effort of quitting their addictive life styles whether it is drug use or addictive activities, the problem of withdrawal often becomes a great challenge. If you have been there, you will agree with me that withdrawal is such an unpleasant experience that you wouldn’t want to repeat since it serves as a serious influence and a motivator to get back to your old habits. When this finally happens (getting back to your addiction), it becomes much more pleasurable to the victim even as the consequences of addiction sink further. And because of its pleasurable nature, it even becomes more rewarding and therefore it is bound to be repeated again and again. Some drugs, such as alcohol and opiates, have withdrawal effects that are both physical and emotional. Other drugs or addictive activities may primarily involve around emotional symptoms. This characteristic of addiction occurs because of several changes in the brain and for that reason we want to focus our discussion on the habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction with the help from doctor Dalal Akoury MD a veteran expert in addiction who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Doctor Akoury explains that as drug use or the addictive activities escalates the involvement of various brain regions associated with our emotional state also increases. Therefore the brain region that is most often associated with our emotional state is the extended amygdala. Experts are of the opinion that, this area of the brain plays an important role in addiction because of its association with emotions and stress. And like we had mentioned previously that addiction and stress are closely related, we are going to be looking at the two progressively as we progressed into the discussion.

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction: The effects of amygdala on emotions and memories

All of us have memories about various events in our lives which can either be bad or good memories and these memories and emotions can be affected by amygdala. The amygdala affects emotions and memory. These memories can be can be categorized as good or bad depending on the emotional states that happen during those events we are remembering. It is therefore very important to appreciate that these memories are formed from the brain and up on their formation, they are kept still within the brain along with the emotional attachment that occurred during those events. Let’s us an illustration to bring it closer to our understanding take for example when you smell the sea air or feel the ocean breeze and hear the seagulls, you will have a pleasant memory and emotional experience alongside. This is because these things have been repeatedly associated with relaxing and enjoyable times. The memory of the sea is stored along with a pleasant emotional state. It therefore means that you can merely visualize the sea in your mind without necessarily being there and you will experience a pleasant emotional state. In the same way an addicted person may only need to visualize about engaging in his addiction and that will be enough for him to experience pleasure. In that case, the memory of engaging in the addiction is stored with a pleasant emotional state and hence the pleasing memories of engaging with an addiction can lead to repeating those behaviors and eventually forms a habit. This is what we must deal with owing to the enormous consequences that come with the formation of an addiction. When you realize that such experiences are happening in your life, then you must seek for an immediate treatment solution from the experts. Doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction experts and her team of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center can be of great help to you. All you have to do is to call her today to schedule for your appointment and your life will never be the same again.

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction: Cue anticipation

As we come to the end of this discussion, it is important to note that emotional memory also has another role in the development of addiction known as cue anticipation. Cue anticipation refers to environmental cues that can initiate or elevate craving. Cravings often lead to relapse. For this reason, these cues are often called relapse triggers meaning that, a successful recovery plan will include a strategy for coping with cues (relapse triggers).

These environmental cues (relapse triggers) can be anything that is associated with the addiction. It could be a certain time of day, a place, a person, or an activity. For instance, suppose a man is addicted to pornography use and because of that he usually gets online after his wife goes to bed to satisfy his addiction. The mere act of his wife getting ready to go to bed serves as a cue that prompts powerful cravings. Later, even his own anticipation of his wife going to bed will serve as a powerful cue. The amygdala’s role in emotional memory is responsible for these cues taking root. The brain forms an association between pleasant memories of drug use or addictive activities, and the cues. The more a person repeats this cycle, the more it strengthens the emotional memory circuits associated with these cues. Eventually, this leads to a complete pre-occupation with the addiction.

Finally, so far our discussion has been focusing on the role of amygdala and positive emotional memories. Nonetheless the brain may also form an association between unpleasant emotions and a memory thereby forming a “bad” memory. For your information, these negative emotional memories play an important role in withdrawal. The negative emotional memory of anxiety becomes associated with the physical signs of withdrawal. And as withdrawal begins, the symptoms trigger an unpleasant emotional memory. This increases the negative experience of withdrawal. Withdrawal avoidance (via returning to the addiction) often becomes the cornerstone of the addiction in the later stages. Thus, in the earlier stages of addiction the pleasurable experience of the drug motivates a repetition of that behavior. In the later stages, relief of withdrawal symptoms (physical and/or emotional discomfort) achieves pleasure. This pleasurable relief from withdrawal symptoms continues to motivate the repetition of that behavior. This is a very interesting topic that needs further consultation with the experts. What we have discussed here may not be conclusive and therefore you may want to schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for more health insight about addiction and the brain.

Habit formation, craving, withdrawal, relapse triggers addiction: Addictions’ Effect on the amygdala

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse

July 6, 2015

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: What you may not know about relapse

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse will give you the zeal to forge a head with the recovery process and not to lose focus when triggers strikes

The problems of drug addiction recovery are greatly hindered with most people’s inabilities to remain consistent to the treatment. When one is addicted to any drug, they become slaves to the drug they are addicted to. Until such people acknowledge that they have a problem that is beyond them and accept that they are weak and need help, any kind of treatment offered may not last as they are likely to keep relapsing from time to time. It is therefore necessary that addicts own to the recovery process by first understanding the signs and management skills of relapse. We may not know what you are going through with your addiction, but as professional we want to assure you that you are not alone in this struggle. In her over two decades of administering treatment to drug users, doctor Dalal Akoury has established that relapse is one of the biggest draw back in the successful treatment of any kind of addiction recovery. Therefore in our quest to understanding the signs and management skills of relapse doctor Akoury is going to share with us something about mental relapse, the techniques of dealing with mental urges and the physical relapse. This is one discussion that you don’t want to miss and I urge you to stay on the link to get very productive information about relapse as an impediment of drug addiction recovery.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: Mental Relapse

The push and pool of mental relapse going on in your mind – the mind can sometimes be in a dilemma with section of the mind fighting to stop drug use while the other is comfortable with the continued abuse. This push and pool is a common occurrence in the mind of most drug users and unless you know the signs of mental relapse well, you may not be successful in your recovery program. Therefore let us start by identifying some of the signs of mental relapse which may include the following:

  • Engaging your mind in thinking about people, places, and things you used with
  • Glamorizing your past substance abuse
  • Telling lies and cheating all the time
  • Hanging out with old friends using drugs
  • Fantasizing about drug use
  • Thinking about relapsing
  • Planning your relapse around other people’s schedules

These are just a few of the indicators and when you notice any , then action needs to be taken immediately and remember that it will be difficult to make the right choices as the pull of addiction gets stronger says doctor Akoury.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: Techniques for dealing with mental urges

The way the mind understand things can be one of your biggest problem in controlling your addiction problem. If you have been in the recovery program and you are almost succeeding a lot of temptations will be knocking hard and harder to take you back. This is the point when you must be on the lookout on the techniques for dealing with mental urges. With all the progress you have made, any urge to take just one drink may look harmless, but you must learn to say no. it will not be easy and lots of disappointments will be there but desire to remain focus even if you are alone where your support team is not watching.

Remember that a common mental urge is that you can get away with using that drug, because no one will know if you relapse. May be the surrounding is conducive because your spouse who has been helping you keep distance is away for the weekend, or you’re away on a trip. These moments can be very bad for you because that’s when your addiction will try to convince you that you don’t have a big problem, and that you’re really doing your recovery to please your spouse or your work. Remain focus that urge is fake. At this time remind yourself of the negative consequences you’ve already suffered, and the potential consequences that lie around the corner if you relapse again. If you could control your use, you would have done it by now.

Tell someone that you’re having urges to use – Call a friend, a support, or someone in recovery. Share with them what you’re going through. The magic of sharing is that the minute you start to talk about what you’re thinking and feeling, your urges begin to disappear. They don’t seem quite as big and you don’t feel as alone.

Distract yourself – When you think about drugs, try to occupy yourself with something to distract you from that feeling. You could call a friend, go to a meeting, get up and go for a walk. Do something productive; remember that if you just sit there with your urge and don’t do anything, you’re giving your mental relapse room to grow.

Wait for 30 minutes – Most urges usually last for less than 15 to 30 minutes. When you’re in an urge, it feels like an eternity. But if you can keep yourself busy and do other things you’re supposed to do, it’ll quickly be gone.

Do your recovery one day at a time – Don’t think about whether you can stay abstinent forever. That’s a paralyzing thought. It’s overwhelming even for people who’ve been in recovery for a long time. One day at a time, means you should match your goals to your emotional strength. When you feel strong and you’re motivated to not use, then tell yourself that you won’t use for the next week or the next month. But when you’re struggling and having lots of urges, and those times will happen often, tell yourself that you won’t use for today or for the next 30 minutes. Do your recovery in bite-sized chunks and don’t sabotage yourself by thinking too far ahead.

Make relaxation part of your recovery – Relaxation is an important part of relapse prevention, because when you’re tense you tend to do what’s familiar and wrong, instead of what’s new and right. When you’re tense you tend to repeat the same mistakes you made before. When you’re relaxed you are more open to change.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: Physical Relapse

Once you start thinking about relapse, if you don’t use some of the techniques mentioned above, it doesn’t take long to go from there to physical relapse which will include driving to the liquor store or to your dealer for supply. If it were to get to this point, it will be very hard to stop the process of relapse. That’s not where you should focus your efforts in recovery. That’s achieving abstinence through brute force. But it is not recovery. If you recognize the early warning signs of relapse, and understand the symptoms of post-acute withdrawal, you’ll be able to catch yourself before it’s too late. Dear reader it is not to be done all by yourself, seek for help by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

Understanding the signs and management skills of relapse: What you may not know about relapse

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse

July 6, 2015

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse: Relapse Prevention

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse are very instrumental in taking earlier treatment decision

One of the big impediments in dealing with substance abuse is relapse. This is a serious drawback to many recovering addicts not just in the US but across the globe. It is therefore very important that we are able to address this problem if we want to succeed in the fight against drug addiction. Before we can get to the business of eliminating relapse, we need to understand what are the warning signs and coping skills of relapse? This way we will have a good starting point in the successful journey of defeating drug addiction. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, relapse is a process that comes in different stages and that is going to be our starting point in this discussion. Doctor Dalal Akoury is going to take us through the discussion and therefore I want to ask you to stay on the link and be empowered in your individual fight against the scourge of addiction today.

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse: The Stages of Relapse

Relapse is a process, it’s not an event – Doctor Akoury says that in order to understand relapse prevention you have to understand the sequences of relapse. Being a process and not an event, relapse often starts weeks or even months before the event of physical relapse. In this page you will learn how to use specific relapse prevention techniques for each stage of relapse. There are three stages of relapse and they may include:

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse: Emotional Relapse

In emotional relapse, you’re not thinking about using – But your emotions and behaviors are setting you up for a possible relapse in the future unless something is done today and now. This is not a joke for it hit hard your health and can be very fatal. It is therefore very important that treatment is sought in good time. If you are wondering where to go to, then you need not to look any further, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for her professional touch on your situation. In the meantime the following are some of the signs of emotional relapse which you need to be wary of:

  • Anxiety
  • Intolerance
  • Anger
  • Defensiveness
  • Mood swings
  • Isolation
  • Not asking for help
  • Not going to meetings
  • Poor eating habits
  • Poor sleep habits

The signs of emotional relapse are also the symptoms of post-acute withdrawal – If you understand what post-acute withdrawal is, then it will become easier to avoid relapse, because the early stage of relapse is easiest to pull back from. In the later stages the pull of relapse will get stronger and the sequence of events moves faster thereby confirming the important phrase of prevention being better than cure. Before we get into the discussion about the early relapse prevention, it is important to note that dealing with relapse is not an easy assignment. Many people often fall along the way because they do not have the skills or techniques of dealing with this problem. Realizing that there is a vacuum in dealing with drug addiction, Dr. Akoury made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. 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. Therefore if you are struggling with any kind of substance abuse and you are currently under a recovery program, then it is important that you begin early should you sport any of the relapse signs highlighted above. Doctor Akoury can be reached through that telephone number 843 213 1480 for any appointment needs.

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse: Early relapse prevention

In healthcare when a problem is diagnosed in good time, treatment becomes easier and economical to handle. We are all aware that prevention is often better than cure and the early this is done the better. Experts believe that prevention of relapse at an early stage is simply reorganizing recognizing that you’re in emotional relapse and appreciating the need of changing your behavior. It is also important to note that drug addiction and more so when you keep relapsing, then this will put you in isolation necessitating for the need to seek for help immediately which you will gladly get from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury MD and founder of the facility. Besides that you need also to recognize that you’re anxious and practice relaxation techniques. Recognize that your sleep and eating habits are slipping and practice self-care. Remember that failure to change your behavior at this earliest stage by staying too long in the stage of emotional relapse, you will certainly become exhausted and this can even elevate your desire to use more of the substance thereby leading into mental relapse.

Practice self-care – The most important thing you can do to prevent relapse at this stage is take good care of yourself. Sit and flush back why you use the substance you use. Are you using drugs or alcohol to escape, relax, or reward yourself? For example, if you don’t take care of yourself and eat poorly or have poor sleep habits, you’ll feel exhausted and want to escape. If you don’t let go of your resentments and fears through some form of relaxation, they will build to the point where you’ll feel uncomfortable in your own skin. If you don’t ask for help, you’ll feel isolated. If any of those situations continues for too long, you will begin to think about using drugs again. But if you practice self-care, you can avoid those feelings from growing and avoid relapse.

Warning signs and coping skills of relapse: Relapse Prevention

 

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

  • Recent Posts

  • Blog Categories