Tag Archives: Sexual assault

Associating alcohol crime and drunk driving

Associating alcohol with crime and drunk driving: The best treatment approach

Associating alcohol crime

Associating alcohol crime and drunk driving is one campaign that we must embrace if we want to stop road carnage and crime

Year in year out many lives are lost on the roads globally and many more are imprisoned because of various crimes. If what is being revealed by many studies is anything to go by then we are seriously in problem if we pay less attention to the problem of alcohol and drug abuse in our societies. We spoke to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury about associating alcohol  crime and drunk driving and our findings are shocking. According to doctor Akoury, while drinking and driving has received and is still receiving a great deal of public and media attention, the relationship between alcohol and crime, for both offenders and victims, has not received the same level of public attention yet that is where it pains the most. She continued to outline that the association between alcohol and crimes is significantly wide and literally affects all the known sectors of our lives including domestic abuse and violence, underage drinking, robbery, assault and sexual assault are just but a few we are documenting for the purpose of this article.

Studies have revealed that up to 5.3 million adults representing about 36% of those under correctional supervision were actually drinking at the time of their conviction offense. It therefore means that very close to half of all convicts ended up in prison because of the close association with alcohol. And that does not really absorb you and me who are not in prison. Many alcohol users are out in our midst and are wreaking havoc in our communities because of their crimes that is motivated with indulgence in alcohol. Parents are living in fear because their children are drinking disorderly and as such they have become possible targets for radicalization into terrorism. Doctor Akoury is very concern with the turn of event because even though alcohol is legally a consumable substance, its effects are more dangerous that we can ever imagine. We are going to be sharing with you some figures as we progress into the discussion, but in the meantime, we must pull together so that we can defeat this scourge. I may not know what you are going through right now, but if you are reading this article and you feel like the content is describing your situation or that of any body you know, the time for solutions to those feelings is now and here with the professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. All you need to do is to call doctor Dalal Akoury on telephone number 843 213 1480 and schedule for an appointment with her so that a through and professional evaluation can be done so that you can be put in the right recovery program that will help you in regaining your life back and live it to the fullest thereafter.

Associating alcohol crime and drunk driving: Excessive drinking leads to criminal behavior

From the introduction we mentioned the significance of alcohol in the global market but if can now narrow it down to specific states you will realize that the problem is deeply rooted in our homes and villages, cities and towns, everyone is affected either directly or indirectly. Take for instance, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), it is estimated that a majority of criminal offenders (serving their jail terms) were actually under the influence of alcohol alone when they committed their crimes. Besides that the Federal research also shows that for the 40% of convicted murderers being held in either jail or State prison, alcohol use was a factor in the homicide. What does that one communicates to you? To find out, let us consider some facts about alcohol consumption and its association with crime progressively as follows.

Associating alcohol crime and drunk driving: Alcohol is a factor in up to 40% of all violent crimes today

According to the expert opinion of doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of able experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, in there over two decades of rendering quality treatment to victims, they have established that about 3 million violent crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking. The crimes include but are not limited to: rape, sexual assault and robbery, aggravated and simple assault. And more shockingly is that about two-thirds of violent crimes are characterized as simple assaults. And now based on the victim reports the figures were as follows and that alcohol use by the offender was a factor in:

  • 37% of rapes and sexual assaults
  • 15% of robberies
  • 27% of aggravated assaults, and
  • 25% of simple assaults

Associating alcohol crime and drunk driving: Statistics showing correlation between alcohol and crime

We cannot conclude this discussion without making some references to the findings from NCADD facts sheet. According to NCADD Fact Sheet, it has been established that alcohol and crime are:

  • Among violent crimes, the offender is far more likely to have been drinking than under the influence of other drugs, with the exception of robberies, where other drugs are likely to have been used such as alcohol.
  • Alcohol is more likely to be a factor in violence, where the attacker and the victim know each other. Two-thirds of victims who were attacked by an intimate (including a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend) reported that alcohol had been involved, and only 31% of victimizations by strangers are alcohol-related.
  • Nearly 500,000 incidents between intimates involve offenders who have been drinking; in addition, 118,000 incidents of family violence (excluding spouses) involve alcohol, as do 744,000 incidents among acquaintances.
  • 1.4 million Incidents of alcohol-related violence are committed against strangers.
  • Individuals under age 21 were the victims in just over 13% of incidents of alcohol-related violence, and the offenders in nearly 9%.
  • 70% of alcohol-related incidents of violence occur in the home with greatest frequency at 11:00 pm, 20% of these incidents involve the use of a weapon other than hands, fists or feet.

Finally if we were to continue with the facts associating alcohol with crime and drunk driving we many not finish because the list is endless, however we are going to progress in the next article with the discussion focusing on the segment of drunk driving and this is something you don’t want to miss. We went to request you to stay on the link and invite a friend so that together we can learn from the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, a facility which was established by doctor Dalal Akoury to primarily offer solutions to victims of addiction professionally and in the most humane way.

Associating alcohol crime and drunk driving: The best treatment approach

 

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Sexual Abuse, Rape and Female Sex Addiction: The Link

Role of Sexual Abuse and Rape on Female Sex Addiction

Sex addiction is real and today very many people are enslaved to its chains, rummaging through life looking for all and every viable point of egress from this monster but to no avail. The reality however is that of all those who are already victims the fight against it is just as fierce as any other against other known addictions.  it is quite unfortunate that the dangers of sex addiction or the very existence  of this phenomenon is still overlooked, this is probably because most the people  affected by sex addiction are women who are not ready to expose themselves as sex addicts and look for help; the society can be blamed for this, women have been associated with all the wrong reasons, called derogatory names in relation to their sexuality so it no surprise that most of them will endure all the problems that come with sex addiction in silence. It is quite unfortunate that most of the people who are sex addicts do not even know that they are suffering from sex addiction. There are various causes of sex addiction but sexual abuse and rape have been linked to sex addiction as causative agents.

sex addiction

Though overlooked, sex addiction is a real problem that has been here to stay and will continue to cause nightmares to many people. Statistics has it that between 10% and 17% of people aged between 20- 35 years struggle with sex addiction. The frequency of sex addiction is said to be at 3% generally. Past sexual misgivings of a person may lead to sexual addiction, therapists, healers and doctors have all noted the clear correlation between sexual abuse and sex addiction. If a person got raped at a younger age, the incident will make him incapable of differentiating between healthy sexual relationship and unhealthy sexual relationship. as opposed to what many people think sexual addicts are not engaged in the act for the sake of pleasure they can get from, therapists have taught that these addicts do not even enjoy sex but use it to help numb their painful feelings that may stem from past experiences. Though the major causes of sexual abuse are sexual abuse and rape, the availability of free porn sites on the internet has fueled sex addiction. many people are able to log into these porn sites and watch the videos which further corrupts minds into believing that compulsive sexual behaviors are in fact a ‘virtue’ to be highly upheld. These videos depict sex as an act that is not borne out of love and care but rather out of compulsion.

Sex addicts may exhibit the following symptoms

  • Sexual thoughts that is obsessive.
  • having multiple sexual partners
  • prioritizing sexual intercourse even at the expense of the daily work
  • inability to stop or control the behaviors
  • linking sex to pain, most addicts believe sex have to be endured
  • having intercourse with prostitutes and minors
  • Quest for dominance and control in sexual encounters
  • feeling remorse or guilt after sex

Sexual abuse and rape are leading causes of sexual addiction.

When a child is raped, the emotional baggage will continue to haunt her for a long time into her adult hood. This trauma often leaves the mind craving for something to make up for the emptiness and feelings of bitterness that follows when a person has been sexually abused. To self-medicate most victims will turn to sex as a therapy and this compulsive sexual behavior will become a part of her life. According to Doug Weiss, a therapist and executive director of the Heart to Heart Counseling Center, 80 percent of sex addicts have been sexually abused in the past and the emotional baggage still haunts them.  These vies are also echoed by Mark Schwartz, psychologist and former director of the Masters and Johnson Institute in St. Louis, Missouri. He has observed that many people coming forward as sex addicts have been abused assaulted or raped. Dr. Schwartz opines that when a person has been raped or put through any other act of a sexual abuse in the past, she will fail to trust in other people and become more susceptible to turn to sex addiction as a manifestation. however he points out that this failure to trust people readily that makes people predisposed to sex addiction has also been shown by individuals who were neglected by parents mostly as a result of divorce or when the parents were engrossed in their professions and failed to spend time with the children.

sex addiction

It has been known that imbalances in the naturally occurring chemicals in the brain like the serotonin and dopamine can contribute to sexual problems but the relationship between these hormones and sex addiction have not been established. This according to Mayo Clinic may be because the research into the neuroscience of sex addiction has not been conclusive for the links to be drawn and established. However it has been found that these chemicals are lower in children who were sexually abused in the past and so they have to use their own bodies and sometimes food to help them boost their levels of these crucial hormones especially serotonin.

today very many people are suffering from sex addiction, the biggest problem that comes with sex addiction is that many addicts are not ready to accept what happened in the past and live in the present, most of them feel that they are to be blamed for what happened to them and hence not willing to open up and seek help. Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we have enlisted sex addiction as a real threat that can only be treated through integrative medicine. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert at this.  Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Role of Sexual Abuse and Rape on Female Sex Addiction

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Beta-Endorphins (Β-Ε) Levels and Alcoholism

The Effects Of Low Intensity Exercise On Beta-Endorphins (Β-Ε) Levels And Urge For Alcohol In Alcoholic Patients.

What are Beta-endorphins?

beta endorphinBeta-endorphins, or B-endorphins, are substances created by the pituitary gland. They specifically function as neurotransmitters, or conductors of messages between nerve cells. These substances are found around both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The Beta-endorphins is classified as a peptide since it contains 31 amino acids linked together. The beta-endorphins circulate around the brain, spinal cord, and secondary nerve systems in the body. Two glands, the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, have a particular prevalence of the substance. The pituitary gland is responsible for releasing this endorphin into the blood, where it then travels to the central nervous system in the first legs of its journey. The beta-endorphins are agonists. They therefore connect to a cell and kick-starts a response. Beta-endorphins targets portions of a cell called opiate receptors in particular. The substance can reach these receptors in bodily tissue via a process called diffusion.

Beta-endorphins and alcohol

When alcohol is consumed at below risk levels it is known to be very rewarding health wise, it improves the quality of life but when a person begins taking alcohol in higher levels then there are problems that he will definitely have to suffer as a result of the severe effects of alcohol consumption. There are myriads of alcohol disorders needless to mention many accidents occur when people are drunken making alcohol a lead cause of accidental deaths.

Alcohol consumption has been reported to influence the activity of the endogenous opioid system. Reports indicate that acute exposure to ethanol leads to an enhanced release of brain Beta-endorphins (β-E) which through its interaction with μ and δ receptors mediates, at least in part, neurobehavioral effects such as reinforcement and acquisition of ethanol drinking behavior. Specifically, ethanol intake has been shown to increase β-E release by the pituitary and hypothalamus, an action that is mediated by the increase of corticotropin releasing hormone in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, some reports indicate a biphasic effect of ethanol on hypothalamic Beta-endorphins release. However, the ethanol-induced increase of Beta-endorphins release is fast and transient, lasting about 15-20 minutes before normalizing again. Besides its effects on pituitary and hypothalamic Beta-endorphins, ethanol administration enhances Beta-endorphins release in the nucleus accumbens. This is a brain region important for the processes of reward and reinforcement. Therefore, the activation of μ and δ receptors by the increase in Beta-Endorphins levels due to ethanol intake may be pivotal in reinforcing properties of alcohol intake. On the other hand, chronic exposure to ethanol may cause adaptive responses of neuronal systems linked to negative reinforcement. Decreased Beta-endorphins production following chronic ethanol exposure may be responsible for some of the feelings of discomfort and the presence of negative reinforcement. Reports indicate that chronic ethanol abuse results in lower concentration of Beta-endorphins in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of male and female alcoholics. Therefore, chronic ethanol abuse might result in a central opioid deficiency. That deficiency might be related to decreased synthesis and release of Beta-endorphins in the hypothalamus and pituitary as well as lower density and activity of the opioid receptors.

A group of scientists conducted a research study to find out the effects of low intensity exercise on Beta-endorphins (β-E) levels and urge for alcohol in alcoholic patients. These researchers were Athanasios Z Jamurtas, Nikos Zourbanos, Kalliopi Georgakouli, Panagiotis Georgoulias, Eirini Manthou, Ioannis G Fatouros, Marios Goudas, Yiannis Koutedakis and Yannis Theodorakis.

This study used nine chronic alcoholic patients of whom 8 were males and 1 was female. These participants who were undergoing alcohol detoxification were recruited from a psychiatric hospital in Greece and 9 healthy controls volunteered to participate. Patients were diagnosed as being alcohol dependent according to the DSM-IV and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). AUDIT consists of 10 questions scored individually from 0 = never to 4 = 4 or more times per week. A total score of > 8 is an indication of alcohol abuse, a score of > 15 indicates serious abuse/addiction whilst a score between 8 and 10 is an indication of being at risk. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .73. Alcoholic patients were young and the medical exam revealed no presence of cardiovascular or metabolic disease in the participants. However, five patients were receiving antidepressant medicine, five were receiving anticonvulsant medicine and seven of them were receiving Thiamine, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamine (three times a day) and folic acid (5 mg a day).

The findings of the study

beta endorphinsAll patients had a history of addiction of 10 years or more. All subjects were able to complete a 30-minute workout and the mean relative exercise heart rate was 61.1 + 4.9 % and 62.2 + 3.5% of their maximum heart rate for the alcoholic patients and healthy controls, respectively. Beta-Endorphins levels were significantly lower (p<0.001) in alcoholic patients whereas exercise resulted in significant increases (p<0.001, Cohen’s D: 3.31) only in the alcoholic group. Lactic acid at baseline was not significantly different between groups and increased significantly (p<0.001) after exercise in both groups. Analysis for CBC parameters revealed a significant time effect for red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit. None of the remaining parameters was significantly different between groups nor was changed due to exercise. Pearson correlation analysis revealed non-significant relationships between Beta-endorphins and urge for alcohol (r = 0.23, p = 0.58). Finally, results on the Beta-Endorphins test revealed no significant changes in scores for alcohol urge in alcoholic patients (pre: 2.3 + 1.17; post: 1.87 + 1.17).

Finally, we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. Be it issues with Beta-Endorphins or general addiction treatment needs, we are here to help. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

The Effects Of Low Intensity Exercise On Beta-Endorphins (Β-Ε) Levels And Urge For Alcohol In Alcoholic Patients.

 

 

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