College drinking and prevalence of underage addiction

October 8, 2015

College drinking and prevalence of underage addiction: Understanding the signs and symptoms of alcoholism and drug dependence

The prevalence of underage and college drinking is currently being felt across the globe and the sooner decisiveness action prevails the better for our future and present generations

The prevalence of underage and collage drinking is further promoted by the easy access to alcohol and drugs with are also freely and widely promoted throughout society in all the medias available with very luring contents. Alcohol is the most abused drug among youth globally with the United States leading in youthful addiction. Currently available statistics indicates that more tobacco and illicit drugs are being used by youths below the age of 21. It is also frustrating to note that of all the alcohol consumed in the US up to 11% of that substance is consumed by people aged between12 to 20. That is not something to take for granted because early use of alcohol can draw young people into a host of problems and aggravate existing ones says doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction expert of over two decades. According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility established by doctor Akoury to primarily deal with all matters relating to addiction, each year approximately 5000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage and college drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, and hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns and drowning.

Besides that, it is estimated that up to 600,000 college students are accidentally injured while under the influence of alcohol with another 700,000 students being assaulted by other students who have been drinking and as if that is not enough about 100,000 more students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape that is according to statistics available from NCADD Fact Sheet which are also in agreement with the above statistics. When we talk of the high prevalence of underage drinking, it is not small to be wished away because as a matter of fat there is evidence that over 11,000 teens in the US are becoming first users of alcohol daily by trying to use the drink for the first time and that translate into more than four million drink alcohol in any given month. Can you imagine of the impact that is likely to have on the society if they all become addicts in the future? As you ponder about that, let’s find out why young people often resort to drinking alcohol.

College drinking and prevalence of underage addiction: Why do some young people drink alcohol?

The reasons why young people take alcohol are not different from that of adults. Some of those reasons may seem obvious, however understanding the feelings and motivations behind them as well as how each teen’s life comes into play can be difficult. The following are some of the reasons why young people resort into drinking alcohol:

Some young people often drink to check out from family problems or issues with school performance
It could be motivated by loneliness, low self–esteem, depression, anxiety disorder and other mental health issues lead many young people to drink alcohol
Young people turn to alcohol to deal with the pressures of everyday social situations
Young people may drink to change their image or to fit in when moving to a new school or town
Young people may drink to gain confidence or lose inhibitions
They are more likely to start experimenting with alcohol if they have parents who drink and if their parents don’t give those clear messages about not drinking.

College drinking and prevalence of underage addiction: What are the risks?

Doctor Akoury is very categorical that there is nothing good about alcohol let alone the age bracket of usage. In fact it doesn’t matter what it is that leads adolescents to begin drinking, because once they start they face a number of potential health and safety risks. Young people who drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex; they are more likely to be involved in fights, commit violent crimes, fail at school, use other drugs, and experience verbal, physical, or sexual violence. And those who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcoholism later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21. That statement must not be understood to mean that people should start drinking at 21, NO there is nothing beneficial in alcohol.

College drinking and prevalence of underage addiction: Preventing underage drinking

Underage drinking is a complex problem, requiring cooperation at all levels of society. Three basic approaches, however, have proven to be effective in prevention of the problem:

Curtailing the availability of alcohol;
Consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations; and
Changing norms and behaviors through education.

College drinking and prevalence of underage addiction: Binge drinking is high risk drinking

Binge drinking is a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% or more in a short period of time. This pattern of drinking alcohol usually in less than 2 hours corresponds to: 5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women. And without running away from facts it is plain and simple, it is high risk drinking, flee from it now.

The prevalence of underage and college drinking: Signs and symptoms of alcoholism and drug dependence

Alcoholism involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but also involves another element: physical dependence – tolerance and withdrawal. Take a look:

Tolerance – this means that, over time, you will need more alcohol to feel the same effect. Ask yourself if you’re drinking more than you used to? Do you drink more than other people without showing obvious signs of intoxication?

Withdrawal – As the effect of the alcohol wears off you may experience withdrawal symptoms including anxiety or jumpiness; shakiness or trembling sweating, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, depression, irritability, fatigue or loss of appetite and headaches. Do you drink to steady the nerves, stop the shakes in the morning? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and addiction.

In severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can be life-threatening and involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation. Doctor Akoury reiterates that these symptoms can be dangerous and should be managed by a physician specifically trained and experienced in dealing with alcoholism and addiction and that is one of the many reasons why doctor Akoury founder this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) where you can walk in any time any day and all your addiction concerns will be addressed professionally and in full confidentiality. So if this description suits you, I want to encourage you to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today and your life will never be the same again.

The prevalence of underage and college drinking: Understanding the signs and symptoms of alcoholism and drug dependence

The importance of detox before addiction treatment

September 10, 2015

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: The essentials in addiction recovery game plan

The importance of detox before addiction treatment is very crucial as it lays strong foundations for meaningful treatment and total recovery.

For anyone to be considered as an addict to alcohol or any other substance the individual must have had an accumulation of toxic elements in his or her body system. These toxic elements must be eliminated for the body to regain its optimum capacities in discharging the various need of the body. That is why it is very important that we scrutinize the importance of detox before addiction treatment is done and any benefits that can result out of it. Therefore when an individual is addicted to drugs or alcohol or even both, the body develops a physical dependence to the substance which then results into chemical changes that occur within the brain. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) and founder of the same facility reports that, due to these physical and chemical changes that occur as a result of substance abuse, any attempts to terminate consumption by sudden or progressive quitting either through the cold turkey way or otherwise in many instances do often fails and the consequences of such failures can tantamount to significant health risks for the addict and by extension to their loved ones and the society at large. Therefore in order to eliminate or minimize the physical and psychological symptoms that can occur during the withdrawal process in a safe manner, doctor Akoury recommends that it is very important that medical detox is considered as an essential cornerstone of the recovery game plan. Professionally this service is available at the home of addiction solutions (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) and up on scheduling for an appointment with the experts at this facility, you will have your case evaluated professionally and the most appropriate treatment administered to you for the most desired result.

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: How medical detoxification came to the forefront

History has it that the importance of detox in regards to the recovery process from addiction came to the forefront and was first administered in the 1970’s with the emergence of the medical model. Previously and before this time (1970’s), the patterns and behaviors associated with addiction were commonly dealt with as a criminal offense and people who were struggling with such kinds of addiction were considered to be of week character a factor that was very discriminative and unfair to both the patient and their loved ones. During that time the practice was that individual addicts were often arrested and held in places like “drunk tanks” and other similar holding places of confinement where there were taken through the withdrawals without any form of medical supervision. Nonetheless and progressively as reality sunk into the society and sense of what addiction really down to the societies, they on a voluntary basis begun embracing and adopting more humane and constructive ways in dealing with individuals who were struggling with all manner of instances of substance abuse issues, and it is at this point that the methods of detoxification started to evolve and therefore we can now begin to discuss authoritatively the purpose of detox and its importance before any addiction treatment.

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: The purpose of detox and its’ importance before treatment

The importance of detox in the treatment process, as stated above, is to help rid the body of the toxins that are the result of either intoxication or dependence on a substance or substances. Another purpose of detoxification, again as stated earlier, is to minimize both the physical and psychological symptoms associated with withdrawal. And according to the Quick Guide for Clinicians booklet created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) regarding medical detoxification, detox in of itself is not seen as a sufficient treatment option. The main feature of detox, as noted in this guide, and its’ importance in the recovery picture is that it serves as the start of the intervention process. The detox process needs to take place in a medical facility or other licensed and accredited environment in which the detox services are performed by certified personnel. There are three main components that are very essential and entail the detoxification process. These components are available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and up on scheduling for your appointment with doctor Akoury, they will form the starting point of your recovery treatment process as follows:

Evaluation – consists of testing for the presence of substances in an individual’s bloodstream as well as screening for any co-occurring mental and physical conditions will be done on the patient professionally, and besides that there are also comprehensive assessments of an individual’s medical, psychological and social functioning and situations, all these are tailored at ensuring that your recovery process is procedural, timely and most importantly effective.

Stabilization – detoxification is quite a process and therefore the patient needs to be assisted through the medical, psychological and social processes of withdrawal. This is essentially tailored towards getting them to a state in which they are stable medically and free of substances.

Entry into Treatment – the moment all these are done and the doctor is certified that the patient is now ready for treatment; they are then prepared for the entry into a comprehensive treatment program.

Finally doctor Akoury reiterates that detoxification is not treatment on its own, but it is the starting point of the overall treatment and recovery process. Besides its’ stabilizing effects, it is worth appreciating that the primary importance of detox is to assess the individual across a wide spectrum of factors and establish a treatment game plan that best fits that individual. In the detoxification process, the addict is given the message that recovery from substance abuse is possible and there is hope for recovery. Starting with the detox process, those who are struggling with substance abuse understand that addiction lies within the brain and is not solely the result of weak morals on the part of the addict. Ultimately, the importance of detox is the start of being proactive in regards to treatment where family and other support networks are involved in the treatment process. This is very important and if you or any of your loved ones is struggling with any form of addiction, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for further professional one on one deliberations and all your concerns will be addressed timely.

The importance of detox before addiction treatment: The essentials in addiction recovery game plan

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