Tag Archives: Substance abuse complications

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Dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder

Dual diagnosis

Dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder can really frustrate your life if timely action is not taken

Dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder: Co-occurring complications

Are you struggling with drugs or is there any of your loved ones or anybody you know who is struggling with drugs? Drug addiction is not by any standard good for anyone’s health. People who have recovered from this scourge will attest to this. Even though this condition is treatable patients (addicts) are always in denial of what they are going through. This is one of the biggest challenges that must first be dealt with before any meaningful treatment can be administered. For sure without acknowledgement of the problem and willful acceptance, there is very little that any professional will do to help. That is why we put more emphasis about dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental health so that addicts can own up and get ready for treatment. With that said and done, doctor says that if there is anything you need to remember then remember that substance abuse problems and mental health issues don’t get better when they’re ignored. As a matter of fact any time wasted will cause even much problem when treatment finally begins, in other words when dealing with matters addiction treatment should be immediate to rid of any possibilities of worsening the situation which is already frustrating. While appreciating that you may not want to be associated with drug addiction hence your reason for denial, surely you don’t have to feel this way. It is important to note that admitting you have a problem is the first step towards conquering your demons and enjoying life again. The following will help you come to terms with the problem at hand:

Dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder: Family history

If people in your family lineage have grappled with either a mental disorder such as depression or alcohol abuse or drug addiction, you have a higher risk of developing these problems yourself. Meaning if this is true then you are not the first it had happen before.

Your sensitivity to alcohol or drugs

Are you highly sensitive to the effects of alcohol or drugs? Have you noticed a relationship between your substance use and your mental health? For example, do you get depressed when you drink? Interrogate that further.

Look at symptoms when you’re sober

While some depression or anxiety is normal after you’ve stopped drinking or doing drugs, if the symptoms persist after you’ve achieved sobriety, you may be dealing with a mental health problem.

Dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder: Review treatment history

Have you been treated before for either your addiction or your mental health problem? Did the substance abuse treatment fail because of complications from your mental health issue or vice versa? These will be very helpful to you in realizing that the problem you have is just like any other problem and treatment must be sought for immediately. Once you have noticed these then the next step is letting the professionals do their part by administering treatment so that the problem doesn’t escalate to some other complications.

Dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental disorder: Co-occurring complications

 

 

 

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The pain of addiction

Parental duties in controlling drug addiction

Parental duties

Parental duties in controlling drug addiction inspires and motivates users to agree to medication

Parental duties in controlling drug addiction: Taming substance abuse

While looking at drug addiction experiences by parents caring for addicts in our previous article, we highlighted certain lesion points from what other parents have experience while exercising their parental duties in controlling drug addiction. It became clear that most of us have let our children plunge in to the intoxication of addiction, for very simple reasons like denial. Of the seven lessons we were able to address the first one and now with the help of doctor Dalal Akoury MD a veteran addiction expert and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we want to progress with the remaining lesions as we progress into this discussion as follows:

  1. I cannot fix this
  2. My addict is a liar
  3. My addict is a criminal
  4. Others don’t want them around
  5. Life will not be the same
  6. Homelessness may be the path he chooses

Parental duties in controlling drug addiction: I cannot fix this

Doctor Akoury has maintained that the first step in the addiction treatment is making self-acknowledgement that you have a problem which needs to be fixed. It is true that as loving parents we would always want to fix all the problems of our children irrespective of the challenges involved. However no one has access of our addict’s children’s minds besides themselves. This you can’t fix for them as a parent. All you can do is to be supportive and loving to them. Remember that no meaningful recovery program will succeed where the patient is in denial. Therefore any loving parent trying to force this decision on the children is likely to fail and get frustrated as they watch their children sink into addiction. Therefor parental duties in controlling drug abuse demands that we seek for help from the experts and doctor Akoury will be very helpful if only you can schedule for an appointment with her today.

Parental duties in controlling drug addiction: My addict is a liar

Traditionally addicts will often find something to hide their habits with and ensure that their real business is not exposed. It is possible that when they are making all these efforts of concealment, they may not be in their proper senses to tell exactly what they are doing. Normally their motive is sincere of trying to seek your approval of their deeds and not really for pride. It is also true that most addicts are not happy with themselves for their actions are only that they have no way out at least while still in that state of mind. At this point their only survival ways would be to seek for some approval by telling lies no matter the consequences.

As parents we will be laid to whether it is an innocent lie or not, it will still remain to be a lie. Like in my case when my addicted son tells me that he is not abusing drugs, I don’t buy that and instead I tell him repeatedly that “my eyes can hear even better than my ears” because ideally what they say is not what is really happening.  It is therefore very important that we make efforts of finding facts for ourselves and not relying on what the children tell us.

Parental duties in controlling drug addiction: Taming substance abuse

 

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heroin addiction

Overcoming substance abuse progressively

Overcoming substance abuse

Overcoming substance abuse progressively by engaging in healthy living

Overcoming substance abuse progressively: Addiction recoveryhttp://www.I-AM-I.com/wp-admin

Overcoming substance abuse is one uphill task that many are willing to achieve yet still find it too difficult to realize. This is particularly true because of the addictive nature of most substances of abuse. Doctor Dalal Akoury says that even though overcoming substance abuse may be difficult for many, the good news is that it is not impossible. With good expertise anyone can be free from any kind of addiction. This article is going to address a few insights which when one is able to respond to positively, then overcoming this vice becomes easy. And as we progress into the discussion, drug addiction is a global problem and no state can say categorically that they are addiction free. Because of the magnitude of the problem that comes with addiction, doctor Dalal Akoury MD, and her team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will always be there for you any time you make up your mind about overcoming substance abuse.

Does the problem of addiction cause you headache?

Take some stock on your life and ask yourself if you have you ever wondered how you can beat an addiction and so you have been trying on your own and the more effort you make/put you only succeed in finding yourself right back where you began? Instances like that are common however, it may not matter what kind of substance you’re addicted to whether it is alcohol, drugs, or anything else, doctor Akoury reiterates that addiction is painful and all consuming. And as a matter of facts, the object of your addiction can consume  your thoughts and actions, leaving little room for anything else in your life. That is why timely action is very essential and whenever you’re ready, you can always schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for a more detailed treatment approach.

Hindrances of overcoming substance abuse

Perhaps the biggest hindrance of overcoming substance abuse could be denial. Where you encourage yourself that, “It’s not that bad. I can control it. I can quit drugs anytime I want” Or, perhaps you compare yourself to others, “you should see my friends, compared to them, I don’t have a problem.” If these are options crossing your mind, then you need to appreciate that your mind is simply trying to communicate something to you about your denial to the serious issues of addiction in your life. Doctor Akoury is very categorical that, if these suits your situation, then be informed that for the first time in your life you’ve recognized that you have a problem that you can’t actually control. And that’s very much in order because your life is about to take to the right action point.

Finally it is important to note that addiction recovery is an all-in affair that requires new patterns of living and thinking. It’s therefore very crucial that if you are going to truly overcome addiction, you need to have a clear and realistic outlook on what to expect. Your choice of treatment approach will matters a lot if you are to realize your dream of being free from addiction. You can make further inquiries from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center so that the right thing is done from the beginning.

Overcoming substance abuse progressively: Addiction recovery

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Alcohol kills

Points of action when faced with alcoholism

Points of action when faced with alcoholism: How can I avoid drinking?

Alcoholism

Points of action when faced with alcoholism will help you make the right decision towards your ultimate addiction recovery from your alcoholism problem.

Our children often find it very difficult to say no when offered a drink by their friends and this is not doing them any good in the fight against addiction. That is why it has become necessary for us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to share with us some few points of action when faced with alcoholism and even other substances. Before we get to that, it will interest you to note that AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is the brain child of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the MD, President and founder of the same. Doctor Dalal Akoury is a veteran addiction expert who has offered quality and relentless addiction treatment to millions of people across the globe and is still delivering real time solutions to people to date. If you, your child or any one you know is struggling with any kind of addiction, then you can consult with her today by scheduling for an appointment right away. Otherwise for the young people we appreciate that if you are keeping friends who drinking or using drugs are, you may be willing and desiring to let go the drink but their influence won’t let you. That is why we are tailoring this article to suit your individual situation as follows.

Doctor Akoury agrees that even though you inner-self may be saying No, it can be very hard to say “no, thanks” boldly and openly. This happens because we always want to safeguard our relationships and to avoid the risk of feeling rejected or being left out. Even with those challenges, it is still important to stand firm and say no and stick to your No, this can be done in several different strategies. Like for instance you may want to turn down alcohol work for different people without letting them see you as being difficult or distancing yourself from them. For this reason, some people will find it helpful to say no without giving an explanation while others may think that detailing their reasons works better e.g. (“sorry I’m not into drinking,” “sorry I ‘am sitting an exam tomorrow,” sorry I am taking part in a very important game tomorrow,” or “my parents died from drinking and I am not following their footsteps” these are some of the example you can give and still remain relevant to your friends.

Besides the above points, If you still find it difficult to say no to your friends when they offer you alcohol, you can as well shift the blame to your parents or another adult for your refusal by saying that “I am sorry my parents are coming to pick me up soon,” “I ‘am sorry I have already gotten in serious trouble for drinking once with the authorities and I can’t do it again,” or “better still you may say that “my coach would kill me if I drink before the game,” these are some of the better ways of communicating your refusal to your friend and because they too (teen) experience the same challenges, they will surely excuse you without any form of victimization.

Points of action when faced with alcoholism: Marry making and outings

Marry making and outings are serious threats to sinking into alcoholism and therefore it is important that as an individual, each time you’re going to a party where alcoholic drinks will be served, it is important that you up your game plan by coming up with a working strategy towards escape in advance. You and a friend can develop a signal for when it’s time to leave. Besides that you can also make sure that you have plans to do something besides just hanging out in someone’s basement drinking beer all night. Plan a trip to the movies, the mall, a concert, or a sports event. You might also organize your friends into a volleyball, bowling, or softball team any activity that gets you moving. Self-esteem is a factor to consider it therefore means that girls or guys who have strong self-esteem are less likely to become problem drinkers than people with low self-esteem.

Points of action when faced with alcoholism: Where you can get help from?

If you think you have a drinking problem, getting help as soon as possible is very necessary. The best approach is to talk to an adult you trust. If you can’t approach your parents, talk to your doctor, school counselor, clergy member, aunt, or uncle. It can be hard for some people to talk to adults about these issues, but a supportive person in a position to help can refer students to a drug and alcohol counselor for evaluation and treatment. In some states, this treatment is completely confidential. After assessing a teen’s problem, a counselor may recommend a brief stay in rehab or outpatient treatment. These treatment centers help a person gradually overcome the physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

Points of action when faced with alcoholism: What if I’m concerned about someone else’s drinking?

Because we owe one another the duty of care we must show concern to our friends who are strongly into alcohol and drugs. It is normal to be living in a home with one or both parents who are abusing alcohol and not just parents even other relatives. This can be annoying and in the process may make you angry, scared, and depressed. Even though this is a possibility it is important to appreciate that many people can’t control their drinking without help and that is why we all must show concern because alcoholism is an illness that needs to be treated just like other illnesses. One important point about alcoholism is that people with drinking problems many at times can’t stop drinking until they are ready to admit that they have a problem that needs to be sorted out professionally. During this period of denial, many family members and loved ones have a feeling of depressed and helpless. However the good news is that we have experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who can help you get well in the most human way with a lot of dignity and high standard of confidentiality. All you need to do is to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury and you will have your life back and live it to the fullest.

Points of action when faced with alcoholism: How can I avoid drinking?

 

 

 

 

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Is malnutrition related to substance abuse

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: The significance of alcohol addiction in malnutrition?

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse? this question came at the right time since currently addiction of all substances is on the rise and this is killing the good healthy habits including healthy feeding habits.

Food is very essential for anyone’s life and well-being. From the food stuff we eat we are able to get the constant supply of the energy we need to keep a float and to be productive in our daily undertakings. Even though when food is not taken the right way could also cause certain complications, it is very good and rich in nutrients which are the driving forces in the proper functionalities of our bodies. In one of the forums where doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran expert in addiction was addressing professionals in different health sectors, she posed a question that is malnutrition related to substance abuse? That question is going to form the focus of our discussion with a view of finding out the significance of alcohol addiction in malnutrition. Ideally alcohol addiction and malnutrition are two different elements that must not be allowed to have any relationship let alone one being a victim of either or both. Therefore doctor Akoury is kicking off the discussion with finding out the nutritional status of what we feed on as follows.

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: Nutritional status?

According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility which was established by doctor Akoury the general observation suggests that many alcoholics in many cases do not actually feed on a well-balanced diet. And besides, excessive alcohol consumption may interfere with these alcoholics’ ability to absorb and use the nutrients they do consume. Accordingly, many alcoholics suffer from various degrees of both primary and secondary malnutrition, where primary malnutrition occurs when alcohol replaces other nutrients in the diet resulting in an overall reduction of nutrient intake. Secondary malnutrition occurs when the drinker consumes adequate nutrients but alcohol interferes with the absorption of those nutrients from the intestine so they are not available to the body.

The most severe malnutrition, which is accompanied by a significant reduction in muscle mass, generally is found in those alcoholics who are hospitalized for medical complications of alcoholism (e.g., alcohol–related liver disease or other organ damage). According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center if these patients continue with their drinking habits, the consequence would be that they will lose additional weight; conversely, if they abstain from drinking, they will gain weight. This pattern applies to patients with and without liver disease.

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: Alcohol’s effects on digestion and absorption of essential nutrients?

Alcohol consumption, particularly at heavy drinking levels, not only influences the drinker’s diet but also affects the metabolism of those nutrients that are consumed. Thus, even if the user takes in sufficient proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, deficiencies may still develop if those nutrients are not adequately absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood, are not broken down properly or are not used effectively by the body’s cells. Two classes of nutrients for which such problems occur are proteins and vitamins.

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: Amino acids and proteins?

Proteins are essential components of all cells. They help maintain the cell’s structure, transport certain substances in and out of cells, and act as enzymes that mediate almost all biochemical reactions occurring in the cells. Proteins are composed of approximately 20 different building blocks called amino acids. Many of these amino acids can be produced by the body itself from various precursors or are recycled when proteins that are damaged or are no longer needed are broken down or degraded. Other amino acids however, must be acquired through diet. Alcohol can interfere with the uptake of these essential amino acids.

Patients with chronic liver failure also exhibit a number of defects in protein metabolism. These include decreased production of proteins in the liver that are secreted into the blood decreased urea synthesis, and decreased metabolism of a group of amino acids called aromatic amino acids. These defects have important clinical consequences:

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: Vitamins?

Vitamins are molecules that are present in small amounts in various foods and are essential for normal metabolism; insufficient vitamin levels in the body can lead to serious diseases. Alcoholics, even without liver disease, tend to have clinical and/or laboratory signs of deficiencies in certain vitamins, particularly vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), and C (ascorbic acid), as well as folic acid. The severity of these deficiencies correlates with the amount of alcohol consumed and with the corresponding decrease in vitamin intake.

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: A person’s nutrition affects liver function?

Malnutrition, regardless of its causes, can lead to liver damage and impaired liver function. For example, children in underdeveloped countries whose diets do not contain enough protein can develop a disease called kwashiorkor. One symptom of this disorder is the accumulation of fat in the liver, a condition known as fatty liver. Studies performed during and after World War II indicated that severe malnutrition also could lead to liver injury in adults. However, in these cases other factors, including exposure to certain toxins or parasites that are prevalent in war–ravaged or underdeveloped countries, may have exacerbated the relationship between liver injury and poor nutrition.

Doctor Akoury registers that because malnutrition also is common in alcoholics, clinicians initially thought that malnutrition, rather than alcohol itself, was responsible for alcohol–induced liver injury. Over the past decades, however, a more balanced view has evolved. Studies in humans, primates, and rodents have established that alcohol can cause liver damage even in well–nourished people.

In conclusion, doctor Akoury reports that it is becoming clear that nutritional effects and the toxic effects of alcohol often are intertwined at the biochemical level. Like for instance, alcohol induces the MEOS to break down alcohol. Similarly, alcohol promotes the breakdown of nutrients such as vitamin A, of which alcoholics may already consume too little with their diet. Therefore for us to be safe from all these malnutrition, our starting point should be the elimination of drug addiction from our societies and life system and that is where doctor Dalal Akoury a well-respected addiction expert of several decades come in. if this describes your situation, then it is important that you call doctor Akoury today to schedule or an appointment with her for the commencement of your addiction recovery treatment program today.

Is malnutrition related to substance abuse: The significance of alcohol addiction in malnutrition?

 

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