Tag Archives: Substance dependence

Overcoming the challenges of defeating Alcohol Addiction

May 30, 2015

Overcoming the challenges of defeating Alcohol Addiction: What does my friend have to do to get help?

Overcoming the challenges of defeating Alcohol Addiction

Overcoming the challenges of defeating Alcohol Addiction will be effective with the embracing of group therapies.

Not long ago we posted an article tailored specifically to inform the public on the best ways they can adopt towards helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism. In that article we noted that most of our friends are suffering with alcoholism and it became evident that we have to pool together to reduce their suffering. You may want to make reference to that article even as we settle on overcoming the challenges of defeating alcohol addiction. As a concern friend you noticed that your friend is not behaving normally and you suspect that he is struggling with alcohol addiction problem. You are convicted that you need to do something to help and I am encouraged that we have concern people live you. How I wish they were many of them. But anyway experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are very much supportive of people like you and I would encourage you from the onset that talking to these professional lead by doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility. Meanwhile one of the biggest challenges to overcome in an attempt of defeating alcohol addiction is dealing with the problem of denial. The genesis of all treatment success is acceptance of the problem at hand unfortunately many people are in denial. Therefore if you have a friend you want to help with his or her alcohol addiction problem, you’ve got to start with making them to willingly acknowledge the presence of the problem they have. It is very important that to get better and recover well, your friend has to get some help to stop drinking or using the other drugs he may be using.

Doctor Akoury admits that facing such a problem and asking for help can be a scary thing to do. For the best to come out your friend will have to take an honest look at where drinking or abuse of other drugs has brought him or her. With that evaluation done honestly, the next step would be consent or admitting that it has caused them emotional and maybe physical pain as well. Your friend will have to see that it has robbed him or her of real friends, creativity, happiness, spirit, the respect of others, and even self-respect, and that it keeps your friend from growing up. It is also important to appreciate that one cannot solve the problem of drug addiction by themselves and therefore the help of experienced professionals would be very I deal, like for instance the services of a good counselor will support your friend and direct him or her to the kind of treatment and support groups that are most helpful.

Overcoming the challenges of defeating Alcohol Addiction: Talking to the various Support groups

Like we have mentioned before not individual can single handedly go it alone in overcoming the challenges of defeating alcohol addiction. As a means of helping your friend in this fight, it would be very important that you encourage your friend to talk to other people with drinking and other drug problems particularly those who are now in the recovery process. You could look for those who have passed through programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These groups are confidential, self-help organizations that offer assistance to anyone who has a drinking or other drug problem and wants to do something about it. AA and NA members are recovering alcoholics and addicts, so they have a special understanding of each other.

Take note that talking with others who have experienced similar problems is an important part of recovery. New members are encouraged to stay away from alcohol or other drugs “one day at a time.” The good news is that there is no fee for membership in these organizations. If your friend is afraid to go to a meeting alone, that is normal and don’t take offence about that instead be supportive and go along with him or her to an “open” meeting. Friends and family members are welcome to attend this type of meeting, and there are meetings in most neighborhoods or communities.

If your friend has a drinking or other drug problem, you may be the only one willing to reach out and help. Your friend may not appreciate your help right away, or he or she may realize it means you really care. Ultimately, it’s up to your friend to get help. It is not your responsibility to make that happen. In fact, you can’t make that happen. All you can do is talk to your friend, show how much you care, and encourage him or her to get help. Your concern and support might be just what is needed to help your friend turn his or her life around. However, if your friend is in serious trouble with alcohol or other drugs, and you have been unable to get your friend to get help on his or her own, you should consider speaking with your friend’s parents or guardian. The potential consequences to your friend’s life can be too severe to do nothing.

  • You cannot force someone you love to stop abusing alcohol. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is to watch, you cannot make someone stop drinking. The choice is up to them.
  • Don’t expect the person to stop drinking and stay sober without help. Your loved one will need treatment, support, and new coping skills to overcome a serious drinking problem.
  • Recovery is an ongoing process. Recovery is a bumpy road, requiring time and patience. An alcoholic will not magically become a different person once sober. And the problems that led to the alcohol abuse in the first place will have to be faced.

Admitting that there’s a serious problem can be painful for the whole family, not just the alcohol abuser. But don’t be ashamed. You’re not alone. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse affects millions of families, from every social class, race, and culture. But there is help and support available for both you and your loved one and that is why doctor Akoury founded this establishment (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) to help you go through all these challenges. And for that reason you can now schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for the commencement of your recovery journey.

Overcoming the challenges of defeating Alcohol Addiction: What does my friend have to do to get help?

 

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Helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism

May 29, 2015

Helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism: What can I do to help my friend?

Helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism

Helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism is the best thing you can do for a friend

Over the years we make new friends and keep old ones because we all value what friendship. And because of our attachment to our friends, it would be improper seeing our friends go through certain difficulties which need our help and do nothing. One very common problem that is affecting the current generation is issues to do with drug abuse and addiction. Young people are the major victims and most of our friends fall within this bracket. Take for instance the misuse of alcohol, this is problem is causing havoc in many families and neighborhoods. Therefore helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism is one very important thing you can do for a friend say doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Doctor Akoury was motivated into forming this establishment due to the suffering of many young people who have resorted into drug addiction. In her experience of over two decades, doctor Akoury has been very instrumental in offering professional treatment to many patients across the globe with so many success stories being credited to her. As we progress into this discussion, if by any chance you are struggling with alcoholism or any kind of substance abuse, then you may want to consider scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for the commencement of your recovery journey.

Meanwhile about helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism, experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury says that it is possible for you to help a friend who is in serious trouble with alcohol or other drugs. However it is important to note that whether or not your friend accepts your help or takes your advice and gets benefits from it is really your friend’s decision and responsibility. Helping is very good and very noble for that matter, but it come with a great challenge and a lot of effort on your side will be very important. You will need to know more about the condition of your friend for you to be on top everything. This way, you will be in a better position of helping. Sometimes it may be necessary that you approach the patient in company of another trusted mutual friend whose role would be to make conversation between the two of you flow effectively.

Helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism: Laying the ground work in helping an alcoholic friend

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center the first step in getting help is for your friend to talk to someone about his or her alcohol and drug use. Treatment will not be easy if your friend is not willing to open up into acknowledging the problem. You will need to make all the efforts to talk to your friend into admitting that there is a problem, and to agree to stop drinking or using other drugs completely. Remember that this must be as voluntary as possible, at no given time must you force, your part will only to encourage them and not making the decision for them. Your friend needs support and understanding, and someone they can trust to talk to about the problem. You can’t force a friend to get help, but you can encourage and support your friend to seek and find professional help.

Along the way things may not go as you had expected and this is normally the way. If this becomes the situation and you are worried about a friend, it is important for you to speak to someone in private who is knowledgeable and reassuring. And for the avoidance of doubt telling someone isn’t being disloyal to your friend. It’s important to know the facts about what’s happening to your friend if you plan to help in a more meaningful way. Remember not to try helping your friend on your own until you have talked to someone you can trust the people you may want to talk to may include a counselor, teacher, doctor, nurse, parent, or someone at your church or synagogue. Be very particular and ask this person to keep the conversation confidential. You don’t have to mention your friend by name; you can just talk generally about the problem. Talking to a professional will help you figure out what the best steps are for you to take.

If you decide to speak to your friend, here are some guidelines that you and your advisor should consider in planning how and what you could do to help:

  • The timing for the talk must be right. Only talk to your friend when he or she is sober or straight before school is a good time.
  • Never accuse your friend of being an alcoholic or a drug addict, but do express your concern. Try not to blame your friend for the problem; if you do, he or she might be turned off right away.
  • Talk about your feelings. Tell your friend you’re worried, and how it feels for you to see him or her drunk or high on other drugs.
  • Tell your friend what you’ve seen him or her do when drinking or using other drugs. Give specific examples. Tell your friend you want to help.
  • Speak in a caring and understanding tone of voice, not with pity but with friendship.
  • Be prepared for denial and anger. Your friend may say there is nothing wrong and may get mad at you. Many people with alcohol and other drug problems react this way. When confronted, many users will defend their use, blame others for the problem, or give excuses for why they drink or use other drugs.
  • Find out where help is available. You could offer to go with your friend to get help, but be prepared to follow through. This gesture will show your friend that you really care.

You need to tell your friend that you are worried about him or her, and that someone who can help needs to be told. Your friend might get really mad at you, but if you say nothing, things may get worse and your friend may be in more danger. Any effort you make towards helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism is a step in the right direction and will certainly add value to the lives of suffering addicts. Doing this is very important in rising up a strong and working society for generations to come.

Helping an alcoholic recover from alcoholism: What can I do to help my friend?

 

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Sex Addiction Stress, and Stress

May 25, 2015

Stress, Sex And Addiction: Roles Of Corticotrophin Releasing Factor, Oxytocin And Arginine- Vasopressin In Sex Addiction Stress.

Sex Addiction

Sex Addiction Stress

Stress sensitivity and sex are predictive factors for the development of neuropsychiatric conditions. it has been thought stresses are the sole cause for addiction but this isn’t true since triggers can also cause relapse to drug use. Sex Addiction Stress and stress involve similar pathways.

The development and clinical course of addiction-related disorders do appear to involve neuroadaptations within neurocircuitries that modulate stress responses and are influenced by several neuropeptides. These include corticotropin-releasing factor, the prototypic member of this class, as well as oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin that play important roles in affiliative behaviors. Interestingly, these peptides function to balance emotional behavior, with sexual dimorphism in the oxytocin/arginine-vasopressin systems, a fact that might play an important role in the differential responses of women and men to stressful stimuli and the specific sex-based prevalence of certain addictive disorders.

Stress and Sex Addiction Stress

Stress generally is defined as any stimulus that challenges physiological homeostasis—that is, which alters the balance or equilibrium of the normal physiological state of the organism.

Individuals exposed to chronic stress exhibit a higher propensity to become addicts. Stress-induced relapse is also higher in addicts. In general, there is a higher prevalence of addiction in patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders and depression. Additionally, childhood trauma is associated with increased vulnerability to addiction. Exposure to high peer deviance in childhood and adolescence is among the strongest known risk factors for drug use and drug abuse. Interestingly, a very recent study has found that individuals with increased risks of drug addiction because of parental divorce or genetic liability are more sensitive to the pathogenic effects of peer deviance.

Stress and addiction are interconnected in several ways. For example, stressful life events may predispose individuals to engage in addictive behavior or relapse.

Sex Addiction Stress

Epidemiological studies have observed significant sex- specific differences among patients suffering from addiction and other neuropsychiatric disorders. The onset, severity, clinical course, and treatment response of anxiety disorders also differ significantly in women compared to men. Importantly, the sex bias in neuropsychiatric disorders, including post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), remains even after adjusting for the type of trauma, pre-existing psychiatric disorders, and sex differences in reporting. Several studies have found increased prevalence of depression in women. Similar sex differences exist for addictive disorders. For example, more adult males abuse addictive drugs than females across most drug classes, including alcohol, psychostimulants, and narcotics. However, women develop addiction more quickly. There are also critical differences in the way that illicit substances affect the two sexes.

Men and women also show different propensities to relapse, and are differentially affected by triggers for relapse to drug taking, putting women at greater risk for repeated relapses despite the higher prevalence of drug abuse in men. Interestingly, once the addiction cycle resumes, women show longer periods of drug use before their next quit attempt.

The sex differences may also be a result of hormonal and neural differences between men and women in relationship to their response to the addictive behavior.

Corticotropin-releasing factor and  Sex addiction Stress.

CRF is a 41-amino acid-containing neuropeptide. CRF orchestrates the stress response by acting at the level of the pituitary to initiate the HPA axis response to stress, as well as centrally to modulate limbic and brain monoamine systems that are important in autonomic and behavioral components of the stress response. CRF causes its effects by stimulation of corticotropin-releasing factor 1 receptor (CRF1R) and CRF2R, and displays an 18-fold greater affinity for CRF1R than CRF2R.

Physiological responses to stress involve the release of CRF from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, followed by stimulation of ACTH release from the anterior pituitary. ACTH, in turn, stimulates the secretion of cortisol/corticosterone from the adrenal glands. In addition, CRF has an extensive extrahypothalamic influence across the corticostriatal-limbic regions, and plays a critical role in modulating subjective and behavioral stress responses. Central catecholamines, particularly noradrenaline and dopamine, are involved in modulating brain motivational pathways that are important in regulating distress, exerting cognitive and behavioral control, and tempering behavioral and cognitive responses critical for adaptation and homeostasis. The hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic CRF pathways and central catecholamines target brain motivational path- ways to critically affect adaptive and homeostatic processes. CRF dysregulation has been linked to the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders. During stress, release of limbic CRF can modulate monoamine systems that have been implicated in mood and cognition. Although activation of both the HPA axis and central monoaminergic systems by CRF during acute stress is adaptive, the inappropriate or persistent activation of these systems can have adverse consequences leading to psychopathology.

Oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin in Sex addiction Stress

Sex addiction and stress

Sex addiction Stress and stress

Cells originating in the PVN have specific pathways that efficiently deliver OXY to other structures in the brain including the amygdala, BNST, septum, hippocampus, and NAc. OXY released by peripheral organs or by the posterior pituitary does not readily cross the blood–brain barrier, with only 1–2% crossing. In disparity, the local expression of OXY receptors is highly variable and explains differences in social attachment within and between species. OXY exerts anxiolytic and anti- depressive effects in various models.

OXY, in collaboration with hormone dopamine, is vital for pairing and bonding in prairie voles. When OXY is infused into the VTA, it increases dopaminergic activity in the NAc, and stimulation of oxytocinergic projections within the VTA increases extracellular DA within the NAc while concurrently inducing penile erection. OXY-induced dopaminergic release within the meso- limbic DA system may impact the attribution of incentive salience to a variety of social stimuli and ultimately influence an organism’s drive towards such objects thus causing addiction.

Sex Addiction Stress is a menace that should be fought by all means that is why we at Integrative Addiction Institute are committed to availing help to addicts and offering training to Health care providers in Integrative Addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today for assistance.

Stress And Sex Addiction Stress: Roles Of Corticotrophin Releasing Factor, Oxytocin And Arginine- Vasopressin In Sex Addiction.

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Meditation in Addiction Recovery

May 24, 2015

Role of Mindfulness Meditation in Addiction Recovery

MeditationDuring the initial stages of recovery, a person may feel some kind of mental haziness. It takes lots of struggle for them to think clearly after stopping using the drug they are addicted to. They will also experience emotional instability. Failure to adjust to these changes may lead to relapse.

Integrative techniques that foster meditation and mindfulness have shown increasing promise in the successful completion of a drug addiction treatment program. Meditation’s ability to “retrain thought” can serve to alter cognitive processing in the brain, thus leading to healthier interactions in the brain’s reward center. The process of meditation also serves to produce stress-reduction naturally thereby reducing the powers of triggers, cravings and withdrawal symptoms in recovering individuals. In addition, meditation has been found to lower the rate of relapse in recovering addicts.

What is mindfulness meditation?

In mindful mediation a patient pays attention to the present moment. It aims at setting the mind free from thoughts that may rekindle the flame of addiction and cause relapse. Through it a patient learns to be aware of his thoughts and emotions without letting the emotions sway his judgment. As practice by Buddhists it is a non-judgmental form of observation.

It is also known as Sati as was in ancient Pali; which is a language in India. It is essential for those Buddhists seeking enlightment as it involves three elements; awareness, attention and remembering. If you have to succeed you must be aware of the object you are focusing on, pay attention to it and remember it.

How effective is Meditation in Addiction Recovery?

The body of evidence for the power of meditation in addiction treatment is increasing. As a matter of fact, a 2007 research presented that individuals who participated in meditation during addiction recovery gained higher levels of coping skills as well as amplified awareness of substance abuse triggers that aided addiction recovery. In another peer-reviewed study indicated the effects of prayer and meditation on dopamine levels, servicing the mind and body by creating contentedness and calm through the brain’s pathways, this helps as a substitute for the effects the drugs produced in the patient.

Meditation minimizes chances of alcohol and drug relapse

Meditation may also be effective in preventing relapse. Research has repeatedly shown that maximized sobriety is achieved when meditation is incorporated in treatment and recovery programs. Mindful meditation has been shown to assist patients in coping with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and trauma.

Meditation and smoking cessation

Past researches have shown that mediation has effects on chemical dependency and this can be extended to nicotine addiction. Meditation has great effects in smokers and it has been verified that it increases recovery rates of smokers.

In a 2009 study of close to 160 smokers by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, it was established that mindfulness practices linked to lower physical addiction levels and floored withdrawal effects. Additionally, those who practiced mindful mediation techniques experienced a greater belief in their ability to quit smoking, showing that mindful mediation therapy may help those struggling with nicotine addiction.

Alternative and Eastern-based meditative practices incorporated into individual alcoholism and drug abuse treatment plans seem to garner some of the most promising findings in relation to emerging research. Another study was done in 2010 and it involved studying the use of the qi gong meditative practices by close to 250 substance abusers and it was found to increase the addiction recovery completion by about 14 percent. The substance abusers who were part of this study showed lower cravings, reduced withdrawal symptoms as well as reduced anxiety levels.

Similar results have been studied in one of the most popular forms of meditative practice in addiction treatment and recovery, known as Vipassana. Vipassana is a Buddhist nonjudgmental, observational practice, it seeks to harness thought positively in relation to cognitive identification with addictive impulses. A 2006 study on addicted and enslaved individuals found that Vipassana meditation minimized rates of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine abuse in released prisoners who learned the meditative technique. As a matter of fact, Vipassana participants also showed fewer alcohol-related side effects as well as fewer mental health conditions and even improved relations in social circles.

Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation in Addiction Recovery

meditationThese are some of the benefits of mindfulness meditation for people in recovery:

  • This practice makes life in sobriety far more enjoyable. The individual is able to get pleasure from even the simplest things.
  • Those who practice the technique find it easier to manage their interpersonal relationships
  • Early recovery is like an emotional rollercoaster. By practicing mindfulness, the individual will feel more in control and better able to deal with the highs and lows.
  • People who practice mindfulness will be better able to spot the warning signs that they are losing their hold on recovery. This way they will be able to avoid a relapse.
  • Cravings usually continue to arise in recovery. Mindfulness allows the individual to observe such thoughts without being carried away by them. People learn that they are not always responsible for their thoughts, nor do they have to be a victim to them.

Recovering fully from addiction is a challenging process that requires enough support for the recovering addict. Help and hope for addicts is available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Do not hesitate to call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) any day for assistance.

Role of Mindfulness Meditation in Addiction Recovery

 

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NAD Therapy for Cravings Reduction

May 24, 2015

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

NAD TherapyContrary to what many people think, addiction isn’t just a disease of the body alone but also of the mind and therefore any therapy for addiction has to treat all these aspects to be successful. When you are being treated from withdrawal effects of any drug but the doctors fail to give a therapy that will help heal the conditions that create depression, fatigue and anxiety, the chances of relapse become even higher and you may not completely recover from the effects of the drug.

Similarly if you withdraw from a substance and do not understand the psychological and spiritual issues that promoted the need for it, then relapse is likely and the lessons of disease have not been learnt.

Integrative medicine avails the tools that are instrumental in assessing and treating the conditions in the body that culminate into fatigue, depression, and anxiety, thereby increasing the likelihood of chemical dependency. These include:

These “terrain issues” in the body have to be properly addressed so as to make detoxification easier and to inhibit relapse.

Addiction is a complex disease that must be properly addressed as it doesn’t only affect the body alone but also the mind. most of the symptoms that are exhibited in the body are developed within the consciousness, the body is just an avenue through which these emotional traumas, fears , irrational thoughts, chemical imbalances in the brain and conflicts are showed.

Diseases are a way through which the body seeks your attention and beckons self-exploration in pursuit of true healing.

One of the hardest stages in addiction treatment and recovery that those addicted to drugs have to endure is detoxification. this is necessary as drugs of abuse always alter the chemical balances in the brain hence this balance must be restored.

Drug withdrawal can cause symptoms such as sweating, fever, hallucinations and even seizures. The severity of these withdrawal symptoms can prevent a person from maintaining sobriety. It can even make it impossible for a person to stop using the drugs in the first place.

The coenzyme NAD, also known as “biological rocket fuel,” is a good approach to treatment of addiction and recovery. It might also help in reducing the drug cravings .

What is NAD?

NAD is an abbreviation that stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. this is an activated form of vitamin B3. It is naturally present within every cell in the human body. It not only helps in regulating gene expression but also mediates calcium levels. NAD is also a participant in a number of redox reactions – in other words, it reacts with oxygen in the body.

Owing to these reactions, It is a powerful anti-oxidant that can help in reducing the populations of dangerous free radicals hence protecting the body from aging and diseases that are caused by oxidative damage like cancer. nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is also an essential component of the citric acid cycle known to many people as Krebs cycle; a cellular process that is essential for the production of energy for every cell and organ in the body.

How can IV NAD therapy benefit drug addicts?

When a drug of abuse is used for a long time, it alters the chemical makeup of the body. The addict will be glued to the drug and whenever he stops the brain has to begin learning how to work. For this reason any recovery plan must put in place ways to help the brain to rebuild and to function optimally. Without healing the brain the withdrawal symptoms and cravings for a drug will relapse.

Since NAD is essential for energy production, increasing the availability of NAD increases cellular energy. When the energy is increased the brain can more quickly rebuild its neurotransmitter population and fix its connections. This condition will help in rebuilding the brain and restoring its functions.

The NAD therapy results in an increased sense of well-being, clearer cognition. it also reduces the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.

What are the advantages of NAD over other detox methods?

NAD works better and quicker as compared to other detoxification methods. Just within four days of treatment with NAD the withdrawal symptoms as well as physical cravings are reduced. This can be especially inspiring during the beginning phases of drug cessation. Other detox methods take a while before they start working – with NAD infusions, recovering drug addicts are provided with near-immediate relief, encouraging them to continue pursuing sobriety.

NAD TherapyUnlike other treatment methods, NAD is completely natural and non-addictive. This therefore is a guarantee that the addict will not suffer another addiction as a result of the drug used in treating him that was addictive.

Addicts who have received NAD therapy have testified that it helps them feel better and more energetic. They have also shown NAD have reported decreased withdrawal symptoms and a diminished desire to use. Since this treatment has no side effects and has received positive reviews, it may be prudent and safe to try the therapy.

NAD therapy is offered at AWAREmed Health and Wellness resource center. Here we ourselves fully to offering lasting solution to the menace of addiction. Don’t hesitate to call Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) on (843)213-1480 for help.

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

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