Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

March 16, 2015

Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

Scientifically Cannabis sativa popularly known by many titles such as weed, marijuana among others, has always been a drug that is accessible to many youths in spite of harsh laws that regulate its use in given countries. In most countries the use of this drug is prohibited and if you are unlucky to be caught you will serve a jail term longer enough to make you regret knowing it in the first place. Despite the stringent rules that have outlawed the use of this drug in many countries it has remained one of the highly abused drugs especially by college students and teens who are out of school.

Marijuana is currently an outlawed drug in most countries but it does not defy the saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining, it also has good effects that were once valued- this drug being rich in THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is one of the most active ingredient in cannabis that has medicinal qualities, due to its high content in this medicinal content, many researchers have opined that marijuana can be used in treatment of many diseases including cancer. However owing to the fact that it is a highly addictive drug that is prone to be abused it has attracted the attentions for all the wrong reasons making it outlawed in many parts of the world.

The use of cannabis is common despite the strict laws in fact it is on the rise among college students, thanks to its hallucinatory effects that has made it a darling to many students. Most college students begin using this drug without even knowing all the side effects that it is always associated with. Due to peer pressure and a need to belong some students also begin using this drug since some of their friends are using it. in the long run the number of college students affected grows and by the time they become aware of the dangerous effects of using cannabis they are have already become addicted to the drug so much that it can’t be easily stopped. This leads to a situation where college students become adversely affected with the drug so much that they cannot effectively study.

Cannabis and students

The use of cocaine on the rise among students

According to an article published on Michigan University News on Sept/8/2014; the use of illicit drugs has been rising at an alarming rate among American college students since 2006 when only 34 per cent indicated that they had used some illicit drugs in years prior to 2006. By 2013 the rate of those who indicated to have used illicit drugs had heightened by 39 per cent. The report also stated that marijuana is one of the drugs that are highly abused by college students. This study was done by University of Michigan scientists who conduct the nationwide Monitoring the Future study.

The report states that the use of marijuana is on the rise while that of other drugs of leisure is declining and this can be attributed to availability of this drug and affordability in comparison to such drugs as cocaine and heroin. According to this study, Daily marijuana use is now at the highest rate among college students in more than three decades. 51 percent of all full-time college students currently have used an illicit drug at some time in their lives; roughly four in 10 have used one or more such drugs in just the 12 months preceding the survey.

The results are based on a nationally representative sample of some 1,100 students enrolled full time in a 2- or 4-year college in spring 2013. The survey is part of the long-term MTF study, which also tracks substance use among the nation’s secondary students and older adults under research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The study showed that marijuana has remained the most widely used illicit drug over the 34 years that MTF has tracked substance use by college students, but the level of use has varied considerably over time. In 2006, 30 percent of the nation’s college students said they used marijuana in the prior 12 months, whereas in 2013 nearly 36 percent indicated doing so. This shows how marijuana use in colleges is rising despite the fact that it is still regulated. The question is what will happen if it is deregulated.

If marijuana would be deregulated today, the students will begin using it like some sort of over the counter drugs, without fear of authorities and deregulation in itself may sound as an approval by the state on the positive effects of the drug hence many students will use it.

Cannabis

These are some of the problems that the students will face

Inconsistence in performance- consuming alcohol doesn’t end with blowing the smoke in the air; its effects are far more than the euphoric effects that an individual may get from using the drug. When used for a long time it will result in anxiety which will not enable the student to study and perform well in exams and being that it will be unregulated the dosage may hike to a dangerous limit that over a time may cause cognitive malfunctions.

Depression- this is a threat that most people using cannabis have to face. Depression is not good for a student as it alienates him from his studies and even lecturers it may graduate to other serious problems.

Addiction to marijuana is a serious concern that needs to be duly addressed. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to offer the best treatment available to addicts. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more help in any kind of addiction you may be wrestling with.

Effects of Cannabis Deregulation on College Students

Motivational Interview So Important In Addiction Treatment

March 15, 2015

Crucial Stages of Motivational Interview as Part of Addiction Treatment

Addiction is a multifaceted issue that also needs to be given a multifaceted approach in treatment without which treating addiction will be a fallacy. There is required input and cooperation of the patient 100 percent. He has to have the will to quit using the drugs he is using; you can never force an addict to quit using a drug he has become addicted to. It also needs patience of both the doctor and the patient so that the addict will be able to completely recover from all the adverse effects of addiction especially during withdrawal. One of the ways through which an urge to quit using drugs can be imparted into an addict is through motivational interview. Motivational interview is often referred to as motivational therapy and us done by a motivational therapist. The main aim of the motivational therapist is to help the patient see the side effects that he is suffering as a result of the use of the abusive drug and help create a desire to quit using the drug in the addict. He will not try to victimize the addict or to oppose his views but uses the power of empathy to instill the desire to quit the use of the abusive drug into the addict.

Motivational Interview

For any motivational interview to be effective there is need of full cooperation from the addict. There is also need of input of an experienced motivational therapist to place the will to change from the use of drug abuse into the mind of the addict. The addict is the center of focus in motivational interview, he is the one who has to make the decision of whether to quit using the drugs or not. The motivational therapist is just there to help him make this decision by giving him a better option in quitting but he can’t decide for the addict, the addict has to own the decision to quit and that is when he is bound to succeed. In a journalistic point of view it appears that both the addict and the therapists are very crucial parties to this type of treatment because as much as the therapist may be good at his work. He may bear initial fruits in planting the desire to quit using the drugs in the mind of the addict but the addict must make the step of quitting the use of the drug.

Here are some crucial stages that the addict will be taken through by the help of the motivational therapist

Pre-contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance and relapse

For effectiveness these stages should be followed in sequence, however if an addict may fall beck he should be encouraged to continue from where appropriate.

Pre-contemplation

This is the first stage in which the thought of changing has not even got into the mind of the addict. In most instances the drug users are in denial and they do not consider themselves as the right audience to the advice being offered. Here the will to change is not close even to the addict and it requires an input of an expert motivational therapist to let the drug addict see the need to overcome the addiction. During this stage, addicts do not consider change. They may not believe that their behavior is a problem or that it will negatively affect them or they may be resigned to their unhealthy behavior because of previous failed efforts and no longer believe that they have control over addiction. At this stage the therapist must be careful not be seen as opposing the lifestyle of the addict but as an empathizer who has placed his foot right in the moccasins of the addict. Here the therapist’s main goal is harmer the desire to quit using the drugs of abuse in the patient’s mind.

Contemplation Stage

At contemplation stage, patients are unsure about changing. They are weighing the benefits they get from the use of the drug against the benefits they will receive after quitting its use. At this stage the patients tries to look into the reasons why they can’t stop the use of the drug. Giving up an enjoyed behavior causes them to feel a sense of loss despite the perceived gain. This is the stage where the patient needs the help of the motivational speaker most as he gets in conflict with himself. He is torn between stopping the use of the drug and continuing using it. He must know the advantages and disadvantages of quitting the drug use. The therapist will be of help in letting the addict choose wisely.

Preparation Stage

Motivational Interview During the preparation stage, patients prepare to make a specific change. To test the waters of the new world, the addict may try using the drugs in lower doses and tests his body reaction to the deprivation. The therapist helps the patient to stay true to its course since the outcome of these experiments may make the addict to give up on the goal of quitting the drug use.

Action Stage

The action stage is the stage that needs more of the patient’s contribution to be successful. Many patients may fail once but with the help of the therapist they may get up and continue fighting addiction. Every effort that the patient puts forward must be appreciated by the therapist as this gives the addict the morale to continue.

Maintenance and Relapse Prevention

Every motivational therapist would want his patient to reach this stage. However the addict may go through the initial stages many times before fully landing on this stage. Change is not always easy to deal with and any discouragement from the therapists over the addicts’ occasional slip may thwart his hopes of ever overcoming addiction and hence he may give up.

Finally, the need to quit using drugs of abuse is crucial in motivational interview; the therapist has to instill this in the addict failure to which the interview will bear no success. All the same addiction is a jail that many are chained but the need for liberation is the very reason for our existence. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to finding the best solutions to addiction and dependence on substances. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is always in the mood of helping any patient to be addiction free. Do not hesitate to call on her for help in managing any sort of chronic pain or any type of addiction as well as other diseases.

Crucial Stages of Motivational Interview as Part of Addiction Treatment

Correcting Neurotransmitter Imbalances with IV Amino Acids

March 14, 2015

Correcting Neurotransmitter Imbalances with IV Amino Acids

When taken, drugs will alter the normal the bodily functions. That is no news to even those who use drugs of abuse, in fact the basic definition of a drug is; any substance that when taken will interfere with the normal functions of the body. However some drugs do not only alter minor body functions but go a step further in inhibiting the functions of neurotransmitters to a greater extent. Most of the drugs that can mimic or interfere with the functions of the neurotransmitters in any way are mostly drugs of pleasure that are prone to abuse and are hence illegal in many parts of the world. The brain and the entire nervous system functions in a way that the entire body needs them to work properly, you can’t imagine how fast the coordination between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system is but most important fact to note is that any interference within the nervous system even only to a neurotransmitter goes a long way in affecting the entire body. The brain has various mechanisms through which it accomplishes all the functions of the body. The effect of drugs on the neurotransmitters can be underestimated by those who haven’t known how the neurotransmitters work, here is how the neurotransmitters work.

Neurotransmitters

How Neurotransmitters Work

Neurotransmitters are very crucial in the nervous system. They are the chemicals that transmit messages from one nerve cell to another. Nerve cells are known as neurons. The nerve impulse travels from the first nerve cell through the axon, a single smooth body arising from the nerve cell to the axon terminal and the synaptic knobs. Each synaptic knob communicates with a dendrite or cell body of another neuron, and the synaptic knobs contain neurovesicles that store and release neurotransmitters. The synapse lies between the synaptic knob and the next cell. For the impulse to continue traveling across the synapse to reach the next cell, the synaptic knobs release the neurotransmitter into that space, and the next nerve cell is stimulated to pick up the impulse and continue it. An interference with the neurotransmitters can adversely affect the flow of message within the nervous system. This is what most drugs of abuse do. They affect the harmonious flow of information from the brain to the rest of the body maiming its normal functions. Let’s look at how drugs affect specific neurotransmitters in the nervous system.

How Drugs affect Dopamine and GABA

One of the neurotransmitters that are highly targeted by drugs of pleasure is Dopamine. To some people it is known as the ‘bliss neurotransmitter’. It is responsible for good feeling, the euphoric feelings that drug addicts seek from various drugs of abuse. Dopamine has great influence on well-being, alertness, learning, creativity, attention and concentration. Levels of dopamine should be optimal in the brain since when the level of dopamine is low it can leave us craving food, sex or stimulation. When the dopamine level is too high it can cause addictive behaviors. It has been observed that patients who are put on medications to boost dopamine level especially the Parkinson’s patient, they will form an addictive behavior like gambling when the levels of dopamine shoots beyond the optimal level. Dopamine boosts the feelings of pleasure but when the levels are too high it may result in Paranoia or a suspicious personality. Dopamine is also released when there is high stress. Therefore the level of dopamine should be regulated to ensure sound health. This is where the functions of inhibitory neurotransmitters set in, however with influence of drugs this coordination between excitatory neurotransmitters and inhibitory neurotransmitters is maimed.

Nicotine influences mood, cognition, and body function by binding to and activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) located on neurons in the brain. When activated by either nicotine or the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the nAChR opens a channel that allows ions to pass through the neuron’s membrane from the exterior to the interior of the cell and trigger changes that activate the cell. When you take tobacco or other drug with nicotine the nicotine will have interactions with nAChRs and therefore any nicotine dependence treatment should focus on altering these interactions.

Nicotine produces rewarding effects by interacting with nAChRs on neurons in the brain’s mesolimbic reward system. This system comprises dopaminergic neurons that originate in the ventral tegmental area often shortened as VTA and release the neurotransmitter dopamine in regions involved in information processing, memory, and emotions, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Increases in dopamine levels within the mesolimbic system give rise to rewarding effects. Nicotine directly enhances dopamine levels in the mesolimbic system by interacting with nAChRs on the dopaminergic neurons and causing them to release more of the neurotransmitter. Nicotine also modulates dopamine release indirectly by binding to nAChRs located on excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory gamma aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area. These glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons originate from a number of brain areas, such as the NAc, hippocampus, PFC, amygdala, ventral pallidum, and pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, and regulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons.

Neurotransmitters

Restoring nicotine addiction can’t be done with IV amino acid to restore NER balance

Nicotine is one of the most available addictive substances. You can find it in tea but it can be found in greater proportions. Unfortunately, Nicotine addiction is never easy to fight. And the bitter truth is that nicotine addiction can’t be fought successfully without IV amino acid to restore NER balance. IV amino acids are the best in restoring the balances in the neuroendocrine system. The IV amino acids are the best in detoxification and getting rid of the effects of nicotine and curbing nicotine addiction by ensuring the balance of neuroendocrine chemicals. With IV amino acid, dopamine has been noted to be the major cause of addiction can be regulated. IV amino acids is used as an outpatient program which focuses on biochemical detoxification of the body and brain hence perfect treatment for nicotine addiction.

Any addiction treatment must focus on restoring the general well-being of the patient that can only be achieved by restoring the neurotransmitters affected. This is why we at AWAREmed are dedicated to ensuring that we offer the best neuroendocrine restoration. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is one of the few doctors that have embraced the benefits of NER in fighting addiction. Call on her and be helped in finding the best solution for nicotine and other substances addiction.

Neurochemical and Imbalances Involved In With Nicotine & Smoking

Intravenous B Vitamins and the Addiction Disease

March 12, 2015

Nutrition plays a major role in keeping us safe from diseases of all kinds and even making our bodies able to fight these diseases when attacked. However addiction to certain drugs depletes some of the most crucial vitamins and other important nutritional components that are supposed to make us healthy and be safe from addictions. B vitamins are some of the most important vitamins in our bodies as they are very essential for the proper functioning of our brain and the entire nervous system. Supplements with natural vitamin B can help with drug addiction, stress, and depression. This is because most drugs are suppressants to the nervous system and in the long term they leave the nervous system incapacitated to work efficiently. Like sated earlier B vitamins are very crucial in our bodies but are often depleted by drug and alcohol use. To show how important B vitamins are let’s look at their roles in our body.

Intravenous B Vitamins

The roles of vitamin B in the body

One of the most important functions of B vitamins in our bodies in relation to addiction is that they can help in fighting addiction. Vitamin B3 or niacin are an effective bunch in treatment of addiction especially addiction to alcohol as they metabolize alcohol out of your body and regulates part of the stress-related hormones of the adrenal glands. Therefore in case of deficiency in these vitamins an IV supplementation of these vitamins will help. Another serious withdrawal symptom is Insomnia, this can be resolved by Vitamin B6 which is essential in production of the chemical serotonin, which helps in restoring calmness in case of anxiety and depression and also helps in regulation of melatonin levels to induce sleep. Brain is a victim of most drug of abuse, Vitamin B9 is crucial in restoring cellular as well as brain health. researchers have found out that when vitamins B3, B6 and B9 are given intravenously in higher doses they help in reducing alcohol cravings and anxious tension, as well as insomnia and mood fluctuations that are common symptoms of withdrawal.

Other important B vitamins include Vitamin B1 also known as thiamin, and vitamin B2, known as riboflavin. these two vitamins helps in maintaining cell health by processing nutrients from foods and converting carbohydrates, fats and proteins to usable energy. Thiamine supplementation is a recommended treatment in alcohol addiction treatment as it helps in reducing fatigue, maintaining mental clarity and decreasing disorientation. Riboflavin helps in reducing the severity of headaches and hand tremors associated with alcohol and other drugs withdrawal. These two vitamins can be intravenously supplemented in addicts to help them through the withdrawal phase of the addiction treatment. Owing to its importance in the body, it’s better to discuss thiamine in detail.

Thiamine in Detail

Thiamine or Thiamin also known as Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. This vitamin is needed so that our bodies can use carbohydrates as energy. It is a necessity for glucose metabolism. Thiamine also plays an important role in nerve, muscle and heart function.

Thiamine is found in many foods such as yeast, cereal grains, beans, nuts, and meat. It is part of vitamin B vitamins with which it is often used in making vitamin B complex products. Vitamin B complexes generally include vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin/niacinamide), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), and folic acid.

There are situations when a person will be required to take Thiamine, thiamine deficiency syndromes such as beriberi and neuritis that may arise during pregnancy require supplementation of thiamine. It is also used to treat digestive problems which may include ulcerative colitis, diarrhea and even poor appetite.

This vitamin has many uses, some of its uses include; it is used in vision problems like cataracts, it is also used by HIV patients as an immune booster, used in treating brain damage and in prevention of cervical cancer. It can still be used to enhance learning abilities and to enhance positive mental attitude. It also increases energy and is also useful in preventing memory loss.

Despite its many uses thiamine is widely used in treating a memory disorder known as Wernicke’s encephalopathy syndrome which is common in those addicted to alcohol. Therefore it has been found to be effective in fighting alcoholism which in itself is an indication of thiamine deficiency.

Intravenous B Vitamins

Generally deficiency of B vitamins has been found to be responsible for much of the fatigue, skin irritation, memory loss and depression experienced by people who are newly recovering from an addiction to alcohol. Therefore recovering addicts can benefit from IV B vitamins supplementation. Vitamin B in general, and particularly vitamins B1 , B3 and B5 have a role in ensuring there is enough energy in the cells as they are primarily responsible for turning sugars into energy. B6 and B12 play important roles in producing blood cells and the health of the nervous system. Naturally the B vitamins can be found in foods we eat particularly in pork, nuts, cereals, salmon, grains (whole grains), liver, egg and milk.

As can be seen above the functions of the B vitamins in fighting addiction are numerous and the effectiveness of having an IV B vitamins regimen cannot be underestimate as it is through the restoration of the normal levels of the regimen that we can heal the nervous system and provide the cells with enough energy throughout the addiction treatment and beyond.

Finally, Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

Intravenous B Vitamins and the Addiction Disease

Medical Tourism And Treatment of Addiction

March 11, 2015

The Role of Medical Tourism in Treatment of Addiction

Basically medically tourism can be defined as the act of a person leaving his country to seek medical care in a different country or simply beyond the country’s borders. In the past medical tourism involved patients from third world countries traveling to developed countries in search of qualified medical doctors to treat their diseases. This meant that the patient had good money to spend in treatment in the country he was visiting for medical care. However today medical tourism has taken a new dimension with patients traveling from the developed countries to developing countries for affordable medical care. These patients are evading heavy financial crisis that they may plunge into if they opt to treat the diseases in their own countries where the cost of treatment is higher than in the countries they are visiting.

It is important to appreciate the fact that the patients who leave their countries to come and seek medical attention in developing countries are not destitute. In their countries they may form part of the middle class but they certainly have higher purchasing power than the citizens of the countries they visit for medical attention. They are therefore welcomed in these countries by the governments who view medical tourism as a chance to create more national income from it therefore it is greatly encouraged.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is a multimillion business that is known worldwide. However medical tourism if not well managed may result in some problems to the countries the medical tourist visit. Just like the common tourism you always know of, I mean that of adventure and leisure that has both positive and negative impacts on the countries the tourists visit the medical tourism is also a double edged sword. It therefore needs to be well managed for the benefits to be enjoyed. Apart from all the benefits that a country visited by a medical tourist will get, we need to look at the role of medical tourism in treatment of addiction.

Medical Tourism avails effective treatment for addiction

Medical tourism has far many benefits to an addict seeking help. To begin with we know that that the biggest hurdle to addicts in overcoming addiction is the presence of triggers that lie just outside the rehab walls. A change in the environment especially leaving a country to a different provides an addict with an opportunity to evade these triggers that may make him to fall back into drug use. These triggers may include the people they were drinking with or even some type of music that is usually played in bars and other places of leisure as people drink and use other drugs. When a person is receiving treatment in a different country, not only the location changes but also the culture which places learning and adventure at the top of the list while pulling the triggers out of the way of an addict.

The addict will also have access to some of the most unique addiction treatment practices across the world, treatments that have been used for centuries in treatment of addiction and have been proved to be very effective. Without the limits of the addicts country’s borders, a whole new world of variety of effective treatments open up for the addict to explore and choose from, of course with help from highly qualified doctors and healers. An example of a unique treatment of addiction that medical tourism avails for an addict is the Ayurvedic herbal Treatment;

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments of addiction

Ayurvedic treatments are one of the oldest therapies in the world with its roots in India. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. But treatments may be recommended for specific health problems. The best thing with ayurvedic treatment is that it is holistic. That is to say that it focuses more on the wellness of the patient other than on treating the patient of the symptoms of the disease. It focuses on uprooting the disease by maintaining the delicate balance of the mind, the body and the spiritual being of the patient.

One of the greatest Ayurvedic theories is that everything in the universe be it living or not are not is connected. Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe. Even the slightest disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness. A person should therefore coexist with the universe. To begin with you need to appreciate the fact that anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe and therefore bring you lots of diseases. Ayurvedic treatment is also known as Ayurveda. Through medical tourism addicts from all over the world have been travelling to India for Ayurvedic herbal treatments. This can be credited to its effectiveness in treatment of addiction. Ayurvedic medicine works through these mediums to help an addict overcome addiction and offer complete healing.

Ayurvedic Diet– through ayurvedic diet, a patient will get lost nutrients restored; ayurvedic healers will tailor a diet aimed at recovery for every patient.

Meditation – this is a crucial part of Ayurveda. Meditation helps addicts in the path of self-discovery and also helps them deal with stress and depression better. It effectively addresses depression which is common in addicts as a withdrawal symptom.

Yoga– this involves a series of exercise and postures that will help in deep purification that is needed in getting drug debris out of the system of the patient. It only improves good health and restores the balance of energy in the body.

Achieving Balance– when a person has recovered from drug addiction, ayurvedic medicine will help him to achieve and maintain the physical, mental, and spiritual health balance.

Finally, addiction is a disease that should be approached integratively just in order to be won. Medical tourism avails an opportunity for an addict to find integrative medicine that may not be in their countries. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to offer the best treatment available to addicts. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more help in any kind of addiction you may be wrestling with.

The Role of Medical Tourism in Treatment of Addiction

Tag Archives: Substance dependence