Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category

Detox Or Detoxification – Whatever You Call It , You May Benefit

Monday, May 11th, 2009
Tyson J Stevenson asked:


Detox or detoxification includes two things:

1) Withdrawing poisonous substance from the body.

2) Withdrawing one’s mind and soul from the darkness of abused substances.

The term Rapid detox was first used ten years ago and was specially related to opiate addictions. But today, it is mostly used to advertise and describe various methods of detox. Rapid detox can be used to describe the methods of alcohol detoxification, drug detox and other substances.

Drug detox

It is a process to withdraw one from drug addiction. Detoxification assists the overcoming of uncomfortable symptoms at the time of drug withdrawal. The ultimate goal of drug detox is to get the body rid of toxins formed due to drug use. It is carried out in various ways depending on where you decide to receive the treatment. Most drug detox clinics provide treatment only for physical withdrawal of drugs and alcohol.

Alcohol detoxification

Alcohol detoxification is the process to withdraw one from alcohol addiction.
There are various aspects of alcohol detoxification:

1) The first aspect of alcohol detoxification is the medical aspect. There should be a medical specialist and a qualified nursing staff in order to help the patient during the procedure. It is an established fact that if a medical practitioner can set the patient’s mind calm then the entire procedure goes smoothly.

2) The second aspect of alcohol detoxification is physical. During this process there should be a nutritionist in the medical center to put the patient on a perfect meal plan. If the patient takes balanced diet then the rest of the alcohol detoxification process will go more smoothly.

3) The third and the most important aspect of alcohol detoxification is the emotional aspect. The medical center should have a trained team of psychologists and counselors to help the patient psychologically. The process can be extremely emotional at times. Specialists should be there to assist the patient move forward through emotions.

4) Alcohol detoxification always combines a therapy with medication and that of psychological counseling. These programs are often long lasting; they mostly take two to four months and needs staying at medical institutions. Therapy techniques and personal counseling assist the patients to recover from alcohol completely and more comfortably. The drugs are given to avoid withdrawal symptoms that the patients may experience. Complete recovery from alcoholism is most preferable and the ideal situation.

5) Alcohol detoxification therapies use drugs like Disulfiram, which cause a severe and immediate hangover after consuming alcohol. Drugs like Naltrexone, helps in complete and comfortable recovery.

6) Nutritional therapy has also proved helpful in alcohol detoxification. During this stage, some patients feel ‘insulin resistance syndrome’ which results in the failure of processing sugar in body. “Insulin resistance syndrome” causes behavioral upsets and mood swings. These mood swings and behavioral upsets can be controlled with specific dietary regimen. Due to these types of psychological problems one should include a dietary regimen during alcohol detoxification.

7) There are some specific programs that help heavy drinkers who are not yet alcoholics but on the same way yet to become alcoholics. Moderation management also helps such people.



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Drug Addiction And Withdrawal Symptoms

Sunday, April 19th, 2009
Barney Garcia asked:


An addict is a person who has an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequence. There are many drugs that can lead to a condition recognized as addiction. The common symptoms are a craving for more of the drug, increased psychological tolerance to exposure, and withdrawal symptoms in the absence of the stimulus. A risk of dependency exists in most drugs that directly provide pleasure or relief.

There are two types of dependency – physical and psychological. Physical dependency on a substance is defined by the appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms when the drug is suddenly discontinued. Opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol and nicotine are well known addictive drugs known for their ability to induce physical dependence. Cortisone, beta-blockers and most antidepressants are examples of similar such drugs, but they are not addictive. Some highly addictive drugs, such as cocaine, induce little physical dependence too. The main characteristic of an addictive drug is its ability to induce euphoria while causing harm.

The dependency of the mind leads to psychological withdrawal symptoms. Eating disorders are sometimes considered as psychological disorders and are sometimes treated as addictions. Withdrawal symptoms faced when the diet is altered suggests that food substances like chocolate, caffeine and sugar have the potential for addiction. Nicotine is considered to be the most addictive substance in the world.

Anxiolytics are used to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal in people with chemical dependency. In chronic opiate addiction, a surrogate drug such as methadone is offered. There are various models to treat dependency like the opponent-process model, the disease model, the genetic model, the cultural model, and the blended model. The term addiction is sometimes used loosely rather than as a medical classification. Endorphins are released as a result of pleasurable activity. This endorphin rush can become addictive. Opioids pose extreme risk of dependency because they are chemically similar to endorphins. Cocaine and amphetamines also pose risks associated with physical attenuation by increasing the levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which acts indirectly to stimulate dopaminergic pathways in the brain.

Craving is the incredible desire an addict or alcoholic still feels for the substance. It takes often days, months or even years for recovery. It could be directly related to the long term changes in brain functioning. Relapse triggers can create powerful emotional and physical responses that can lead up to incredible urges to use drugs and alcohol again. It may result in the addict feeling angry, lonely, depressed or in self pity. Thus it becomes essential for individuals early into drugs to change their habit and different aspects of life.



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