Archive for the ‘Heroin Addiction Treatment’ Category
Detox Heroin – How To Minimize Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
Detox Heroin – How To Minimize Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms
There is a great need for detox heroin programs because heroin is one of the most difficult of all drugs to kick the habit from. The chances of somebody being able to get off such a dependency on their actions and remaining clean for any extended period of time are extremely poor. Also, the chances of someone being able to rid themselves of the dependency without running into serious withdrawal symptoms is even more remote. Heroin addiction is a condition that needs serious intervention by a qualified addiction specialist for the condition to be improved, in addition to requiring dedication and committment from theaddict themselves.
Heroin and opiate addiction are by far the two most often encountered forms of drug addiction that require rehabilitation. For this reason, one will find lots of help from experienced, dedicated people available. Still so, there are serious limitations on what is achievable in very little time.
Recovering from any form of drug addiction should be treated just as you would treat any other serious illness. The side effects that can be encountered from drug withdrawal are just as severe as the effects caused by any kind of dramatic illness that can create suffering.
When someone initially decides to kick the habit and get off the heroin by seeking professional help, the first drug they will be offered to take as a replacement would be methadone. methadone is widely used because it is highly effective in controlling and lessening many of the unpleasant side effects one would ordinarily encounter with withdrawal from heroin. This will not eliminate the drug dependency, but there are several benefits to be gained. To begin with, you will no longer be violating the law by the commission of a felony by using an illegal narcotic, and you will be taking yourself out of harms way by losing the desperate feeling associated with heroin that usually leads to committing crimes to get the drug and maintain the habit.
If you had a history of sharing used needles with other addicts, you would have been placing your health at extreme risk. You would have been risking disease, that may even have resulted in your fatality, and risking disease easily spread to others. Unless you had a steady source of money to buy the drugs, you may have been forced to turn to a life of crime to support your habit. One should never under value how vital it is to get into a detox rehab program, even if at first, in reality you are just substituting one drug, heroin, for another, methadone.
Methadone’s great help in the reduction of associated detox side effects, such asweakness, irritability, and nausea, and its help in controlling flu-like symptoms make it a very valuable first step treatment in any detox heroin program. From this point, you can consider taking part in a short term residential program consisting of the complete stoppage of any taking of drugss, under medical supervision of course, or a more gradual program involving repeated visits to out clinics or hospitals. Whichever way you choose to proceed, you will continue to need the services of a professional counselor to help you re-adjust to living a more normal life. This will be especially important if you lack aloving family to support you or a favorable to your problem, work environment. There will be lots of caring professionals to be around to offer their help, in your journey to detox heroin.
You are invited to find you to find more free information regarding detoxing heroin on one of the most authoritative sites on the subject by clicking on Detox Heroin
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Painkillers: The Ugly Truth About Vicodin, Percacet, Oxycodone, and Even Tramadol.
Painkillers: The Ugly Truth About Vicodin, Percacet, Oxycodone, and Even Tramadol.
Almost 12 years ago I lost one of my best friends to drugs. To be more specific, painkillers were the drugs he was on and it ended up destroying his life. It took me many years to come to grips that something that your doctor can prescribe you led to burying my friend. To be honest, I still have trouble in how easily doctors prescribe these things to anyone who basically asks. What ever happened to actually dealing with pain at times? Now don’t get me wrong, I know that there are many people out there that actually need these pills and are suffering daily but it is the abuse of these drugs that has now become a problem in America. Most of this abuse is done by people who do not even need the pills but can acquire them through relatives, friends, or even their family doctor. I know personally more than five people where I could either get directly for free or purchase a number of painkillers at any time. And to make the matters worse you can purchase them online even without a valid prescription.
My best advice for people who are thinking about going on any painkiller is really consider whether you need to before you start. You need to be extremely careful especially with any codeine based painkiller as they are extremely addictive and do not take much time to build an attachment to your body. Some examples of these are vicodin, percacet, oxycodone, and roxicet. But you need to be wary of even some non-codeine based painkillers too. Examples such as tramadol and ultram have been shown to be highly addictive as well. The best thing to do is really try to avoid even starting any pain medication treatment if you are able to. Withdrawal and detox can be very hard with these drugs and has been compared to coming off of heroin for some people who have been abusing it for a long period of time. Best advice of all is not use them at all….
Written by mitchell179
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Are Some People Unable to be Helped?
Are Some People Unable to be Helped?
There are some people in this world who are just unable to be helped, you can tell them what they are doing wrong, you can suggest alternative ways of doing things, and even though they know all these things, they keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. This is the definition of insanity.
Drugs is a good example, but in this case there are things that can be done to help some people. Some people will accept help and go to a treatment program, some people can get by taking certain drugs, so long as they have the means to support their addictions, but others continue to make their own lives a misery, as well as everyone around them because they are unable to be helped.
Heroin is an addictive drug which can destroy people’s lives, and especially the lives of the people around them, due to the ongoing need for money. In many parts of the world, they have legal prescription drugs like methadone, which can replace the drug, or ease the withdrawls, but a heroin user will usually have to hit rock bottom before they agree to go on these sort of drugs, because it does not provide as good a high.
So are these people just selfish? Are they able to be helped? The sad fact is that all of these people that can’t be helped have some sort of physical or mental pain, which is the reason for their destructive, or self-destructive behaviour, whether it be heroin, alcohol, or a gambling addiction, there is almost always some sort of underlying reason for their behaviour.
So the truth is, they may be able to be helped, if the problems that caused their most obvious problems can be addressed. The point at which people can no longer be helped is after twenty or thirty years of this destructive behaviour, because it becomes a part of who they are.
Some people are unable to be helped, and while it is impossible to tell who can, and who can’t, there aren’t many options available for those who have to put up with the destructive behaviour of these lost causes. My suggestion with drugs, is give them the drugs, and keep a close eye on them. It is better than them killing somebody in a robbery.
I think that jails should be expanded to many different levels of captivity for those destructive people who really need to be kept away from society. To be honest, I think that some people are just unable to be helped, and the best solution for them, and everyone else around them is if they were dead. You have to way up the good and the bad for everyone involved.
Things need to change at a government level, or perhaps entire countries have to be made for certain types of people, where the laws are different in that country, based on the difference in the behaviours and values of those sort of people. My opinion is meaningless, but many people’s opinions make a difference.
Written by rowanman28
Article writer, and internet marketer.
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Online Gaming Is As Addictive As Heroin
Online Gaming Is As Addictive As Heroin
Gaming is big business however it has its downside. Folks have died from gaming and the globe is recognizing that game addiction is serious and spreading fast. Mental health professionals opine that gaming will destroy lives, keep students from that specialize in learning, employees from operating, and women from their duties. There are instances where gamers haven’t left home for years.
Games like EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, and others are popularly known as heroinware. And symptoms of addiction in step with Pc Addiction Services at McLean Hospital are: obsession with the sport; inability to stop; neglect of family and work; lying to hide activity; problems with studies and work; health issues, muscular with vision connected; neglect of personal hygiene; also sleep disturbances.
The games provide social interaction to lonely individuals, gamers gain acknowledgement plus power denied elsewhere due to their gaming expertise, and the game weaves a spell on the mind–one gets thus absorbed by the virtual realities that it’s laborious to urge away.
The addiction is therefore real that it requires intensive therapy. Treatment programs embrace: behavioral therapy, anti-depressants, plus prescription drugs.
Not all agree that gaming is addictive. MIT’s Games-to-Teach project manager opines that games sharpen vital thinking, improve social skills, and increase empathy. Many others do agree that games inspire imagination, creativity, and team work.
However, the problem is real and countries world over are taking measures. China has founded a clinic in Beijing for net-frazzled addicts to be treated with sports, acupuncture, and medication. The inmates in step with the clinic’s director have: depression, nervousness, concern, interaction problems, panic, agitation, shaking and numb hands, in addition to sleep disorders. Gaming may be a major problem in Korea — one-two% of South Korea’s on-line gamers are addicts. The govt. is taking steps and requesting game developers to form advisory patches to alert gamers to the impeding dangers.
A exhausting core gamer is one who is completely absorbed by his online fantasy, he isolates himself from family and friends, lets everyday activities fall by the wayside, spends over 16-20 hours on a daily basis taking part in the game and games at work, at home, and whereas on the road. Gaming becomes his whole life, a thirst that is never quenched.
Treatment is long and onerous and like alternative addictions the first stage is the most troublesome, obtaining the gamer to acknowledge that he or she features a problem. Addicts realize it extraordinarily painful to “kill” the characters of the sport and to erase /destroy the software. Most are unable to “keep away” and return to the sport addictively. Studies indicate that arduous core players are typically neurotic, keep, have emotional along with behavioral problems, and problems in the home environment.
To overcome the addiction, the player should take into account and analyze the problems underlying the game–it is the question of power, social standing, respect, and emotions.
Gaming is about to become a international epidemic and wants immediate attention and solutions.
Kitty Cooper been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in addiction ,you can also check out his latest website about:
White Electric Fireplace Which reviews and lists the best
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Cost effective Nicotine Addiction Treatments in Arizona
Cost effective Nicotine Addiction Treatments in Arizona
Article by Kshitiz Mahajan
Any type of addiction is not centered on strength, because even the strongest people fall victim to something. Since everyone has their vice, we cannot make the general statement that smokers or chewers are simply weak. Nicotine is highly addictive, regardless of what the cigarette manufacturers have said in years past. While in treatment most nicotine addicts have claimed that their cessation of illegal drugs was easier to quit than cigarettes. Nicotine if often compared to the addiction of heroin and cocaine. Addiction is addiction; it simply doesn’t matter to what!
Most of the drug treatment schools are very old and have good experience in helping addicted teens. Number of addiction treatment centers is increasing day by day as the addicts are increasing rapidly. Teen drug addiction treatment includes methadone maintenance, drug-free programs and psychological treatments. These drug addiction treatment facilities are offered to any kind of alcohol abuse in teens. The boarding facilities of these rehab centers are very attractive and helpful. Most of these boarding rehab centers offer twenty four hour helpline services to drug addicted teens. Drug addiction treatments offered by Christian rehab centers.
Drug abuse victims need a support system to help them overcome this negative habit. The rehabilitation of such drug abuse victims is conducted through special drug rehab programs that are designed to make the victim independent from the drug. Every person that is dealing with addiction will have their own unique story that needs to be heard. Having professionals available to deal with the issues that may come up during counseling sessions is extremely important. Having professionals on the staff that can deal with a wide variety of emotional issues is also imperative.
Residential Treatment Centers can be accommodating those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, and more. Treating both men and women together, or separately, they can offer the assistance that you need. Some residential treatment centers can even provide an atmosphere for specific cultural groups. Many centers employ professional dieticians and chefs to meet your nutritional needs. These people work together to help you relax and get the most out of the treatment program. Education and training, guidance and help are the foundation of residential drug treatment centers. They provide the skills necessary to recover and enjoy a healthy mind
The impact of drug abuse and its side effects has to be understood well and it needs immediate attention and initiation of a recovery process. Treatment always starts with a detox procedure that will remove the drug present in the body at that point of time. Drug Detox is a precursor to an effective drug abuse treatment.
cocaine addiction is not only a damaging and painful experience for the individual addicted to the drug, but also the people in their lives, including family, friends, and ones. Heroin and cocaine are drugs that enter your brain very fast. It will slow down your thinking, your reaction time, and also the way that you process and store information in your memory. cocaine addiction treatment centers provide residential and outpatient care to the addicts. These treatment centers provide high level of facilities and medication therapy programs to the addicts.
Find the comprehensive information on Arizona drug rehabs using the link .The details on this website are useful for many people to find best nicotine treatments and distressed youth residential treatments
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Drug Dependents Way Back to Normalcy
Drug Dependents Way Back to Normalcy
Drug rehabilitation is a term used to refer to psychotherapeutic treatments that aim to release a person from his dependence on a particular substance which reached excessive levels. In extreme cases, the dependence has rendered him unfit to interact with the community due to the irrational effects of the substance in his psychological and physical elements. The rehabilitation concerns in drug rehabilitation covers a wide range but most often include abuse of prescription drugs, alcohol, and a wide variety of street drugs like cocaine, heroin, amphetamine and the likes.
A person who undergoes drug rehabilitation will be released from his rehabilitation treatment only if he is already capable of managing the legal, financial , social responsibilities of a psychologically and physically fit individual even without the use of the substance he was previously addicted to.
Hence, a person who undergoes drug rehabilitation will get treatments for both physical and psychological recovery. The physical aspect of drug rehabilitation treatments involves the detoxification processes that can cleanse the addicted person of the abusive substance affecting his mental and physical health. It will also deal with the withdrawal syndrome common to drug dependents when they are weaned from the addictive substance.
Although a person undergoing drug rehabilitation may respond normally even if under the influence of his addictive substance, the process of preventing his access or dependence can trigger certain withdrawal symptoms which the body will strongly react to and may even take months before he can achieve normalcy in his physical and psychological makeup.
The psychological aspects in a drug rehabilitation program will try to re-orient the drug dependent person to interact and socialize by being drug-free. Part of the treatment process is to introduce new ways in the persons lifestyle that will make him depart from the old habits that led him to addiction. In addition, he will be discouraged from associating with persons who are still actively using the addictive substances.
A person may undergo drug rehabilitation treatment as an in-patient or out-patient which will all depend on the degree of his addiction. Some rehabilitation centers may specifically deal with a certain type of gender or age group only as a means of achieving utmost efficiency in the drug treatment processes. In some cases, drug rehabilitation is a part of a crime and punishment system for minor drug offenses. Other cases involve those who were caught driving while under the influence of alcohol who will be required to attend drug rehabilitation meetings known as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Drug rehabilitation treatment methods often require opioid medications like methadone and lately, buprenorphine which serve as maintenance medication while the patient is undergoing withdrawal symptoms and processes. However, professional administration and counseling support is always required to avoid the development of new drug dependence. It was noted in past treatment processes that a patient may experience chemical imbalances that may hamper the patients recovery, hence, the need to monitor and address these problems at the earliest time possible.
Instead of denying the existence of their dependency problems, persons suffering from drug dependence can always bring back the normalcy in their lives if they will readily submit themselves to drug rehabilitation. Otherwise, their conditions will only lead to their eventual deterioration as a person which often leads to lack of concern for life preservation.
Written by ja_schmidt
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Drug Rehabilitation Centers -Helping You Reclaim Your Life
Drug Rehabilitation Centers -Helping You Reclaim Your Life
Drug rehabilitation is the process of helping patients who are addicted to substances like cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, prescription drugs, etc, in getting rid of their addiction. Drug addiction is a relapsing disease where the patient is compulsively spending time, looking for drugs. By taking these drugs, drug users go through molecular and neurochemical changes in their brains. Due to this disease these people, and their families, go through lot of problems in their lives. They have to face physical, social, financial and psychological problems due to this disease.
Among all addictions, prescription drug addiction is a huge problem faced by the society today. One of the prescription drugs is Oxycontin. It is a medication prescribed by doctors for moderate to severe pain. Patients start feeling relief by using this drug regularly and soon find themselves addicted to this drug. Rehab for oxycontin is provided by all drug rehabilitation centers. These facilities work on freeing patients from oxycontin addiction, by detoxification treatments. After that they work towards achieving full recovery from this addiction.
Drug rehab facilities offer a solution to the problem of drug addiction in people. These centers provide education, awareness, treatment and counseling to patients suffering from substance abuse. They focus on creating a positive mental attitude in such patients so that they do not relapse into their addiction. They also focus on nutrition and exercise regimes, so that their patients become physically fit to fight this disease.
The treatment process in most of these drug rehab centers include a 28 day program, in which patients stay at the center and go through a recovery process. This program is also called inpatient program. They go through a fixed routine every day which includes individual and group counseling, education about their drug problem and its effect on their lives, and exercises and nutritional programs, to help them reclaim their lives. The duration of these treatments can vary from a month to three to four months, depending upon the severity of drug abuse in a person. In these rehab facilities, patients are provided with tools to get over their addiction.
After successful completion of this program, an outpatient program is planned by the rehab center. In this outpatient or aftercare program, the patient will keep getting group therapy and counseling from doctors at these facilities. These sessions will take place around two three days in a week, till the center is completely sure about the recovery of a patient.
Recovery from drug addiction is not easy, but there are people out there who will help you in getting out of this situation and in rebuilding your life. All you have to do is reach out for help.
Written by dionsilva
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The Dreadful Effects Of Heroin Addiction
The Dreadful Effects Of Heroin Addiction
Heroin is a highly addictive substance that reveals noticeable changes within minutes of use. Immediately the patient starts feeling a sudden rush of euphoria, an instant heaviness sensation, and finally a warming calming feeling takes over the body. Once the rush sensation has passed, an intense feeling of drowsiness overcomes the user. As the user continues to fluctuate between a drowsy state and a wakening state, it will be increasingly difficult to stay awake. This phase of the high is referred to as nodding off or the nod. During the nod phase the heroin will continue to enter trances of sleep and then suddenly awakening again.
One of the most dreadful effects of heroin addiction is that users will experience impaired breathing. This impaired breathing may cause the user to stop breathing all together, eventually causing the heart rate to slow to the point of cardiac arrest; this is known as heroin overdose. Almost all heroin addicts who fail to seek professional heroin addiction treatment will eventually experience overdose.
In many cases these overdoses are accidental; however, heroin addicts will often resort to suicide by overdose to escape the depressive trauma of the addict lifestyle.
More often than not, heroin overdose will result in certain death. Addiction Treatment professionals suggest the abuse level of heroin is determined by the basis of the tolerance level of the addict. In other words, over time, the addict will require increasing amount of heroin to feel high. While the addict is constantly increasing the dosage, the potential for overdose is also increasing.
Heroin addiction is a very serious problem and needs to be treated professionally; otherwise the addict stands very little chance of recovery. Even in the event the addict receives heroin addiction treatment, historically most programs have held a very low success rate; hence the thousands of addicts dying of overdose each year. However, while most heroin addiction treatment programs are failures, there are some treatment protocols that have great success. This is why it is very important to thoroughly research the available treatment providers; specifically Ibogaine Treatment providers as they seem to have the highest success rate in treating drug addiction.
Beau Mason is the Program Director of Hacienda La Mision, which is a Mexico based Ibogaine medical center; specializing in addiction treatment of all types. Hacienda La Mision is the world’s leader in Ibogaine treatment and patient care. For more information please visit http://www.treataddictionright.com/ & http://www.ibogaineintervention.com/.
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Drug Abuse – Opium Derivatives
Drug Abuse – Opium Derivatives
Opium is the dried latex from the unripe fruits of the plant Papaver somniferum. It has immense use in the field of medicine, yet it has been abused for centuries by men. The natural alkaloids of opium and its synthetic preparations can do wonders and is highly dependence producing.
The natural opiates are
Morphine
Thebaine
Codeine
Noscapine
Papaverine
Somniferine
Synthetic compounds are
Heroin( Brown sugar is the impure form)
Nalophine
Hydromorphone
Pethidine
Cyclozocine
Levallorphan
The most effective natural drug is morphine. The word Morpheus is related to god of dreamy angels. It got the name from its effect, which include sweet dreamful hallucinations. They combine with the opiod receptors in the brain and produce such effects.
Heroin is more addicting than morphine and can cause dependence after a short period of exposure. Heroin also becomes tolerant rapidly, so dose can be increased up to 100 times.
Acute intoxication
It causes
Apathy
Bradycardia
Hypotension
Subnormal core body temperature
Pin-point pupils
Delayed reflex
Thready pulses
Coma
The withdrawal symptoms include lacrimation, rhinorrhea, papillary dilatation, hypertension, insomnia, anxiety, pilo-errection, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, tachycardia etc.
Management
Management can be divided into
Treatment of overdose
Detoxification
Maintenance therapy
An overdose of opiods is treated with opiod antagonists like naloxone.
Detoxification by the use of substitution drugs and maintenance therapy using an agonist or an antagonist. Psychosocial methods like psycho therapy behavior therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, self-control strategies are also applied.
Written by Ravipors
Researcher and free lancer
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Alcoholic’s Relapse
Alcoholic’s Relapse
It is estimated that 90 percent of alcoholics will undergo at least one relapse over the 4-year period following treatment. Even though it has potentials no studies could confirm that single or combined treatment could prevent relapse. Alcohol relapse is still subject to further study.
Studies show that relapse rates for alcohol, nicotine and heroin addiction show that the mechanism that for works for one may be effective with another addictive disorder due to its common biochemical, behavioral or cognitive components. Combining relapse data for various addictive disorders may offer insights on how to prevent alcohol relapse.
Impaired control is considered as the determining factor for alcoholic relapse. Keller proposed two definitions for impaired control. First, it pertains to unpredictability of alcoholics decision to take the first drink and second, his incapacity to stop drinking once he starts. Other researchers limit the definition of impaired control to inability to control drinking after first started. Taking one drink does not necessarily mean it will lead to uncontrolled drinking. Studies reveal that the degree of dependence will determine the ability to stop drinking after the first gulp.
Relapse theories often use the concept of craving. The definition of craving though has led to confusion which led some behavioral investigators to conclude that craving is meaningless and it points to the main reason that the subject drinks. They prefer to focus on the behavior of drinking and the influence the environment play to stimulate the alcohol disorder.
Craving for Alcohol
Ludwig and Stark however believed otherwise. They believe craving or physiological urges could be a factor. They believe that the way to determine craving is by simply asking if the person who has not yet drink alcohol develops urges for it, the way a person feels hunger before eating. Ludwig and colleagues points out that alcoholics could experience conditioning by combining external and internal factors that strengthen the effects of alcohol.
Their concept on alcoholism implies that alcohol craving is liken to an urge stimulated by appetite such as hunger that differs in degrees and could demonstrate symptoms similar to withdrawal. The symptoms are caused by the internal and external signals that prompt past memories of euphoria caused by alcohol and the distress caused by withdrawal.
Behavioral Prevention and Pharmacological Strategies
Studies have been conducted to determine the physiological responses brought about by alcohol cues. Research shows that mere exposure to alcohol without drinking could stimulate salivary responses in alcoholics.
Skin conductance levels and desire for alcohol are used to determine the effects of alcohol cues, it was found out that these factors are most prominent in people whose dependence on alcohol is serious. A placebo beer was used to test the reactions of alcoholics from non-alcoholics. The result shows a greater and faster insulin and glucose responses for the alcoholics.
To address relapse problems, some relapse prevention models are combined with the idea of self-efficacy or the assessment of the person on his/her capacity to succeed in alcohol withdrawal. According to Marlatt and associates the progression of the first drink to abstinence to excessive drinking is determined by the persons experience and reaction brought about by the first drink.
Researchers are able to come up with a cognitive-behavioral analysis of relapse, there are four factors which influence relapse: exposure to high-risk environmental situations, skills or ability to cope with high-risk situations, degree of estimated personal control (self-efficacy) and the expected affirmative effects of alcohol.
The high-risk situations associated with relapse are the following: 1. frustration and anger, 2. social pressure and 3. interpersonal temptation. Cooney and colleagues pointed out that exposure to alcohol signals could lead to decrease in their confidence in their ability to deal with the drinking problem.
One of the ways to counter relapse, alcoholics must take an active role and make a conscious effort in modifying their attitude towards drinking. They must establish three basic rules: change lifestyle to be able to increase the capacity to deal with stress and high-risk situations effectively; recognize and respond properly to internal and external signals that serve as relapse warnings; and practice self-control techniques in any situation.
Chaney and colleagues attempted to determine the effectiveness of skills-training intervention to help alcoholics who has experienced relapse or those at risk for relapse. The alcoholics were taught problem-solving techniques and practiced ways of conducting themselves when confronted with high-risks situations. Researchers believe that skills training could be an essential part in using multimodal behavioral approach in thwarting a relapse.
A good relapse prevention standard will require the need for a technique that aids individuals to develop a description of drinking behavior in the past and the present expectations when it comes to high-risk situations. The therapy should use coping techniques coupled with behavioral change through giving the client performance-based homework that exposes him to high-risk situations.
The result in this kind of therapy showed a lesser number of drinks taken per day and lesser number of drinking days in a weeks time. A remarkable 47% of the clients demonstrated total abstinence in a span of 3-months and 29% reported total abstinence for a length of 6months.
Decreased Serotonin and Craving
Aside from therapy sessions, Disulfiram (Antabuse) is used to complement and increase the chance of much longer sobriety. Sometimes patients inability to take the medicine on time could pose an obstacle, still disulfiram therapy is able to effectively lessen the frequency of drinking in alchoholics who could not abstain totally. Research was conducted on disulfiram administration under strict supervision and results showed that a long period of sobriety for 12 months is noticed in patients who took the medication.
Neurochemical studies also showed that lower levels of brain serotonin may affect cravings for alcohol. In rats, those who preferred alcohol showed lower levels of serotonin in various parts of the brain. In rodents, drugs that enhance brain serotonin activity effectively lessen alcohol consumption.
Four separate research were conducted to determine the effect of serotonin blockers -zimelidine, citalopram, and fluoxetine on alcohol intake in humans, each utilizes double-blind, placebo-controlled format. These agents proved to effectively lessen alcohol consumption and, in some cases, a remarkable increase in the number of abstinent days. These effects, however, were found in small quantities and were short termed. More clinical trials in a more controlled and larger number of subjects need to be done before serotonin blockers can be proven for relapse prevention. In both pharmacological and behavioral prevention strategies however, it is imperative to take into account the degree of alcohol dependence as a vital factor.
Written by Gwen Cuizon






