Leading the wave of new designer drugs is a horrific substance referred to as “Cosmetics” that users are ingesting in order to get a hallucinogenic high. The new Cosmetic products contain research chemicals (mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone or MDPV), stimulants that can be broken up and snorted, smoked or reduced to a liquid for injection just like cocaine. Since the effects of ingesting cosmetics are similar to cocaine, meth and ecstasy, dangerous amounts of Dopamine and very low levels of Serotonin impact the user’s brain, which results in severely damaged brain chemistry and inevitable psychosis with prolonged use.

“Similar to Bath Salts, Cosmetics are found after users ingest the drug for multiple days. Since the drug has a much longer half-life than other drugs, abusers stay under the influence longer, and after just a couple of days, a staggering number of users experience full psychotic breaks, which often result in extreme delusions, violent outbursts and severe depression,” said Dr. Mohammad.

Dr. Mohammad continued, “Cosmetics are packaged as actual make-up for young kids and look very similar to legitimate cosmetics. If parents and experts aren’t made aware that some of these make-up products are manufactured with the sole intention of getting users high, we will undoubtedly have a problem of epidemic proportion.” Mohammad added, “The manufacturers of Bath Salts have just altered the formula and repackaged the product as cosmetics, which is a travesty. While legislators made Bath Salts illegal, the research chemicals used to make the products have not been controlled, which means that manufacturers will continue to produce these chemicals, package them as different products not outlawed and make them available to kids. Until research chemicals are controlled, this will be a never ending process and we must remain vigilant.”

Dr. Mohammad said, “While the holiday season is typically a time for over-indulgence, ushering in the new year generally means that the over indulgent make a drastic effort to stop indulging cold turkey; there could be no greater recipe for failure and in some scenarios, significant health risk or death.” Mohammad added, “Whether you wish to stop smoking, drinking, eating or abusing drugs, you must have a well-planned, health-conscious strategy or the outcome will be disastrous under most circumstances. It is far safer and healthier to consult a medical professional when attempting to get control of addictive behaviors.”

Dr. Mohammad and his team will answer any questions and provide guidance to all those who submit addiction and behavior-related questions through the Malibu Horizon website. Mohammad added, “More often than not, people underestimate
their physical and emotional dependency on the various vices they attempt to curb by making yearly resolutions. If they are lucky, they will white-knuckle their cravings and find some degree of success; however, the vast majority will resume their addictive behaviors – while many run the risk of severe discomfort, severe mood swings, seizures, irreversible medical conditions and even death if not in the care of a qualified medical expert. Contact our team today and we will help you not only make and stick to healthy, realistic resolutions, but also will work with you to create the best possible you for 2012 and beyond.”

Dr. Mohammad said, “While there is absolutely no doubt that when dealing with a medical disease, proper and careful intervention by a qualified individual is the key to healing; well, that sentiment holds particularly true for the
disease of addiction.” Mohammad added, “Sadly, a shocking number of interventionists working today are not just
unqualified to perform quality interventions, but they are also drastically overcharging people in need for their questionable services. In my opinion, this behavior is borderline criminal and must be stopped”

Dr. Mohammad and his peers have decided that until there is a consistent and respected regulatory system in place to monitor the actions of qualified interventionists, they are forming an alliance of addiction experts throughout the recovery industry that will be keeping a registry of qualified and reputable interventionists, and making their list available to the public upon request. Mohammad added, “Our team is launching this campaign to not only educate the public about the intervention process and how to find the best qualified interventionist for your situation, but also to provide some system of checks and balances to an intervention industry that until now has operated below the radar. There is no room for error when treating this disease and the professionals responsible for critical interventions need to be qualified or out of business; it is that simple and an awareness campaign is a
much needed first step.”

Dr. Mohammad said, “Aside from the countless studies in the United States and Europe, which undoubtedly prove the effectiveness of certain medications for the exceptional treatment of alcohol detox and alcohol treatment through relapse prevention, it is considered is not just frustrating, but also makes it more difficult for us to provide alcohol abusers with the lifesaving medication they need.” Mohammad added, “For instance, Topiramate (Topamax) is an antiepileptic drug, or seizure medication; however, numerous studies have shown that Topiramate can and should be used for Alcohol Detox and Alcohol Treatment through relapse prevention, due to it effects on GABA and Glutamate receptors, which are unbalanced during Alcohol Detox and during abstinence. It’s not FDA indicated for Alcohol Treatment but Clinically we see significant
effects as shown in studies.”

Dr. Mohammad and his team will include this sensitive topic in their forthcoming series of ‘town hall’ meetings in an
effort to educate the public and encourage physicians to become more vocal about these unfortunate limitations. Mohammad added, “It is beyond unfortunate when the best possible medications for alcohol treatment aren’t indicated as
such by the FDA, which makes the process of treating this disease more difficult. While I understand the FDA’s need to set boundaries, there are more than enough conclusive studies regarding the ‘off label’ benefits of various
medications and the simple truth is, we can save more lives by using these medications but we need to work with the FDA to protect physicians from various legal pitfalls that emerge when working with non-FDA indicated medications.”

Recognized as one of the best addiction rehab treatment centers in the country, Malibu Horizon continues to break new ground in the world of addiction treatment by implementing the newest science and technology into the treatment process. By implementing the latest science, technology, and individualized treatment, Malibu Horizon has been able to create the perfect environment for the world’s top executives to intensively treat their addiction and use their individual leadership skills to both continue to run their businesses and develop a rock solid recovery management plan.

Dr. Mohammad said, “We work daily and diligently to keep our approach to addiction treatment in a state of constant evolution. Our team has developed a formula for identifying what makes an executive a successful businessman and uses the same elements to develop individualized tools for them to use daily for recovery management.” Mohammad added, “These tools differ for every single executive but when they are identified and given to the individual, the recovery process not only accelerates, but patients also feel a greater sense of personal accomplishment and they and their businesses thrive.”

About Malibu Horizon
“Malibu Horizon is the leader in individualized addiction treatment. We differ from other programs because we approach alcoholism and addiction as very treatable conditions. Our clinical medical approach can best be described as all encompassing. We go beyond the symptoms and treat the entire patient, using a biological-psychological-sociological treatment model.” – Dr. Akikur Mohammad MD, Founder
Malibu Horizon offers the most effective, research-based alcohol and drug treatment. Our clinical team is a handpicked group of caring, experienced, professionals, who are unmatched in the industry. Every aspect of Malibu Horizon’s program has been researched and proven to work. By focusing on the root cause of an individual patient’s issues, our staff is able to identify and carefully address the core patterns that have caused a continual return to self-destructive behaviors. For more information, visit www.malibuhorizon.com

While Mr. Amato’s Inner Harmony Wellness Center brought integrative medicine to the east coast in 1997, Peter has been traveling the globe in pursuit of the most advanced healing techniques and studying from the best in the world of integrative medicine, addiction medicine and spiritual enlightenment. With support and insight from colleagues like Dr. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra and Malibu Horizon’s founder, Dr. Reza Mohammad, Peter Amato has captured his own unique experience in “Soul Silence” and the book is getting rave reviews from the recovery community and beyond.

“While strong reviews are exciting and humbling, the most important objective for me is to share my experience, strength and hope with all those individuals who may be struggling with addiction, recovery or simply need to be spiritually reenergized.” Amato added, “Working alongside recovery pioneers like Dr. Mohammad and the entire staff at Malibu Horizon has been an honor and the work being done here is simply remarkable. After spending time with the patients and staff, I thoroughly understand why Malibu Horizon is considered one of the finest drug treatment centers in the United States”

About Malibu Horizon
“Malibu Horizon is the leader in individualized addiction treatment. We differ from other programs because we approach alcoholism and addiction as very treatable conditions. Our clinical medical approach can best be described as all encompassing. We go beyond the symptoms and treat the entire patient, using a biological-psychological-sociological treatment model.” Dr. Akikur Mohammad MD, Founder
Malibu Horizon offers the most effective, research-based alcohol and drug treatment. Our clinical team is a handpicked group of caring, experienced, professionals, who are unmatched in the industry. Every aspect of Malibu Horizon’s program has been researched and proven to work. By focusing on the root cause of an individual patient’s issues, our staff is able to identify and carefully address the core patterns that have caused a continual return to self-destructive behaviors. For more information, visit www.malibuhorizon.com.

About Peter Amato
Peter Amato’s life has been one of transformation, growth and change. His initial career operating a family chain of automotive companies created an astute business acumen and subsequent wealth at an early age. But, money and material luxuries were not ultimately sustaining and Peter’s inner desire to answer life’s bigger questions led him to study with some of the biggest names in the consciousness movement including: Deepak Chopra, Andrew Weil and Zen master and Nobel Peace prize nominee, Thich Nhat Hanh – to name just a few.  Inspired by his own personal growth and the realization that the North America needed a new model for healthcare, Peter became founder and president of three distinct companies: Inner Harmony Wellness Centers, Inner Harmony Group and Harmony Mountain Spa and Retreat. For more information, visit www.peteramato.com.

The majority of deaths are unintentional drug poisoning deaths, with suicidal drug poisoning and drug poisoning of undetermined intent comprising the majority of the remainder. According to the report, in the U.S., 38,371 deaths were drug abuse related. A drug includes illicit or street drugs (such as heroin or cocaine), as well as legal prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, alcohol is not included.

Report Highlights
The number of male victims far exceeded females by nearly 2 to 1.
For males, the highest rates were among non-Hispanic blacks or non-Hispanic whites each year.
Drug-induced mortality rate increases were greatest for non-Hispanic whites.
Asians and Pacific Islanders had markedly lower rates than all other groups.
For females, the highest rates were among American Indians and Alaskan Natives, for every year.
The studies of primarily white populations report that drug related overdose death rates are highest among low-income persons.

Trends
According to the report, during the ‘80s and ‘90s, the majority of drug-induced deaths were attributable to illicit drugs (e.g., heroin and cocaine), drug-induced mortality rates were higher among blacks than whites.

This change occurred as prescription drugs, especially prescription opioid painkillers and psycho-therapeutic drugs, were prescribed more widely by physicians. Prescribed drugs eventually supplanted illicit drugs as the leading cause of drug related overdose deaths.

Conclusions
The report concluded that physicians should follow existing guidelines for cautious use of prescription drugs that tend to be misused by patients. Regulations designed to prevent illicit use of prescription drugs need to be strengthened and enforced. Persons who misuse prescription drugs should be identified and receive a referral for substance abuse treatment.

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A serious mood change happens in some people when the seasons change, causing them to sleep more frequent, have less energy and feel depressed. Symptoms can be severe, and usually disappear when Spring arrives.

Symptoms of SAD
Morning sickness, over sleeping with the difficulty of waking up, over eating, lacking energy, difficulty concentrating or a withdrawal from life are symptoms of the disorder and leads to depression. People suffering with the disorder may also feel hopeless and lack the pleasures of life.

Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder is the seasonal affective disorder for the summer. It may start in the late spring and early summer. It may include heightened anxiety. Spring and summer SAD may have symptoms of a lowered sex drive, lowered appetite, weight loss, insomnia and anxiety. Many of the classic symptoms of a depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder may be applied as an added description to people with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Which is why it is not regarded as a separate disorder but called a course specifier.

Some people with seasonal affective disorder may end up developing some form of bipolar disorder, a major depressive disorder. People that have seasonal affective disorder, also known as winter blues, should get treatment.

It can cause one to have suicidal thoughts.

Signs of SAD
To be diagnosed with SAD disorder, depressive episodes at a particular time of year must be present, the same depressive episodes must happen again at the same time of year, the depression pattern must last two years with no non seasonal depression symptoms, and the seasonal episodes must outnumber other depression periods.

Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Treatment for winter based SAD includes light therapy. Cloud cover contributes to SAD’s negative effects. The light therapy treatment is when far more watts than a regular light is used. The bright light therapy is very effective when the person with the disorder sits a distance of thirty to sixty centimeters in front of the light with the eyes open but not staring directly at it for thirty to sixty minutes. Ionized air is releasing charged particles into the sleep environment, by using a device that uses high voltage to ionize air molecules. Medications such as antidepressants are also effective.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is another source of effective treatment. Also taking a trip or vacation to a sunny destination can be very effective for overcoming the disorder. Getting outside more and doing more exercise will help improve depressive episodes by adding natural light exposure. By monitoring diets to healthier foods with less carbohydrates will help with the lack of energy. Also, monitoring sleep patterns by not over sleeping and setting goals to get up in the morning will help stay on a path of recovery.

It is a treatable disorder.Many people live without suffering serious symptoms frequently associated with this disorder. There is help for those that suffer from bipolar disorder.

Symptoms
Bipolar disorder is a disorder that is characterized by periods of manic activity with exceptionally bad periods of depression.

The symptoms are as varied as those of suffer from it. Each person will have a different cycle that makes up their own unique episode. It is hard to define an episode in general terms, since it is experienced differently for everyone. There are indications of similarities between everyone that has them.

Both the highs and lows are very intense and can interfere with all aspects of life. Some people may have an episode that includes one of these at a time. Other times, they may cycle with symptoms of both.

Manic
The maniac episode is sometimes described as being euphoric, or up. It is classified with symptoms that can include fast talking, hyperactivity and the need for less sleep. It typically includes uncontrollable behavior which can include promiscuity, gambling or other reckless activities that can be harmful or dangerous to the person exhibiting these behaviors. A concern is their personal safety or health can be at risk.

Depressive
In the depressive stage, it is more than feeling blue and often feels like the world will collapse in on them. Irritable behavior is common. These low swings are pronounced and they may move and speak more slowly than usual. During this stage, those who suffer from it may frequently lose touch with reality, including hallucinations and paranoia. In addition, they may sleep much more than is considered normal.

A mixed episode has characteristics of both manic and depressive stages. They can even occur simultaneously. One of the major concerns for this type of low episode is the risk for suicide. Frequently they lose touch from reality which can make keeping them safe difficult.

Bipolar Treatment
Long term treatment is required for those suffering from Bipolar disorder. It does include medication which will help prevent or contain mood swings and other symptoms. Counseling and lifestyle coaching is a help to make life easier, teaching new ways for coping in safer and less risky ways.

If you feel that you suffer from Bi Polar disorder, or have any of the symptoms from both depressive and manic stages, seek medical help. Only through proper diagnosis and proper medical treatment can it get managed and under control, while living  productive lives. Get help now

Depression is often a product of genetic factors. Families who have suffered from bipolar disorder seem to have the situation running down within the family circles. External circumstances are often responsible for the development of depressed feelings. It can lead to coming up of serious chronic illnesses, financial problems, relationship difficulties and serious self esteem loss.

Different groups experience different kinds of depression and also get varied forms of depressive symptoms. When an individual gets into a depressed state, usually it comes as a reason of prolonged sadness and grief of high intensities. Moods start to change drastically and negative thoughts crop in. The body starts to function differently with occasions of frequent crying, low libido, body aches, weight gain or loss, insomnia etc.

Depression treatment Options

There are different treatments which you can get if you are suffering from trauma and low spirits. It is however important to note that the administration of some of the care measures may be done in connection to age gender and causative factors.

Medication

Use of antidepressant medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). These mainly boost the concentration of serotonin in the synapses. Another common antidepressant is the dual-action antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and try cyclic antidepressants.

Shock Therapy

Another common way of treating depressed persons is through Electroconvulsive therapy, where by convulsions and seizures are triggered in the brain by the introduction of an electric current. It is mostly used on depressed patients who have not responded to antidepressants or are not able to take them. This is mostly used on those who have shown suicidal vulnerability.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapies are also commonly practiced to treat depression patients in a depression rehab center. They comprise talking therapies conducted by psychotherapists Interpersonal and cognitive behavioral therapies are mostly used on short term basis to help the individual to identify areas which are going wrong in their lives. On a long term and more comprehensive level, psycho dynamic therapies are administered to take care of depressed person in an effort to treat deeply rooted occasions of feeling depressed that may have their origin to childhood experiences.