STRESS Vs ADDICTION

STRESS Vs ADDICTION
 

 

 

 

the stressful situation that is associated with increased intensity or persistence of distress—the greater the uncontrollability and unpredictability of the stressful situation, lower the sense of mastery or adaptability, and greater the magnitude of the stress response and risk for maladaptive behaviors such as drug addiction.

msongo wa mawazo na drug addiction

msongo wa mawazo mara nyingi umekua moja ya kichocheo kikubwa cha kujiingiza katika matumizi ya madawa ya kulevya na pia husababisha mtu aliyeacha kutumia mdawa ya kulevya kurudi katika utumiaji.

hivi ni badhi ya vitu ambavyo vinaweza kuchangia upatikanaji wa msongo wa mawazo

Loss of parents	Emotional abuse
Parental divorce and conflict	Sexual abuse
isolation and abandonment	Poor behavioral control
Single parent family structure	Poor emotional control
Physical abuse	Poor economic status

msongo wa mawazo hauepukiki kwa sababu tumeumbwa hivyo. kikubwa jinsi gani unavyoweza kuupokea na kuufanyia kazi, ikiwa msongo wa mawazo utapokelewa na kufanyanyiwa kazi katika njia chanya basi matokeo yake huwa mazuri, lakin ukichukuliwa katika njia hasi basi huwa na mahara sana na inaweza kupelekea katika matumizi ya madawa ya kulevya.

NJIA HATARISHI ZAIDI ZA UTUMIAJI WA MADAWA YA KULEVYA KUWAHI KURIPOTIWA

watumiaji wa madawa ya kulevya wamekua wakitumia njia mbalimbali ikiwemo KUNUSA na KUJICHOMA SINDANO.

kutokana hali ya uchumi kuwa mbaya watumiaji wamejikuta wakishirkiana vitu kama sindano, na DAMU.

uchunguzi uliofanywa na chuo kikuu cha afya cha TEXAS kikishirikiana na chuo kikuu cha tiba cha MUHIMBILI umegundua njia mbaya na hatarishi zaid kuwah kutumika, njia hizo ni FLASH BLOOD na VIPOINT

FLASH BLOOD: njia hii hufunywa kwa mtumiaji mmoja kujichoma dawa yote na bila kupita muda anavuta damu yake ambayo itakua imechanganyika na dawa kisha hyo bomba ya sindano yenye damu anapewa mtumiaji mwingine ajichume.

VIPOINT: njia hii hufanywa kwa mtumiaji mmoja kujichoma kiasi kidogo cha dawa na kubakiza nyingine kwenye bomba la sindano kisha kumpa mwingine nae ajichome.

hizi ni njia hatarishi zaidi kuwahi kutokea ambazo pia zimeripotiwa kuonekana nchini PAKISTAN. njia hizi zinasababisha maambukizi ya UKIMWI kuwa makubwa zaidi kwa watumiaji wa madawa ya kulevya.

tips for making a successful recovery from drug addiction

1.      Make your recovery a priority – put yourself first and stay in touch with trained professionals who know you and can provide you with comprehensive treatment options and sound advice throughout your recovery.

2.      Take it one day at a time – recovery is a process, not a destination.  Do not let thoughts of use or old habits get the best of you.  Learn techniques to overcome any negative thoughts and feelings

3.      Communicate – addiction can be very isolating so talk to your friends and family about your challenges.  While it may be tough, the support system you create will give you an enormous boost.  They will be there when you need them and will help you stay motivated and focused.

4.      Change your environment – one of the best ways to maintain a healthy recovery is to replace your bad habits with healthy, new ones.  Surround yourself with positive people, things and experiences.  Search out cultural events and activities in your area that can stimulate your body and mind in a new, exciting – and healthy way.

5.      Change your friends – some of your friends may have been enabling your addiction instead of helping you control it.  If you have friends that may jeopardize your recovery, it is time to find a new circle of friends.  The right friends will help you to maintain a healthy recovery.

6.      Get out and exercise – spending 30-60 minutes walking or at the gym will just a few days a week will do wonders for you.  Exercise will not only boost your physical strength, it will boost your mental health as well.    

7.      Improve your diet – in addition to exercise, eating right is another key ingredient to a successful recovery.  Whether you get help or do it on your own, improvements in diet will make you healthier mentally and physically.

8.      Join a support group – whether you join a church based group, AA or other social support network, they can provide wonderful value, help and wisdom to your recovery efforts

9.      Work or donate some of your time – being productive at your job or giving back to a cause you believe it will do wonders for your self-esteem.  Making a positive contribution at work or for others will give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment and pride.

10.   Never give up – whatever you do, regardless of the challenges or obstacles you face, do not give up or give in to the disease.  Rely on your family, friends and support tools to keep going in the face of temptations and difficult days.


reference

DRUG ADDICTS

                
is estimated that 50,000 people in Dar es Salaam inject drugs, of which 42% are estimated to be HIV–positive (compared to 9% overall in Dar es Salaam) and the drug control commission report (2011) states that the actual number of drug addicts in general is estimated to be 150,000 - 500,000 national wide.

Hii ndo hali iliyopo wadau, hili si tatizo dogo, tunapaswa kuliangalia kwa ukubwa wake. tusikae kimya na kutegemea kwamba kuna siku hali itabadilika bila kufanya kitu. tunahitaji kuchukua hatua na kusaidia kaka na dada zetu walio kwenye matumizi ya madawa ya kulevya.

OKOA KITAA





REFERENCE : http://pgaf.org/where-we-work/where-we-work-current-projects/tanzania
          http://m.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/13124-drug-addiction-on-increase-countrywide
                   

Sunshine vitamin 'may treat asthma'

The amount of time asthma patients spend soaking up the sun may have an impact on the illness, researchers have suggested.


A team at King's College London said low levels of vitamin D, which is made by the body in sunlight, was linked to a worsening of symptoms.

Its latest research shows the vitamin calms an over-active part of the immune system in asthma.
However, treating patients with vitamin D has not yet been tested.

People with asthma can find it hard to breathe when their airways become inflamed, swollen and narrowed.
Most people are treated with steroids, but the drugs do not work for all.
 
Sunshine
"We know people with high levels of vitamin D are better able to control their asthma - that connection is quite striking," said researcher Prof Catherine Hawrylowicz.

Her group investigated the impact of the vitamin on a chemical in the body, interleukin-17. It is a vital part of the immune system and helps to fight off infections.

However, it can cause problems when levels get too high and has been strongly implicated in asthma.
In this study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, vitamin D was able to lower levels of interleukin-17 when it was added to blood samples taken from 28 patients.

The team is now conducting clinical trials to see if giving the sunshine vitamin to patients could ease their symptoms. They are looking at patients who do not respond to steroids as they produce seven times more interleukin-17 than other patients.

Prof Catherine Hawrylowicz told the BBC: "We think that treating people with vitamin D could make steroid-resistant patients respond to steroids or let those who can control their asthma take less steroids."
She said a culture of covering up in the sun and using sun cream may have increased asthma rates, but "it is a careful message because too much sun is bad for you".

Malayka Rahman, from the charity Asthma UK, said: "For the majority of people with asthma, current available medicines are an effective way of managing the condition but we know that they don't work for everyone, which is why research into new treatments is vital.

"We also know that many people with asthma have concerns about the side effects of their medicines so if vitamin D is shown to reduce the amount of medicines required, this would have an enormous impact on people's quality of life.
"We look forward to the results of the clinical trial."


article from BBC

Malaria parasite lures mosquito to human odour

Mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite are more attracted to human body odour than uninfected insects, a study suggests.

Researchers found that infected insects were three times more likely to be lured towards a human scent.
They believe that the deadly parasites are seizing control of their biting hosts and boosting their sense of smell.
The research is published in the journal Plos One.
Dr James Logan, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: "One thing that always surprises me about parasites is how clever they are. They are these ever-evolving organisms that seem to be one step ahead of us the whole time."

Smelly feet
To carry out the study, the researchers infected malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae) with the most deadly form of parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

They placed about 100 of the infected insects into a container, along with some nylon stockings that had been previously worn by volunteers for 20 hours.

"It is a very effective way of collecting body odour... the odour can remain attractive for months," explained Dr Logan.
The scientists repeated the experiment with uninfected insects.
They found that mosquitoes carrying the deadly parasite were three times more likely to be attracted to the smelly stockings.
The scientists believe this is because the tiny parasitic organisms are manipulating their hosts' sense of smell.
Dr Logan said: "We think it is giving them a heightened sense of smell. We are hypothesising there is an alteration somewhere in their olfactory system that allows them to find us quicker."

Smart tactics
By making humans an easier target, the parasite is more likely to be passed into the blood stream - ensuring its survival and continuing the spread of the deadly disease.

The researchers will now begin a three-year project, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), to learn more about how the parasites are doing this.
Dr Logan said that understanding how the malaria-infected mosquitoes respond to human odour could help them to fight the disease.
He said: "If we know how the parasite is able to manipulate the olfactory system... perhaps we can identify new attractants for infected mosquitoes and we will be able to increase our efficiency with trapping techniques."
According to the latest figures, the World Health Organization said there were about 219 million cases of malaria in 2010 and 660,000 deaths.
Africa is the most affected continent: about 90% of all malaria deaths occur there.

ARTICLE FROM  BBC

'Weight loss gut bacterium' found

Bacteria that live in the gut have been used to reverse obesity and Type-2 diabetes in animal studies.

Research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that a broth containing a single species of bacteria could dramatically alter the health of obese mice.
It is thought to change the gut lining and the way food is absorbed.
Similar tests now need to be take place in people to see if the same bacteria can be used to shed the pounds.
The human body is teeming with bacteria - the tiny organisms outnumber human cells in the body 10 to one.
And there is growing evidence that this collection of bacteria or "microbiome" affects health.

Obesity
Studies have shown differences between the types and numbers of bacteria in the guts of lean and obese people.

Meanwhile gastric bypass operations have been shown to change the balance of bacteria in the gut.

Researchers at the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium, worked with a single species of bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila. It normally makes up 3-5% of gut bacteria, but its levels fall in obesity.
Mice on a high fat diet - which led them to put on two to three times more fat than normal, lean, mice - were fed the bacteria.
The mice remained bigger than their lean cousins, but had lost around half of their extra weight despite no other changes to their diet.
They also had lower levels of insulin resistance, a key symptom of Type-2 diabetes.
Prof Patrice Cani, from the Catholic University of Louvain, told the BBC: "Of course it is an improvement, we did not completely reverse the obesity, but it is a very strong decrease in the fat mass.

"It is the first demonstration that there is a direct link between one specific species and improving metabolism."

Surprise
Adding the bacteria increased the thickness of the gut's mucus barrier, which stops some material passing from the gut to the blood. It also changed the chemical signals coming from the digestive system - which led to changes in the way fat was processed elsewhere in the body.
Similar results were achieved by adding a type of fibre to diets which led to an increase in the levels of Akkermansia muciniphila.
Prof Cani said it was "surprising" that just one species, out of the thousands in the gut, could have such an effect.
He said this was a "first step" towards "eventually using these bacteria as prevention or treatment of obesity and Type-2 diabetes" and that some form of bacteria-based therapy would be used "in the near future".
Prof Colin Hill, a microbiologist at University College Cork, said: "It's a very exciting study, we've had lots linking bacteria and weight gain but this is the first time an intervention seems to work.
"I don't think it's feasible that you can eat cream cakes and chips and sausages all day long and then eat bacteria to reverse all that."
He said it was more likely that the research would lead to understanding of exactly what happens in the gut, which could lead to tailored dietary advice for people trying to lose weight.

ARTICLE FROM  BBC

SARATANI - JE WAJUA? (2013)

Siku ya Saratani Duniani mwaka 2013 (Februari 4) italenga zaidi Lengo la 5 la Azimio la Saratani Duniani: Kuondoa mawazo potofu kuhusu Saratani,chini ya kichwa “Saratani – Je, wajua?”Siku ya Saratani Duniani  ni nafasi ya kupaza sauti zetu kwa pamoja tukikusudia kuinua ufahamu wa jumla kuhusu saratani na kuondoa fikra zote potofu kuhusu ugonjwa huu.

Kutoka kwenye ngazi ya ulimwengu, ujumbe wetu utaelekezwa dhidi ya habari nne potofu kama zilivyoainishwa hapo chini. Aidha, pamoja na kuwa kwenye mstari kwa utetezi wa malengo ya ulimwengu, kwa pamoja tunaamini kwamba uvumi huu unaoumiza sana unasababisha mabadiliko makubwa baina ya wanajumuiya, washirika na wenzi kutengeneza na kujikuza katika mahitaji yao.

Uvumi 1: Saratani ni suala la kiafya tu

Ukweli: Saratani si suala linalohusu afya pekee. Ni suala lenye wigo mpana sana katika nyanja za kijamii, kiuchumi, kimaendeleo na hata katika masuala yahusuyo haki za binadamu.

Uvumi 2: Saratani ni ugonjwa wa watu wenye kipato cha juu (yaani matajiri), wazee na watu wa nchi zilizoendelea

Ukweli: Saratani haibagui. Ni janga la ulimwengu mzima, linaathiri watu wa rika zote, watu wa nchi zote,watu wa  kipato cha chini, cha kati na wenye kipato kikubwa wakibeba mzigo wenye uwiano sawa.

Uvumi 3: Saratani ni hukumu ya kifo

Ukweli: Saratani za aina nyingi ambazo hapo awali zilidhaniwa kuwa ni hukumu ya kifo, sasa zinaweza kutibika na watu wengi wenye saratani sasa, wanaweza kutibiwa kikamilifu.

Uvumi 4: Saratani ndio hatima yangu

Ukweli: Saratani si hatima wala majaliwa ya mtu yeyote, na kwa mipango kabambe, zaidi ya saratani moja kati ya tatu zinaweza kuzuilika.