Alcoholism is a very complex
problem that is rampant in our society and has many variables that need
to be addressed simultaneously. The success rate with mainstream
treatment options is poor at best. The nutrition and diet
components are rarely addressed and most people are unaware of their
extreme significance or that an alternative alcoholism treatment even exists.
It is not widely known that Bill Wilson,one of the founders of AA, was aware
of the importance of vitamins and hypoglycemia in the treatment of alcoholism.
Before his death he was trying to educate physicians about these
issues. (Null 95, Larson 92)
After losing a son who had tried all the traditional approaches to alcoholism,
Joan Larson researched with
the passion of a mother on a mission and wrote a detailed comprehensive
book ("7 Weeks to Sobriety") that emphasizes the importance of
addressing diet and nutrition in the treatment of alcoholism.
In her treatment Center, The Health Recovery Center, they maintain a
75% success rate with an alternative alcoholism treatment approach that addresses issues such as making
diet changes, eliminating sugar and refined foods, supplementing
numerous vitamins, amino acids and minerals which are most often
depleted in alcoholics, treating hypoglycemia and treating food
allergies.
Her book provides very specific guidelines necessary to take beginning
with detox and continuing through recovery. She discovered it is
necessary to make biochemical repairs in order to achieve success and
prevent relapse. Joan's book "7 Weeks to Sobriety" is a “must
have” book for anyone living with alcoholism or involved in the
treatment of alcoholism. It's an alternative alcoholism treatment backed by sound
research that has proven results.
Randolph (80) contends that alcoholism is not a mental sickness, but
rather it is a symptom of advanced food allergy. In his practice
he has found that it is not the alcohol that one is addicted to it is
the food source of which the alcoholic beverage is made of.
Alcoholic beverages are made of food such as grains like barley, corn,
cane or grapes. Alcoholics have a food allergy to
these. In advanced food allergy the individual craves the
allergic food.
Randolph proposes that the alcoholic is craving the beverage is made
from not the alcohol itself. The alcohol serves as a catalyst to
help the food be absorbed more quickly, because alcohol is absorbed
rapidly throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This is why most
alcoholics struggle to stay sober and relapse is so common.
Because, when alcoholics put the alcohol down they are continuing to
eat sugar, corn, etc., and when they eat these foods it triggers
cravings. The food itself cannot provide the quick fix that the
alcohol can provide because of its rapid absorption.
There is considerable data that supports the notion that most
alcoholics are hypoglycemic. (Larson 92, Airola 77) There
is a reciprocal relationship between the two. Chronic drinking,
just like excessive sugar, contributes to the development of
hypoglycemia just as people with hypoglycemia are potential candidates
for alcoholism. Hypoglycemia can cause irritability, depression,
aggressiveness, insomnia, fatigue, restlessness, confusion, a desire to
drink and nervousness, many of the same symptoms of an alcoholic.
(Larson 92) When an alcoholic gets sober the symptoms listed
above continue to plaque them and if hypoglycemia is not addressed
these symptoms leave the individual at high risk of relapsing in order
to temporarily relieve these symptoms. This is an extremely important
component in any alternative alcoholism treatment and it alone will provide
alcoholics with immense relief and higher success rates.
In 1991 more than 60% of individuals admitted to traditional alocholism
treatment programs had been in treatment before and more than half of
those repeating were being admitted for the third time. About
half of these were drinking again within one year. (Grinspoon
1996) Unfortunately this is a common scenario in traditional treatment in
general. Relapse is expected, common and usually the
norm. Most people are not successful in long -term
recovery.
In a four year study of 922 men only 28% refrained from drinking for
six months after treatment. After one year 21% remained abstinent
and after four years 7% remained abstinent. (Rand Repot
1990) It is only a small subgroup of people who are helped
by 12 step programs and traditional treatment.
Obviously traditional alcoholism treatment is missing a very large
piece of the puzzle. Traditional treatment could be more
successful if it implemented a holistic alternative alcoholism treatment approach to addiction and
address issues such as hypoglycemia, food allergy and nutritional
deficiencies.
I know from personal experience that this is true. As a chronic
alcoholic I entered traditional treatment and although some of it was
extremely helpful, it could not help with the intense depression,
anxiety, confusion, irritability and nervousness that I continued to
have that was putting me at high risk of relapsing.
After a year of pure misery and “white knuckling” it, which had
left me hanging by a very fine thread, in spite of the fact that
I attended an AA meeting almost every day and was a very active AA
participant, actively working the program to the fullest extent and
even doing leads all over the tri-county area, I discovered a book that
changed my life. ("The Missing Diagnosis" by Dr. Orion Truss)
After finding a doctor who was knowledgeable in this alternative alcoholism treatment approach I learned
that I had
candida, numerous food allergies, chemical allergies, hypoglycemia
and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
It was when I addressed these issues found in the alternative alcoholism treatment approach
that my life really changed and alcholism was no longer in control. I discovered that by
eliminating sugar and wheat from my diet that I could eliminate my
disabling anxiety and depression. By treating all my
allergies, addressing my hypoglycemia and deficiencies and changing my
diet I was able to turn my mental health completely around and I was no
longer “white knuckling” it to stay sober. I have been sober for
19 years and don’t attend any AA meetings and I don't have
cravings for alcohol or any other substance.
If you live with alocholism and would like to learn more about this alternative alcoholism treatment called
The Biochemical Approach or just
need to talk to someone that understands, you may find Cynthia's
holistic
health counseling to be helfpul which is available by telephone.
To learn more about the holistic and biochemical approach to
alcoholism, you may want to visit my other site,
Alternatives for
Alcoholism. It is still a work in progress, but you can find a lot
of good info there.
References
Null G. Ph.D. (1995) Nutrition and the Mind. New
York: Four Walls
Eight Windows.
Randolph T.G. , M.D. (1980) An Alternative Approach to
Allergies. New
York: Lippincott & Crowell Publishers.
Airola Paavo. Dr. (1997) Hypoglycemia: A Better Approach.
Oregon:
Health Plus Publishers
Pfeiffer D.D., Ph.D., MD. (1987) Nutrition and Mental Illness.
Vermont:
Healing Arts Press.
Larson J.M. Ph.D. (1992) Seven Weeks To Sobriety. New York:
Fawcett
Columbine.
