| Studies conducted at the University Of Pittsburgh | | | | missing nutrients have to be replenished by eating a |
| School Of Medicine, in which smokers and | | | | diet high in protein, brain-healthy fats and high-fiber |
| non-smokers filled out a behavioral questionnaire | | | | carbohydrates. In addition, taking supplements that |
| revealed that nicotine's biggest mood-changing | | | | include vitamins, minerals, and amino acids can actually |
| influence was on people who scored high on | | | | re-wire the brain to reduce cravings. According to |
| sensation-seeking. This was true both for smokers and | | | | Doctor Beasley, "For the alcoholic, metabolism is far |
| non-smokers (non-smokers who were given nicotine | | | | stronger than free will, and diet and nutrition therapy |
| via a nasal spray). Heart rate and blood pressure | | | | should be part of any alcohol treatment program." |
| responses were the same for smokers and | | | | You would probably be surprised to know that |
| non-smokers, suggesting that the psychological effects | | | | relapsing after years of sobriety is more common for |
| were more significant than the physiological ones. | | | | alcoholics than you think. The downside about modern |
| Doctor Keith Johnsgard, a psychologist and professor | | | | alcoholism treatment is its appalling long-term success |
| emeritus of psychology at San Jose State University in | | | | rate. Did you know that a commonly cited statistic for |
| California, says that the explanation has to do with the | | | | alcohol treatment programs is less than 20 percent |
| neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is the brain | | | | recovery after one year? In other words, out of every |
| chemical that relates to pleasure and stimulation. | | | | five people who enter an addiction program, only one |
| Nicotine creates a dopamine response. People who | | | | will actually stay sober. Most programs out there that |
| are high sensation seekers reportedly need more | | | | focus only on the mind, consist of emphasis on daily |
| dopamine. This same phenomenon explains why | | | | counseling sessions and attendance at meetings. |
| nicotine and alcohol often go together. The answer, | | | | "Alcoholism is a physical disease," says Joan Mathews |
| according to some, is to get your cravings under | | | | Larson, a nutritionist who is the author of, Seven |
| control and satisfy the need for sensation. A good | | | | Weeks to Sobriety, and director of an outpatient |
| route to go is to balance your brain chemistry with | | | | treatment program. |
| supplements of neurotransmitters. Since these | | | | We would also like to add that those who advocate a |
| chemical messengers get out of balance as a result of | | | | nutritional program do not think that AA-based |
| stress, in addition to any hereditary predisposition, taking | | | | programs are entirely off base. As a matter of fact, all |
| such supplements can give you renewed energy while | | | | the treatment programs that feature nutritional therapy |
| altering a jagged mood in a healthier way. | | | | also include either 12-step sessions or some other type |
| Doctor Charles Gant, a retired Washington D.C. | | | | of counseling. Let's just say that beating an addiction |
| physician and author of, End Your Addiction Now, is | | | | requires shoring up the body as well as the mind. |
| one of a handful of doctors who are convinced that | | | | Alcoholism is not the only type of addiction that |
| the standard approach to alcoholism is missing an | | | | responds well to nutritional therapy. A young doctor's |
| essential component--a biochemical way to loosen | | | | story is a classic case. As a young resident, he |
| alcohol's grip. This method, which is slowly gaining | | | | became addicted to prescription drugs and went |
| acceptance, puts a twist on the mind/body dynamic | | | | through the classic 12-step program. A year later, he |
| underlying traditional treatment programs. Another | | | | again found himself in the same boat. This time, he |
| physician, Doctor Joseph Beasley, and author of a | | | | chose a non-12 step concept that administrators of the |
| book called, How to Defeat Alcoholism: Nutritional | | | | program said had an 80% success rate. He is still |
| Guidelines for Getting Sober, is an early proponent of | | | | clean today, three years later. |
| research into the brain chemistry underlying addiction. | | | | The nutritional program is much the same as those for |
| These physicians and their colleagues believe that the | | | | alcoholics, with a slightly different formula of vitamins |
| body's needs must be attended to first. In their opinion, | | | | and amino acids. So, in essence, the supplements for |
| alcoholism is primarily a brain chemistry imbalance | | | | people recovering from drug abuse are tailored to their |
| fueled by a deficiency in certain nutrients. Those | | | | particular brain chemistry. |