| Quiet, insular, and lacking confidence are not traits | | | | treatment professionals concur that many people have |
| people usually associate with alcoholics. After all aren't | | | | been born with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. |
| the alcoholics those people that are social, loud, | | | | This genetic predisposition leaves the person with all |
| exhuming confidence and all the while consuming more | | | | the factors that lead to alcohol addiction. These |
| and more alcohol? Although conceptually being | | | | factors include an intense craving for alcohol, |
| counterintuitive, these sets of character traits and | | | | heightened tolerance, and extreme dependence. This is |
| alcoholism fit together perfectly and an addict's switch | | | | not to say that every alcoholic was born with these, |
| from having no confidence to showing great displays | | | | but those that aren't end up creating the same situation |
| of "self orientation"through outward expression is usual | | | | by long term heavy drinking. |
| alcoholic behavior. | | | | Given the fact that research shows a complex set of |
| Many alcoholics will tell people that they need alcohol | | | | causes for alcoholism, treatment responses will |
| to exist. Their social skills are better and they gain the | | | | inevitably become more complex as well. Since the |
| confidence they had always lacked. This is of course | | | | uncovering of the "alcoholism gene" more and more |
| only one of the reasons alcoholics drink and continue | | | | addiction professionals have been supporting the |
| to drink even after they discover their alcoholism. It is | | | | active change in the the addict's nutrition. A change in |
| true that most scientists and medical professionals | | | | food intake can go a long way in transforming one's |
| now admit that alcoholism stems from a complex | | | | genetic predisposition to alcoholism. One such method |
| mixture of genetics, sociological, and psychological | | | | called orthomolecular medicine focuses on brain |
| circumstances, yet for most alcoholics it is the | | | | deficiencies connected to nutritional problems in |
| confidence and personality and friends they never had | | | | biochemistry and genetic predispositions. This method |
| when they were sober that spurs continued drinking. | | | | has shown much success in using food and nutrition in |
| When an alcoholic says, "I need alcohol to exist," they | | | | augmenting an addict's biochemical deficiencies. |
| aren't lying. Their continued personality, confidence, and | | | | Combining Methods |
| friends depend on their continued drinking. This is the | | | | Despite the success of orthomolecualar medicine and |
| alcoholic beast. It is this beast which convinces the | | | | other nutrition and medical treatments in fighting |
| alcoholic of his or her need to drink. | | | | alcoholism, most addicts have still not abandoned |
| Killing the Beast | | | | traditional support groups, such as 12 Step/AA,which |
| The debate on treating alcoholism, runs deeper than | | | | advocate an almost spiritual awakening. Although most |
| rudimentary differences in various treatment | | | | advocates of any addiction treatment of course signal |
| approaches. Multiple treatment approaches are natural | | | | out their methodology as "the proper"treatment, what |
| outcomes of different beliefs in the "root-cause" of | | | | is clear is that the best route to successfully "kill the |
| alcohol addiction. For example someone who believes | | | | beast"of alcoholism is a combination of nutritional |
| that alcoholism is an expression of deeper | | | | changes, coupled with proper therapy and support |
| psychological damage usually abuse or abandonment, | | | | based healing. Only this combination can successfully |
| will seek psychotherapy and support groups to break | | | | give the addict the true inner confidence and proper |
| the addiction or at least help "control the disease." | | | | physical balance he or she has sought. |
| Presently, with new research available many addiction | | | | |