For all addiction withdrawal there are common steps to take to ease the process:
Improved diet during active addiction: to build up the body's defence system and reduce the shock to the body when withdrawal begins.
Continued attention to diet during withdrawal: it is important to keep helping the body expel the toxins and readjust to normal functioning.
Nutrition to keep off the addiction: diet will reduce the craving for the addictive substance and eventually even the desire for it.
Exercise to improve the body's metabolism: toning up the circulatory system, improving muscle tissue, increasing the brain's production of endorphins and hence promoting self-image and self-confidence.
Counselling or psychotherapy to deal with emotional problems which led to the addiction; building self-confidence and self-esteem.
Alternative therapies to promote the body's natural healing systems and reduce tension and stress.
EFFECTS of ADDICTIONS on the BODY
COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY/HERBS/MASSAGE in the RELIEF of the EFFECTS of ADDICTIONS
DRUGS, NUTRIENTS, EXERCISE & RELAXATION in the TREATMENT of ADDICTIONS - Drug Classifications
The word ADDICTION comes from the Latin addicare - to surrender. It is not a modern phenomenon. The Victorians were prey to the powerful drugs laudanum, opium and morphine, and European artists and poets of the last century enhanced their creativity, so they believed, by experimenting with various hallucinogenic drugs. The Druids enhanced their religious practices through the mind-altering effects of wild mushrooms. Present day Nigerians love their kola nut (from the coca tree), the Indians their betel nut and the Somalis their marungi (a type of leaf).
It can start innocently enough: pleasure derived from drinks after work with colleagues; a tough work-out at he gym which can engender an almost sexual high; a video game or innocuous obsession such as a sport or collection which engages the mind; a joint passed to you at a party promoting a light-headed feeling of well-being, belonging, confidence. Usually, if things are stable in other areas of life, the pleasure remains simply that - a pleasure, a collection of sensations and emotions unique to humans, a species with the capacity to rationalise and choose activities on an intellectual and physical level of unbounded imagination. But sometimes the pleasure becomes a necessity and what was once a take-it-or-leave-it option develops into an integral part of each day. Doing without is unthinkable and instils, among other things, anxiety and irritability. The former source of pleasure becomes the master, no longer the servant.
Research shows that addictions in their various guises are on the increase. In the UK much crime is drink-related and caused by aimless young men; drug addiction has doubled in twenty years also with its terrifying under culture of violence and dealing; tranquillisers are another trap in the form of prescribed drugs. The availability of harmful substances plays a large part in the increase of abuses; although smoking is increasingly disallowed in public places and is generally on the down turn, it still has a glamorous allure for youngsters especially girls, despite the health hazards particularly when pregnant, and the unpleasant odour associated with a smoker; marijuana (cannabis - the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant) is gaining social acceptance, considered by some people to be less harmful than tobacco, although it is useful in the amelioration of certain degenerative diseases; alcohol is freely obtainable and has always been a part of society - even Christ turned the water to wine; we can now buy it with cornflakes at the supermarket, in the continental manner - the consumption of red wine in France has been associated with the low rate of heart disease considering their high cholesterol diet - but the benefits of moderate consumption can easily be exceeded to become a health risk; and although advertising is stripping the glamour from the highly addictive narcotic heroin, the use of cocaine (derived from coca leaves or synthesised) is on the increase.
Substance addiction is easily recognised - alcohol, tranquillisers, caffeine, drugs, sugar and nicotine are the commonest physically addictive substances. But there is more to addiction than the body craving for a particular substance. The mind also has a major role to play and addictions often have psychological implications. For example, people can be addicted to gambling and we are hearing more about children’s addiction to video games - feeling bored when not connected to a machine and unable to stimulate their own creativity; these addictions are mental rather than physical.
Need is the root of all addiction. There can be many reasons why the need arises - often following attempts to fill a void or to escape from a problem; a void left by the death of someone close or a divorce or redundancy or simply boredom; financial problems, work pressure, relationship difficulties, personal dissatisfaction or low self-esteem. Pleasure, of course, is another cause of addiction or dependency.
A number of addictions are said to be stress related. After a busy morning a cup of tea or coffee almost appears to be a godsend. Caffeine or tannins (found in tea and coffee) are stimulants which perk us up. Sugar causes an increase in blood sugar levels which increases energy levels, albeit for a short time only. Alcohol helps us to relax, releasing anxiety, inhibitions and increasing self-confidence; hard (highly addictive) drugs or cigarettes have the same effect. The effects of trauma of any type can be dulled by taking tranquillisers, and if used correctly, tranquillisers can aid in the healing process.
When life becomes dull and unsatisfying and we do not know how to improve our general situation, a lift inspirits can reverse a negative outlook and provide the spur to take action or change the dreary or niggling aspects of life. Some people achieve this through the intellectual stimulation from conversation with others, or reading, going to the theatre, listening to music or perhaps visualising or meditation. A quicker and less demanding route is to take a pill or have a drink of alcohol.
Addictions usually begin innocuously from a need for a temporary escape from the problems of everyday life. Unfortunately, the temporary escape can become infinitely preferable to workaday reality and its problems. Avoiding the issue buys time to come up with a solution or, more often than not, to avoid the necessity for change and the will to implement it.
Bit it is not all doom and gloom: although it may not have seemed so at the time, the decision to take an escape route is a decision - a decision to avoid reality. Stopping the habit is simply the reversal of that decision.
The GP is the first port of call particularly if the addiction is severe or life threatening. However a gradual withdrawal is best advised since it places the least strain and stress on both your mind and your body. Complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy/massage, acupuncture, anthroposophical medicine and homeopathic and herbal medicines are gentle, gradual and free from side effects. They offer largely drug-free solutions to break the addictive chain, and make you stay off your addiction for good. Almost all complementary therapies aim to treat holistically - body, mind and spirit - to get to the root of the addiction. Most practitioners will also focus on nutrition as an essential element for the management of a withdrawal programme. Its impact on health and well-being cannot be overemphasised.
Just as an addiction takes a while to take hold, so they will have to be patient to be free of the craving, as it takes the body quite a long time to eliminate the substances and the accumulated toxins and for your emotions to stabilise. Massage is extremely beneficial in aiding this process by draining the tissues, stimulating the circulation and calming and soothing the mental state, as well as engendering an actual physical pleasure, sense of well-being and even emotional release. We all start off a new diet with the greatest of resolve. But halfway through many of us ask ourselves why we are bothering with it when it is so unpleasant and uncomfortable. Kicking an addiction is much more difficult, but with determination can be achieved. Doubts about continuing must be resolved with the thought that you owe it to yourself, to the miracle of the human body you inhabit, and the reward of living a life free of the addiction will be well worth all the short term struggles. All forms of addiction are harmful for the damage they do to the body itself and for the emotional and psychological dependence they create in an addict. Kicking the habit requires patient, gentle understanding from the practitioner, the support of family and friends and the will to stop on their own part. The addiction did not take hold in a day, and they cannot rush the process of coming off your addiction. Expect the occasional relapse but do not use a relapse as an excuse to give up the withdrawal plan. Instead regard it as part of the normal process of giving up dependency.
The following chapters detail the specific substances - alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, sugar, tranquillisers, food, heroine and cocaine and the various treatments suitable in each case; foods, essential oils, herbs which can be used, in addition to the therapeutic effects of full body massage, to treat the causes and effects of detoxification and restoring the well-balanced, complete person, emotionally and physically.
Nutrition is essential for the immune system, even in a person who is not addicted to a damaging substance.
ALCOHOLICS are inclined to be malnourished because they do not eat properly or even regularly, often favouring alcohol over food. Alcohol affects every cell in the body often damaging the immune system. The liver breaks down alcohol to excrete it from the body, but since alcohol damages the liver progressive drinking leads to accumulated alcohol in the body. The liver also produces bile which is responsible for the emulsification, digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as secreting enzymes to break down toxins. Consequently the body cannot absorb nutrients crucial to sustaining its functions, and neither can it successfully eliminate poisons. Damage to the liver is therefore fundamentally detrimental to health.
Excessive urinary loss associated with drinking exacerbates the difficulty of nutrient absorption. Zinc and magnesium are depleted by alcohol consumption; since these minerals are vital to every part of the body, from the reproductive system to the hair on your head, this has widespread consequences. Essential and immediate supplements for people with a drinking problem would include high doses of B-complex vitamins with extra B12: an injection enables the effects of some of the nutrients to be felt within hours. Further supplementation would include magnesium, zinc, essential fatty acids, protein supplements (for liver and brain function and regeneration of liver cells), vitamin c and lecithin.
The object here is to eliminate toxins, stop damage to the liver, build up the liver's functioning ability, increase appetite and improve nutrient absorption and digestive ability.
RECOMMENDEND NUTRIENTS:
Vitamin A and zinc; lack of zinc affects vitamin A absorption so their effects are interrelated and they should be taken together, and a deficiency in either can result incirrhosis of the liver and impaired immune function;
antioxidants: vital for the liver and to boost the immune system;
B-vitamins;
magnesium;
essential fatty acids;
glutamine.
DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALCOHOLICS
INCREASE:
fresh juices
carrot, beetroot and lettuce
AVOID:
fried foods, fatty foods, rich foods, chocolate, nuts, coffee, sugar, hot foods, chili, spicy foods, dried fruits
SUPPLEMENTS:
beta carotene 15 to 30mg
vitamin B complex 100mg
vitamin C 1 to 3g
vitamin E 400i.u.
magnesium 450mg
selenium 200mcg
zinc 20mg, balance with copper 1 to 2mg
evening primrose oil 2 to 3mg
L-glutamine, 2g in divided doses when craving alcohol
SMOKERS introduce the following substances into their bodies: nicotine, carbon dioxide, carcinogens, hydrogen cyanide and trace gases. Trillions of free radicals are released with each inhalation of cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin (red blood cells which transport oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues, and transport carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs for exhalation) and stops the haemoglobin from carrying out its function. Carbon monoxide also allows cholesterol deposits to collect on the artery walls. These two factors account for the fact that smokers are at high risk of heart attacks and strokes. Nicotine stimulates the heart, making it pump faster an faster (the rush feeling) placing undue stress on it. Hydrogen cyanide inflames the bronchial linings which can result in bronchitis.
Supplementation to strengthen the smoker’s weakened immune system must include vitamins A, C, E and zinc and selenium. Smoking actively depletes the body’s supply of vitamin C. The B-complex vitamins are essential to help repair the damaged nervous system, muscle tissue and heart. Research has shown that smokers tend to have poor diets. Unfortunately this further compromises their health but supplementation and a healthy diet while trying to give up smoking will strengthen the body and make it easier to cope with withdrawal symptoms.
Objectives are to reduce stress and irritability, and to stop damage to the immune system.
RECOMMENDED NUTRIENTS:
vitamin C for stress reduction, increased resistance to infections and boosted immune system;
antioxidants to boost the immune system;
B-complex to reduce irritability, reduce stress.
TRANQUILLISERS deplete the body of the B vitamins when they are most needed, since B vitamins are constructive in reducing stress and irritability as well as playing other roles in health, vitamin C, several minerals and amino acids.
Objectives are to reduce stress and irritability, reduce hypoglycaemia and restore depleted vitamin C levels.
RECOMMENDED NUTRIENTS:
vitamin C to reduce stress and increase resistance to infection;
B vitamins to reduce irritability and stress;
magnesium to reduce stress:
tryptophan, from food sources as milk; to relieve insomnia.
Excessive CAFFEINE intake reduces the body’s ability to absorb zinc and iron, so particular attention must be given to increasing these micronutrients. Too much coffee can cause toxic accumulation of cadmium. (Naturally the elimination of built up toxins is vital to all addictions. Massage, by stimulating the circulation and assisting lymphatic drainage, is the most valuable aid in this process.)
Objectives are to reduce nervousness, irritability, lack of energy, appetite loss and insomnia.
RECOMMENDED NUTRIENTS:
B-complex vitamins for nervousness,, irritability and improved energy levels;
tryptophan, from natural food sources only, such as milk, for insomnia;
zinc for improved appetite and energy;
vitamin C for impoved energy.
The HARD DRUGS, heroin and cocaine, not only reduce appetite but can produce a craving for sugar. Food which is eaten, therefore tends to be calorie laden but not nutritionally laden, for example cakes, biscuits, chocolate, ice-cream, crisps, fizzy drinks, refined foods, pizzas and other convenience ready-to-eat foods. Specific deficiencies in vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and the minerals magnesium and zinc are common in hard drug addicts. Again these deficiencies can be corrected with attention to diet.
Objectives are to boost the immune system, build up muscles, improve concentration, lessen fatigue and reduce stress and depression.
RECOMMENDED NUTRIENTS:
vitamins A, C and E to boost the immune system;
zinc, selenium, magnesium, chromium and glutamine to boost the immune system;
B vitamins to improve eyesight and concentration, lessen fatigue and depression, reduce stress and tension.
People with SUGAR or FOOD ADDICTIONS can ease their addiction by eating foods which are sustaining, rather than giving a short lived buzz. A bar of chocolate will provide energy for 20-30 minutes; a muesli bar for a few hours. Chromium, manganese, vitamin C and zinc have been shown to reduce sugar-craving by stabilising blood-sugar levels.
Objectives are to sustain blood sugar levels and stabilise moods.
RECOMMENDED NUTRIENTS:
B-complex and magnesium to reduce irritability and tension;
chromium to stabilise blood sugar levels.
HYPOGLYCAEMIA (low blood sugar level) can be caused by, among other things, excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. They should avoid all sugary foods, processed foods and junk foods and eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and grains.
LIVER DYSFUNCTION is caused by too much alcohol swamping it and in time it becomes enlarged by fatty deposits. Cirrhosis of the liver results in death unless a new organ can be transplanted. While dead liver cells cannot be regenerated, stopping drinking, in conjunction with a nutritional policy to detoxify the liver and the entire body, can ease the liver back into good health.
MALNUTRITION is common to all addicts. Since some addictions deplete the body of zinc, this in itself reduces appetite. Ex-smokers find that in the period immediately after tobacco their appetite returns and with it the likelihood of weight gain. This can be avoided if the digestive system is working properly (B vitamins required for this), the diet is rich in wholefoods, fresh fruit and vegetables, and exercise is taken regularly.
DEPRESSION (cause or effect of addiction?). Certain addictions deplete the body of the B-complex vitamins, B6 and magnesium which induces PMS (in women), irritability, stress and tension. The very nature of addictions is to create a cocoon into which the addict all too easily retreats, compounding the very factors which created a need for escape in the first place.
A WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM - white blood cells rely on vitamins A, B6 and C to function well. Over production of free radicals as a by-product of substance addictions also weakens the immune system. The thymus gland, which is the main factor in the immune system, is weakened by stress. Anti-stress nutrients can combat the effects of stress.
Thanks to Headway Healthwise - A Self Help Guide to Quitting Dependency by H Walji & Dr a Kingston
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The EFFECTS of ADDICTIONS
COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY/HERBS/MASSAGE in the RELIEF of ADDICTIONS
DRUGS, NUTRIENTS, EXERCISE & RELAXATION in the TREATMENT of ADDICTIONS - Drug Classification
RARER OILS
THALASSOTHERAPY 
