What An Addict (Or An Alcoholic) Really Needs

September is National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Addiction is a complicated issue and does not fit neatly into a medical answer. I’ve treated addictions for many years and have always seen the problem as larger than just the chemistry of the body. But I have also found that caring for the body helps. Addictions fill a hole in a person; that hole could be filled by many addictive behaviors: smoking, eating, gambling, work, almost anything.

So what does someone who is suffering from addiction need? I think the same thing that everyone needs, some basic respect and acceptance. The holes in their lives they are trying to fill are real; they just chose the wrong filler. And sometimes it takes some compassion to understand that.

Many of the addictions have their root in chemical imbalances, which may have genetic aspects to it. Think of a simple addiction. Did you ever wonder why we crave sugar? Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana tend to throw off sugar balances. Using substances that balance sugar cravings such as chromium and alpha lipoic acid can be helpful in reducing cravings for other addictive substances. If you are uncomfortable with one form of counseling or treatment, don’t stop seeking help. Find someone you can trust to work with you. We’re all in this together and no one is uniquely perfect. Take care of yourself.

Most addictions create an additional stress on the body’s nutritional needs. Nutrients that should be going to maintaining the body’s strength and recuperation are being used by the drugs or alcohol that are consumed. Essential vitamins and minerals that are depleted need to be replenished. Amino acids, the substances that form proteins in the body, also form the neurotransmitters that send messages to the brain. So if our bodies are depleted of the basic substances we need for our brain to function, our brains start to degenerate. Different addictive substances have different effects on the brain, but they all do their damage.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Mandi A.

5:55PM PST on Nov 16, 2011

Thanks

send a green star

Past Member .

4:28PM PST on Mar 7, 2011

acceptance and forgiveness

Faith B.

3:08PM PST on Mar 3, 2011

great, thanks for the information :)

Karin M.

9:07PM PST on Feb 27, 2011

Vicynthia T.

9:44AM PST on Feb 27, 2011

Thanks.

Melissah C.

8:45PM PST on Feb 26, 2011

thanks

Robert O.

12:51PM PST on Feb 26, 2011

Very good information.

Ashley M.

11:13AM PST on Nov 8, 2010

continued... All I am saying is if you love someone who is an addict and they want to quit. Encourage them, support them, Love them, listen to them (even if they are saying things you dont want to hear), touch them daily, Hug them. The physical touch of someone when you are hurting mentally or emotionally can help more than anything. When I quit my family was here for me. Had I not had my mom or my husband I dont know I would have been able to do it. I now and forever am in debted to them for standing by me through some of my darkest times. They pulled me through when it seemed my world was caving around me and there was no hope in sight. Addicts didnt start out as addicts and they didnt want to end up as addicts but they did unforunately and the world needs to see it as a disease and be more compassionate. I now have such compassion for addicts and alcoholics. before I would simply be like most of you and say if they want to quit then they can. There is more to it than that and a good support system is a huge part of it. If you have an addict in your family. Definately talk to them about quitting. Dont scream and yell though or tell them how bad they are. They already know that. tell them your worried about them and you want to see them happy again. Smother them with your love and support and those simple gestures will help them through their process more than anything else you could do.

11:03AM PST on Nov 8, 2010

Addiction is a terrible matter. I actually was addicted to prescription pills a few years back. My doctor had prescribed them to me for panic attacks I had been having. I began taking them and the thought that these might be addictive never crossed my mind. The medicine changed my personality and made me just hateful. It ended up damaging me more emotionally than the panic attacks did. I quit them. Cold turkey. Withdrawal was a b**ch but it is over now and I am better for it. But I learned during the process that like me these people that become alcoholics or addicts they start out with one drink on a rough day. Never thinking that this will turn into a addiction and will cause them so much pain. Had they known what they know now they would have never took that first pill, drank that first beer, smoked that first joint. People tend to look down on addicts alot but they have a disease that consumes them. They can get out if they set their mind to it and have a good support system. But the thing is anybody can be an addict. You could be like me taking some medicine the doctor prescribed you to supposedly help you never knowing what damage it will really do to you. Some of you now are addicted to your prescriptions and dont even realize it. It can happen to anyone is all I am saying. The rich, the poor, man, woman, and so on. People need to learn to be understanding, conpassionate, and be willing to stand by the person you love when they are trying to quit. H

Anne H.

11:14AM PDT on Oct 3, 2010

maemi f: what is next? whatever you need to be, you've realised you need to find a path to a different self now you just need to look for that path. best wishes