Replied by Kat (Northeast Ohio) on 08/25/2016

Replied by Ben (Bremerton Washington) on 03/10/2016

At a deeper level they always feel this substance helps them cope with life. They lie to themselves believing their addiction is better than dealing with their world, or events in their past. Childhood trauma often turns into drug / alcohol addiction. A huge number of times people escape depression by turning to drugs or alcohol. At a biochemical level these substances trigger reactions that do lift their state of being even if only for a moment. As long as an addict or drunk believes alcohol will help him he will be drinking it.

If and when he gets to the point at which he clearly wants to get clean an African plant called Ibogaine might be able to help him withdraw. Ibogaine works wonders on people addicted to even fiercely addictive substances like the opiates in heroin.

Ibogaine treatment is an approach used in certain hospitals to break the power of drug addiction. Ibogaine is its self a hallucinogenic drug with a mind bending 18 hour trip. Those who wish to go on a wild ride down the rabbit hole come up on the other side with a new understanding of life and how they fit into the universe. They go to other realms of existence and some say they see spiritual beings which explain great mysteries of their personal journey on earth and show them their purpose in life.

Yes this may all sound like madness but those who already have lived a life style in madness every day of their lives find comfort in breaking their cycle. Alcoholics and drug addicts discover new meaning in life they never experienced before.

The way it works is ibogaine resets certain receptors in the brain to a point at which the drug or alcohol is no longer able to act to trigger the same old response on brain chemistry. In other words, for a period of time after treatment they are no longer addicted at a biochemical level or a psychological level. There are a lot of success stories behind its use. But still it does not work in every case. Some spend their entire lives in addiction until they go to the grave or prison.

If ibogaine works the person has to want it to work and have lots of support on the correct life path.

Hypnotism and counciling like tony robbins life coaching help sometimes and nutritional support is mandatory to any treatment effort. You absolutely have to treat their depression through nutritional means ! biochemical imbalance drives drug and alcohol addiction most of the time. Know that you have to support their immune system and every other body function. You must heal the entire body to heal the mind.

Did you know that even gut microflora affect the way a person thinks? It's true. Gaba an amino acid is used by the body as a neurotransmitter. Gaba is the calming soothing relaxing substance which tells your brain to calm down, get some rest and chill out. A gaba deficency leaves a person in chronic hyper anxiety afraid of their own shadow, like the sky is going to fall on them. Their brain refuses to shut down enabling them to relax.

Now gaba is not made by our bodies. Instead it is made by a certain class of microorganism in our intestinal tract called lactobacilli rhamnoses. This gut bacteria is vitally crucial to our mental health. It literally makes a brain chemical which we depend on for our mental health ! people who turn to drugs or alcohol frequently have a gaba deficency. After all you probably know that alcoholics have severely deranged gut microflora.

Since gut flora can cause a shift in our brain chemistry and thinking pattern it might be a good place to start. You can do two things there. You can take a tiny bit more gaba which is cheap and available at any health food store or you can do a really great thing and take probiotics with lactobacilli rhamnoses in it.

It's a sad fact that many who have committed suicide were in deep depression as a result of gaba deficency.

Let nutrition be your guide, you have to replace their worn out lifestyle with something better.

Replied by Linda (Lauzerte, France) on 09/28/2013

Be aware that feeling bad when you have not had a drink is because of detox, headache is a classic sign of this.

Something that might be worth looking into is finding something that will relax you a little and help you to feel you don't need a drink - cannabis used to do it for me but I don't have that option now. Have a look on here for something that will help reduce stress and give it a go.

Sorry I can't be more help, but I just wanted to say that you are not alone in this - and you have done a very brave thing by admitting you have a problem and asking for help.

With love, Linda

Replied by Judy (Australia) on 09/28/2013

I've started taking liver tonic... And I'm having coconut oil about three times a day. I'm going to buy a multivitamin, plus d3, sometime this week.

Starting today, I'm cutting back on my alcohol. Where sometimes I was having up to six glasses over about a six hour period, I'm now cutting back by at least two a day. I will see how I cope with that. Obviously stopping cold turkey makes me feel ill so I have to work my way around it .

I've also realized that I may have some candida problems... And that would be due to the extra sugar breakdown from the alcohol. All these issues. I think that nearly everyone just has their drinks without even thinking that it literally is a poison.. And they dont have a clue as to what it does to their brain, liver or kidneys.. or their heart.

Anyway, all the best for you. I hope it all works out well for you. Keep in touch.

WE can't use marajhuanna (sp) here, not even the medicinal type.

i will also start taking orange juice with some apple cider vinegar and ice daily .... I know that cider vinegar is good for us. its a good way to take it.

Looking foward to hearing how you get on. Judy

Replied by Linda (Lauzerte, France) on 09/29/2013

I am aware that I am giving myself permission, and when I am in an unusual situation eg away from home it's easier to drink less - unless I am around other people, partly I drink to cope with social situations. This is part of what I am trying to get help with.

I take cider vinegar every day too, it's so good for you, and also coconut oil. I also take milk thistle which is commonly available and is very good for the liver.

One last thing that I think is very important - be kind to yourself. Pamper yourself. Get some relaxation tapes and make time to listen. If you fall off the wagon - don't beat yourself up. Next day just jump right back in. You have years of habit to break, try to look at yourself as if you were your best friend so to speak, so often we get angry with ourselves for things where we don't with other people.

Really wishing you all the best with this and would like to hear how you get on too

Linda

Replied by Mickey (Canada) on 02/14/2015

Replied by Jeanna (Massachusetts, US) on 04/21/2015

1. I found this British site called Drink Aware drinkaware.co.uk on it you can track your units of consumption. They use ml as opposed to ounces, so there was a little calculation involved (e.g. what they refer to as a small glass of red wine is 4 ounces). They show you how much alcohol is safe and the bar chart, when you put your daily consumption in units, it will tell you risk of disease. I tracked 1 week and had ended up on the site because I binged one night and drank like 4 glasses, woke up in the middle of the night, and realized if I do not deal with this now, I am going to get worse. Anyway, long story, check that site out and spend some time on it. I was doing great, and limiting my consumption on the days I did drink to no more than 10 ounces, and my tolerance was lowering *meaning less wine to get same feeling, and also committing to no drink days, using the info there. Then I relapsed. It started with having 12 ounces, and having it every day. Then last night I drank nearly half a bottle of Japanese sake with 15% alcohol by volume, so here I am again, up in the night, feeling bad about myself and landed here out of curiosity if I could possibly help myself along with some type of natural remedy.

2. Pro-biotic. So I just purchased Renew Life's 15 billion strain probiotic. I got it, because taking them in the past, I felt pretty good. I'm fairly healthy and eat a plant-based diet, so figured it was just prophylactic and then for the first couple days have had the worst headache, so I began looking up possibilities. Turns out, when the probiotic goes to work killing off yeast and other bad bacteria, it can give a headache. Unfortunately my little binge with the sake bottle last night probably is making those healthy bacteria go a little crazy, but I'm starting to see how taking it could help me if I cut back/cut out alcohol.

3. I came on here to see if I could help myself with a natural remedy. I have glutamine, B12, and C supplements here in my house, so I am going to try these. I do take a multi, and also take an absorb-able liquid iron due to long term anemia, so I have to do a little research on if I would be taking too much of anything, but I am going to give this regimen listed on here a try.

4. Replacement beverages -- I just did a Google search to see if there are any replacement beverages I could take to have instead of reaching for the wine. My trigger is also mostly out of habit/routine. So around 4 PM I start thinking about winding down my day and reaching for a drink of wine. My husband joins me with having spirits. For me to find a replacement drink (non alcoholic), it has to be something special, not just water, or herb teas (although herb teas can be an option at times), but something that feels more like a ritual to replace the ritual drinking of wine. So here's my list or you could try your own:

Tonic water and fruit juice Cranberry and lime. Fruit nectar and sparkling water. Loose leaf tea (I just bought a really fancy bag of green kukicha twig tea -- green is unusual for kukicha in these parts. I usually can find the brown roasted stems, but this green is quite special) Or fresh lemon and ginger in hot water

5. Knowing the triggers -- other triggers for me are; relaxing, or having friends over; going out to dinner; boredom; or occasionally if I am stressed out. I've had a lot of boredom and loneliness of late, and a lot of stress, but most of all, having wine is habitual to end the day and chill out. Some suggest when the impulse strikes to take up a hobby or exercise. I wish I could get myself to exercise at that 4PM time, because I am trying to lose 12 pounds. Maybe I'll try it one time and see how it goes. I have found when I stick to using that drink aware site, it makes not drinking a lot easier, so I recommitted, and today is a no alcohol day for me. One day at a time, right? I know most people would think I do not have a problem here with having only 1 or 2 glasses of wine most days, but it has become a habit and can effect my long term health. I used to be so fit and active. I'm now 50 and am thinking about long term health and longevity and want to get a grip on this, you know? I know this post is long, but I hope these tips help you and others. Hugs..

Replied by Shantie (Queens, Ny) on 03/09/2016

Replied by Janet (Indiana) on 03/10/2016

Replied by Gina (California) on 03/10/2016

One of my friends told me that eating a big meal will stop her alcohol craving. And sometimes eating sweets such as pies and cakes stop alcohol cravings. Good luck.