Alcoholism/Drug Addiction? Read this!

Since I and many others have battled addiction. I just found a very interesting article about nutrition alcoholism and drug addiction. Audrie Sunnyboy who has been in the alcohol/drug treatment since 1990

Audrie Sunnyboy, who quit drinking and doing drugs at age 40, said she first became interested in nutrition-based recovery after reading Larson's "Seven Weeks to Sobriety." In the book, Larson wrote that her son committed suicide after a short bout of alcoholism, leading to her search for a better treatment method. She hypothesized that every alcoholic fits into one of four categories based largely on their body's composition--most are hypoglycemic--and that dietary changes can improve someone's condition in almost every case. She studied this for many years and found an amazing correlation between nutrition and how it helped with beating this self induced problem.

Audrie says: I was watching people and was realizing that most of the Alaska Native people did not recover from alcoholism," she said. "And as I was going along, I would ask, 'Did you ever go to AA?' Then they would say, 'No, because I didn't want to talk.' This is also the case with other’s searching for an alternative. They will not go to AA.

Sunnyboy said the realization that AA's 12-step program does not work for everyone, especially people who are reluctant to talk about themselves, is what led to her interest in providing an alternative form of treatment. The treatment center is the Sunny Denyaave Center,  59 College Road Suite 213 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 (907)455-4611. She  has developed a six week program aimed at repairing alcoholics and drug users quit their habits by repairing their bodies through nutrient replacement and proper diet.  The technique is based on the theory that drugs and alcoholism are treatable physical diseases, not moral flaws.

The way AA looks at it and the way most people look at it is as weak-willed, psychological behavior," "What (Larson) and the other doctors say is that that is not so. An alcoholic or person who is addicted to drugs is not nutritionally sound."

The main culprit for promoting alcoholism is sugar, she said. Sunnyboy explained that sugar and alcohol consumption both result in the pancreas increasing blood sugar and releasing insulin.  Continued sugar consumption, she said, causes the pancreas to become "trigger happy," producing an imbalance that leads to feelings of irritability and cravings for alcohol and drugs.  Sunnyboy acknowledged that she faces many challenges operating a center that is not widely accepted,  

I also found Smart Recovery a non AA based treatment. SMART Recovery founded 1992 is an international non-profit organization which provides assistance to individuals seeking abstinence from addictive behaviors. The approach used is secular and scientifically-based using non-confrontational motivational, behavioral and cognitive methods. Meeting participants learn recovery methods derived from evidence-based addiction treatments. There web site is www.smartrecovery.org