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Article Description: In
this land of plenty, a conservative estimate calls 4 out of 10 Americans
"addicts." Abused substances include sugar, caffeine,
alcohol,
nicotine,
prescription drugs and street drugs including pot. Addiction can serve
us well once we recognize that substance abuse is a way to obscure
honest, peaceful, self-discovery.
Date of Publication:4/5/2003
Addictions
Emily Kane N.D.
In this land of
plenty, a conservative estimate calls 4 out of 10 Americans "addicts."
Abused substances include sugar, caffeine,
alcohol,
nicotine,
prescription drugs and street drugs including pot. Addiction can serve
us well once we recognize that substance abuse is a way to obscure
honest, peaceful, self-discovery. Using, of any addictive substance,
gives us the temporary illusion of control, excitement and perfection.
In recovery we discover, often to our great relief, that we're not
perfect, that we need intimacy, and that integrity is more appealing
than denial. The addict is self-obsessed; living for the next "fix." The
addict is crisis oriented; using panic as a way of feeling alive while
avoiding meaningful contact with others. In recovery we let go of our
need to control in favor of serenity and clarity.
Scientists from different schools of thought have attempted to explain
addiction. Some say the culprit is a genetic lack of the feel-good,
sleep-inducing neurotransmitter serotonin. Others say early brain cell
damage begets lack of feedback inhibition for normal cravings, driving
them out of balance. For example, non-addictive persons who eat some
sugar will be satisfied (in terms of simple carbohydrates) for several
hours. The addictive person, by contrast, will crave even more sugar
after consuming a moderate serving. This may be due, in addicts, to a
lack of endorphin stimulation when a healthy physiologic craving is
satisfied. Other researchers and physicians contend that addiction is
largely a response to
depression. Addiction is major problem in this
country, whatever the cause. Sugar addiction is perhaps the most
insidious because the substance is so cheap, so available and so
universally regarded as a "treat."
Addiction spells confusion. For example, street drugs are "bad" while
prescription drugs are "good" despite the statistics which show that in
any recent year death due to complications from prescription drug
overdose is 50 times more likely than death from street drugs.
Nevertheless, IV "recreational" drug addicts are the long-term reservoir
for
AIDS and the vast proportion of criminal activity among teenagers is
due to the cocaine trade. Caffeine and
alcohol and
nicotine are socially
condoned although they contribute to a substantial percentage of
hospitalizations in the U.S.
If you ingest white sugar daily, or drink
alcohol daily or have an
immediate family member who is
alcoholic, or feel depressed frequently
you may have a problem with addiction without realizing it. Please take
a good look; the crucial initiation of breaking free from addiction is
recognizing the substance abuse and seeking help to maintain the
commitment to quit.
Addiction results from a multifactorial network of choices; the
treatment approach must address not only the physical, but the mental
and emotional (spiritual) as well. One reason the 12-Step programs
(Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous,
Spenders Anonymous, Adult Children of
Alcoholics, etc.) are so
successful is that they are free of charge and thus require only the
commitment of the participant for attendance. Sometimes people need
stronger measures to kick their habit at the beginning. But quitting per
se is not so difficult; the trick is staying quit. Many addicts have
incurred so many physical and mental changes that they need to get their
fix merely to sustain homeostasis. In other words withdrawal can be very
rough. And the better prepared we are for withdrawal, whether it be from
inhaled crack or chocolate, the better we will be able to handle the
rocky road back to recovery.
The basic parameters for recovery are the same as for any
rehabilitation; good high fiber, high fresh veggie, plenty of pure water
diet; regular adequate sleep; daily exercise; heartfelt participation in
group activities. Don't isolate yourself. The more people know you're
trying to quit, the more help will be spontaneously offered, and the
more comfortable you'll be with asking for help and taking baby-steps
towards your new reality.
The cornerstone towards my own recovery has been wanting to hear that
small and enormously personal inner voice that would get drowned in the
substances night after night. Breaking free of addictive habits is a
blessed opportunity to engage in the ultimate purpose of life -- to know
Thyself. Meanwhile, there are a few natural support mechanisms that may
help.
1) Good old Vitamin C, preferably the powdered form (1/4 tsp = 1 gram).
Take up to 12 grams daily.
Vitamin C is the single most potent free
radical scavenger and will help cleanse and oxygenate the tissues. It
will also help to keep the bowels moving; a very important component of
getting clean and sober.
2) The amino acid Glutamine is a so-called amino radical, useful in
detox, as well as acting as an excitatory neurotransmitter. Glutamine, 1
gram 4-6 times daily between meals on an empty stomach, will stimulate
the body's natural opiates, the endorphins and enkephalins, to help us
through the cravings.
3) Essential fatty acids (preferably Flax oil, cold, raw, 1 tablespoon
daily) in combination with the sulfur proteins (foods with cysteine or
methionine, such as yoghurt, eggs, codfish, sesame paste, garlic and
onions) will render fat soluble toxins water soluble, allowing all the
toxic wastes, which are preferentially stored in the body's fat cells,
to be flushed out via the kidneys and sweat glands.
4) Anything to enhance perspiration; rigorous exercise, Turkish wet
steam, or Finnish style dry heat sauna. Make sure to scrub down with a
high-fat soap (such as Neutrogena) after
sweating, to emulsify the fatty
secretions and prevent their re-absorption.
5) Liquid aqueous chromium drops are extremely helpful in reducing sugar
cravings. This is because the trivalent mineral chromium is the central
molecule in the Glucose Tolerance Factor, which allows insulin to
deliver glucose from the blood stream into the cells. Without chromium,
the insulin cannot do its job and sugar will build up in high levels in
the blood, then flood precipitously into the cells causing the dramatic
rollercoaster ride of "sugar blues."
6) There are a number of natural substances to help with sleep and
depression, including the amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan (the precursor to serotonin) and the vitamin niacinamide.
From the botanical pharmacy we have Valerian, Scutellaria (Skullcap),
Passiflora (Passion lower), Chamomile and many others.
7) Many people are help enormously by acupuncture, especially for
getting off nicotine
and street drugs. Acupuncture detox clinics using a
simple "5 needle protocol" in specific acupoints (Spirit Gate, Lung,
Liver, Kidney and Parasympathetic) in both ears are so successful that
state governments have become involved. Seattle King County medical
insurance will now re-imburse for acupuncture treatments for addicts. In
Oregon, heroin addicts MUST try acupuncture before getting methadone.
Whether you go the route of stimulate the natural endorphins or 12-step
meetings, the bottom line is commitment to self. Cold turkey off
anything is usually the least painful in the long run -- but please
prepare yourself. Prepare for the demons who will emerge. Prepare to
negotiate with them and bring them around to your best interest. Set a
date; tell your friends; locate support groups in your area; stock up
the pantry with fresh healthy snacks; invest in a consultation or two
with your local holistic health practitioner to get some high quality
supplements. Ask your doctor or therapist to help guide you through a
visualization of a shiny clean new you. No one is pretending it's easy;
but it's certainly worth it.
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If You Smoke Don't Cut Back
Smokers who try to
break their habit by smoking half the cigarettes they would normally
smoke might be unknowingly increasing their exposure to smoke, carbon
monoxide (CO) and other cancer-causing agents. Studies have shown that
smokers who cut back on half of their cigarette use make quick
alterations to the way they smoke in order to make up for less nicotine
exposure.
Characteristics of
the study:
-
25 women were
evaluated over the course of six days and were exposed to three
different situations.
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The three
situations were: smoking the amount they normally smoked, smoking 50
percent less than they normally smoked and smoking an increased
amount.
-
Participants
of the study included 13 black women and 12 white women.
-
The women were
given their regular brands of cigarettes to smoke.
-
Researchers
paid close attention to the way women smoked, which they referred to
as "smoking topography." They particularly focused on the number and
size of puffs per cigarette; the amount of time lapsed between puffs
and to what extent the cigarette was smoked before it was put out.
Results of the
study include:
-
In restricted
environments women tended to take longer drags and smoked more of
the cigarette before extinguishing it. When the women smoked fewer
cigarettes, they exhaled more CO per cigarette, compared to when
they smoked their normal number of cigarettes or increased the
number of cigarettes they smoked.
-
Efficient
smokers had higher levels of CO and nicotine.
-
Black women
were shown to have greater traces of carbon monoxide levels than the
white women in all three of the smoking scenarios.
Various patches,
gums and other prescription items were noted as the best alternatives to
satisfying cravings. Based on the study, researchers concluded that the
people who smoke half a pack a day might be just as addicted to
cigarettes as the person who smokes many more cigarettes a day.
Pharmacolgical Biochemisty Behavior
April,
2004;77(4):685-93
Cutting Down on Cigarettes No Cure for Cancer
In order to reduce the risk of lung cancer and other related cancers
that are caused by smoking, smokers need to stop the habit completely, a
study found. Researchers found that the amount of carcinogens inhaled by
smokers remains high even when they attempt to cut down on the number of
cigarettes they smoke. They also found that this applies when smokers
supplement their nicotine fix with nicotine patches.
Researchers studied 100 smokers who cut back on smoking 75 percentover a
six-month period of time, and were allowed to use as many nicotine
patches as they wanted. Researchers analyzed the participants’ urine to
measure a chemical marker for a particular cancer-causing agent found in
cigarette smoke.
The urine tests showed that the decrease in the cancer compound was less
than half of the drop in smoking. Researchers believe this is due to
smokers inhaling more deeply on a few cigarettes to subconsciously feed
their addiction.
They also found that the nicotine patches made little difference to how
long and hard the smokers inhaled the cigarette smoke. The results from
the study showed that participants still inhaled an unequal amount of
carcinogens, regardless of how many patches they used. Researchers came
up with three possibilities as to why the patch didn’t help smokers
decrease the risk of cancer. They are:
-
Patches don’t create the same high as cigarettes
-
Smokers may be addicted to the physical act of
smoking
-
There are other addictive compounds found in
cigarette smoke that aren’t in the patches.
Researchers advise that the best way to cut cancer risks is to quit
smoking completely.
Nature
January 22, 2004
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Breeding Nicotine Addiction To Conquer It
Nicotine addiction leads to over 4 million smoking-related deaths a
year, making it the number one cause of preventable death in the world.
In light of this overwhelming statistic, researchers have attempted to
discover what it is about nicotine that makes it so addicting.
To study nicotine addiction and its associated behaviors, researchers
created a strain of mice that were extremely sensitive to the drug. In
order to do this, researchers used a "knock-in" technology to alter one
amino acid within the mice. Instead of eliminating the response gene to
nicotine (as they have in past studies), researchers accentuated it,
emphasizing the pleasure pathway of the drug.
Researchers were then able to study the behavior that results from
nicotine abuse and addiction. They observed that the mice demonstrated
addiction-related behaviors, even with the lowest doses of nicotine.
Such behaviors to the drug include:
-
Reward
-
Tolerance
-
Sensitization
Because nicotine bears a molecular resemblance to acetylcholine, a nerve
chemical, it has the ability to bind to nicotinic receptors on nerve
cells. This binding process causes the nerve cells that are holding the
receptors to release a chemical (dopamine) involved in the brain's
pleasure/reward system.
Based on the findings from these studies, doctors agreed that the best
way to treat drug abuse and addiction is through prevention.
Science Blog
November 11, 2004
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