We as a society have been missing obvious realities about addiction. We have labeled it a social disease, a spiritual malady, and generally placed the blame on the addicts’ inability to see the effect they are having on others. While all of that may have elements of truth, there are other questions that seem to remain unanswered.
Why are some people addicts and others are not?
Why do some crave uppers and others crave sedatives?
There are inherent addictive biochemistries running in each of us, to a greater or lesser degree. If we are too lethargic, we crave stimulation, and if we are the anxious type, we are drawn to sedatives. If we feel too much emotion off of others, we may be drawn to opiates. If we crave a liquid sugar like alcohol, we may be hypoglycemic. These cravings are all valuable clues as to what the underlying neurochemical state is, and by correcting these states using natural non-drugging methods, we can help the person find their own truly unique balance in the world without the toxic mimic or drugs.
And how do we do that? Yes, we address the spirit … for that is that spirit that is in crisis. We have counselors as well to help navigate the traumas and misguided events of life and how they are impacting the current choices. And then there is the magic wand we carry … addressing the addictive biochemistry. Please read on for particular situations.
Stimulant Seekers
First off, you like the rush. Second of all, without it, you likely feel as if life is either too slow, boring or that you plain just don’t have the energy. So here is a brief hack: Your dopamine may be low. You may have the A1 allele on the D2 dopamine receptor of the 11th chromosome. If so, you present as someone who has a hard time getting going. Or, you might have a genetic polymorphism at the catecholamine methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme affecting your catecholamine (dopamine-adrenaline) synthesis. In this latter case, you may vacillate between low reward and manic behavior, and if you are female, then the manic side happens intensely during your period. Or in a completely different mechanism, your adrenals may be tanked out from our fast-paced world never giving you a break. If these underlying mechanisms are not addressed during the recovery process, the chance of relapse is very-very high. Why? Because the original mechanism that created the drug cravings is still creating the same cravings. Until the natural neurochemical balance is achieved, the cravings and dissatisfaction with the way you feel will still be there. Using natural dopamine precursors like tyrosine, Macuna, and other cofactors, and unburdening toxic impairments to energy physiology, we can give you a whole new way of feeling that would likely defy anything you possibly imagined. Imagine a stimulant giving you anxiety rather than a rush … that is what it would feel like if you were in balance in the first place. The only reason you were drawn to it is that there was a lack of natural stimulation that you were trying to satisfy with a drug. We will help you discover new ways to go about satisfying that natural need for meaningful connection and life reward without poisoning yourself.
Opiate Seekers
Opiates are the analogs of the body’s natural endorphins. What do endorphins do? They block how much emotion that we pick up off of other people. Yep … it is natural for us to feel emotion from others at a distance. It is how we are drawn to bonding experiences and repelled by threats. When we are low endorphins, we may over-feel those around us. What was once an inherent sense towards artistry and emotional awareness and empathy has become a painful world that can only be tolerated by numbing it out. And it seems as if that is the way the world is to you, right? But then why are others seemingly unaffected by the same things that emotionally overwhelm you? Yes, there may be trauma in your history. The things that people do to others, even the ones they love can in some cases be unimaginable. We have counselors that can help process those events and give guidance on how to be more at peace with the past. Yet, in your case, it might be more than that … What if you really do feel more than others? Then you have a true gift, it just has to have a balance point that doesn’t annihilate you in the process.
By building up your natural endorphins using natural amino acid precursors, inhibiting their breakdown using natural substances like DPA, reducing inflammatory processes such as food allergens (allergies and inflammation spend endorphins), and participating in holistic detoxification processes that clear out the endorphin neurochemical pathways, it is possible to be that emotionally vibrant person that you know you are, and still have an ability to distance yourself from emotions if you so choose. We call that, having a “skin” between you and others. (As opposed to being so thin-skinned that you feel to the point where it is highly uncomfortable.)
Pain Medications
We have taken people in “chronic” pain, slated for surgery … taking almost lethal doses of opiates, and got them off of opiates and out of pain. Surgeons even send us their patients at times to get them off of opiates prior to surgery because often when off the drugs … find that they no longer need the surgery. See success stories like this: Success With Back Pain and Withdrawal from Pain Meds. Chronic depletion of natural endorphins and enkephalins can contribute to the amplification of pain. Drugs, though often compassionate, can also further spend the underlying neurochemistry, which to some degree is why the levels of pain medications can go up, and the pain itself continues to be present. There are ways to build up the natural neurochemistry in ways that can be far more sustainable for pain mediation than even the long-term use of drugs. Here at Alternative to Meds Center, we build up the natural endorphins and enkephalins, making the withdrawal totally tolerable, and the same methods of neurotransmitter repair, make the process sustainable without the drugs.
Alcohol Abuse
Do you ever wonder why some people are alcoholics and others are not? Knowing the biophysical motivators for alcohol use can make the difference between long-lasting sobriety and the next relapse.
Why we have gained the notoriety for “fixing” addiction
Drugs are a form of self-medicating unwanted feelings. The feelings themselves are altered by the drugs. Can those feelings be addressed similarly in a natural way? Yes, they can. What is your particular “hack” … ? Call and let’s get you started on the journey of finding out how.
Have a question about drug addiction treatment that we can help you with? Contact Us and our knowledgeable professionals can answer your questions.
