Holistic Recovery: Natural Healing for Addictions

For a long time we thought that dopamine was what actually produced the euphoric high, however yet again brain chemistry has turned out to be anything but simple and it has recently been discovered that dopamine is involved in producing the craving or “wanting” to get high and stay high, but there may be something else as yet unknown working alongside dopamine to produce the actual euphoria.

Brain chemistry is often confusing: boosting dopamine levels when one is depressed with natural remedies may help take the edge of the craving to get high however, paradoxically the drugs used to increase dopamine activity in people with Parkinson’s (pramipexole) can actually produce the side effects of gambling addiction. These anti Parkinson’s drugs (called dopamine agonists) do not in fact increase the levels of dopamine, but instead they increase the brains sensitivity to dopamine which is a different thing. This is an important distinction because many people wrongly assume anything that increases dopamine activity would encourage addictive behaviour like the Parkinson’s drugs do. However the reverse can be true and anti-doting low dopamine depression with natural therapies can be a helpful tool to manage and overcome addictive drives.

The Fix lists some outside-the-box modalities that are playing increasingly important roles in substance abuse treatment.

It’s safe to say that alternative treatments for addiction are no longer, actually, alternative in the “outside of the mainstream” sense. These days, many treatment facilities and therapists offer an array of these types of "supplemental" therapies, including acupuncture, equine (horse) therapy, neurofeedback, biochemical restoration, hypnotherapy, yoga, watsu (water therapy), meditation, ropes courses, sound therapy, and many more. Additionally, researchers are proving that experimental treatment with psychedelic drugs—though still illegal in the U.S.—can have profound effects on reducing cravings and preventing relapse.

Herbs are natural plant substances that have a variety of effects on the body. Many herbs have long been used in detoxification. Kudzu has the potential for moderating alcohol abuse. Kava and valerian can be used to treat the insomnia that accompanies withdrawal. Milk thistle has been shown to improve liver function.

The use of herbs in the recovery process may be most effective when combined with other strategies that support the whole person including nutrition, bodywork, acupuncture, relaxation and exercise.

The term "addiction" encompasses almost all imbalanced and self-destructive behavior. Substance abuse can create an illusory sense of well-being, but in the end it severely damages physical, psychological, and spiritual health. In this article we will focus on substance addictions and the various remedies which can be used to allay some of the common problems associated with recovery.

There are underlying metabolic malfunctions common to all substance addictions. Sugar is the foremost "addictive-yet-legal" substance used today. Several other drugs such as amphetamines, psychedelics, cocaine, caffeine, and nicotine temporarily increase the release of sugar into the bloodstream; this creates a "high" through a metabolic process similar to that involving sugar and alcohol. These drugs also duplicate the mood-inducing effect of the body's endorphins, chemicals which transmit messages to the brain that help to relax the nervous system, or make it "smile." But perhaps one of the most serious addictions today is the widespread attraction to pharmaceutical drugs. There are some physicians who believe that this trend is the nation's "number one health problem."

Any serious addiction to drugs and alcohol is likely to have a range of causes within the addicted individual. It rarely boils down to one thing. There are usually psychological factors combined with genetic predisposition, and eventually physical dependence also becomes important. This is what makes treating addiction so difficult; it is impossible to locate a single root cause, so the condition must instead be treated on multiple fronts at the same time. That is why there is so much trial and error, along with a high frequency of relapse, in addiction recovery.

The medical industry has put forth many treatments for people with addictions to drugs and alcohol, and these treatments tend to have varying degrees of success. There is no denying that the mainstream addiction practices have helped a great number of people, but they are at least as likely to fail as to succeed. That is why, for anyone who values natural health or who favors alternative medicines, it is important to be aware that there are other options.

A great deal of research has shown that individuals suffering dependancy often suffer from a range of metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemia, hypoadrenia, hypothyrodism, vitamin B deficiency, mineral deficiency, liver malfunction and depression. Other health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and candida albicans are also common among drug addicts and alcoholics. When detoxing from an addiction, many people take up a different addiction such as sugar or caffeine, and this can be a case of the body trying to correct an underlying metabolic disorder itself.

The road to recovery will certainly be helped through excellent nutritional support and the Core Regime would provide a solid foundation when trying to combat addictions whether you are detoxing from nicotine, prescription or recreational drugs. By addressing overall health in a holistic manner, the journey out of addiction can be made easier. As with any one in poor health, introducing at least some raw food elements to the body would be considered essential, please see our Dietary Guidelines for more information.

Home remedies relieve withdrawal symptoms and aid recovery after kicking addiction. Hypnotherapy, 5-HTP, and cold shower therapy can help cure addiction issues.

Addiction counseling and self-help groups are probably the most effective ways to break the cycle of addition. It's not easy to do on your own! (Please note, not all addiction treatment centers or programs are of equal therapeutic value. Do your research when choosing an addiction center or counselor.) However, home remedies can help relieve withdrawal symptoms and help your body recover after you've kicked an addiction. Hypnotherapy is one alternative health treatment frequently mentioned to cure addiction, particularly for cigarettes and nicotine. Supplements that support brain function such as 5-HTP and natural home remedies like cold shower therapy have also shown promise to help those with addiction issues.

Addiction and addictive behaviors come in all shapes and sizes, as we humans do. It seems that bad behaviors are hardwired into our brains, while establishing good habits takes hard work.

Herbs help support your quest for balance by helping to heal the whole mind/body system. You will find remedies here to help stop smoking, to reduce the urge to drink, and sedative herbs to help balance mood swings. It is also vital to do what you can to help repair the liver, which takes the brunt of the damage whenever we overload our bodies with toxins.

Is it possible to cure yourself of addiction without professional help? How often does that happen? Of course it's possible. Most people recover and most people do it on their own. That's in no way saying that everyone should be expected to quit on their own and in no way denies that quitting is a hard thing to do. This is just an empirical fact. It is even possible that those who quit on their own could have quit earlier if they sought professional help. The implicit message isn't that treatment isn't important for many—in fact it should probably be made more accessible—but it is simply a fact that most people cure themselves.

These days there can be a great deal of hype surrounding natural therapies. The underlying assumption is that because something is natural it must be good whereas anything artificial must be bad. This type of thinking can get people into trouble because just because something is found in nature does not necessarily mean that it is going to be beneficial to humans. Those who have accidently consumed poisonous plants can testify to this. It is also unfair to label things that are created artificially as being somehow inferior. There are plenty of medicines available that are effective and that have been rigorously tested for their efficacy.

Conscious Recovery Solutions offers natural solutions for addictions and substance abuse problems that helps people move beyond the habitual patterns that are blocking their path to success and holding them back .
CRS is a evolved recovery solution that teaches individuals how to take the balanced action required to help them fully recovery without the need to 12 step groups or conventional rehab and treatment programs.

CRS help individuals addressing the cause of their imbalances by balancing the mind, body and spirit and educating them how to live life more consciously so they can become aware of how to stay balance and prevent destructive habitual patterns for re-occuring.

Treatment is very misunderstood in America by the masses and most people do not realize that treatment programs in general are not designed to address the cause of addictions. Treatment programs are management programs for people that want to manage a condition like addiction. Unfortunately, most people in America do not realize that when they attend a treatment program they are being managed and are taught only limited tools of how they can manage their condition after they leave with support groups. While we do not judge any system that teaches people how to manage a condition, we do realize that when people attend a treatment programs they have no idea that the philosophy behind treatment is management only.