 Many alcoholics are unable to successfully "work" the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, until nutritional deficiencies and physiological damage, caused by alcohol, are corrected. Nutritional supplementation and medical treatment can reduce or eliminate alcohol cravings, hypoglycemia, essential fatty acid deficiencies, depression, mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, tremors, memory loss, fatty liver, gastritis, gastro-esophageal reflux, mal-absorption, increased intestinal permeability, food allergies, hormonal imbalances, and other problems which prevent problem drinkers from controlling their drinking. Alcoholics Anonymous and 12 Step models continue to dominate most alcohol treatment programs. Their dominance conveys an unwritten message to the public, that 12 Step alcohol treatment programs are the most effective alcohol treatment programs. Alcoholics Anonymous literature has been translated into many languages and many non-smoking meetings are available now. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was published in 1939 and Alcoholics Anonymous remains essentially unchanged since then. Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous has ignored medical, scientific and nutritional advances, which are increasingly accelerating.Newer nutritionally or biologically based alcohol treatment programs are producing one year alcohol sobriety rates, as high as 70 to 80 percent. The effectiveness of nutritional alcohol treatment was proven in the early 1950's and documented by Guenther, R. (1983) who conducted a 6 month study at a Veterans Administration Medical Center, in Waco, Texas, with 108 alcoholic inpatients. All patients participated in alcohol detoxification and education, AA meetings, group counseling and outpatient follow-up, after a 28 day program. The nutrition experimental group participated in the same program with the same staff, and received nutrition education, nutritional supplements and a more nutritious diet. Dietary modifications included wheat germ and bran with each meal, whole-grain bread, decaffeinated beverages, and sugar substitutes. Unsweetened fruit was used for dessert, instead of cake, pie, pudding or sweetened fruit. Snacks allowed were nuts, cheese, whole-grain bread and peanut butter. Six months after discharge from the hospital, 81 percent of the nutritional experimental group were not drinking, compared to 38 percent of the control group. The statistical probability of a difference in sobriety rates this large in a group this size was calculated to be two chances in 1000. (p=0.002) (For readers unfamiliar with statistics, p=0.002 means the probability of a difference occurring by chance is 2 in 1000. p=0.05 means 5 chances in 100, or a 5 percent probability of the difference occurring by chance. This probability notation style will be used again later in this article.)If you spend enough time in Alcoholics Anonymous groups, you will probably hear that only about one in four Alcoholics Anonymous participants are sober a year later. Brown, R., et. al. (1990) cited Harrison and Hoffman (1988) who reported 73 percent of alcoholics who attended Alcoholics Anonymous weekly, for at least 6 months were sober, but 30 to 50 percent of alcoholics who initially attended Alcoholics Anonymous dropped out. Brown, R., et. al. (1990) cited Hunt, W. et. al. (1971) who found an average one year alcohol sobriety rate of 33 percent; Bill, C. (1965) who found 34.6 percent of AA members were abstinent, at the end of one year and Milkman and Sunderwirth (1987) who found, "approximately 75 % of all those who attempt abstinence from alcohol reverse their habits between three and six months after beginning a program for recovery." Some Alcoholics Anonymous groups appear interested in biochemical treatment possibilities. The West Baltimore Alcoholics Anonymous group has linked the following passage, by Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, to their website. The term vitamin B-3 was reintroduced by my friend Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, (Bill Wilson). We met in New York in 1960. Humphry Osmond and I introduced him to the concept of mega vitamin therapy. We described the results we had seen with our schizophrenic patients, some of whom were also alcoholic. We also told him about its many other properties. It was therapeutic for arthritis, for some cases of senility and it lowered cholesterol levels. Bill was very curious about it and began to take niacin, 3 g daily. Within a few weeks fatigue and depression which had plagued him for years were gone. He gave it to 30 of his close friends in AA and persuaded them to try it. Within 6 months he was convinced that it would be very helpful to alcoholics. Of the thirty, 10 were free of anxiety, tension and depression in one month. Another 10 were well in two months. He decided that the chemical or medical terms for this vitamin were not appropriate. He wanted to persuade members of AA, especially the doctors in AA, that this would be a useful addition to treatment and he needed a term that could be more readily popularized. He asked me the names that had been used. I told him it was originally known as vitamin B-3. This was the term Bill wanted. In his first report to physicians in AA he called it "The Vitamin B-3 Therapy." Thousands of copies of this extraordinary pamphlet were distributed. Eventually the name came back and today even the most conservative medical journals are using the term vitamin B-3. Bill became unpopular with the members of the board of AA International. The medical members, who had been appointed by Bill, felt that he had no business messing about with treatment using vitamins. They also "knew" vitamin B-3 could not be therapeutic as Bill had found it to be. For this reason Bill provided information to the medical members of AA outside of the National Board, distributing three of his amazing pamphlets. They are now not readily available. www.a-1associates.com/AA/niacinWARNING: Niacin, in large megadoses, for prolonged periods can produce liver toxicity. Vitamin B-3, is available as Niacinamide, Inositol Hexaniacinate or Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Hydrogen, (NADH) which are safer for the liver. Florida Detox does not recommend megadose Vitamin B-3 supplementation for alcoholism, without liver enzyme testing.Despite resistance to change by Alcoholics Anonymous, participation in Alcoholics Anonymous offers considerable advantages to the problem drinker. Alcoholics Anonymous offers alcoholics unparalleled emotional support. If the alcoholic diligently cultivates relationships, in Alcoholics Anonymous groups, it is possible to become acquainted with caring people who work or sleep on a variety of schedules. Sufficient relationships could potentially provide 24 hour per day, seven day per week access to fellowship or emotional support during a crisis. Alcoholics Anonymous is widespread geographically, providing fellowship and support to the problem drinker, during travel.Fellow Alcoholics can often sense when someone is in danger of relapse, earlier than non-alcoholics, or even professional addiction counselors, who were never chemically dependent. Alcoholics tend to have selective memories of their drinking experiences, forgetting the worst disasters, losses, chaos and devastation, while remembering earlier, pleasant alcohol experiences. Listening to experiences of other problem drinkers reminds them of the devastation and destruction alcohol caused them.The fifth step of Alcoholics Anonymous involves disclosing or sharing your worst mistakes, shortcomings and failures with another person. Sharing these shameful secrets with a non-judgmental person reduces the ability of shame and compulsions to perpetuate undesirable behaviors. The 12th step of Alcoholics Anonymous may be the most powerful and involves sharing your strength, hope and recovery with other sufferers. This step is a paraphrase of the biblical law of sowing and reaping. As the alcoholic sows recovery into another sufferer's life, recovery flows into the alcoholics life. An Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor is a mentor who "sponsors" members with less sobriety, by sharing the perspectives and experiences they gained while recovering. Statistically, these sponsors, have the lowest relapse rates, in Alcoholics Anonymous. Sometimes sponsors have been on the verge of a relapse, when they received a call for help, from someone. Alcoholics Anonymous has many catchy slogans, including, "You can't keep it (recovery), unless you give it away." When sponsors realize they can transform the worst experience of their life into something powerful, to help another sufferer, their life gains new meaning and purpose. At Florida Detox, many of our recovered patients write testimonials or volunteer to talk with prospective patients, in effect, "working" the 12 th step. |
