At Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute, we have treated many patients who self medicate their underlying anxiety and insomnia disorder with drugs such as Xanax^®, OxyContin^®, Percocet^®, or alcohol.

These patients usually present to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute burdened with tremendous shame and guilt. Incorrectly labeled drug addict or alcoholic at previous rehab centers, these patients in reality are self-medicating a severe anxiety disorder. The diagnosis (drug addict/alcoholic) is a misdiagnosis! Each time these patients relapse following a program, they experience more guilt and shame, exacerbating their depression and anxiety. Soul pain increases and they feel more hopeless.

alcoholism, Xanax^® addiction, Ambien^® addiction and
opiate (Vicodin^®) addiction.

- Serotonin Deficiency

Serotonin deficiency has become much more common in the American population secondary to lack of crop rotation; which causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies in many Americans. Our serotonin factories, cannot produce serotonin if we suffer from zinc, magnesium, or B6 deficiency. A recent study suggest that up to 70% of Americans suffer serotonin deficiency because of nutritional deficiencies and chemical toxins created by our industrial revolution.

Serotonin deficiency causes two areas of our brain to become overactive producing both: anxiety and depression. Our emotional center called the limbic system lies in our midbrain and is about the size of a walnut. It becomes severely overactive with serotonin deficiency causing moodiness, irritability, negativity, hopelessness, excessive guilt and causes anxiety and insomnia.

The other region of our brain, which becomes severely overworked in patients with serotonin deficiency, is the brain's "gear shifter" and "worry center". Called the anterior cingulate gyrus, when overactive this region of the brain causes patients: to become stubborn and stuck on negative thoughts; inability to forgive or forget; to worry about everything.

Patients who suffer undiagnosed serotonin deficiency frequently use alcohol, Xanax^®-like drugs, or pain pills like OxyContin^® to quiet or turn down the electricity in their overactive cingulate and their overactive emotional center. When these patients are properly diagnosed and treated, they no longer need to medicate with alcohol, Xanax^® or opiate pain pills (OxyContin^®, Vicodin^® etc.).

- Estradiol Deficiency

(Common cause of alcoholism, Xanax^® addiction
and opiate dependency(OxyContin^®, Vicodin^®, Actiq^®, etc.)

In females, serotonin receptivity, or the ability of serotonin to attach to and activate serotonin receptors is dependent on sufficient estradiol levels. The female with estradiol deficiency develops the same overactive regions of the brain as the serotonin deficient female.

This biochemical relationship explains why some females have severe premenstrual depression, anxiety and insomnia symptoms three to four days per month when estradiol levels are at their lowest level. It also explains why approximately 30% of females suffer some level of post-partum depression, the phenomenon in which after delivery, the ovaries fail to produce adequate estradiol usually for a three month to one year period. Brooke Shields is a brave celebrity who unselfishly increased awareness of postpartum depression by discussing it in public forum.

Estradiol deficiency also causes myalgia (muscle pain), fibromyalgia and headaches. Many females who present to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Center with pain pill addiction (OxyContin^®, Vicodin^® etc.) are victims of failed American medical treatment. When intelligent hormonal evaluation and treatment is performed these female patients no longer need pain medication.

- Progesterone Deficiency

(Common cause of alcoholism and Xanax^® addiction
in middle age females)

Progesterone deficiency causes excessive bleeding, painful bleeding, and frequently anemia in young females. Many middle age females who have not suffered anxiety or insomnia in their twenties or early thirties often do so in mid life because of progesterone drop-out.

Unlike other addiction treatment centers, at Florida Detox^®, we perform extensive evaluation of pituitary and ovarian hormones in all female patients. Our clinical research suggests that undiagnosed progesterone drop-out is a major cause of alcoholism and Xanax^® addiction in middle-age females. When progesterone deficiencies are corrected with bioidentical progesterone, our female patients no longer need to medicate with alcohol, Xanax^®, Klonopin^® or opiate pain pills.

Progesterone deficiency also causes increased electrical current (anxiety and pain) throughout the body: See GABA Deficiency below.

- GABA Deficiency

GABA is our major inhibitory or relaxing chemical. GABA "turns down" electrical voltage and therefore deficiency causes anxiety and increased physical pain.

GABA deficiency is often seen in patients with severe chronic stress and nutritional deficiencies. The most common cause of GABA deficiency seen in patients at Florida Detox^® is the female who suffers from underactive ovarian production of progesterone. Progesterone - through three chemical reactions- becomes a hormone with strong GABA activity.

- Excess Histamine Production

(Caused by chronic infection; most commonly yeast like candidiasis and often mold toxicity)

Excess histamine production is commonly diagnosed at Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute, especially in females who suffer from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia; candidiasis overgrowth is the most common culprit. Yeast overgrowth is the leading cause of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and migraine headaches in American females.

Histamine is elevated in response to our body's allergic reaction to the abnormally high levels of yeast found in Americans who have been exposed to excessive antibiotics. Through American poultry, doctors prescriptions and city water supplies; Americans suffer over exposure to antibacterial antibiotics, which kill the normal flora (good bacteria in our intestines). Our good bacteria are our bodies defense against fungal and yeast overgrowth.

Histamine is a mono-amine like dopamine and serotonin. Excess histamine levels can cause increased electricity throughout nerves in the brain (anxiety) and body (fibromyalgia). Treatment of underlying fungal overgrowth corrects the excess histamine levels thereby ameliorating anxiety, insomnia, and total body nerve pain which leads to alcohol addiction, Xanax^® addiction, and opiate pain pill addiction (OxyContin^®, Vicodin^® etc.).

- Excess Glutamate Production

Glutamate is the primary excitatory chemical in the human brain. Excess glutamate is frequently diagnosed in our anxious females who present to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute for Xanax^® or alcohol detoxification.

- Excess Dopamine Production

Dopamine is a brain chemical that activates electricity in the brain. Too much dopamine "turns up the voltage" causing anxiety and sometimes paranoia (over thinking). Some patients inherit overactive basal ganglia (dopamine factories) or suffer PTSD induced overactivity of the basal ganglia. These patients, if properly diagnosed, can be treated with non-addicting dopamine blockers; this accurate diagnosis and treatment negates the need for patients to "turn down the voltage" with alcohol, Xanax^® or opiate pain pills (OxyContin^®, Vicodin^® etc.).

Many of our patients who suffer from excess production of dopamine, have been misdiagnosed at famous treatment centers. Simply diagnosed as "drug addict" or "alcoholic" these patients continue to relapse to alcohol or drugs. Stephanie, the first patient Dr. Phil referred to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute suffered from a serotonin deficiency and an overactive basal ganglia. She was self-medicating with Vicodin^® and Percocet^® to treat her undiagnosed brain chemistry. Stephanie is now 3 1/2 years post detox and drug free.

- Excess Norepinephrine/Epinephrine Production

(OVERACTIVE ADRENAL GLANDS)

Common in America (chronic stress) Once identified, easily treated with non-addicting medication.