Happy Horseshit, The Addictive Society and Substance

I have an anonymous commentor who isn't impressed with Eclectic Recovery. I initially responded with anger and struck back because I honestly don't understand people who feel the need to strike out at others from their own hurt places. I usually turn that hostility inward. Neither way is very effective. Anonymous indicated that I am being selfish and have no interest in helping others and nothing could be further from the truth. I'm reminded of a video I saw by Father Martin in treatment in which he stated that the worst pain can come from having your intentions misinterpreted. Father Martin was right about that.

Anonymous called my last post "happy horseshit" and I won't disagree with him/her on that score. The more happy horseshit I develop in my life the more joyful and fulfilling my recovery. Anonymous also indicated that I wasn't writing anything here of substance and with that I have to take exception. Perhaps he/she doesn't understand how to find their way around a blog so here are links to some of my more informative posts on recovery from addiction: Post Acute Withdrawal, dealing with pain, practicing radical accpetance, negative emotional states. cooking in recovery, Medicine Wheel recovery, reviews on recovery books here, here and here, nutritional supplements, gratitude, and H.A.L.T. Just to name a few. Also, if you're interested, there's plenty in the blog archives (which you can reach by scrolling through the date entries in the left-hand column) about what hasn't worked. I've been honest about my failures and successes here and I've had quite a few slip-ups in my attempts at sobriety. Also in the left-hand column are links to other websites I utilize and find helpful - some directly related to recovery from addiction, some not.

I'm reading a book now, "Willpower's Not Enough" by Arnold Washton, Ph.D., and Donna Boundy, M.S.W. which is a very practical, informative and easy-to-read missive about dealing with addictions. There's a chapter titled, "The Addictive Society" and here's an excerpt:

It is now widely known that children growing up with chemically-dependent parents are at high risk for developing addictions themselves. But what we are just starting to realize is that growing up in an addictive society affects us all too - in many of the same ways.

In fact, it may be all but impossible to grow up in our present culture and not acquire at least some vulnerability to addiction. That's because the addictive personality traits (an emphasis on image, cravings for power and control, denial, dishonesty, just to name a few) are increasingly reflected in society's values and trends. And it's a self-perpetuating process. Certain trends create the conditions in which addiction thrives, and growing numbers of addictive people reinforce these trends.

Our society, in a sense, is becoming a large dysfunctional family. And just as children in dysfunctional families become prone to addiction as they try to adapt to their troubled family, so too are we becoming more addiction prone as we try to adapt to the larger dysfunctional system in which we live.

In other words, it's become the ocean we swim in. We don't even notice how bombarded we are by sick, abusive and violent messages; we don't stop long enough to hear our own heartbeat and we certainly don't listen out for anyone else's.

I have long been frustrated about how society uses addicts and alcoholics as scapegoats for their own shadow aspects. There are many shadow tendencies that are not as overt as chemical depdency but which are just as destructive for society and the individuals that make up society. For instance: sexual addiction, gambling, corporate greed, animal and earth cruelty, image glorification, misuse of food and many, many others. Anonymous' behavior is a small example of the problem: visit a blog, read one post, decide it's crap and attack the person writing it. My little blog may not be doing much to heal society's ills, or even my own, but it's a start to being the change I'd like to see in the world.

So thanks, Anonymous, for making me think, take another look at what I'm doing here and giving me something to write about today.

Some supplements I wouldn't want to do without

As more information comes in on supplements, it's becoming clear that the most optimal way to get all the vitamins and nutrients we need is from our food. If you're eating a varied, mostly plant-based and organic diet, your body will most likey obtain the vital ingredients for health and well-being.

There are, however, some supplements I've discovered along my path that can help with specific and oftentimes temporary problems that may be experienced in recovery. I'll list them below, what they help with, and why. Please! I want to hear about what helps you.

Glutamine - Glutamine is an amino acid that can stop alcohol cravings dead in their tracks. Heavy alcohol use can block the uptake of amino acids and neurotransmitters, so fewer receptors are filled. This can create cravings, anxiety, depression and all-around unstable moods. The following is taken from www.fitwise.com.

Glutamine improves the immune system's ability to manufacture white blood cells that in turn fight infection. Supplementing your body with nutrients such as Glutamine assists the body in resisting outside assaults from pathogenic micro-organisms (unfriendly bacteria).

Glutamine is the major component in making essential neuro-transmitters.(21) Research has demonstrated improvements in memory retention, cognitive ability, and problem solving when Glutamine was supplemented in the diet. Glutamine enables the body to maintain constant blood sugar levels.(22) This state of steady blood sugar balance is necessary for optimal brain function since the brain utilizes glucose (blood sugar) as a primary source of fuel in addition to oxygen.

When the brain has adequate glucose to draw on, muscle stores of glucose are preserved. When an individual does not eat enough complex carbohydrates to replace energy needs, the body will liberate, or breakdown, stored sugars from the muscle to feed the brain. The net result is a tired, weak and stressed individual.

It's my opinion, and that's all it is folks, that glutamine is so beneficial to alcoholics in recovery, especially early recovery, due to its blood sugar balancing effects.


B-vitamins - B-vitamins are excellent stress reducers. All B-vitmains are essential, but for alcoholics B-6 may be the most beneficial. From "Seven Weeks to Sobriety" by Joan Matthews Larson, Ph.D.: (Order from link at bottom of page.)

Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) is needed for formation of fifty different enzymes and is essential for the metabolism of all the amino acids and their conversion into neurotransmitters. We also need B-6 to maintain a stable immune system. Deficiencies are common among alcoholics. Symptons include anxiety, nervousness and depression.


Calcium-Magnesium - This is the good sleep supplement. Also from "Seven Weeks to Sobriety":

Alcoholics excrete great amounts of both calcium and magnesium in their urine: twenty minutes after drinking one ounce of alcohol, urinary calcium ouptut increases by 100 precent, magnesium by 167 percent. During detoxification, inadequate calcium levels can cause painful leg cramps, insomnia, nervousness, slow reflexes and emotional instability. A magnesium deficiency interferes with your ability to sleep and can make you irritable, depressed and dizzy.

Milk Thistle

From the University of Maryland Medical Center:

Overview
Milk thistle ( Silybum marianum ) has been used since Greco-Roman times as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly liver problems. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries physicians in the United States used milk thistle seeds to relieve congestion of the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Today, several scientific studies suggest that active substances in milk thistle (particularly silymarin) protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins, alcohol, and certain drugs such as acetaminophen (a common over the counter medication used for headaches and pain; acetaminophen, also called paracetamol, can cause liver damage if taken in large quantities or by people who drink alcohol regularly.)

Many professional herbalists recommend milk thistle extract for the prevention and/or treatment of various liver disorders including viral hepatitis, fatty liver associated with long term alcohol use, and liver damage from drugs and industrial toxins such as carbon tetrachloride.

If you drink like I did, your liver is wanting some serious support in repairing the damage done. Mother Earth has given us this wonderful herb for just that purpose. I love Milk Thistle!


As an alcoholic and a human being, you won't do yourself any harm by taking additional Vitamins C and E and the mineral potassium. I considered putting recommended doses in, but the recommendations vary so much, I'll leave it up to you to so some research for yourself. You're not gonna OD on any of this stuff!