Are There Any Natural Remedies for Alcohol Abuse?

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With all the modern drug therapies for alcoholism and alcohol abuse, it is legitimate to ask the following question: are there any natural remedies for alcohol abuse and alcoholism? Please continue reading for some interesting information.

Complementary Therapy for Addiction: Drumming out Drugs

Recent publications citing the experiences of clients and therapists suggest that substance abuse rehab programs employing "drumming" and related community and shamanic activities can play a major role in treating drug and alcohol dependence.

image: person with alcohol poisoning being rushed to ER Known as "Drumming out Drugs," these programs are used in various addiction workshops, training programs, community centers, prisons, and in well-known rehabilitation programs.

Although validity and reliability studies of the "Drumming out Drug" programs are lacking, evidence suggests that drumming augments substance abuse recovery.

These findings have been corroborated by studies on the therapeutic psychophysiological effects of meditation, shamanism, drumming, and other shamanic practices.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

All forms of Oriental medicine have their roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is the oldest professional, continually practiced, literate medicine in image: young man angry with girlfriend's drinking the world. TCM is a body of health care that includes nutrition/food therapy, cupping, herbal medicine, acupuncture, tui-na massage, acupressure, moxa, and medical exercises such as tai-chi and qi-gong.

Complementary medicine means that TCM is frequently used in addition to conventional Western medicine. Modern Western conventional medicine and TCM are the two major medical systems in the world today.

TCM is one of the earliest forms of holistic medicine, which addresses the body, spirit, and the mind. Unlike most conventional medicines, diagnosis and treatment in TCM are centered on the patient as a whole person, and less on the symptoms. Unlike most conventional medicines, TCM also used natural methods in treatment and diagnosis.

People who have a preference for a more holistic and natural method of treatment are candidates for TCM. A good illustration of this natural and holistic approach concerns the treatment of people with eating, alcohol, and drug addictions. These dependencies have psychological and physical components or manifestations. TCM is relevant for such health conditions because it simultaneously addresses the spirit, body, and the mind in the diagnosis and treatment of the patients' dysfunctions.

Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005. This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with obesity ($133 billion) or with cancer
($196 billion).

Other problems such as insomnia, depression, tension headaches, obesity, anxiety, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, and incontinence, are examples of medical dysfunctions that TCM can diagnosis and treat due to its foundational psychological and physical components.

Physical addiction takes place when a person's body becomes dependent on a particular substance such as drug or alcohol. It also means that a person develops a tolerance to that particular substance, meaning that the user requires a larger dose than before to get the same "buzz" or "high."

In addition to the importance of the spirit, TCM views healing the mind as a vital aspect of healing the body. Similar to biofeedback techniques, TCM practitioners can teach patients how to control ordinarily involuntary body functions, such body temperature, muscle tension, and heart rate. Unlike traditional biofeedback, however, TCM features a type of mind-body treatment biofeedback that does not require hooking up a person to a machine.

Even though a number of medications have been effective in treating alcoholism, there is, however, no "magic bullet." That is, no single medication exists that is effective in every situation or with every person.

Vitamins and Supplement Therapy

Various vitamin and supplement therapies have been proposed as "natural" ways to treat alcohol abuse. For instance, a nutritional product entitled "Neu-Recover" claims to effectively treat alcohol abuse by replenishing the neurotransmitters that were exhausted by repeated alcohol abuse over time.

According to the proponents of Neu-Recover, the following neurotransmitters are interrelated alcohol abuse and alcoholism: serotonin, dopamine, enkephalin, and GABA. When alcoholics use Neu-Recover and eat healthy food, they will experience increased calm as their craving for alcohol subsides.

In one survey that focused on college drinking behavior during a one-month period of time, 27.4% of American college students across the nation had driven a motor vehicle after drinking alcohol during this 30-day time period.

Some practitioners who advocate a "natural" approach to alcohol abuse point to nutritional supplements and herbs that can be used to counteract alcohol withdrawal after a person stops drinking. Many natural approach practitioners, however emphasize that natural withdrawal methods should not be employed as substitutes for detox centers or for Alcoholics Anonymous and similar forms of alcohol treatment programs. Such a complementary focus has much in common with the holistic and natural TCM approach discussed above.

Research has shown that people who start drinking at an early age, for instance at 13 years old or younger, significantly increases the likelihood that they will experience alcohol problems later in life.

Are There Any Natural Remedies for Alcohol Abuse: Conclusion

Many individuals do not perceive the modern "drug-oriented" medical profession as the final authority in health care. As a consequence, some people have asked the following question: are there any natural remedies for alcohol abuse and alcoholism?

While not as well-known as the different types of drug therapy that are currently available, natural remedies such as vitamins and supplement therapies, traditional Chinese medicine, and "drumming out drugs" offer hope to individuals who look to natural methods to treat alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

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The amount of alcohol in the blood is called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol content (BAC). Alcohol is metabolized at the rate of .015 of (BAC) every hour. For instance, a person with a BAC of .15 (this BAC is almost twice the legal amount when driving) will have no measurable alcohol in his or her bloodstream ten hours after the last drink (.15 divided by .015 = 10).

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