Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

[Otter]

I am not a doctor. I was sent this by someone who will remain nameless but I thank them. IMHO, based on my own crackpot theory, I think it is the closest anyone will come to an actual alcohol cure. I would guess that anyone who actually follows this, having got their cravings under control will be able to come off Baclofen and not drink. It is just a theory and I may be completely wrong but the good thing is it cannot hurt you and will make you healthy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc[/video]]TEDxIowaCity - Dr. Terry Wahls - Minding Your Mitochondria - YouTube

My pet theory is that the anxiety which makes one drink is just frayed nerves. So, if the diet in the video works for MS, maybe it works for Alcoholism. Before I came here I read Seven Weeks to Sobriety. That program is based on nutrition but it is so hard to follow because it relies on so many pills and then diet. When Baclofen came along I did not believe it because it could not correct all the problems caused by drinking. Baclofen works to stop cravings but maybe this diet could restore the vitality lost to alcoholism.

It is just a thought.

A very wise and compassionate man recently introduced me to Logotherapy and Viktor Frankl the founder of the third Viennese school of psychiatry after Freud and Jung. I just finished reading Man's Search for Meaning. His theory, in a very small nutshell, is that everyone needs to find meaning in life. However bad things are, one has to look at why one does things and what gives one a purpose. For most that is one simple thing...love.

There, that just about sums it up for me. I don't know what more I can add to this debate. Baclofen, good food and love. That for me is the cure.

:h:thanks:

[bleep]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

Otter;1257196 wrote: Baclofen, good food and love. That for me is the cure.

I reckon people will pick holes in much of your post, rightly or wrongly.

Hard to argue with your finish though.

[Otter]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

bleep;1257214 wrote: I reckon people will pick holes in much of your post, rightly or wrongly.

Hard to argue with your finish though.

Maybe. That's their right. Like I said, I don't feel I can add anything further here. It is all about stopping craving, correcting damage and dealing with the stuff that drove you to drink in the first place. I hope I have added something to this forum. It has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget. I have my purpose and I have to get on with it.:thanks:

[Greg]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

It's always interesting to hear different ideas about this addiction.

I honestly think there are several different reasons why people drink, not just one, and that no single treatment will suit everyone. For me, it was depression and loneliness, rather than anxiety, that led me to escape via alcohol every night. I am sure many others drink to try and escape emotional troubles of various types, with anxiety being one of these problems.

There are also true alcoholics who started as heavy social drinkers, not out of a desperation to solve any issues. I have seen people like this, and heard them at AA meetings. Some may have had a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, but I bet many did not. A totally normal person who ends up leading a lifestyle that includes regular heavy drinking could still become an alcoholic, in my opinion anyway, because alcohol is psychoactive and potentially addictive.

[Otter]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

The reason one starts drinking may differ. The effects on the nervous system are the same in everyone. It causes demyelination which, IMHO, causes an unpleasant sensation which some call anxiety and in extreme cases is craving. Depending on the severity of the case, it is possible for some to stop drinking while others are more affected by it. That is all. I think this diet program is as close one can get, along with Baclofen to an actual cure for alcoholism. That is just my view as a lay person.

I have set up the forums again on Baclofen UK and there are people there who are looking for help. I want to keep it as somewhere people can go JUST to get help. We have a moderator too.

[Otter]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

The reason one starts drinking may differ. The effects on the nervous system are the same in everyone. It causes demyelination which, IMHO, causes an unpleasant sensation which some call anxiety and in extreme cases is craving. Depending on the severity of the case, it is possible for some to stop drinking while others are more affected by it. That is all. I think this diet program is as close one can get, along with Baclofen to an actual cure for alcoholism.

[Greg]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

Tremors and shakes are a general withdrawal symptom that occur in anyone who is dependent on any CNS depressant drug, including alcohol. These drugs are GABA agonists, and alcohol is also an NMDA/glutamate antagonist. Sudden removal of alcohol in a dependent person will cause rebound hyper-excitability, due to the brain no longer having its GABA and glutamate receptors acted upon by alcohol.

I don't have enough evidence to dispute demyelination, and it could also have an effect for all I know. I wouldn't rule out any explanation without studying the evidence. All I do know is that severe DT-like symptoms also occur upon abrupt discontinuation or reduction of any CNS depressant substance, not just alcohol. It also happens with baclofen, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, GHB, and the numerous other general CNS depressants like chloral hydrate, methaqualone, meprobamate, etc. that were once widely used for anxiety and insomnia.

As for cravings themselves, these happen with all addictive substances, regardless of exactly how they work. Almost anyone who has become dependent on alcohol, other sedatives/depressants, stimulants, opiates, nicotine, cannabis, or other drugs will experience strong cravings when trying to go without their drug of choice. These cravings may be due to a variety of psychological factors in addition to the drug itself, so it is unlikely that a single theory can fully explain cravings to any substance. This doesn't mean that I am rubbishing the idea of demyelination in alcoholism, just that I am saying there is likely to be more than a single explanation.

P.S. : Alcohol is physically a strong chemical solvent, and is also a low potency drug, meaning a lot more of it is ingested for an effect compared to most other drugs. Its toxicity is well known, and it is known to cause vitamin deficiencies and severe irritation and damage to various organs including the nerves and brain. In this way it is very different to other drugs, and personally I view it as the most destructive drug habit apart from tobacco smoking. I am not at all surprised that it may damage myelin.

[Otter]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

I just like the idea. I think it has merit to it. I have not looked into opiate addiction other than that brain video.

[Greg]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

Just cross posted with you Otter...I was adding that last bit about alcohol's physical effects to my post. We are all here to discuss a variety of ideas.

[Otter]

Is this the alcohol cure? and Logotherapy.

I agree. I was just struck by this video. If it is true then I think it is a diet which woudl/could really help in alcoholism. I think what is developing is a better understanding of the role of the automatic limbic systems in behaviour. Alcohol does, as you say, affect all parts of the body but I was interested in the idea of craving originating from nerve damage.