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Journal of an Herbalist
By Karima Burns, MH, ND 06/06/2001
Client: Ahmad
Complaint: Ahmad came to me because, being a Muslim, he was too embarrassed to admit his problem to the doctors in his community. Ahmad suffers from alcoholism. "I want to stop," he said. "But it has become an addiction and I don't know how." I started by asking him some basic questions about when, where, how and with whom he drank, as well as some dietary and lifestyle questions.
Ahmad stated that his problem was a multi-faceted one. Many of his friends drank, so every time he tried to stop he found it hard to just sit around and watch them drink. He had also developed the habit of drinking before dinner, after dinner, socially with his friends, in the evening and before bed. During the day, he was too busy working to drink, but he had little appetite. His lack of sleep also added to his problem and further helped deteriorate his health.
An addiction to alcohol is defined by Alcoholic's Anonymous as, "More than two drinks a night and more than five times a week." I explained to Ahmad that as far as the body is concerned, alcohol is a poison. Alcohol damages the brain, liver, pancreas, duodenum and the central nervous system. In addition, it causes metabolic damage to every cell in the body. Men who drink alcohol experience a great decrease in their production of testosterone, the hormone that is basically responsible for making them "male."
Alcohol is also one of the most common causes of reduced sexual performance, impotence and infertility. Additional complications can result from combining alcohol with other substances or from allergic reactions to alcohol. Combining alcohol with over the counter drugs like Panadol, Tylenol and others has often proven fatal for some people. If you are allergic to suphites (sulpha drugs, sulphites, etc...) then alcohol is even more deadly for you as it contains these materials.
The only studies done on healthful uses of alcohol involve a highly publicized study on red wine consumption in France, which showed lower cholesterol levels in people drinking it daily. However, this was only true for those people who drank red wine daily and also ate a whole foods diet (as most of the people in the study did). Those who drank red wine usually consumed more than 2 glasses with a meal and eat a diet heavy in processed foods.
Scientists have now isolated the beneficial element in red wine…grape seed. This herb is readily available as an extract in many stores and is much safer than wine. I explained to him that the liver, which is the
only organ that can process alcohol, could actually lose three quarters of its functioning abilities before it finally shuts down. That is why liver disease is so hard to detect early on.
Furthermore, whatever nutrition he was managing take in was not being absorbed properly because of his frequent drinking. When alcohol is broken down in the liver, it inhibits the liver's production of digestive enzymes and impairs the body's ability to absorb fats, proteins, B-complex vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Because of the work the liver must do to process the alcohol, toxic amounts of fat get stuck in it. This can cause weight gain and the accompanying health problems associated with obesity. Furthermore, people consuming large amounts of alcohol may eventually become deficient in zinc, which can cause one to lose their sense of taste or smell and thus some of their enjoyment of food. Their ability to heal wounds also becomes impaired, so alcoholics who become injured or have surgical scars may never heal properly.
Symptoms directly related to a drinking problem include: dizziness, delayed reflexes, slowed mental function, memory loss, poor judgment, emotional outbursts, aggressive behavior, lack of coordination, shaking of the hands, nervous system disorders and anxiety.
We decided that due to the all-encompassing nature of his problem, we would tackle it from all angles hoping to gain more ground against it. Ahmad agreed to participate in healing therapies that would work on his mental perceptions of the problem as well as his physical addiction.
The Mental Aspect
Ahmad had consoled himself by saying, "Well, my friends do it and they seem fine." I encouraged him to re-think this statement and to give me a list of all the problems his friend's had. He concluded that they
did laugh a lot and seemed fine when they were together drinking, but when he looked at the statistics he realized that four of his friends had major health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and liver trouble. In addition, one friend's wife had left him because of his drinking and another man was constantly depressed. He concluded that his original statement "They are all fine," was inaccurate. He also agreed to stop going out with them every night and to start by spending at least two nights at home with his family and another two nights with his extended family. His outings with friends would be relegated to the weekend only.
To help his mind overcome the addictive behavior I gave him a bottle of Larch Bach Flower remedy and to help his body maintain a more balanced state I gave him
Lachesis, a homeopathic remedy. Lachesis is usually used for people who have a creative and volatile temperament with a mind that becomes very active late at night. They often feel "hung over" upon waking and their over-reliance on alcohol may result in circulatory or liver problems. They complain of being warm especially when they drink hot liquids. They are most comfortable in cool surroundings, when drinking cool liquids, and when in fresh air or loose clothes. Other homeopathic remedies used for alcoholism are:
Lycopodium, Nux Vomica, Arsenicum Albium and Sulphur.
Physical Symptoms
To help with the physical side of Ahmad's problem, we decided to modify his diet by adding some supplements to it and searching for any allergies connected with his addiction. I warned him that the symptoms of withdrawal he may experience could include intense cravings, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, abdominal cramps, fatigue, headache, anxiety, irritability, chills, depression, insomnia, tremors, weakness and hallucinations. The
Bach Flower remedy and the herbs should help ease these symptoms, but some might still occur.
The Allergy Connection
I explained to Ahmad that many people have cravings for alcohol depending on what allergies they may be struggling with. If they can overcome these allergies (by eliminating or reducing that substance in their diet) they can also reduce their alcohol cravings for that substance. The less they have of it the more their body will be able to deal with the allergy in a more controlled manner. If a person craves colored liquors they probably have a corn allergy. If they crave beer they often have
candida or a yeast allergy. Taking vitamin B and zinc will help control this allergy. If they crave gin, they are actually craving the juniper berries and this herb may help them. If they crave vodka they may have a potato allergy. Ahmad most often craved colored liquors so we decided to eliminate all corn and corn products from his diet. This included switching his cooking oil from corn to olive.
Supplements
To help ease his cravings and replace some of the nutrients he was losing because of his drinking he started to take 300mg of
glutamine, 500 mg of calcium, 200mg of thiamine (B-1) as well as a B-vitamin multiple twice a day and a 60mg
zinc supplement.
Food Therapy
Ahmad had been eating very poorly. He usually had coffee and a piece of toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and perhaps a bowl of rice or soup for dinner. He agreed to start slowly modifying his diet by adding some plain yogurt or oatmeal with fruit to his breakfast; by adding a large salad to his lunch; and by eating some meat or beans with his dinner, along with a small salad. He also agreed to start adding some fresh juices like celery-carrot juice to his diet. They help re-supply the body with sodium, which is often lacking in alcoholics.
There are a number of herbs that historically have been used to help alcoholics. Angelica root contains
glutamine and if taken three times a day helps one develop a distaste for liquor.
Chapparal helps heals the liver and reduces cravings and skullcap also reduces cravings.
Dandelion, red clover and burdock cleanse the system. Sucking on a clove often reduces an immediate need for a drink. I made a combination tea for him with one part each of: burdock,
chaparral and skullcap. He was to drink this three times a day with his meals.
He started taking the herbs and supplements immediately and said that he was feeling better and found it easier to resist drinking with his friends. However, he found it hard to reduce the time he spent with them. As six weeks passed and his condition bettered, he found it easier and easier to resist the alcohol at home. He found that he was only drinking moderately and only when he was with his friends.
He decided that he was feeling so much better that he cancelled his second appointment. I heard later that he was still spending every night with his friends and that he had stopped taking his supplements and herbs and had started drinking in excess again.
I find that these are two of the main problems people have in improving their health in any realm. They become too confident about their condition and stop avoiding bad influences. In any health case, from weight loss to fibromyalgia, one must always actively work to improve his/her health, even when they are feeling better, and must take great care to avoid people and situations that would encourage their situation to worsen.
Karima Burns is a naturopath and herbalist. She has published her own newsletter about natural healing for four years and has studied many aspects of natural healing from herbs to homeopathy to aromatherapy for the past 12 years. She is an herbal consultant and teaches people about natural healing from her home in Saudi Arabia. This is a journal of her experiences with her clients.
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