How To Quit Alcohol

Category: Health News

Before reading this feature, first read over the section on How to Quit Tobacco. Many of the same principles apply.First, accept the fact that you have an alcohol problem. Many people refuse to accept this fact, so they continue on with the problem.

You know the situation already: Drinking alcohol shortens the life span drastically. The death records of 2 million policy holders in 43 American life insurance companies, for a 20 year period, were summarized:

People drinking 2 glasses of beer or one glass of whisky per day-were 18% more likely to die than the average American. Among those using over 2 glasses of beer or 1 glass of whisky daily – death was 86% higher.

Alcohol produces cirrhosis of the liver. It is progressive and leads to death. It lowers resistance to disease, especially pneumonia. Chronic alcoholism leads to mental disease. A study of 56,000 patients in Massachusetts revealed that one-fifth of all admissions were alcoholics.

Alcohol is not a food and can neither nourish nor strengthen the body. It seems to warm you; but that is only because blood is being drawn from the internal organs to the surface. Alcohol dries out brain cells; and, over a period of time, more cells keep being destroyed. How well do you want your mind to work when you are older?

Alcoholics tend to need friends. Find a non-drinking friend or several of them. Part of the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) success is the weekly group meeting, plus the fact that everyone has someone he can phone when he needs to.

In a 1967 experiment by Dr. U. D. Register (Loma Linda University in California), he found that rats fed junk food wanted to drink diluted alcohol instead of water. When he added coffee to their diet, their alcohol intake greatly increased. When they were switched over to an exclusively nutritious (wholefood) diet, nearly all the rats quit alcohol entirely and returned to drinking water.

Nearly a century ago, Horace Fletcher, a researcher into the careful chewing of food, paid some drunks to go on an experiment. They could have all the liquor they wanted, free, if they did two things: eat nutritious meals-and slowly chew every mouthful of liquor before swallowing it. Those that did this lost their interest in alcohol-even though they could have all they wanted, free of charge.

Drinking alcohol causes a deficiency of the B complex vitamins. So, as you begin quitting liquor, take B complex supplements every day.

Niacin (B3) is considered by many researchers to be the most important single vitamin in overcoming the alcoholic habit. According to Dr. Russell F. Smith, University of Michigan, “B3 far surpasses other therapeutic agents commonly used in the treatment of alcoholics.” A dose of 12 grams of niacin each day, and onward for several years thereafter, has been suggested. (Be aware that niacin tends to cause the face to flush red for a few minutes when you swallow it. This is natural and in no way harmful.)

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is also very important.

Other important vitamins include vitamins C, B1 B12, and E. The entire B complex works together; increased amounts of all the B Vitamins should be supplied.

It should be mentioned that increased B3 dosage depletes the amount of vitamin C in the body; so more vitamin C is needed (an average dose of 1000 mg. of vitamin C daily is frequently used).

Be sure to remain on a nutritious diet and take these vitamins after you have victory over liquor.

Magnesium is an important mineral. It is significant that the symptoms of magnesium deficiency are identical to the symptoms of delirium tremens. Dr Edmund G. Flink, at West Virginia University Medical School, discovered that magnesium (a trace mineral) greatly reduces the withdrawal symptoms called delirium tremens (the DT’s).

Studies reveal that poor food (such as hot dogs, spaghetti meat balls, sweet rolls, and soft drinks) and/ or irritating foods (spices, condiments, sauces, ketchups, gravies) – all increase the craving for alcohol.

Physicians recommended an “aversion therapy.” A measured amount of an alcohol beverage is given. But into it a certain amount of a nausea-producing agent has been mixed. Two such agents are apomorphine and emetine. This tends to develop a loathing for alcohol. Because of the severe physical reactions, this treatment should be accompanied by close medical supervision. But such treatments are often only temporary. Far better is a nutritious program, trust in God, earnest prayer, resolute decision, and a friend to talk to

Alcoholics Anonymous was started in 1935 by an alcoholic who solved his own alcohol problem by trying to help another drunk get off of it. This gave him something worthwhile to live for. It energized him. He had to help other people.

Alcoholics Anonymous provides friends to talk to; and this is important. Here is the twelve step program of Alcoholics Anonymous:

Step 1: We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol; our lives had become unmanageable.

Step 2: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Step 3: We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to other human beings the exact nature of our wrongs.

Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God removed all these defects of character.

Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings .

Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed; and we became willing to make amends to them all.

Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory; and we promptly admitted when we were wrong.

Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Recently a new group therapy approach has been started. It is called the 4-DK Plan (Four-Dimensional Key to the Case of Alcoholism.) The four dimensions are physical, mental, social, and spiritual.

The plan is educational, can be started in any community, is positive, and emphasizes good health and wholesome living. For more information, contact the International Commission for the Prevention of Alcoholism: 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600.

Alcohol is a problem that can be overcome. Others have done it and you can do it also. Carefully read the following information and do exactly what it says. This can mean the beginning of a new way of life for you.

First: You must accept the fact that you have a problem. You must be convinced that you have to quit, for your own sake and for the sake of your loved ones.

Second: You must accept the fact that you cannot do it by yourself. Only in the strength of God can it be done. You can only receive that strength through earnest prayer for help. Go on your knees alone – all by yourself – and cry to God over the whole thing. Tell Him what you’ve done wrong and ask Him to forgive you. And mean it. Then ask Him for strength to break from this terrible habit. Ask Him to help you to either do it by yourself or provide you with one or more friends that will provide encouragement.

Third: Accept the fact that you are not going to stay close to God unless you read His written Word – the Bible – every day; and every day send up your prayers for forgiveness and for help. Each day is a new one, and you must start it with God. There are no shortcuts; for they only lead to detours. You must start every day with God and then walk with Him all day long.

Fourth: Accept the fact that continued prayer for help must be mixed with continued praise. Thankfulness is powerful. Believe God. Believe that He is there; believe that he will help. Believe it all day long and at night too. Talk to Him often – You will have the help when you need it, if you will sincerely stay with Him. Believe that He will forgive and accept you, even when you make mistakes. Believe that He loves you deeply, more deeply than you have ever thought possible. He has tried to help you for years, but your stubborn ways have hindered Him. Let Him give you the help now that he wants to give you. Thank Him even when things look dark and you seem to have no one on your side.

Fifth: You must make some changes in your life. You will have to get more exercise in the open air and more rest at night. You will have to put away the things that tend to separate you from God. If television and radio and the music and magazines you are used too are pulling you away from God, then throw them out. You may find that you have to make some new friends and avoid some old ones. They don’t care for your new way of life and want your company in doing things you are no longer interested in doing. The best solution is to find new friends. Go to church regularly. That’s where you are more likely to find better friends.

Sixth: It will greatly help if you will go on an initial cleansing program. This will help expel the alcohol from your system more quickly. As with nicotine, the more quickly alcohol is out of your body, the more quickly the old cravings will subside. Such a program will also help you over the initial tremors.

One must stop these dangerous practices all at once; they cannot be put away simply by gradually cutting down. You want to get rid of the cravings as quickly as possible.

Here is a four-day program:

In order to carry out this program, you may need someone to help you. The baths mentioned below will help expel impurities more quickly. Continue them, to a lesser extent, later on. This is a four-day program; and, in order to do it, you will need to stay home during those four days. You will be expelling impurities, getting better nutrition, and obtaining a lot of rest.

Prepare a herbal tea from the following powdered herbs: equal parts of skullcap, catnip, and blue vervain with no sweetening. Combine them in a pot and place 2 tablespoons in a quart of water that has been brought to a boil; then turn off and let it sit for 20 minutes, with the lid on. (This is called “steeping”.) Two quarts should last a day and a half, and can be kept refrigerated until it is used up. An eight-ounce glass of tea should be taken every two hours, except when sleeping at night. (The skullcap and catnip will help you relax and sleep; the blue vervain will help you sweat.)

First day – at 7 a.m. drink a glass of water. At 8 a.m. drink 8 oz. of the herb tea. This is a relaxant tea and will help you sleep. The idea here is the more sleep during withdrawal from alcohol, the less problem with the withdrawal symptoms (delirium tremens, hallucinations, etc.). And it works. Stay in bed and rest. Sleep all you can. Every two hours another glass of herb tea should be brought to you. At 6 p.m. each evening, take a hot and cold shower.

Second day – same as the first day; but that evening you can have a glass of tomato juice with a ½ teaspoon of cayenne in it. The stomach is used to the bite of alcohol and the red pepper helps to take its place just now. Do not use black pepper.

Third day – Same as preceding days. But now you can add a meal, in the evening, of sliced tomato; or, if you prefer, stay with the tomato juice and cayenne.

Fourth day – The usual pattern, except as follows: In the morning, a small meal of fresh fruit or soaked dried fruit; at noon a medium-sized salad, but not too much.

Fifth day – Eat normally, but of nutritious food. Be done with junk food. The program is over.

The above program was developed by an herbalist who died in the 1970s. She successfully used it with many people, and saw it work repeatedly for both those coming off alcohol and those trying to quit tobacco.

During the initial withdrawal and immediately after, sleep is essential. One method of obtaining this is by the use of prolonged baths (with the water temperature maintained at around 92 degree to 94 degree F). Quiet surroundings during this time are absolutely essential. The diet should not include coffee, spices and condiments; they should be permanently stopped. It is known that these only whet the appetite to return to alcohol. Fruit, vegetables, and grains are needed, along with water in order to replace body losses.

Dr. Theron G. Randolph discovered that people who regularly drink alcohol become overly sensitive to the things that the alcoholic beverage was derived from. “Sensitivity to corn, malt, wheat, rye, grape and potato were encountered (in alcoholics) in that order of frequency. It is well-known that alcoholic beverages consumed in this country are derived from foods in approximately the same order.

God will help you.

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