Do Sober Smarter
Alcoholism, its causes and its treatment
For the first five years of my recovery, I struggled, relapsed, and most of the time I felt like hell.
I was white-knuckling through it to stay sober, wracked with uncontrollable cravings for either alcohol or sugar, mood swings, depression, and exhaustion. Inevitably, I failed. It was only through luck that, five years in, I finally discovered the key to a smarter, healthier sobriety, and nothing has been the same for me since.
It’s Dry January again, and this year more people than ever are going to re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol and make an intention to get sober, short- or long-term. Maybe you’re one of them? Whether this is your first try or your 27th, I want to let you in on what I learned along my way about alcoholism, its causes and its treatment, so it won’t take you another five years to start taking control of your body, mind, and health, like it did for me.
It’s Not Anyone’s Fault
I know you know this, but do you really know that alcoholism is not anyone’s fault? Even in AA circles, people still talk about being “strong,” as if it’s our minds or our morals that keep us from relapsing. It’s not! Alcoholism is a disease of the body, rooted in our glycemic metabolism, nutrient deficiencies, and biochemical imbalances. Alcoholism destroys vital nutrients and the chemistry responsible for our physical and emotional health. This is why so many of the go-to coping strategies of early sobriety fail us and leave us failing.
For the newly abstinent coffee and sugar (and often cigarettes) are synonymous with recovery. Early sobriety is hard and many people stumble through it by bingeing on baked goods, caffeine, and cigs. In the halls of AA, it’s called “switchin’ the witch for the bitch.” (The phrase should tell you something, right?) I did it too and it didn’t feel too good. At times I felt like a homicidal zombie - relapses, migraines, panic attacks, sudden anger, and fitful sleep were pretty common in my early sobriety. Then I found a nutritionist and everything changed.
Ditch the Bitch
With my nutritionist’s help, I began a regimen of healthy diet and supplements. Inspired by the power of my transformation, I set out to learn the scientific basis for why improving nutrition in recovery is essential, how profoundly alcohol changes the chemistry of our brain and body, and why abstinence is key to people like myself who cannot normally process alcohol. I came to understand that the relationship between low blood sugar and alcohol abuse/relapses, nutrient deficiencies, and candida are real and prevalent among addicts. The depression and anxiety that fueled my drinking were rooted in childhood trauma. But something lifted for me when I learned that alcohol use makes depression and anxiety so much worse, a vicious cycle fueled by chemistry: the way I felt wasn’t just psychological and intractable; it was physiological and treatable. Working with my own clients, I see that as they upgrade their nutrition, their headaches, fatigue, relapses, and cravings go away, restoring both physical and mental stability. I’ve lived it and I see it every day: we need to ditch the witch and the bitch.
Bill Wilson and his co-founder of AA were early pioneers in investigating the biochemical basis of alcoholism. And more treatment centers are finally catching on--but not quickly enough.
Get Smart
Studies have shown that traditional treatment options focused on psychology, spirituality, and/or community have a success rate of 7-9%. Treatment centers that have a comprehensive approach, combining all of those with nutrition and physical repair, have success rates closer to 75%. Lack of education is the number one reason why there are way too many people in recovery who continue to co-exist with physiologically-based depression, confusion, and desire to drink.
I don’t believe you need to pay tens of thousands of dollars to thrive in recovery. Educating ourselves about the nature of the disease --who is at risk, why people can’t stop drinking, and what can be done to cure the symptoms and prevent relapses-- is the number one thing we can do ourselves to feel better. Getting smart about our sober health is the first step to a real recovery.
What You Can Do
Begin your own breakthrough to happy and healthy recovery. It is not your fault that AA or therapy continue to fail for you. It’s not about hitting rock bottom or not having the ability to soldier on with “the program” when your cravings, depression, and fatigue persist. The answer lies in educating yourself and understanding that the cure for your physical and psychological problems is out there.
Read
Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism by Dr. James Robert Milam and Katherine Ketcham
Seven Weeks to Sobriety: The Proven Program to Fight Alcoholism through Nutrition by Dr. Joan Mathews-Larson
Download my free guide The First 3 Steps to Healthy Sobriety to begin to learn simple steps you can take to begin a healthier sober life, feel great, reduce cravings, relapses, and stay sober.
Read my article on why an anti-inflammatory diet is essential in recovery.
Follow
There are a few warriors out there on Instagram focusing on the importance of nutrition and physical repair in recovery:
Kelly J Miller @theaddictionnutritionist
Jeff Simone @reactionrecovery
Lindsey Beveridge @recoverynutrition
Sweet Science @sweet.sci
Find a Nutritionist that’s right for you
Community centers often offer free nutrition programs or access to nutritionists. Find someone who can support you on your journey.
Or schedule a free 15-min chat with me - I work with people around the world via phone and video chat. I will tell you everything I know about the next steps for lasting and healthy sobriety, saying goodbye to your persistent health issues, like anxiety, cravings and depression, and building real, strong wellbeing in recovery.
What I learned through my recovery journey has changed my life and I want to share it with you. It’s that simple.
Enjoy!
I’m Elena Singh, founder of the Sweet Science wellness program. I’m a certified nutrition counselor, science-based health coach, and addiction survivor. I help people in recovery heal their bodies and minds so they can learn to love sober life—not just survive it.