Sept. 3, 2006
As I mentioned I was very disappointed with my choice of a place to detox. Since then, I have searched on the internet to figure out where I would go if I ever needed more treatment. It certainly will be a place that provides, and even specializes in, nutrition to supply the biochemicals to repair the damage that I have done to myself and to bring the clarity and emotional stability that I will need to recover.
Actually, the plan that I have been developing is to ensure that I never again have a severe relapse. In Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism, it states that “the alcoholic is most sick, not when he drinks, but when he stops drinking. His body has adapted to the constant presence of alcohol—his cells are accustomed to functioning with alcohol as their major source of energy and stimulation and as an antidote for the every-present toxicity.
Thus, when the alcoholic stops drinking, all hell breaks loose. Blood vessels constrict, cutting down on the flow of blood and oxygen to the cells. The blood glucose level drops sharply and remains unstable. The brain amines serotonin and norepinephrine decrease dramatically, Hormones, enzymes, and body fluid levels fluctuate erratically. The body’s cells are malnourished and toxic from long exposure to large doses of alcohol and acetaldehyde” (64-65). All these processes create “profound mental confusion,” lack of coordination, fear, depression, agitation, and on and on. No wonder it is so hard to keep from taking another drink!
We weren’t treated for any of this other than one vitamin B capsule. Our treatment was to sit in groups hour after hour, without enough sleep, exercise or nourishment. I have never eaten such unhealthy junk food.