Nutrition for Recovering Drug Addicts and Alcoholics in Recovery
Can nutrition play a role for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics in recovery? You bet it can. I was curious about this myself, so I did some research and thought I would present you with some facts about it.
But first, let’s clear up some of the myths you might have heard:
Myth #1 - Certain foods can fight cravings – this is basically false, although some research concluded at one time that it might be true.
Myth #2 - Proper nutrition or vitamin supplements can constitute a recovery program – this is false. Regardless of how many vitamins you take or what diet you consume, it will not radically change the way you feel in recovery, especially in terms of the emotional roller coaster that early sobriety brings with it. True recovery from addiction requires much more than just proper nutrition. (In fact, I did not even think about nutrition for the first 7 years of my recovery, and I did just fine!)
* Special note: if you are withdrawing from alcohol, you need medical supervision, not nutritional advice.
So here is the road map I’ve found for nutrition in recovery:
1) Recovering alcoholics and most drug addicts will tend to be malnourished in early recovery. The solution is to eat a healthy diet. There is a ton of information available as to what that consists of, but here is my pick from the Mayo Clinic.
2) Be sensible. A daily multi-vitamin is probably a good idea. On the other hand, taking mega doses of exotic vitamins and formulas is probably not necessary.
3) Limit or curtail caffeine and heavy sugar intake. A surprising high number of recovering alcoholics also drink coffee. You don’t have to quit, but what about going from 4 cups of coffee to one or two per day? Again, be sensible.
4) Here is a recommended “recovery” diet. You’ll notice that it is sensible, simple, and healthy. Who would have imagined that?
So in recovery, nutrition is important, but there is no magic formula out there that says you should be taking certain supplements because you’re in recovery. During the detox stage, some extra supplements might be necessary (under medical supervision), but there is no need for anything other than a healthy and balanced diet in long term recovery.
Does anyone have any nutritional advice for recovering addicts and alcoholics? Let us know in the comments….
Kim Says:
You said you were going to present some facts…but really all you did was present your opinion, and assert that nutritional-based detox is a “myth,” based on your own experiences. If you were presenting “facts,” than you would have backed them up with evidence, including controlled scientific studies proving that mega-doses of supplements make no difference in recovery. Perhaps you didn’t have to think about nutrition for the first seven years of your recovery because you were fortunate enough to have been taught to eat a healthy diet as a child, or perhaps someone else cooks for you, or you just happen to have access to higher quality food than some. In other words, just because you didn’t consciously follow a certain diet, doesn’t mean good nutrition didn’t play a role, even if by accident. Even though you didn’t need them, perhaps there are some people who could benefit quite a lot from mega-doses of certain supplements.
Patrick Says:
@ Kim – you are at least half right in your assertion that all I did was state my opinion.
Nevertheless, my opinion is backed up with a lot of experience, and I work in the substance abuse treatment field in a couple of different positions (for example, I have been under an M.D., an Addictionologist, for about 5 years now). I have watched this doctor treat thousands of patients, and I know he consults with lots of other doctors in the same field (because he always updates us on new research during staff meetings…).
So it may be my opinion, but I think there is plenty of experience to draw on there, and I still stand by my assertions.
Have you seen examples where nutrition played a key role in recovery? Because after working in the field for over 5 years now, I still see nutrition as a secondary, less important strategy of the holistic approach. Just my opinion of course, I could be dead wrong! Would love to hear more about your experiences with this….
Rose Anne Hamilton, B.Sc. Says:
You may have done just fine, but a teenager who lives on junk food and pop will have a hard time with withdrawal and staying clean, because their body is already at war with swinging blood sugar and hormonal imbalances created by poor nutrition, chronic dehydration, and floods of transfats. And most people’s definition of “fine” falls woefully short of anything like good health, but having never experienced it, they are not aware of what it feels like!
There are in fact decades of studies connecting criminal recidivism and addiction relapse rates with nutrition. In addition, there are specific orthomolecular and herbal protocols which can substantially ease withdrawal.
Bear in mind that the average MD in the USA has less than 10 hours of nutrition classes in their 8-12 years of training, primarily centered on basic guidelines for pregnancy and the infamous industry-skewed USDA dietary recommendations. Instead of learning about the functional aspects of the (neolithically designed) human body and what it requires to run well and heal, they study years of – drug “therapy”!! You would do better to speak with true specialist experts in the nutrition field before slamming the tools that a body requires for operation and healing. A quick internet search alone would give you plenty to learn about.
Patrick Says:
@ Rose Anne Hamilton – I still disagree with the idea that nutrition plays a major role.
My stance is that it does play a role, but that it is a very minor one, especially in early recovery.
I believe that nutrition can become more important the longer a person stays clean and sober. But in the early stages, it is a distraction from what they actually need to focus on.
I do not doubt that the medical industry is more drug pushing and less aware of nutritional aspects than what they should be. But in terms of actually breaking through denial and achieving some sobriety….this has almost no bearing on nutrition. Or rather, I should say that nutrition has almost no bearing on the success or failure of someone in very early recovery.
Let me give a quick analogy: say we are comparing the top athletes in the world. Would we say that diet and nutrition are a factor in judging the best in the world? Sure it is a factor, but is nutrition really the driving force that makes someone into the best in the world? No…the dedication, the hours of practice every day, that is what makes the real difference. They could be eating junk food and ramen noodles all day and still be the best in the world (look at Michael Phelps).
I am not saying that nutrition is not a factor….just that it is not the priority in early recovery. Later on in long term sobriety, I think the importance of it increases a bit….
Thanks for the discussion….my ideas are not backed by hard research, but they are backed up by lots of data….I work in a rehab and have also lived their for a few years, so I do make lots and lots of observations….