3 Factors Contributing to Your Loved One’s Struggle in Addiction Recovery, AND 4 Tools to Support Them Living Life Well Beyond
This article is not your average addiction recovery tips.
Maybe 20 or so years ago they were, but over time this information has been pushed to the side.
Not because it isn’t useful or valid.
Not because it wasn’t well researched.
Not because it lacked scientific evidence.
But because the powers-that-be support only Pharma solutions.
Let’s jump right into addressing the first topic.
The 3 Factors Contributing to Your Loved Oner’s Struggle in Addiction Recovery:
Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS)
The degree that RDS contributes to your loved one’s symptoms
The role of dopamine in addiction/recovery
Depending on the stage of your loved one’s addiction/recovery right now, you may want to share this info with them. I want you, the family, to know this process, but I’m writing to your loved one who may be still using or is in early recovery.
1) Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS)
Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) is a brain disorder characterized by a clinically significant deficiency of the essential neurotransmitter - dopamine. RDS is primarily acquired genetically but can also result from prolonged stress (and prolonged use of drugs or alcohol).
You may be asking yourself, “why haven’t I heard of RDS before?”
Good question.
The short answer is the FDA supports Pharma.
2) The degree that RDS contributes to your symptoms
The telltale sign is you’ve found the solution to all your problems: stress, boredom, bad feelings, bad days, and difficult people - even though the solution only lasts for a little while.
You use (or have used) the solution over and over.
Actually, you have no other strategies to manage problems.
Underlying the solution is likely to be gene variations for dopamine deficiency - drugs and alcohol provided this surge of dopamine. It’s called the feel good brain chemical.
All drugs of abuse artificially spike the brain’s dopamine level which results in a chemically induced "high" that far exceeds what one could attain naturally.
But what goes up--must come down.
Unlike natural rewards, after a drug or alcohol induced high, dopamine levels drop. So, the more you use a mood-altering substance or engages in an addictive behavior to feel better, over time the worse you actually feel-- which is the neurobiological result.
With alcohol specifically, there are six Alcohol Biotypes that Joan Mathews Larson identified in her book, “Seven Weeks to Sobriety” - three she called alcoholic, another looks like alcoholism but isn’t, and two she refers to as nonalcoholic.
You can take the Alcohol Biotype Survey here:
https://check-up.recoveryblueprints.com/?external=JJ_ABQ&org=4f8229dc-9cb4-4574-a81b-bb2e98a962a8
(some questions repeat; they’re verbatim from Joan’s book).
After you finish the survey, you’ll get a pdf report emailed to you that explains the four problematic biotypes and your specific results.
3) The role of dopamine in addiction/recovery
Dopamine is a critical brain chemical in ALL addictions.
It mediates how we experience pleasure, reward, joy and contentment. It also attributes special importance to behaviors connected to our survival (eating, hydration and copulation, to name several).
Research suggests 30% of the US population have a genetically acquired “dopamine deficiency” - thus, 30% of us are at risk for developing addiction or another debilitating brain disorder: depression, anxiety, ADHD, stress related disorders, sexual compulsions, pathological gambling, hedonic overeating, obesity and more.
What ALL of the above disorders and addictions have in common is dopamine deficits in critical areas of the brain.
Traditional treatment modalities such as medication, psychotherapy, and social support, are by design, symptom reduction strategies. They do not address the underlying dopamine deficits. So, longterm regular use is suggested.
Traditional treatment modalities such as medication, psychotherapy, and social support, are by design, symptom reduction strategies. Medication does not address the underlying dopamine deficits, the other two don’t either. So, longterm regular use is suggested.
At this time, genetic testing to determine specific abnormalities and nutraceuticals that target those abnormalities offer best promise to address the underlying deficits. This combined with the tools below retrain brain functioning. Healthy new habits replace addictive ones.
Okay. Those are the 3 factors that contribute to every addiction.
So ask yourself, to what degree might RDS and dopamine deficits be behind your struggles with addiction recovery?
Be curious.
Go slow and let this information soak in while we go into the 4 tools.
The 4 Tools to Support You Living Life Well Beyond:
Learn and adopt the ProRecovery Diet
Balance Neurotransmitters
Create and track your own Deliberate Daily LifeCycle
Create and track your 3 powerful goals & actions steps
These 4 tools come from my mentors, Christina Vaselek, founder of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition, and Mark Styles, founder of Recovery Blueprints; Mark is also the Collaboration Director for the Academy.
I collaborate with Mark, and with Christina’s community made up of the 200+ professionals Christina has trained in the last decade or so.
These tools have have been indispensable in my 1:1 work with families and individuals in early recovery. Also, some tools have proven helpful in my coaching families to engage their loved one in a recovery journey.
You can benefit most from the tools below by following the links below, or explore a coaching journey to guide and keep you focused on your recovery and a healthier you.
1) Learn and adopt the ProRecovery Diet
Regular use of drugs or alcohol, changes one’s appetite.
When the body becomes dependent and perhaps even addicted, food intake changes.
The kinds of foods you eat change.
Nutrients become depleted. The brain is not being fed well. You can’t expect your brain to function well under these conditions.
Learn about the ProRecovery Diet at www.eatingproteinsaveslives.org
So many people tell me, “my diet is really good.” Initially, I thought the same thing. But there’s quite a bit you can learn from this website.
Also, there are online meetings you can attend every Monday night.
Please don’t skip over this piece. Your brain will thank you!
2) Balance Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that travel from one neuron to another, where they interact with a receptor on the target cell.
The 4 neurotransmitters systems that are most responsible for mental health and addiction are: Serotonin, Catecholamines, Gaba and Endorphins.
Research has proven there are specific substances that fire each system (foods, alcohol, and prescribed and unprescribed drugs).
Research has also proven that with years of repeated use of an addictive food or drug, people with reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) become dependent on the substance.
Julia Ross, in her book “The Mood Cure” goes into depth with each of the different symptoms that arise when each of the 4 neurotransmitter are low, substances and amino acids that fire each neurotransmitter, and how one would feel when that neurotransmitter is in balance.
She complied this info into an assessment; The Alliance for Addiction Solutions adopted it. From Julia’s work, Mark Styles created an electronic assessment process for ease of use.
You can find it here:
https://check-up.recoveryblueprints.com/?external=AAMHN_NTDCU&org=[?org=4f8229dc-9cb4-4574-a81b-bb2e98a962a8]
3) Create and track your own Deliberate Daily LifeCycle
Once you’ve customized the foods and balanced nutraceuticals (aminos and supplements), you’ll start to feel better. It’s a clear sign your brain is working better.
You’re ready for the next step. The Deliberate Daily Lifecycle (DDLC) is a behavioral plan that supports feeling good in recovery:
Brain functioning
Positive mindset
Good energy and motivation
Ease in managing your mood
Being able to relax
Good sleep
The DDLC includes 3 pieces that I customize in a spreadsheet format:
Morning and evening self care practices that you create yourself
Customized amino and supplement schedule
Healthy meals and snacks (ProRecovery Diet customized to you)
By this stage in the process, the client is given the responsibility to be in command of their journey.
This step represents a shift to client-centered empowerment. They track the detail; I as their coach walk with them through the ups and downs.
Evening tracking of each piece takes minutes.
I’ve had clients who put the DDLC on their phone, created alerts, and have reported a good experience tracking each item.
When you focus on doing what’s on your DDLC, there’s a shift in focus to new healthy behaviors. The power in this process is the shift of focus results in retraining the brain to create new brain connections.
4) Create and track your 3 powerful goals & actions steps
This next step is the first part of the Family Recovery Agreement.
I ask you to create 3 SMART goals (that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound):
1) Focus on you and your body’s relationship with the substance
2) Focus on your relationship with your family
3) Focus on your relationship with the world - how you want to contribute
Underneath each goal, list 3 actions steps to move you closer towards your goal. When you’re clear about them, we start facilitated meetings with your family. Communication guidelines support the process.
Together we decide future meeting frequency to discuss progress. Over time, goals are completed and action steps change.
This process provides a safe container for the individual to explain what they are doing for their recovery. The family undoubtedly has questions. The discussion builds trust over time.
“But this is so different than traditional recovery.”
Yes, there are some differences:
The goal is to heal the reward pathway
You have a daily nutraceutical, food, and self care protocol to follow
You are not in a building with others who are in early recovery with you
You are responsible and in command of your own journey
You are not in groups, however group participation is so helpful
You have a Nutritional Recovery Life Coach to “walk” with you
I collaborate with many professionals in Christina Vaselek’s community in the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition
Those are some of the differences, however, there are many similarities with traditional treatment. Like many treatment centers, the goal is to save lives, support people getting off of drugs or alcohol, and create your most awesome life.
“Will biochemical repair work better than the traditional approach?”
Obviously, I cannot guarantee outcomes. No one can!
However, in the traditional approach to addiction recovery targeted amino acids to increase brain functioning are not used.
With the decades of research acknowledging benefits from aminos, few treatment centers inform clients of biochemical repair healing the reward pathway. To me, this seems like a lack of informed consent.
If you’ve been through multiple treatments and keep relapsing, very likely it indicates the biochemistry is off and working against you.
“Can biochemical repair coaching be a stand along process?”
It depends on your situation. This process covers many aspects of healing in your recovery journey. Having multiple avenues of support is always helpful. Take a look at the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition on the bottom of the page.
Bringing it all together
This article focused on understanding Reward Deficiency Syndrome and the main brain chemical in all addictions - dopamine. Using any of the 4 tools regularly will help create dopamine. Using all of them, represents a beginning focus of my work with clients.
Although Dr Ken Blum did the initial research for Reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) 40 or so years ago, the standard of care with addiction treatment is super slow to adopt his concept.
When starting with coaching clients, I introduce these 4 tools.
Let me know if this article has stirred ideas, and if you have comments or questions.
www.alcoholbioquiz.com or sjeffjones@me.com
Below are multiple references to learn future possibilities of RDS being more recognized and used at some point in the near future. But until then I’ll continue working with one family and one individual at a time.
You can learn more about Christina Vaselek and the Academy for Addiction & Mental Health Nutrition at www.aminoacidtherapy.com. Specifically, if you’re looking for scientific resources look here: https://aminoacidtherapy.com/scientific-resources/
For the ProRecovery Diet check out Christina’s website, www.eatingproteinsaveslives.org
To learn more about Mark Styles, you can check out his LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-styles-74476041/?originalSubdomain=uk
Resources to learn more about Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS):
Dr Blum’s genetic testing and healing the reward pathway with nutraceuticals is explained in Lyle Fried’s website AddictionDNA. https://www.addictiondna.com/
A Novel Precision Approach to Overcome the “Addiction Pandemic” by Incorporating Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (GARS) and Dopamine Homeostasis Restoration, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8002215/
The Benefits of Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS) Testing in Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30198022/
GARS Innovative New Precision Genetic Risk Tool Helps Doctors Better Predict And Treat Addiction, https://www.prweb.com/releases/gars_innovative_new_precision_genetic_risk_tool_helps_doctors_better_predict_and_treat_addiction/prweb15450080.htm
Introducing Precision Addiction Management of Reward Deficiency Syndrome, the Construct That Underpins All Addictive Behaviors,
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00548/full
Geneus Health Granted Rare Groundbreaking Genetic Patent,