An alcoholic’s inability to cope manifests in excessive anxiety, low self-esteem, a low level of confidence, poor problem-solving, a high level of co-dependency and a low level of assertiveness are  linked in this failure to cope cycle. In my counselling alcoholics, it is clear that initially almost all believe that it is impossible to control anxiety because it is a ‘natural emotion’ and ‘we are born with it and can’t change it’.  A favorite saying is some variation of: ‘I’m anxious, my mother was anxious and her mother was anxious. How can I change that?’ These statements are usually based upon the failure to distinguish between fear and anxiety. Fear is a natural emotion and it is adaptive. If we are being attacked by someone with an axe or a hammer, it is sensible and adaptive to be afraid. We are born with the capacity to become afraid because this fear releases adrenalin, enables us to run faster or makes us stronger if we decide to fight. Babies who touch fires develop fear responses and are thus less likely to reach into the flames again. These are adaptive responses and essential for our survival. It’s the ‘fight or flight’ mechanisms we are born with. Anxiety is very much like fear. The difference lies in the fact that with fear there is real, objective danger, whereas anxiety is a learned response to situations where there is apprehension of danger, where the threat is subjective. Thus a young boy approaching a girl to ask her to go to a dance with him may feel anxious. There is no threat to his physical well-being. The subjective threat is that she might say no. If this happens, the danger is to his psychological well-being and to his self-esteem. The apprehension he feels when he approaches the girl is what we call anxiety. The nasty emotion we may feel when we are asked to make a speech, when we have to walk into a room full of strangers, when we wonder whether we will be able to cope with a new job, when we enter an examination room, or as we are about to return to our jobs after being in hospital for treatment for alcoholism is anxiety. High levels of anxiety lead to low levels of performance whenever the task to be done is in any way difficult. It follows that we could expect high anxiety to lower the standard of performance in examinations, interviews, in many social situations, in sexual performance and in occupational areas whenever the stress factor is high and is evaluated as a threat. High levels of anxiety often lead the alcoholic to failure in all areas of his or her life. High levels of anxiety that lead to failure also lead to a drop in self-esteem, which leads to a drop in confidence. Success lowers anxiety levels and raises self-esteem. Failure raises anxiety levels and lowers elf-esteem. Stress is neutral. Only if we interpret it as a threat does it cause anxiety. The failure of the alcoholic to cope in early sobriety is determined by how he or she approaches the recovery process. If a recovering alcoholic assesses a situation as threatening they will become anxious and will probably make a mess of it. This failure will make them more anxious and result in their level of self-esteem. The next time they face a similar situation, they will assess it as very threatening. The anxiety level will rise even more, failure will be more likely and a circle of failure will have commenced. Anyone can put down the drink – it’s leaving it there that’s the problem. An alcoholic has to balance their brain chemistry before they can even start to untangle their complicated emotions. They have to learn that it is their toxic belief system, the way they process their thoughts induces their emotional pain. Questioning and challenging their toxic belief system will change their emotions (feelings) and will ultimately change their behavior of turning to alcohol to solve their problems. Good nutrition is essential in sobriety. Alcoholics in early recovery need to keep their meals nutritious with plenty of quality meat, chicken, fish and eggs. Eat plenty of vegetables and limit grains, fruit, and fruit juices. In fact, don’t eat any sweets at all. Some recovering alcoholics feel that since they are no longer drinking, they do not need to pay attention to nutrition. This is not true. They are more in need than anyone else, as it will help to keep them sober. Before I start counselling a new alcoholic patient, I need to assess their ability to absorb and retain what I am going to say to them. When it comes to feeling mentally and emotionally switched on, we have to have the correct brain chemistry – get it wrong and you will never achieve the feeling of wellbeing that you crave. Tyrosine Mood Food is necessary for the manufacture of dopamine and noradrenaline, which are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy stable mood.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for the sense of satisfaction – why do we drink? To feel satisfied.  It is also the reward neurotransmitter – why do we drink?  It rewards us and makes us feel better about life. To help the alcoholic relax I recommend Magnesium Complete as it will assist in the reduction of stress, nervous tension, anxiety and sleeplessness. I take Magnesium Ultra Potent because it suits me to use the powder format and to help prevent muscle cramps at night. L-Glutamine helps to remove ammonia from the bloodstream to lower levels of toxic ammonia that build up when liver dysfunction is present. A practicing alcoholic has a very inflamed liver and needs to detox and heal, if the body is to recover from alcoholism.  L-Glutamine is the most amazing amino acid in the body! It is vital for healthy intestinal function and may help with inflammation of the intestinal tract. It is also vital for muscle growth and healthy muscle function. It also assists muscle recovery after exercise. I always put my patients on an exercise program to help heal their mind, body and spirit. L-Glutamine also supports efficient brain function. Glutamine can be found in our Ultimate Gut Health Powder. Livatone Plus is a powerful formula that can support liver function when there are more chronic liver problems. It is beneficial for a sluggish bile flow and gall bladder problems or if you have lost your gallbladder. It is beneficial in reducing abdominal bloating, burping and flatulence and provides extra antioxidant protection for the liver when required.