The emotional level within a family affected by an alcoholic shifts from day to day.  Alcoholism is an emotional family disease and every alcoholic affects at least 14 people, including family and friends. The alcoholic’s mood may change within minutes. In the morning, everything may be normal, but by night, a cloud of despair fills the house. Fear permeates every fiber in the alcoholic partner’s body as the alcoholic starts to bait other family members into a fight. This is just an excuse to go out and get drunk – again. At other times, the alcoholic may suffocate family members with love in an attempt to make up for their disastrous behavior the night before.  Domestic violence caused by alcohol is characterized by the perpetrator grovelling the next day in an attempt to justify his or her sadistic alcoholic behavior. This constant shifting in moods and lack of stability either on a behavioral or an emotional level leaves family members feeling lost and afraid. It also affects children’s self-esteem as they often take the blame for their parent’s abhorrent behavior. Children from alcoholic homes often wonder where they stand in comparison with others outside of the family. They grow up not knowing how a “normal” family functions. They feel different from their friends and develop self-doubt, confusion and a craving to know what is normal.  They feel ashamed of their parent’s behavior and often withdraw into their own fantasy world to escape reality. It is this self-doubt, confusion, fear and lack of consistency that leads children of alcoholics to develop addictive relationships of their own. They may become addicted to different objects or events than their addictive parent in an attempt to avoid becoming like that parent. The child of an alcoholic, for example, may not drink but develops an eating disorder instead. The inconsistency of an alcoholic mother or father makes family members feel unsafe and unsure of themselves.  Fear is driven deep into their hearts when they hear the sound of parents yelling and fighting. Children feel fear and may act out this fear in an unproductive way.  Children become unsure of the world around them because they don’t know when the emotional winds may change and the love and caring of the moment will be replaced by put-downs and insults. This creates a sense of dread inside the child. Adult children of alcoholics speak of a sense of doom that always seems to be following them around. They always feel like they are on the outside looking in. Sometimes this feeling gets worse when things are going well and the adult child of the alcoholic ends up believing that something bad is going to happen. Self-sabotage is common in adult children of alcoholics.  They fall in love and then talk themselves into believing that their partner doesn’t love them or is about to leave them.  This is the legacy of a dysfunctional childhood. 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. 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. 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. 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. Allergies are related to poor liver function which reduces the liver’s efficiency in cleansing the blood of toxins (such as antibodies and chemicals like alcohol.) Such toxins over stimulate the immune system causing it to pour out inflammatory chemicals.  Read Dr. Cabot’s book, The Liver Cleansing Diet.   The above comments have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.