Alcoholism is an emotional disease coupled with a physical allergy to alcohol. Emotions that lead to alcohol dependency to alleviate emotional pain include anger, fear, resentment, self-pity, guilt, hopelessness, lost motivation and self-loathing. It’s the first drink that does the damage, not the 5th or the 6th drink that sets off the compulsion to satisfy and reward the Dopamine Neurotransmitter, the centre of satisfaction and reward in our brain.

The following irrational ideas contribute to the alcoholic picking up a drink in second Stage Recovery. Putting down the drink is easy, it’s staying stopped that’s difficult when alcoholics do not address their emotional issues.

  1. It is absolutely necessary to be loved and approved by all the important people in my life if I want to consider myself as worthwhile.
  2. It is unbearable when people and things are not the way I think they should be.
  3. My unhappiness is caused by external circumstances.
  4. I must always prove to others that I am a thoroughly confident person.
  5. Unless I constantly worry about a problem it will only get worse.
  6. It is easier to avoid certain life difficulties and responsibilities than it is to face them.
  7. It is reasonable to be dependent upon others who are stronger than I am.
  8. I should condemn everyone who acts unreasonably and unfairly to me and blame them for my stress.
  9. I should become quite upset over other people’s problems and do all I can to alleviate their worry.
  10. When people act unfairly or badly, they should be severely punished.

Irrational thinking is one of the hallmarks of addiction.

There is usually ample evidence that the alcoholic is on a downward slide but they fail to recognise this. Instead they will use all types of irrational thoughts to justify their behaviour. This means that the alcoholic will become willing to believe anything but the truth to justify their drinking.

They are in denial that alcohol is the reason for their suffering.  Their irrational mode of thinking can put them at odds with family and friends and in direct conflict with reality. Much of the suffering associated with alcoholism is due to the alcoholic’s inability to think rationally about anything.

The danger of irrational thinking in recovery is that it can lead back to the bottle. It will mean that the person will be at much greater risk of relapse. This is because they may not be able to think themselves out of trouble using logic. The aim of recovery is to learn to deal with life on life’s terms. If people refuse to face reality it will almost certainly lead to further suffering. The alcoholic’s irrational thinking can also lead to great suffering for family and friends. When the alcoholic continues to hold onto irrational thoughts and beliefs it can make prevent them making further progress in recovery. When alcoholics become stuck it leads to discomfort and they may react by relapsing or developing a dry drunk syndrome. This means that the alcoholic falls into other types of maladaptive behaviour such as workaholism, exercise addiction, gambling and food addiction.  Some alcoholics will make their own life miserable because of an inner dialogue that is overly critical and completely irrational.

The alcoholic needs support from people who understand the process of recovery from alcohol addiction. Learning to question and challenge their own thinking can help those who wish to avoid irrationality. They need to differentiate between what is fact and what is fiction.  Rational thinking involves being more objective about beliefs and opinions and being willing to discard them if there is a good reason to do so.

If the alcoholic finds that they are regularly coming into conflict with other people, it is sensible to at least consider the possibility that they might be the one at fault. The practice of Mindfulness Meditation is ideal for helping people examine their own thought processes. The more aware that people are of their inner world the less likely they will be to fall into irrational thinking. Keeping a journal can be a good way to keep track of thinking. It is common for journal keepers to look back at old entries and be surprised at what they once believed to be true. This teaches them to be less dogmatic in the future. It is a good idea for alcoholics to spend time with an addiction counsellor after they become sober. A specialist addiction counsellor is highly skilled at weeding out dangerous thinking.

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 we recommend Magnesium Complete as it  assists in the reduction of stress, nervous tension, anxiety and sleeplessness. For faster absorption take Magnesium Ultra Potent to quickly prevent or relieve muscle cramps at night.

L-Glutamine, which is provided in our Ultimate Gut Health Powder, 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.

LivaTone Plus to help the liver recover and Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C to assist the recovery process.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.