You can’t do it on your own.   Alcoholics, who suddenly stop drinking but do nothing else to change their attitude, inevitably fail. It’s the old saying: fail to plan and you plan to fail. Brain chemistry is part of the jigsaw puzzle in the journey to long term sobriety. Detox Centers, Health Retreats and a myriad of self-help, expensive rehabs around the world, will embellish their “successful” statistics.  Some people “get it” but most alcoholics struggle with life and find it near impossible to accept life on life’s terms. I often use the word HALT as an alert for alcoholics to be proactive rather than reactive to life’s challenges, disappointments, dramas and disasters. Don’t get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Any of these feelings can often trigger a relapse. Another factor is relationships. Be careful and don’t enter into a new relationship, especially with another newly sober person. That’s a recipe for disaster.  Many rehab participants re-enter society glued to someone they met in the rehab center and before they know it, they are back slurping the poison. Another factor to consider is financial.  Many recovered alcoholics will swap their addiction and go on a shopping spree and end up with a spiralling debt they cannot repay.   Next thing you know, they are back slurping the poison to ward off unwanted feelings of despair and overwhelming feelings of self-hatred. Hunger can trigger a relapse by swapping alcohol for sugar and carbs. If they are a smoker, their nicotine habits increase along with their psychological yearning for something to ingest to make them feel better. Other compulsive behaviors like gambling, sex, eating and shopping weaken their defenses against a relapse. Alcoholics are very good at shifting the blame.  If you can find someone or something else to blame for your problems, past or present, you aren’t putting the responsibility for your life where it belongs: in your own lap. By relinquishing your responsibility to deal with your life, you return to the irresponsible behavior of addiction. The next step is to return to addiction itself. Remembering the old days – otherwise known as “romancing the days when alcohol was not a problem” or so they thought, can lead alcoholics back to the poison.  “It wasn’t that bad” or “I could always control it” are statements made prior to picking up a drink after a period of sobriety. When life gets tough the alcoholic resumes to the comfort of the bottle. Putting a shine on the bad old days “hey, remember that time when we all got loaded and …………?” can make them suddenly seem like good old days. Don’t dwell on the past or you will dwell in it. If someone else tries to romanticize your drinking days, put on the brakes with your own memories: “Yeah, and you vomited all over yourself and your date.” If you are the one who starts romancing, bring yourself up quickly and remember your last drink. To help you in your early days of recovery, I recommend amino acids to help balance brain chemistry and a good liver tonic to help repair liver damage. Specific amino acids are essential for the liver to breakdown toxins and drugs and also for efficient metabolism in the liver. l-Glutamine. This amino acid is required for phase two detoxification in the liver and is required in increased amounts by those who consume excessive alcohol. It is able to reduce the craving for alcohol. l-Glutamine supplementation is helpful for intestinal disorders such as peptic ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut is the term used to describe an inflamed condition of the lining of the bowel, which makes the bowel too permeable, so that toxins and incompletely digested food particles can be absorbed from the bowels directly into the liver. This increases the workload of the liver and may cause many health problems. l-Glutamine is essential for the white cells to fight viruses such as hepatitis B and C. Glutamine is converted in the body into glutamic acid, which, along with the amino acids cysteine and glycine, is converted into the powerful liver protector glutathione. Glutathione is essential for liver phase two conjugation reactions used during detoxification of drugs and toxic chemicals. Glutamine can be found in our Ultimate Gut Health Powder. Livatone is a natural liver tonic containing the liver herbs St Mary’s Thistle, Globe Artichoke and Dandelion, combined with the amino acid Taurine, and Lecithin. It also contains natural sources of Chlorophyll, Carotenoids and fiber. It is available in both capsule and powder form. The liver is the main fat burning organ in the body and regulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A healthy liver will take fat in the form of cholesterol and pump it via the bile into the intestines where it will be carried away in the bowel actions provided the diet is high in fiber. Tyrosine Mood Food – Tyrosine is a natural amino acid – one of the building blocks of protein.  It is required for the manufacture of the brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) dopamine and noradrenaline.  These neurotransmitters are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood. Magnesium – the great relaxer. Magnesium plays an essential role in maintaining and promoting efficient muscle function and nerve transmission. Magnesium is a vital mineral for hundreds of cellular enzymes involved in the body’s energy production and metabolism. It is required by the nervous system to regulate the function of nerves and muscles. Magnesium may also assist in the reduction of stress, nervous tension, anxiety and sleeplessness.   The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.