Drug and alcohol addiction are complex diseases that fundamentally alter how the brain functions.
These changes foster compulsive drug and/or alcohol abuse, making quitting extremely difficult, even for those who are ready to do so.
However, neuroscience has uncovered how addiction works. This has allowed us to develop an alternative therapy for addiction that uses amino acids in recovery.
Amino Acid Therapy and Recovery – An Alternative Therapy for Addiction
Amino acid therapy can help in the recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and provide an alternative therapy for addiction because it can help the brain restore proper neurotransmitter function. Drugs and alcohol disrupt the way nerves cells send, received and process information. Nerves send signals using chemicals called neurotransmitters; drugs and alcohol can disrupt how these neurotransmitters function in at least two ways: (a) by imitating one or more neurotransmitters and (2) by overstimulating the reward circuit (i.e., dopamine) of the brain.
Some drugs, including marijuana and heroin, have a similar structure to certain neurotransmitters. This allows these drugs to fool the brain into thinking there is more of the neurotransmitter than there actually is, which activates nerve cells inappropriately and causes abnormal messages to be sent.
Other drugs, like cocaine, “speed” or methamphetamine, cause the nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of neurotransmitter (especially dopamine) and/or prevent the normal recycling of neurotransmitters. The end result is a brain that is flooded with dopamine. Dopamine controls the reward circuits of the brain; it is the over expression of dopamine that creates the euphoric effects of these drugs.
As a person continues to abuse drugs and alcohol, the brain adapts to the surges of dopamine. The result is a dampening of dopamine’s impact on the reward system, which reduces a person’s ability to enjoy not only the drugs, but also other events in life that previously brought pleasure. This decrease in the sensation of pleasure is what compels an addicted person to continue to use drugs and alcohol, as well engage in other over-stimulating behaviors (such as gambling, high-risk activities, sex, etc.).
Properly applied amino acid therapy can help reestablish neurotransmitter balance in a brain that has been adversely affected by drugs and/or alcohol. The exact blend of amino acids (and other nutrients) will be different for each person, but a practitioner skilled in the use of amino acid therapy can help guide the recovery process and optimize neurotransmitter function as quickly as possible.
For more information:
https://amino-acid-therapy.com/
https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/addiction-science
