The Brain Fix: Understanding Process and Cross Addictions

Ralph E. Carson, PhD, RD

The foundation of healing and health maintenance is homeostasis or balance. Moderation and balance wears thin in the minds of those who suffer from addiction because they are driven towards instant gratification and if something works, more is better. Yet the human body does not operate on extremes. There is neither good (HDL) nor bad (LDL) cholesterol, both serve a useful purpose. Antioxidants are beneficial, but pro-oxidants also are beneficial. We quickly reach for anti-inflammatories, but we would not heal if there were not an inflammatory process. The brain too operates on the principle of balance referred to as allostasis. Mankind is wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Our drives are such that if we have an unpleasant experience we instinctively seek out a pleasurable one. If we are overwhelmed with stress, anxiety or depression, the brain may seek self-medication and relief with alcohol and drugs.

Abstain from the drug and humans will cross addict, seeking alternatives to compensate for the void. Few addicts (13%) indicate that they have only one addiction present. Addictions coexist, interact, reinforce and become part of one another. Sustained recovery effectively addresses all the addictions present. The universal substitutes that many recovering addicts revert to are food and sex. These are basic human drives necessary for survival. Yet, they can also develop into destructive behaviors that fit the criteria of addiction and abuse.

There is a great deal of confusion in treatment programs over the concept of a food or sex addiction. Many emotions and behaviors are tied into an addict’s relationship with these. While there is little scientific evidence that one is addicted to sugar or white flour, the possibility of addiction to the sensory aspects can be explored.

Ralph Carson, R.D. B.S., B.H.S., Ph.D., is a nationally recognized clinical nutritionist and exercise physiologist. Dr. Carson is a frequently requested speaker on a variety of nutritional topics for medical groups, pharmaceutical companies, universities, athletic training camps and corporations. He has a successful clinical practice as well as being a faculty member of the University of Alabama at Huntsville for over 20 years. Dr. Carson is also a nutritional advisor to numerous university athletic departments including the University of Tennessee National Basketball Champion Lady Volunteers. Dr. Carson received his B.S. from Duke University, his B.H.S. in pathology (Cum Laude) from Duke University Medical School, and his Ph.D. in nutrition (Phi Kappa Phi) from Auburn University. Dr. Carson currently manages Oprah Winfrey’s web page on eating disorders and is the consultant for Pine Grove’s eating disorder program, The Women’s Center.

Visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/ or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.

Treating Addictions and Eating Disorders Together

All of the disorders of eating (compulsive overeating, compulsive under eating or anorexia, binging and purging) have much in common with addiction. Brain imaging shows problems for both in the mesolimbic structures deep inside the brain, family histories of eating disordered patients frequently reveal addictions somewhere, and many of the psychological elements of denial, craving, tolerance, and relapse are the same. Experienced addiction therapists say that many, if not most, women with addictions also show disordered eating at some point. Are there differences? Of course, but it’s in the common elements that our strength can be found. Each woman, indeed, each human being on this earth, is unique, yet we all share certain challenges and issues. Unity and diversity are not mutually exclusive, and who would argue that we need all the help we can get in dealing with illnesses as troublesome as these?

Besides the issues related to diagnosis, many women with addictions and eating disorders are depressed or have other untreated medical problems, many have been psychologically, sexually, or physically abused and traumatized, and many are anxious and unempowered, with no idea how to go about changing these things. At Pine Grove Women’s Center, we know that your time here is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of recovery. However, we also know that if we don’t help you set up some signposts now, you will be at risk for losing your way in the future.

Visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/ or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.