Using Naturopathy for Alcohol De-Addiction

In the recent years, there has been a significant increase not just in alcohol consumption, but also in alcohol abuse and addiction. Health experts opine there are several reasons for this increase. Increased stress, more disposable income, peer pressure and attractive advertisements that the younger generation can identify with are some of the reasons for increase consumption, abuse and addiction.

Who is an Alcohol Addict?

Your health care provider will often tell you to refrain from consuming alcohol. This is because alcohol can adversely affect the liver and other organs of the body. However, if you are an occasional drinker, you can’t be labelled as an alcoholic.

An alcoholic is one who can’t resist indulging in alcohol even after knowing and experiencing the harmful effects of alcohol. For such a person, it is important to enter an alcohol de-addiction programme. Such a programme is important not just to save the person’s liver, but also their work, personal and professional relationships and financial wellbeing.

Alcohol De-Addiction

There are many different ways to treat and deal with alcoholism. The regular method is using a combination of counselling and medications. This helps the person quit the habit and deal with withdrawal symptoms and relapse, if any.

However, there is one alcohol de-addiction approach that is fast gaining popularity in India and that is using naturopathy. This holistic approach not only helps a person give up the habit, it also focuses on dealing with the actual cause of the addiction.

Naturopathy for Alcoholism

Naturopathy uses a combination of treatments to help a person overcome the addition. This approach does not use medications and hence, there are no side effects. Some of the interventions used are as follows:

• Diet: The diet begins with detoxification of the body by increasing consumption of water (warm), fresh vegetable juices and aloe vera juice. Thereafter, the person has to eat more complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, vegetables and fruits to increase serotonin levels in the brain to calm the mind. Usually, the person is asked to refrain from eating fried and spicy foods and meats.
• Hydrotherapy: Bathing 2 to 3 times a day with cold water helps to rejuvenate the body. In case the person suffers from withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, the naturopath will recommend taking bath with water that is the same temperature as the body.
• Mud Pack: The naturopath will use a cold mud pack, which is placed on the forehead or lower back, to help the person calm down and sleep better at nights.
• Massage: Massage therapy is an integral part of naturopathy to treat alcoholism. Usually a full body massage is recommended to relax the mind and ensure sound sleep.
• Meditation and Yoga: The naturopath will teach the person certain asanas and breathing techniques to resist temptation. In addition, he would be advised to meditate to calm the mind, especially when the person gets the urge to drink. Yoga should be done in fresh air to increase oxygen in the body and also to facilitate release of feel-good hormone – endorphins.

When a person is receiving naturopathy for alcoholism, it is imperative he or she is kept away from alcohol and is under constant supervision. All these approaches are coupled with counselling to help the person battle alcohol addiction.

Finding a Naturopath

If you or a loved one is battling alcoholism, you need a naturopath who understands your problem and can customise the treatment to suit your needs. This is can be difficult if you don’t have the right resources.

Chikitsa.com is your one-stop health care search tool that can put you in touch with health care practitioners across the country. You can search for the right doctor, allopath or naturopath, using different search parameters, such as specialisation, location, doctor’s name, condition or procedure. And, if you can’t find a doctor, you also can give your contact details and Chikitsa.com will email the names of doctors to you. If that is not enough, this site also has the Ask the Doctor feature that lets you pose a question about healthcare and you receive an answer from a qualified and experienced doctor.

Don’t let alcohol ruin your life. Instead seek the right treatment and get your life back!