Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 9/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: My brother, who has been a very heavy drinker for all of his adult life (he's 42), has for the past year, been convinced that a girl he used to work with has put a curse on him. He is unable to sleep at night, he says she can punch him in the face constantly, she can read his every move and has something to say about it, goes wild in his head when he meets another girl, and she can make him sick to his stomach. He doesn't even work with her anymore or see her. He also goes to the bar on his days off of work for 8-10 hours. Surprisingly, he can still hold on to his job. He has talked to every curse remover, star gazer, witch craft person and is spending thousands on what he hopes will remove the curse. I have thought all along that this may be delusions or hallucinations associated with alcohol. The problem is he hasn't stopped drinking long enough for it to be associated with detoxing. When I have brought it up in the past to him, he refuses for it to be anything but the curse so will not get help for this problem. He was told by one of the psychics that if he brings this up to a doctor, it will forever be on his medical record. What course do I take? Could this be associated with alcohol and does this mean it's way past any treatment options?

ANSWER: HI Vicki,

I believe on the information given that your brother may have reached the alcoholic psychosis which includes hallucination and delusions. He is seriously ill. I think he needs urgent medical treatment and should go on a detoxification program under the supervision of doctors. It is of course difficult if your brother is not motivated, because little can be done without his personal motivation. Alcoholics can be helped with therapy that combines biology and psychology. Please read:

Why Alcoholics Drink? at
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/WAD.html

Alcoholism (Addiction) is a Treatable Disease at:
http://curezone.com/upload/PDF/Articles/jurplesman/alcoholism_treatable.pdf

Please discuss with a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or Nutritional Psychologist.

Then read:

Summary of Self-help Pyschotherapy at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/self-help_personal_growth.html#PSYCHOTHE

in its entirety from beginning to end. It includes a program showing you how to overcome a negative self-image, and assertiveness training program, communication course and values clarification course.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychologist
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Is there a record of anyone having this type of psychosis? I ended up taking him to the emergency room yesterday as he is really lost. If I can show him that someone with these similar thoughts was helped with medication, it may help. He now says the voices are telling him to move to the West Coast (6 states away) and then they'll remove the curse. He's doing that in 4 days. He still won't accept treatment.

Answer
For more information about alcoholic psychosis see:

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENAU240&q=alcoholic+psy

Talk to a doctor. Maybe he has to be scheduled for a while for proper treatment. Discuss with a doctor.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman