Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 2/19/2008

Question
I've been involved with a man for the past 4 years and he is an alcoholic. I've lived with him off and on the past 4 years. I keep going back because I love him and when he is not drinking he is very kind and loving. Sometimes when he is drunk he will become angry with me and have at times hit me or most recently pushed me from behind so hard that I fell into a wall, leaving my face bloody and a cracked rib. He became angry because I was trying to leave, he was trying to make me stay.
Last summer I left him and was finally getting my life back together and he called and pleaded with me to meet him for coffee so we could talk. I did and he talked about how his life was crumbling, how he was drinking more since I left and woke up in the middle of the night shaking. He swore if I would come back he would totally quit drinking. I believed him and he said he didn't need to go to AA, he said he could do it alone. I think he went a few weeks but led me to belive he had gone almost 4 months. I recently found out he had been sneaking drinking for a long time. Maybe not every night and not the quantity he had drank before but he also became more irritable.
My question is what should I do. I do love this man very deeply and my heart is broken. I love him enough to do what I can. I do believe that deep down he does want to quit but he's been a heavy drinker since age 25 and he is now 51. Is there any hope or should I refuse all contact with him when he calls me. I believe he will call because he always has in the past.

Answer
Hi Paula,

I can see this is a difficult situation. Alcoholism is difficult to treat, because it is basically a physiological disease rather than a "mental" illness.
Most addicts are hypoglycemic. So if he want to  help himself he should fully understand the underlying biochemical mechanism of the illness. Most alcoholics are hypoglycemic that can be tested by

The Nutrition-Behavior Inventory Questionnaire (NBI) at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/nutrition-behavior_inventory.html
and the

The Hypo Quizz at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.org/hypo_test.asp

If he scores high he is likely to be hypoglycemic. Thus the first step is going on a hypoglycemic  diet.

Therefore he is hypoglycemic that can cause alcoholism

Please read:

What is Hypoglycemia at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

The Serotonin Connection at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.html

Drug Addiction is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/drug_addictions_nutritional_disorder.htm...

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

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

Connection between Depression, Addiction and Hypoglycemia
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/addiction_and_hypoglycemia.html

It is also worthwhile to read my book Getting off the Hook which is freely available on the internet at Google Book Search.

You should also study the psychotherapy course at our web site. This shows you how to handle your partner.

I hope I have been of some help.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search