Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 7/6/2009

Question
I was in college for a brief period of time, where I met two guys who quickly became very close friends of mine. When I dropped out a few months later, I distanced myself only to find myself missing them like crazy so we started to have get togethers on a regular basis. One of the guys, I’ll call him “John” asked me to come with him to the store to pick up some more food and drinks. While driving we began to talk about our lives and what we did in high school that we would do differently now. He told me that he started drinking heavily in high school and when he first entered college he was addicted to heroine and his family had sent him to rehab for a couple months. He told me that he didn’t tell any of his friends about what he used to do, and asked me to keep it between the two of us.

I was okay with it, until a few weeks later when his girlfriend of two years broke up with him suddenly. It sent John into this really depressing state where he would just tell everyone how much he hated life and himself. I quickly learned from him that he has been on and off depression meds for several years and stopped taking them recently because in his mind “none of them work”. I started calling him more, texting him too every chance I got. He was drinking heavily by then, my other guy friend told me stories of “John” wanting to stay in closets and crying himself to sleep. I began to really get scared, it seemed like every time I spoke to John he was drinking or trying to get rid of a hangover from a long night of drinking and more than once he shared stories of him waking up having no idea where he was.

A few nights ago I was driving home when John sent me a text telling me that he did something bad. I quickly asked him what he did. And he told me that he had started doing cocaine a few nights ago. I became angry, which I know I shouldn’t have, but he just upset me and I told him that he needs to deal with problems instead of trying to ignore it with drugs and alcohol and that he was only making things worse for himself. I begged him to get help.

As soon as I told him that he tried to end our conversation. I immediately started to apologize for the way I worded things, but he was still upset. He told me that there is no hope and there is no help out there for him and this is the only way he can deal.

I’m afraid that he’s going to die if he doesn’t stop with the excessive drug and alcohol abuse. I don’t know what to do, all I know is that he needs help. I never met his parents and have no way to get in contact with them. What do I do?

Answer
HI Britany,

This must be a very difficult situation you are in. Drug addiction is hard to treat, but it does not mean that he cannot be treated. I believe you van be of some help if you and your friend understand the underlying biochemistry of addiction. It is a physical disease that can be treated in most cases  by means of dietary changes.

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

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html

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

Self-help Personal Growth Psychotherapy at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/self-help_personal_growth.htm

Please ask your friend to be referred to a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychologist. He should also read my book "Getting off the Hook" which includes a psychotherapy course.

_______________________________________________
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