Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 1/31/2010

Question
I am a 16 year old girl and my boyfriend and i have been going out for just over a year. My boyfriend was heavily smoking cannabis before I met him, he never smoked it when he was around me and he cut down when we started to go out. he told me his reasons for starting was because it made him forget about everything like the stress from school and being upset over his parents divorce. he moved to another part of the country which is about a 9 hour bus journey away from me and his mum used to be an alcoholic has started drinking again. he quit smoking completely for about a month in September but then he told me around November time he hadn't quit and he needed to smoke because his mums drinking problem upset him and she wouldn't get help so he felt helpless. i don't see him often because of the distance so the last time i seen him (around Christmas) he told me he'd quit because it wasn't fair him making me quit and him carrying on smoking so he'd quit too. but tonight he's only after telling me that every night for the past few weeks hes been stoned so he can take his mind off his mum drinking. he told me he needs help and i told him that I'm here for him and i will support him all the way but i don't have a clue how to help or support him. what should i do???

Answer
HI Ashley,

This is a very difficult situation. You have to understand that people addicted to substances cannot give up and do not stop being addictive. This is due to an underlying metabolic disorder that needs to be treated before considering any others "psychological" issues. In other words being addicted to substance - alcohol or marijuana - is due to a disease that needs to be treated. Furthermore as can be seen in the case of your boyfriend there is also a faulty gene involved, which may run in the family. But genes can be beaten. If you want to understand the biochemical nature of addiction please read:

Why Addiction to Marijuana?at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/addiction.html

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

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

The first step in treatment is going on a hypoglycemic diet. If problems persist, it is best to consult a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychologist.
Use our "Search our Web Site" for more information on terms entered into the search engine.

The person can only help himself if he/she is truly motivated to do so. If not, there is little we can do.

_______________________________________________
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