Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 7/2/2007

Question
Fred is an alcoholic and substance abuser severe, Hospitalized 5 time in less than 3 months. He lies, manipulates. Extremely intelligent and handsome. He is 23 yrs. old. Bombed out of Army. Succeeded top of class in Infantry Training. Alcohol and Drugs anti anxiety meds now meth as a result of hospitalizations. Able to manipulate and lie to the psychologist. They write him scripts even after week of in patient and background into I give them. I believe he is a narcissistic personality disorder. He loves his looks. He creates a fantasy of how his live should be going, college student, finacially secure. Wants to live in a world of dreams and desire and believes he is there living it every day. Has been hospitalized 5 time in less than 3 months. I am afraid he will die. He is presently in a detox unit. He needs long term care. He is in denial of his addictions. He is physically going down from alcohol and drugs. He lies so  badly no one can figure out the truth. He lost all of his friends and family he has been homeless. Always persuades someone he is what he is not with his charm, good looks and intelligence. I fear for his life. He has lost touch with reality. His Mom

Answer
Hello Marlene,

My heart goes out to you, because alcoholism in the family can not only destroy the victim but the rest of the family as well. We know that alcoholics can be manipulators par excellence. They cannot help it, because they have no control over their addiction and have no idea why.

Most professionals regard alcoholism primarily as a "psychological" disorder, and this may well be the reason why the success rate in treatment is so poor.

Once you start to understand that alcoholism is a physical disease, like any other disease, treatment becomes more successful. The trouble is that most doctors and psychologists are in denial about the connection between alcoholism and hypoglycemia, so, they keep on barking up the wrong tree.

Of course your son must WANT to get off drugs, because without his motivation there is little we can do.

Perhaps the program

Values Clarification course at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/psychotherapy/values_clarification.html

may help to to understand his motivation.

Most alcoholics are found to be hypoglycemic - a condition that may have existed prior to drinking - and so the first step in treatment is going on a hypoglycemic diet.

We also have a

Self-help PSYCHOTHERAPY course at;
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/i-psychotherapy.html

His innate intelligence will stand him in good stead, for it is possible to help himself in most cases. I also suggest he read my book Getting off the Hook in full. It is freely available on the internet.

Please read:

Drug Addiction is  Nutritional Disorder at:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/clinutrition/messages/?msg=183.1

_______________________________________________
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