Brigitte Mars A.H.G - Addiction-Free Naturally: Liberating Yourself from Sugar, Caffeine, Food Addictions, Tobacco, Alcohol, and Prescription Drugs

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my editor, Lee Juvan, for seeing the need for this book, and to Nancy Ringer for her eagle-eyed attention to the text. Thanks to my beloved Tom Pfeiffer, who had to put up with me being a workaholic while writing and brought me lovely yerba mats to keep me going. Thank you to Matthew Becker for great talks and always having a sound answer to my many questions; and to Mindy Green, my dear friend, who lets me tap into her great stores of knowledge.

Contents

No other disease affects as many people as addiction. Current estimates suggest that addictions affect one-third of the population in the United States; thats one in three people who are addicted or are directly involved with an addict. Of course, when most of us hear the word addict, we think crack, or cocaine, or heroin, or any of the other horrifyingly addictive illegal street drugs weve been teaching our children to abhor. Certainly we dont think about, say, sugarand yet sugar is the most prevalent addictive substance in the world!

As a society were well schooled on what constitutes an addiction, as well as what does not. The United States war on drugs is not about getting office workers to ease back on coffee, though perhaps it should becaffeine has been linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, fibrocystic breast disease, cardiovascular disease, birth defects, and reproductive problems, and, as youve probably found out for yourself, its highly addictive. When our schoolchildren wear T-shirts emblazoned JUST SAY NO, theyre not talking about chocolatealthough it can stunt their growth and cause fatigue, hyperactivity, obesity, depression, acne, heartburn, and heart disease. And, yes, chocolate works just like an addictive drugit stimulates feel-good neurotransmitters, and when these effects wear off, it leaves us wanting more.

Addiction-FreeNaturally addresses what could be called societal addictions: the addictive substances that have wormed their way into the daily life of Western culture. Im not talking about smoking dope here; Im talking about that habitual morning cup of coffee, about cigarette breaks, about refined sugar being a major ingredient in just about every packaged food on the market. Addictions are endemic to our society. Some of us are fortunate enough to avoid them. Some of us know we have addictions, and we try time and time again to kick them. Others of us have simply yet to see the warning signs.

No substance is all good or all bad. As the old proverb says, The evil lies within the man, not the drug. Most addictive substances have significant and valuable applications. We know these uses, and we know the dangers inherent to them. If we ignore the dangers, we must take responsibility for our decisions. Addiction is our own self-made malaise. We have created it, and we are the only ones who can overcome it.

Having an addiction does not make you a bad or weak-willed person. Indeed, addictions are quite common; more people have them than not. Some addictions are a self-destructive response to life stressors. Others are a natural by-product of the society we live in. The important thingand often the most difficult thingis to realize and acknowledge an addiction. Once youve taken that first step, youre well on your way to beating it.

The Quest for Purity

Throughout history virtually every culture has devised some way of altering consciousness, whether it be through fermented fruit or grain, mushrooms, or tobacco. Alcohol, tobacco, and various other mind-bending substances were traditionally used for medicine, ceremony, and celebration. In past ages addiction was considered a mortal sin and was treated with ridicule, punishment, and even exorcism.

Are You Addicted?

1. Do you feel that you just dont want to stop indulging in a particular substancecaffeine, sugar, tobacco, alcoholright now, although you could at any time?
2. Have you ever tried to stop for a week but been unable to do so?
3. Do you resent the advice of others who express concern about your substance use?
4. Have you ever tried to control your addiction by switching to an alternative addictive substance? For instance, have you ever taken up smoking so that you could give up drinking?
5. Do you envy people who can indulge without getting into trouble?
6. Has your substance use created problems with friends and family?
7. Do you try to avoid family or friends when youre using your substance?
8. Have you lost relationships because of substance abuse?
9. Are your friendships determined by whether others indulge in the same substances as you?
10. Do you indulge in your substance alone?
11. Have you ever neglected your family or work for more than two days in a row due to substance abuse?
12. When substances are limited or unavailable at social events, do you try to obtain some anyway?
13. Have you missed time from work during the past year due to substance use?
14. Has your substance of choice stopped being fun to use?
15. When you are low on your substance, do you feel anxious or worried about how to get more?
16. Do you plan your life around your substance use?
17. Do you ever consume more of your particular substance than you intend to?
18. Are you consuming more than you used to in order to feel the same effects?
19. Do you consume as much as you can and feel reluctant to discard any leftovers?
20. Are you experiencing financial difficulty due to substance use?
21. Do you use your substance when you are disappointed, depressed, or going through a difficult time?
22. Does your substance use affect your sleep?
23. Has your sexual ability or desire suffered from your substance use?
24. Are you concerned that if you stop using, you will lack energy, motivation, confidence, or the ability to relax?
25. Do you use your substance repeatedly to sleep or stay awake?
26. Do you ever lie to others about how much or how often you consume your particular substance?
27. Have you ever stolen money or goods to support your habit?
28. Have you lost a job because of substance use?
29. Do you ever regret the way you behaved while you were on a substance-use high?
30. Do you experience irritability, headaches, or tremors when you have not consumed your particular substance for a while?
31. Have you ever passed out from substance use?
32. Have you ever felt your life would be more productive if you were not indulging in that particular substance?
33. Have you become more irritable and difficult to get along with?
34. Is your pattern of use potentially dangerous? (This can be true even in cases where substance consumption is neither frequent nor excessive.)
35. Do you lack self-control in deciding whether or not to consume your particular substance?