Table of Contents
Natural Remedies to Cure Addiction
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Natural Remedies to Cure Addiction
DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
1 YEA
[YEA] 05/02/2009: Jake from Middletown, New York writes: "Help to stop drinking: I have had difficulty with alcohol consumption for years, did not drink every day but when I did I did to excess.Then a friend sugessted 5-HTP which has greatly reduced my desire to drink and when I do I have a few and just get that feel that I dont want any more.I take 200mg 5-HTP at bedtime and 100mg in morning both on empty stomach. I now sleep great feel, calm and just drink socially now like those without drinking issues."
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2 YEA
[YEA] 12/30/2006: Brenda from Atlanta, GA writes: "Ice was to me what crack is to a crack head. Sometimes by the biggest bowls i could find for breakfast, lunch and dinner especially close to that time of the month. My Icemaker could not make it fast enough for me. Doctor said fibroids, anemia, pica I heard a DJ talking to a doctor about ACV so I went out and bought it for other reasons they discussed. I had recomended dose on bottle late Christmas Eve. I later noticed I was not hungry so I went to bed. On Christmas Day I had it 3x as recommended. I realized that I had been home all day long and I had no cravings for ice, not one ice cube. Unheard of. As of today 6 days and no ice cravings I am dumbfounded. A few days on ACV and a nasty habit of the last 2-3yrs gone. Would not have believe had I not experience this for myself. I have added the Blackstrap molasses and I am curious to see what will happen as my cycle approaches as I am heavy bleeder and have to change every 2 hours for at least 2 of the 4 days. I don't remember how I found this site but I am glad I did."
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[YEA] Toma from Chicago, IL writes: "I advised my friend to take ACV for losing weight. She said that she didn't have any good results in losing weight, but since starting drinking it, she hasn't been enjoying smoking that much : smoking causes unpleasant taste in the mouth."
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09/03/2009: Bella from Toronto, On writes: "Hello, Some time ago I read here, at Earth Clinic about a book on how to move on from an addicted relationship. The problem is that my daughter is strongly attracted/addicted to a person who actually does not want any serious relationships with her. She understands the situation but unfortunately she cannot move on and letting go of unhealthy relationships. Thank you!"
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10/21/2009: Phil from Dearing, Ga writes: "Hello to all. I have been asked by a friend if there are any natural remedies for co-dependancy. It seems as though a family member of hers, has a un-healthy realationship with a sibling. No matter what this child does and no matter how much trouble he may get into, she always bails him out.
I guess this is a form of addiction and I did check out the addiction page, but was wondering if EC would start a new page for CO-DEPENDANCY to draw attention to the subject.There is not much info when you google it as far as herbs, vitamins or minerials as treatments.
So if anyone has any suggestion, Ted or Joyce it will be greatly appreciated!
Thank You"
EC: Hi Phil, for now we're going to keep this one on the addiction page!
10/23/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California replies: "To Phil from Dearing, GA:Homeopathic medicine (a specific discipline) deals with psychological problems as well as physical. It's not an easy learn, and usually takes a person trained in the discipline to diagnose and treat specifics. If you have a health food store or herb shop in town, they may be able to point you in the right direction. If not, back to the computer....
Peace, Sharik"
10/23/2009: Eve K from Houston, Tx replies: "I would look into Bach's flower remedies.... There are books available to help you narrow down your remedies, as well as info on the web. The descriptions can be vague but you will probably find one or two that seem to hit home....they are usually available at health food stores. The biggest "health food" store chain also has a coupon going for $3 off (last time I checked--the website for this coupon is mambo sprouts)...I have personally had alot of success with Bach's flower remedies for emotional/psychological issues so I hope this helps.
Good luck."
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07/03/2009: Dave from Friend, Ne writes: "I take cymbalta and I cant stand the side effects when I try to quit. PLEASE HELP!"
EC: Cymbalta is a prescription medication used for depression, generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.
07/04/2009: Renee from Seattle, WA replies: "Dave - You don't say why you are taking Cymbalta or what symptoms you have, but I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and describe my situation in hopes that it helps you. I've suffered from depression on and off for over 20 years. I've taken some depression meds without success, seen several doctors without success.
What I have come to realize is that depression is a symptom caused or related to many other problems and I and my allopathic doctors have been trying to treat a symptom and not the root cause. In other words, depression is my body's way of telling me that there is something wrong and using meds or counseling to get happy will never resolve the underlying issue.
Note that I have only recently come to this conclusion and mostly because of the brave people on EarthClinic. I've found that their descriptions of their issues are similar to mine and have helped me to narrow down the cause of my depression, hypothyroidism. Which I have suspected for years.
So what does this mean? Am I saying that you have a hypothyroid issue? No. Am I saying that you should become a hypochondriac and assume that every illness is causing your depression? No.
What I am saying is take a step back from the depression issues and look at your entire body. Ask yourself, what else is going on that you might have ignored or brushed off? What do you recognize about yourself in the symptoms described by someone else? Is there something familiar for you?
For me, the symptoms of hypothyroidism stood out like a sore thumb when reading other people's experience. I found myself saying, wow, I feel like that too, but had forgotten about it, had just accepted that experience of myself or more importantly, failed to realize how connected all of the symptoms and the body's organs and functions are to each other. I will never look at an illness symptom in the same way ever again.
Now I'm going to get those levels checked out and have been trying to address some of the underlying issues of hypothyroidism (iodine deficiency, etc.)
What's funny about me going down this path and looking into thyroid issues, is that I came to EarthClinic to learn more about Apple Cider Vinegar and it's effectiveness for weight loss and acne, not depression or thyroid issues. I didn't make the mental connection that weight gain is caused/related to an underactive thyroid until I got to EarthClinic. When I read other people's symptoms related to iodine deficiency, it all clicked for me because it was like someone was describing my daily experience. Intuitively, I knew all along, but needed that confirmation. With additional research, I now know exactly what I need to do and what I need to ask for from my doctor or what I need to do on my own to resolve this.
So be patient, listen and trust yourself. Every day, your body is trying to tell you what is wrong and what it needs. You have to be open to receiving and acknowledging the messages.
Hope this helps."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 11/24/2007: Sandy from In the sticks, Nevada writes: "EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) freed me from an addiction to Coca Cola. EFT is a simple technique that can help with pain, addictions, fears, grief, and many other problems. If you google "Gary Craig" and "EFT" you will be able to learn more about it. Gary has the information you need to learn EFT for free on his site."
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1 YEA
07/22/2009: Ted from Bangkok, Thailand writes: "Over the past weeks I have been looking over the use of hydrogen peroxide to stop alcohol addiction and drug abuse addiction. The remedy is a straightforward one, a 3% H2O2 food grade one capful is added into an ordinary drinking water. Use this as a normal drinking water. If a person happens to be drinking wine, beer, liquor, the body will immediately reject it and tries to detoxify it, causing nausea, or vomiting when they take it. The body may also reject certain drug meds, such as birth control pills, cocaine, for example in a few cases. So if the drinking water with hydrogen peroxide is taken at one glass is taken within one hour, the effects is even more stronger and will encourage people to quit the alcohol use.
Ted"
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[YEA] 09/25/2007: Anonymous writes: "Just wanted to let you know that I started the H202, treatments tonight. I have been told that I have COPD. I have so many medicines around the house it is depressing. But this is about my ears. Since March I have been dealing with a hyper sensitivity to sound, smells etc. This manifested itself in the form of my entire body vibrating in response to noise. After days of the vibrating for 24 hrs a day for 6 days I was on the edge of sanity. I thought I was reacting to an external source, like a generator or something like that. I met with some friends and I was telling them about what was happening. One of them asked if I might have an inner ear infection. WOW, I never would have guess that. As it turns out, I do have an infection in the left ear canal. I was trying to find something on vibrating when I saw something on HP. I went to your site and read most of the responses. I was in such bad shape and I couldn't get in to see the doctor and no money for an emergency room visit, so, I decided to "go for it".
First I created a bowl of water, mixed 3%, over the counter peroxide in, then I used the cap to pour it up my nose. It burned since I didn't have distilled water at that time. Using the distilled water won't sting. Within 5 mins. the vibrations had stopped. I was able to breathe through my left nostril for the first time in months. Then I pored some in my left ear. I experienced vertigo, never had that before. But, it did tell me I was dealing with an ear infection. The vibrations stopped. It has been 24 hrs since I started the treatments. When the vibrating starts, I know it's time for another dose.
I also created the spray for my throat and added some to my water. It is amazing how much clearer my airways are. I can also see a very small improvement in my vision. I've been told that I need cataract surgery. Hopefully all of this will help that clear up some too. And! I have had a hugh reduction in my desire for a cigarette. I've smoked 15 cigs. today, whereas I normally smoke 2 packs. I just haven't wanted one. Amazing. I believe the infection is coming from a tooth, so I've also started rising my mouth with HP. At least it is giving me some relief until I can get to the doctor. I will continue use and I will keep you posted. I'm also passing your web address to family and friends. Hopefully they will check you out. Thank you so much for your site and I am so grateful for all the people who have taken the time to share the experiences."
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L-GLUTAMINE FOR ALCOHOL ADDICTION
[YEA] 09/18/2007: Stephanie from Chicago, IL writes: "Most "alcoholics" don't realize their addiction is chemical and a direct result of being "hypoglycemic". The addiction to the alcohol is so strong because their blood-sugar level drops so severely and gets replenished so quickly with alcohol--because of the high sugar content. In other words, it's not your fault! This is the answer, if you are trying to cut back on your alcohol intake or go "cold turkey", just buy a bottle of "L- Glutamine" and take one every time you have a craving for alcohol. "Glutamine is an amino acid that your brain can use as an emergency substitute fuel when you haven't eaten recently or have been eating too many carbs and your blood sugar level is too low. This is a glucose stand-in that stops the impulse to run to the candy machine when it's low blood sugar time. L-Glutamine can stop your cravings and get you feeling steady and even within ten minutes." Julia Ross, from The Mood Cure-awesome book. I'm telling you, it works, now go help yourself!"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 03/27/2008: Danielle from Florida, U.S.A. writes: "I used licorice to aid in replacing the habit of smoking. Not only did this give my hands and mouth something to do. It relieved stress. Anytime I felt the urge to smoke, I chewed on a piece of licorice. The closer to the real thing the better, steer clear of the sugar laden sort, so check the labels!!"
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3 YEA
[YEA] 01/05/2009: Leighroy from Stockport, Cheshire writes: "Having spent the whole of the festive period wallowing in my own self pity due to a severe case of the flu, which I shared with the rest of my family, I was fortunate to find your website in the search for a remedy for my affliction.
I became engrossed in reading at least 10 pages of post's relating to "oil pulling" and its benefits. Being probably as sceptical as most are when they told that a tablespoon of oil swilled in the mouth for 15 minutes could change your life. I decided that I had nothing to lose and that I might even benefit.
Wooooooooow!!! the following day, my fever had subsided leaving me with just the "snotty congested remnants" of the flu - I kept an open mind as I had consumed several cloves of garlic that night and had enough "flu remedy tablets" to put a whale to sleep. The following day however I felt optomistic about the whole affair and pre breakfast treated myself to another bout of OP.
THe reason for my post is to give a huge thumbs up for the benefits of this treament which if nothing else has boosted my enthusiasm for life. More importantly I gave up smoking after my second treatment due to the fact that the taste of the tobacco was no longer pleasant. I have managed to remain a non smoker for the last seven days which is the longest I have been without tobacco for 27 years. Prior to OP I had absolutely no inclination to quit and rather enjoyed it smoking at least 10-15 per day.
I am in no way saying that OP will make you stop smoking .......but for at least 7 days it has been the driving force behind my new found love of fresh air. Each morning I use 1 tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil as I cant seem to source sesame. I swish for 20 minutes before rinsing out with a solution of 1tps rock salt/1tps bi carb soda and 8 oz water taking care to lightly brush everywhere.
As such I would recommend OP to everyone and have done so. I would be interested to know if there are any other documented cases where OP has directly contributed to a smoker giving up. Thanks again and yes my teeth are whiter but that may just be the absence of tobacco. I have also found that I need less caffein and have hardly touched alcohol but again this may be due to the flu residue or just the fact that sub conciously I am making a real effort to stay healthy.
Whatever.... OP for life"
EC: More on oil pulling here: http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_pulling.html
[YEA] 04/01/2009: Ken from Philadelphia, PA replies: "Yes! it worked for me. 1 tbsp of sesame oil each morning. It absolutely clears all cravings for things you don't want to do, except spurred on by bad choice of food, hence watch your food at least for two weeks, that is if you really want to/ (just) 'want' to quit smoking/ addiction. Because oil pulling does 3/4 of the work. The only problem i encountered was the thought of cigarettes, especially when i see others smoke. In my thinking thats an iota of the real struggle people lament about in dealing with old habits.
You see this was even the first time i tried to quit and it made it feel so easy. In short, i think oil pulling corrects abnormalities in your body and makes you normal. Big two thumbs! up to Earth clinic. I don't know what the big companies are really doing, when the amazing medications lie in the very simple things of life. Thank you for your service on behalf of the world."
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[YEA] 02/06/2008: Tina Fina from San Juan, Puerto Rico writes: "Hola! My name is Tina. I've been a fashion model for years, a smoking fashion model, that has quit drinking alcohol but hasn't dropped the cigs. I did the oil pulling for the first time with E.Virgin Olive Oil and whoever came up with this' technique is a genius! I did it for 20 minutes no problem (tasted the nicotine and the toxins emerging) It is imposible to take one drag off a cig all day. I keep tasting the nicotine coming out! I think i've found the ultimate solution! Can't wait to share it with my family and friends ! Thank you ARYUVEDA and DEIRDRE! GREAT SITE *MY FAVORITE! T."
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2 YEA
1 QUESTION
[YEA] 06/15/2009: Linda from Orange City, Fl writes: "I have been using Neem Tree leaf, bark, and oil for about 3 months. The oil of the seeds is not for human consumption, but used externally or mixed as pesticide. But I wanted to report my use of the leaves and bark. I order my supplies from ____, their price is very cheap compared to the health food store, and other sites on line. I get the loose leafs, and ground bark by the pound and make my on capsules of the size 00 (I buy them from the health food store) and took 2, two times a day, and also made my bark capsules and did the same 2, two times a day, and drink a lot of water. (Do the tea after you do the three weeks of capsules) Do tea for only one week. Well they gave me a great cleansing out. To make the tea I took four teaspoons of leaf and put into a quart jar of slightly warm water (do not use hot) and let sit for 24 hours, then keep in the frig, to drink shake and drink one cup, leaves and all at least 2 times a day. Now this is VERY hard to do,,,this is VERY bad taste, add what ever you want to get it down, I could not add to many things because I am Diabetic. But I took two cups of the TEA twice a day for one week. Then, at this time of the tea drinking, *I stopped smoking after 12 years of at least one pack a day. I had know with drawls, nerves,,now I had been praying about it for a few months, and I had made a decision to stop. I did think about a smoke,,but it was not something that I could not handle. So I know that the cleansing from the Neem gave me a great help. The neem has a lot of information on line, there are a lot of neem products at health food stores, there are a lot of companies selling online, but I have to watch my spending so I make my on capsules, I use the oil either straight on my body where ever needed and I add a few drops to shampoo or lotion, but only if it is really needed because the oil has a very, very strong smell. There are sites that sell the capsules made, they are smaller than mine, so you would have to take 3, but for the price of one jar of leaf caps you can buy one pound at _____, in the health food store I saw a bottle of neem oil one ounce for $15, I can get 8 ounces at that price at the other place."
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03/21/2009: Donna from Toronto, Ontario, Canada writes: "I just watched this on TV a couple of days ago. Botox at the corners of the mouth. There was this lady doctor who "discovered" that her patients who got the botox treatment reduced significantly or quit all together smoking. Obviosly, this is a side effect of the treatment. As far as I understand, for about 3 months after botox, your mouth is semi-paralyzed. The idea was that people weren't able to whistle, to suck through a straw or to smoke.
She was careful to say that the procedure isn't FDA approved as a quit smoking remedy.
When I think about it, it makes a lot of sense though."
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[QUESTION] 03/19/2009: Candi from Norman, USA writes: "I only have a question on stop smoking. What are your suggestions for someone who has been smoking for 10 years + ? I have tried everything and I am desperate! I have 5 children and really want to have a healthy long life to see them grow and let's not forget, great grandkids too!:) thanks!"
03/19/2009: Tina from Toney River, Canada replies: "i quit smoking successfully after a 26 year habit. i can relate to how hard it is. i am 3 years smoke free and it was the hardest thing i have ever done. i actually had to use both the patch and the gum at the same time. i started on step two of the patch for twice the amount of time while chewing the quit gum as well. i grabbed gum at every craving. i changed my habits as well. as soon as i finished a meal i immediately did the dishes and clean up because that was when i would want a cig the most. i slowly weaned myself off the gum after i finished the patch and the will to as you said "stay around and see grandchildren" was a larger craving. i hope this helps and i wish you all the luck you need to win this battle.
tina"
03/19/2009: Joyce from Joelton, Tn replies: "Hello Candi,
My suggestion is the same no matter how many years you have been smoking" QUIT NOW! Some published studies on quitting smoking, drugging or drinking found that the ones who QUIT COLD TURKEY were the ones most likely to stay quit.
The hardest part of quitting is making up your mind you really want to quit whichever problem you have. Once you make up your mind that you do want to quit, the rest is much easier.I quit twice, the first time I carried an open pack of cigarettes with me all the time (the same pack) and told myself that I was only quitting 1 cigarette at a time and if I started having a nicotine fit, I had an almost full pack in my packet. I threw that pack away after 6 months and no nicotine fits and stayed quit for l year and like a fool started back again. After smoking a year or so more, I quit again. It was fifteen years after I quit before I dared touch one. A friend was fixing to light one up one night & I reached and got it and said "Let Me", proceeded to light her cigarette, handed it back to her and said "My God, where's the cat" to which she inquired why I wanted a cat. My honest answer was "So I can lick it's tail and get this nasty taste out of my mouth" and have never feared wanting to smoke again. That was probably 30+ years or more ago.
Now to give you another reason to quit smoking. To obtain a better quality of life, health and well being. You probably know that your car engine wouldn't function to well if you blew smoke through it because it needs oxygen to burn the fuel that makes your car go. Well your body also needs oxygen to burn its fuel and it can't function very well when you replace part of your oxygen with tobacco smoke. That is why there is an increase in all diseases, including kidney disease, when you smoke. Lung cancer is just a small part of the damage to your body when you smoke. So start practicing good nutrition to give your body its fuel and giving it the oxygen needed to burn the fuel. You don't need luck here, you just need to cross out that t in can't and start saying to yourself and everybody else "I CAN QUIT SMOKING" and soon it will be "I did quit smoking". "
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[YEA] 11/14/2008: Inna from Ljubljana, Slovenia, Europe writes: "It worked for me:
1. One must really want to stop smoking. Without it, no need to bother in trying to stop smoking.
2. for a first week I used nicorette patches, drank molases, ACV,
3. The first day without patch I was very nervous unable to concentrate,... So I cut a patch in half and used it for few hours and before bed time watched- listened a DVD with hypnosis: Stop smoking (English author it costed 5 EUR).
4. I socialize with smokers mostly, and they dont bother me at all."
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06/17/2009: SunflowerBliss from New York City, New York writes: "An old friend of mine from college called me yesterday to tell me that her marriage had just fallen apart. Her husband, it turns out, is a sex addict and had been one for years. You name it he did it: online porn, real-life affairs with their (her!) friends, co-workers, massages. To help my friend, I started researching sexual addiction today and came across an article that people might find interesting from Elle magazine. It came out in January 2009: http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Health-Fitness/Sexy-Beast
If anyone has any remedies to treat sex addiction, please let me know. According to this article it takes 3-5 years of therapy to change the pattern. But since we are dealing with chemicals in the brain like dopamine, maybe there are supplements that can speed along the process. Sigh."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 12/06/2006: K.L. from Dallas, TX writes: "Sun gazing cured cured caffeine addiction, insomnia, and helped depression! Suffering from insomnia and depression, I had gone to a natural physician who suggested I stopped drinking coffee and replace the coffee drinking with sunshine in the morning by looking almost directly at the sun for a minute or two every morning. He said the effect would be much the same as coffee as far as waking up the body goes.
This physician didn't lie. For the past 2 years I go out every morning upon waking, either on the balcony or if not just through my window and look up for a minute or two towards the direction of the sun. There is an almost immediate energizing of the body. I no longer have any need for caffeine. After 15 years of coffee, I don't crave it at all. I sleep with no sleeping aids (the result of no more caffeine) live a much more peaceful life without all those stimulants, and from my half hearted effort at this "sun gazing" practice, my depression is definitely manageable."
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SUPPLEMENTS FOR JUNK FOOD ADDICTION
[YEA] 11/11/2007: Joyce from Joelton, TN writes: "... On those supplements info - I always recommended that my junkfood addicts take 4-10 grams of vitamin C, l-4 400IU softgels of vitamin E, and at least 2 (50mg) zinc tabs spaced out over the waking hours to hasten healing. More than l0 grams of C causes some GI irritation. The E prevents scarring as well as hastens healing."
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