The Quick Start Guide to At-Home Addiction Treatment: How to Get Started

QUICK-START GUIDE

 This is the Quick Start Guide for our book, The Anti-Addiction Encyclopedia: How to Use Herbs, Supplements, Treatments, and Diet to Cure Any Addiction.  This Quick Start Guide includes the basic outline of information you need to overcome addiction of any kind from substance-based addictions like meth addiction, cocaine addiction, addiction to opioids, and other substances to behavioral addictions such as gambling, video-game, or social media addiction using: 

• Amino acids
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Trauma-Informed Therapies
• -----> Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• -----> Alpha-Theta Therapy
• -----> Brain Entrainment and Guided Meditations
• -----> Trauma Release Exercise / TRE
• -----> More...
• Sacred Indigenous Medicines
• -----> Ayahuasca
• -----> Psilocybin
• -----> Iboga
• -----> Sapito
• -----> Kambo
• -----> San Pedro

If you’re struggling with addiction, we know that you need to get started right away taking the supplements listed below to be able to make the most out of the information presented on this website! So, below, we’ve provided a list of everything you need to get started right away with this anti-addiction protocol. Be aware though, that it's vital that you also work with trauma-informed, somatic therapies or sacred indigenous medicines like Ayahuasca or psilocybin (microdosing is a good place to start) as you work through the supplementation protocol at the same time. This protocol will prime your brain and body for trauma-release such that you will be able to release the original root trauma that caused you to develop an addiction in the first place. But trauma doesn't release itself! You have to do therapies that will help your body and the unconscious mind release the trauma. Don't neglect this part of the treatment!

Click here to buy the Anti-Addiction Encyclopedia.

Supplements

Plan to take the nutritional and herbal supplements that we discuss below at the recommended doses, 3 to 4 times per day (to provide a steady supply of nutrients to your brain) for 5-6 months. Five to six months is how long it will take to upregulate your dopamine receptors and to heal the brain completely. You’ll have to take a lot of pills at first. Many of the nutritional supplements and plant medicines listed below must be taken at high doses to have therapeutic benefits relevant for treating addiction.  When we talk about healing the brain, we’re talking mostly about healing the left, logical hemisphere of the brain that deals with facts, logic, and decision-making. This part of the brain is not working fluently with the right, emotional hemisphere of the brain when a person suffers from an addiction. Mucuna pruriens puts the addicted person back into a physical or biological position of control in terms of their addiction by giving them the “juices” (i.e. neurotransmitters) that they need in order to fuel positive, informed decision-making for themselves. Dopamine allows us to make decisions for ourselves based on prior experiences and personal, subjective observation. With Mucuna, a person can ask themselves whether a given behavior or opportunity was good or not in terms of past experiences. But this is just half of the battle in the treatment of addiction. In order for a person to overcome an addiction, they have to pay attention to the emotion-centers in the body, namely the autonomic nervous system and trauma. Trauma is not released through talk-therapy. In fact, talk therapy is often counter-productive for addicts. And it is rare and uncommon for people to have to relive traumatic memories when they release trauma using somatic, trauma-informed therapies or the sacred medicines. This is good news! You won’t have to relive or even talk about trauma in order to release it as a part of your addiction treatment at home. But it’s important for you to always approach addiction by treating the left hemisphere of the brain, which is very dopamine-centric and also the right-brain / physical body (which is technically the autonomic nervous system) which is presided over by Thyroid Releasing Hormone (TRH). The right hemisphere of the brain which regulates the autonomic nervous system governs emotions that express themselves through what Dr. Peter Levine termed the “felt sense” and a language of symbolism that expresses itself through our behaviors, gestures, and facial expressions that may, at times, be contrary to what we were saying to ourselves and other people in words.

What is a Neurotransmitter?

Neurotransmitters are made from amino acids and they interact with the physical structure of the body via “receptors”. Receptors function with the neurotransmitter much like a lock and key. Neurotransmitters act as a key for specific “locks” that exist throughout the nervous system.   Some neurotransmitters like acetylcholine can change shape to interact with more than one type of receptor in the body. In other words, neurotransmitters can behave a bit like tiny sentient beings! But despite the complexity of neurotransmitters, in terms of addiction, dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters that we’ll discuss first. The dopaminergic system (the part of the nervous system that is fueled through interactions between dopamine and dopamine receptors) can be presented in a simple and straightforward way so that anyone can understand how it works and how to heal it.   The image above is a model of a neuron in the brain that contains a neurotransmitter like dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin. The neuron itself is blue. In this image, the neurotransmitters are yellow and they’re contained in little “vesicles” that must be released into the synaptic cleft (the space between the top part of the neuron and the bottom part) . Once released, neurotransmitters like dopamine must attach to receptors on the other side of the synaptic cleft. Addiction occurs when a massive release of dopamine happens as a result of an activity or substance use.   At AlivenHealthy, we use a metaphor to think about dopamine receptors to make it easier to understand what’s happening in addiction. In this metaphor, dopamine receptors are like flowers and dopamine itself as a neurotransmitter is like water for those flowers. A massive release of dopamine can cause “flooding” which can kill dopamine receptors or cause the dopamine receptors to close temporarily. But equally as damaging is a drought of dopamine which inevitably happens to people after all of their dopamine is released suddenly from the neuron (which might be likened to a watering can) and very little or no dopamine remains.    A massive dopamine release leads to a deficit of dopamine in the neuron vesicles that gets worse and worse unless a person takes the proper nutrients to spur continuous production of dopamine. A massive release of dopamine followed by a dopamine drought causes dopamine receptors to die which then creates the experience of “tolerance” and the ever-increasing need for more of the addictive object/behavior. The body seeks out the object of the addiction despite the illogical nature of the behavior in an attempt to water those wilting dopamine receptor-flowers.   The goal of addiction treatment is to replenish the natural dopamine available for release to allow the neurons to produce a continuous “drip” of dopamine with plenty of extra dopamine for the occasional “hit” while avoiding toxic chemicals that resemble dopamine so that the dopamine receptors can heal and grow back (which takes 5 to 6 months). When the neurons contain plenty of dopamine, a “hit” may be something simple like watching the sunset or doing yoga for an hour. Having a steady supply of dopamine gives you the fuel that your logical brain needs in order to make positive decisions on your behalf.   

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Neurotransmitter Precursors and Supportive Nutrients

Our bodies build neurotransmitters from food and nutrients. Most of the nutrients like amino acids that are used to build neurotransmitters require other supportive nutrients. While the amino acids themselves are called “precursors”, the other nutrients that must be present in the body in order for the amino acids to be converted into neurotransmitters are called “supportive nutrients”.

Below are some valuable concepts regarding neurotransmitter precursors in terms of addiction.

• The supplements that we delineate below provide neurotransmitter precursors and also the supportive nutrients that your body would otherwise have to get exclusively from your diet during the withdrawal process. 

• Neurotransmitter precursors are substances that must be present in order for the brain to make a given neurotransmitter (examples of neurotransmitters include: dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, glutamate, and GABA). 

• Neurotransmitter precursors make it easy for your body to make the neurotransmitters you need to feel okay with the world as you work to overcome an addiction as long as the necessary supportive nutrients are also available..

• By taking the proper doses of neurotransmitter precursors (which are typically amino acids or natural amino acid derivatives) along with the supportive nutrients, you can reduce withdrawal symptoms during the early stages of quitting an addiction which will significantly increase your odds of success at overcoming addiction.

• As your dopamine levels stabilize and as dopamine receptors heal, be aware that any trauma that you’ve experienced that has been stored in your body will be primed for release. Seek out trauma-informed therapies or sacred medicine work to avoid this problem Please note that Lydian and I offer health coaching for addictions and we also provide on-site, one-on-one treatment for addictions in Mexico using various sacred indigenous medicines. Treatment online during a health coaching session may include microdosing or full doses of sacred indigenous medicines along with breathwork, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing / EMDR, Alpha-Theta Therapy, Guided Meditations, Hypnotherapy, Craniosacral Therapy, and Brain Entrainment work. Contact us at [email protected] for more information about those treatments, but be aware that there are many trauma-informed therapies that can get you through the process of trauma-release. The sacred medicines are the most powerful and they work the most quickly, but there are many options to choose from.

Click here to buy psilocybin online.

• Neurotransmitter Precursors

  The neurotransmitter precursors that you’ll find most helpful in overcoming any addiction are:
  • Mucuna pruriens - 6000 mg per day taken every 4 hours in divided doses
  Mucuna pruriens is the most important anti-addiction herb that you’ll work with no matter which substance you’re addicted to. It is also extremely beneficial for sugar addiction, behavioral addictions, and all other addictive behaviors. IMPORTANT NOTE: Mucuna works like a mild contraceptive for women who take it. For men, it enhances fertility. If you decide you want to conceive while taking Mucuna, you will need to stop taking it 1 month before you wish to try to conceive Note that, as a woman, Mucuna will enhance your fertility as long as you stop taking it right before your menstrual period ends on the month you wish to begin trying to conceive.. Click here to learn more about Mucuna as a fertility herb. Also note that L-Tyrosine is an amino acid alternative treatment for addiction that you can use if you can’t obtain Mucuna pruriens. Click here to learn more about L-Tyrosine for addiction.

The Mucuna pruriens Protocol: Overcome Dementia, Addiction, ADHD, Mood and Mental Health Disorders

• • Kudzu - 2400 mg administered every 2.5 hours, 3 to 4 times per day 

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• • N-Acetyl-Cysteine / NAC - 600-1000 mg about every 4 hours - a total of up to 3000 mg per day 

NAC is an over-the-counter antioxidant that helps the body regulate glutamate and GABA levels in the brain. These two neurotransmitters balance neural excitement with neural relaxation. Taking this supplement at 100 to 600 mg several times throughout the day will help control obsessive, nagging thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Note that NAC is an addiction treatment that’s safe during pregnancy and indeed, this supplement has a broad range of medicinal action via its ability to detoxify the body. Click here to read more about how NAC can be used medicinally during pregnancy or in non-pregnant individuals.

• • L-Tyrosine - If you are not taking Mucuna pruriens, take 6000-10,000 mg in divided doses of 1000 to 2000 mg throughout the day.

  As we mention above, L-tyrosine ultimately works similarly to Mucuna pruriens. As such, it is technically optional in this at-home addiction treatment protocol, however, L-tyrosine and Lugol’s iodine provide the two essential ingredients in the production of thyroid hormones and since many people today have either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, we include this amino acid here as a nutrient supplement to take with Lugol’s iodine 2% (at a dose of 3 - 20 drops per day) to overcome thyroid disease and dysfunction. Having hypothyroidism and addiction or hyperthyroidism and addiction can make it hard to feel awake and alive, but Lugol’s iodine and L-Tyrosine administered together with the other supplements in this list can often get people off their thyroid meds. If you opt to use L-Tyrosine instead of working with Mucuna pruriens as an herbal addiction cure, be sure to take the L-Tyrosine every 2 hours or so and note that it takes up to 24 hours to feel the effects of the L-Tyrosine (as compared to 4 hours with Mucuna pruriens). If you decide to take both L-Tyrosine and Mucuna pruriens, take a lower dose of the L-Tyrosine (3000-6000 mg per day) and take the high dose of Mucuna pruriens for at least 5 months.  

• • L-Tryptophan - Take 1500 mg 1 hour before bed.

  This is the amino acid in turkey that makes people feel sleepy after a big Thanksgiving dinner. L-Tryptophan is another serotonin precursor, similar to 5-HTP. You can take up to 15 grams of L-Tryptophan to relieve insomnia, but most people take between 1000 and 5000 mg before bed to help them sleep.   

• • Melatonin - Take 60 mg 1 hour before bed.

  Melatonin will help you sleep and it will also help you maintain adequate serotonin levels in the brain during the withdrawal and detoxification process.

Supportive Nutrients for Addiction

  Supportive nutrients are essential in addiction treatment because they ensure that the precursor nutrients listed above are properly converted and used by the body to overcome addiction. The most important supportive nutrients that everyone should take if they struggle with addiction include:  

• • Multi-vitamin - follow the dosing instructions on the bottle per day in the morning. Choose a product

  Take a multivitamin that contains magnesium, zinc, B complex vitamins, vitamin K2 / MK-7, iodine, and vitamin C.   

• • Vitamin B100 Complex (take 1 dose per day in the morning)

  If your multivitamin doesn’t contain high dose vitamin B6, choose a vitamin B complex product that contains at least 25 mg of vitamin B6 per dose. Without the proper amount of B vitamins, your body won’t be able to make use of any of the other supplements you’re taking for withdrawals, so B vitamins are a vital part of successfully overcoming any addiction! Ideally, you should be taking 100 mg of vitamin B6 per day if you are trying to get rid of withdrawal symptoms.  

• • Magnesium Take 400 mg in the morning and 400 mg before bed

  Magnesium will relax your muscles and facilitate all the chemical reactions that are necessary for you to overcome addiction.

• • Lugol’s Iodine - Purchase a 2% solution and start with 1 drop on the wrist in the morning every day adding 1 daily drop every 7 days until you get to 20 drops total per day.

  Lugol’s iodine contains the nutrients your body needs to be able to produce thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones in appropriate quantities. It helps to increase your norepinephrine levels (a neurotransmitter that plays a strong role in preventing relapse). If you consume bromide / bromine-containing items like bread or soft-drinks (check the ingredients on your bread and soft drink products for BVO’s - brominated vegetable oils), if you have taken pharmaceuticals that contain bromide / bromine, if you live near agricultural areas where bromide-containing insecticides or organophosphates are being use, or if you swim regularly in a pool that’s sanitized using bromine, your iodine levels are probably dangerously low and you may break out in a rash when you first use this supplement. This is a normal reaction to have as the bromine is leaving the body during the initial stages of supplementation. Note that organophosphate exposure and bromide-containing insecticide exposure often looks very similar. Click here to learn more about bromide and organophosphate exposure and how iodine can protect you from these nerve agents. Click here to read more about the Lugol’s iodine protocol.

• • Vitamin B17 / Amygdalin - Take 500 mg of this supplement at night, right before bed.

  Amygdalin will help your body and brain rebuild neurological structures that may have been depleted as a result of addictive behaviors. If you can’t find amygdalin in pill form, purchase some raw, bitter, organic apricot kernels and eat 4 to 5 of them daily. Take them separately from all other supplements (either right away when you arise or right before you go to bed).

Other Herbs and Supplements to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

The following herbs and supplements can also be beneficial in the early stages of addiction treatment:  

• • Honokiol/Magnolia Bark - Take 400 mg 1 hour before bed.

  Magnolia Bark is a plant medicine that will help you sleep. It has the ability to change its shape in the brain to provide your brain with whatever it needs to rest. Honokiol impacts the opiate receptors which makes it vitally important for people who are trying to kick an addiction to heroin, morphine, or any other opiate.  

• • Rhodiola rosea- Take 1000 mg 3 times per day for 1 month, then drop back to 500 mg once per day for 5 more months. 

  You won’t notice Rhodiola doing much until after you get through the release of any trauma that your body might be holding onto either prior to becoming addicted to something or trauma that came to you as a result of your addiction. As you release trauma, you might become “triggery” (to pull from the idea of “triggers” in PTSD), but as you release more and more of the trauma, these triggers start to be much easier to control if you’re taking Rhodiola. The Rhodiola smooths out the experience of a trigger to make people less fight-or-flight-y and more able to simply breathe through the trigger.   

• • L-Theanine - take on an as-needed basis

  L-Theanine has a calming effect on the body. It can influence the production of serotonin and dopamine and can help you enhance your mood, reduce cortisol levels and stress levels, making it easier to rest and relax. 

Click here to do a free trial of EMDR online.