Does Alcohol Use Disorder Have Different Underlying Causes and Expression?
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Thus, I want to pay tribute to one of my mentors, Joan Mathews Larson, PhD, who wrote the seminal book, Seven Weeks to Sobriety, which I require as a text for my Level 1 Training. If you haven’t yet read it, I highly encourage you to do so. Many of […]
Amino Acids for Addiction Recovery: How to Rebuild Brain Chemistry and Reduce Cravings
Amino acids can help repair brain chemistry in recovery, reducing cravings, stabilizing mood, and supporting lasting sobriety.
Amino Acids for Sobriety and Emotional Well-being
What Are Amino Acids? Amino acids are natural compounds found in food and in the human body that serve as the building blocks of protein. Every cell, muscle, and tissue in the body depends on amino acids to grow, repair, and function properly. Beyond physical health, certain amino acids also play a critical role in […]
Are You Asking the Wrong Question of Your Relapsing Clients?
Many people cycle through program after program, or meeting after meeting, to no avail. They keep being given the same information and therapeutic approaches, and nothing changes. Conversely, some people sail through recovery, don’t have cravings or relapse, or suddenly find the missing piece, the secret sauce that makes all the difference in the world. What is this missing piece?
Amino Acid Therapy for Stress Relief
By Christina Veselak MS, LMFT, CN. Director, The Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition In honor of Stress Awareness Month, I would like to explore the roles our four mood-mediating neurotransmitters play in helping us cope with stress, and how to support their function using amino acid therapy. They all actually work together to […]
The Antidote to St. Paddy’s Day Shadow Side
On St. Patrick’s Day, let’s talk about the darker side of Irish culture – the heavy drinking that is often associated with it. Did you know that people from Gaelic or Scandinavian backgrounds have a genetic disruption that can lead to depression and alcohol dependence? Learn more by reading our latest blog post.
How Functional Nutrition May Hold the Key to Successful Addiction Treatment and Recovery
I believe that Functional Nutrition and Functional Nutritionists hold the key to transforming the efficacy and success rate of addiction treatment and recovery efforts. However, addiction is not typically addressed nor taught in nutrition circles, and therefore people with addictive disorders as their primary complaint are a massively underserved population.
Community Prevention Strategies for Mental Health Issues and Substance Misuse which Address Underlying Biochemistry
As we all know, prevention itself is a powerful long-term strategy in our fight against addiction. It takes many shapes and forms, but the key is to build resilience in vulnerable populations.
Academy for Addiction & Mental Health Nutrition visits Heartkeep
Last night, I had the joy and privilege of meeting with two delightful people in epicenter of Kentucky’s flood disaster, Hindman, KY. Roy and Debbie Hodson run a non-profit called Heartkeep.
Ethnicity-Based Alcoholic Bio-Types
Might your family’s ethnicity have anything to do with your craving for alcohol? Yes indeed! Those of us from Irish, Native or Scandinavian backgrounds, can often trace alcohol use disorder through our family tree. And depression! Joan Mathews Larson in Seven Weeks to Sobriety identifies a type of Alcohol Use Disorder, where just a little bit of alcohol is […]