The Biological and Psychological Nature of Addiction and Alcoholism and Novel Strategies to Their Resolution

Nathan Guy Hatch

December 2025

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1. Introduction

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction

1. Acetylcholine
2. Acetylcholine and Stress
3. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
4. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine
5. Drugs and Acetylcholine
6. Diet and Acetylcholine
7. Sunlight and Acetylcholine
8. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine

1. Defining Addiction

1. Not Addiction
2. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior
3. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease

1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology
2. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

Treatment

1. Emergency Care

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy
2. Alcohol and Acetic acid

Sodium Acetate

1. Sugar Therapy
2. Light Therapy
3. Niacinamide

Vitamin C

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

Recovery Diet

1. Coffee and Caffeine
2. Taurine
3. Treating Psychological factors
4. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

12-step Programs

1. Relearning Life Lessons
2. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

Self-compassion

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity
2. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Social Support

Inventory Therapy

1. Preparation

1. Abstinence

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy
2. Personal Inventory — Resentment
3. Personal Inventory — Cause
4. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt
5. Personal Inventory — My Part
6. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses
7. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fear Inventory — Cause

1. Fear Inventory — Effect
2. Fear Inventory — Better Way
3. Inventory Practice and Success

Prevention

Abuse

1. Diet

Environment

Conclusion

1. Introduction

Alcoholism and Addiction have been a plague on mankind for most of history. Completely misunderstood, addicts and alcoholics and their family and friends are often fated to a lifetime of conflict because no medical research has yet knowingly uncovered the pathways which mediate this condition. Yet even as we slam atomic particles together and live-video call across the world, addiction and alcoholism are still often treated as a personal problem with willpower. In truth, alcoholism and addiction are every bit diseases as any other metabolic condition such as diabetes, cancer, and mental illness as what affect human life and mortality, as we do not control the function of the brain and other organs. While Anonymous programs and some medical support have great benefit for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, its biological and psychological origination is almost entirely un-elucidated, condemning many people to a life of suffering as families and communities afflicted by this universal disease remain untreated.

It turns out that causes of Alcoholism and Addiction are actually quite straightforward and pretty simple to understand, as elucidated by this paper, and are already supported by existing, established science though even the authors of such studies were unaware of this fact at the time of their publication. This document seeks to enlighten and educate others to the underlying causes as well as effective treatment for those afflicted by conditions of alcoholism and addiction, especially its prevention. For more information not included in this document or for help with problems understanding or applying this information please visit www.natehatch.com. In the interest of efficiency and clarity, citations are not here provided but most scientific claims herein may be easily and independently confirmed at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. A few claims in this document are the result of Nathan’s own academic work, research, and personal experience in dealing with the condition of addiction and alcoholism and its successful resolution through the methods indicated herein, and are not yet supported by any existing studies as of the publication date of this document.

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction
1. Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is an important excitatory (stimulating) neurotransmitter involved in addiction and alcoholism which mediates consciousness, learning, and memory in the human brain and nervous system. Consciousness, learning, and memory are in fact all the same biological function—as memory is consciousness is also learning—and acetylcholine is the primary mediator of this neurological function.

Being the mediator of learning, memory, and consciousness, acetylcholine is released when we experience stimuli to both record experiences and retrieve prior deposited information such as when learning to speak, learning to play the piano, what body posture to adopt around people we like or around those we don’t, how fast to cross a busy street, how to handle our parents, meeting a dog, getting into arguments, or that we get scared of the dark or our bank account. Acetylcholine also has other neurological functions like dilation of the cardiovascular system or the induction of sweating.

1. Acetylcholine and Stress

Acetylcholine is expressed in greater quantity during stressful stimuli such as interpersonal conflict, physical threats or harm, receiving of unwanted attention, scrutiny, shame, and guilt, experiences of loss, and onerous responsibility or obligation in those with low-self esteem or deficiency of confidence. In terms of human evolutionary development this increase occurs during stress because experiences of stress must be more strongly imprinted on our mind and development, as a survival mechanism to prepare animals both proverbially and literally for threats to our wellbeing, development, and survival. If this did not occur we would not be adequately prepared to meet threats to our wellbeing with awareness and action from the imprinting of learned lessons derived from such experiences. In evolutionary terms, encountering a wild predator while walking through the forest stimulates greater expression of acetylcholine so we can better remember that predators are dangerous. In evolutionary terms, our survival was simply not threatened by nice things like hugs and butterflies, so excess acetylcholine does not occur during oppositely pleasant and enjoyable experiences. 

Because more acetylcholine expression is stimulated by stress, experiences like getting spanked or being hit as a child, our parents fighting, ridicule or rejection by peers, teachers or other adults making fun of us, being threatened with hell or spiritual punishment, sexual assault and sexual abuse, loss of possessions, or hunger or financial stress are also sources of excessive acetylcholine expression. If such stimuli are regular and constant during growth and development in childhood, excessive acetylcholine expression is also constant during growth and development which in turn causes the brain to imprint both a greater quantity and intensity of negative experiences than children raised in less stressful environments, thereby conditioning the brain of that child to experience greater psychological stress throughout their development and thereby come to regard life with constant anxiety, trepidation, anticipation, hypervigilance, etc.

Being deprived of effective life skills and emotional tools as is also a common experience also powerfully compounds stress and acetylcholine expression due to an inability to effectively handle stressful life experiences and thus makes stressful experiences even more stressful, frightening, demoralizing, or otherwise traumatizing than they might be should a child or person have otherwise been empowered with effective coping skills which will relieve that stress. For instance, a person whom never learns how to effectively handle the experience of rejection experiences greater acetylcholine release and neurological stress when confronted by the experience of rejection or the threat of rejection. Later in life when presented with opportunities for rejection such as seeking inclusion in a group, holding a job, or romantic partnering a person lacking the skill to handle rejection while also burdened with stressful imprinting of previous experiences of rejection and heightened acetylcholine will experience immense stress surrounding those experiences compared to someone without such experiences and excess acetylcholine. 

Oppositely, effective life skills and coping mechanisms increase feelings of empowerment and thus decrease stress and acetylcholine excess in response to stressful stimuli. A person who did learn effective coping skills for rejection is only nominally stressed by those experiences and thus experiences normal acetylcholine expression, since acetylcholine expression is increased by stress and their stress is lessened due to empowerment with effective skills.

Thus, because stress promotes acetylcholine and acetylcholine also promotes stress, the more stress a person experiences during their developmental years the more stress they feel in turn from stressful stimuli when they are grown, becoming more and more conditioned to feel stress, to anticipate stress, and to feel stressed during stress. So when confronted with stressful stimuli such as managing a bank account, interpersonal conflict, or negative conceptions of self worth an addict or alcoholic becomes paralyzed by fear and insecurity disproportionate to the stimuli due to exaggerated neurological expression of acetylcholine and its effects on imprintation, cognition, emotions, and other functions of acetylcholine such as heart rate, sweating, arousal, etc.

1. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus

The dorsal raphe nucleus is the serotonergic center of the brain (produces, regulates, and responds to serotonin). Contrary to common belief, even among the scientific community, serotonin is not actually a hormone of ‘happiness’ but is instead a hormone of biological torpor, most commonly demonstrated by the function of hibernation (torpor means to slow things down) which is triggered by spikes in serotonin and its derivative, melatonin. Serotonin is confusingly and errantly associated with depression because its torporific effects can have the appearance of therapy in manic-depressive states (now called bipolar disorder) for which it was originally studied, since the introduction or upregulation of serotonin can sedate or subdue someone in a manic state. But this is also why serotonergic drugs often come with increased risks of suicide, which is paradoxical if serotonin is the hormone of ‘happiness,’ because serotonin in fact induces torpor, not happiness. Profound psychological stress such as PTSD damages the dorsal raphe nucleus which afterward then begins to chronically express greater quantities of serotonin than before injury. Since serotonin is a hormone of torpor, not happiness, this then results in conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, etc. 

Not widely recognized, serotonin is also the hormone of shame and guilt, which is why those with alcoholism and addiction always suffer from debilitating fixation on shame and guilt, because trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus by highly stressful, unresolved experiences of trauma results in an excess production of serotonin and thus chronic feelings of guilt and shame.

This function of the dorsal raphe nucleus was uncovered during horrifying research conducted on rats and dogs in the discovery of a condition called Learned Helplessness and the effect of inescapable torture on the function of the brain, which is characterized by failure to act, even when presented with an opportunity to do so, in which an animal will refrain from escape attempts even when their life is in danger. But the term hopelessness is a better characterization of the condition, marked by a deep sense of despair and unmotivated to extract oneself from negativity, not ignorance to ability as helplessness implies. Research on this condition is thus termed learned helplessness but should be termed learned hopelessness as sufferers do not lack knowledge of how to act but motivation that action is worthwhile, and the use of the word helplessness biases treatment and recovery to fault those whom are ill rather than correctly identifying biology as the origination of illness.   

Learned hopelessness is then the condition of the dorsal raphe being traumatized to the point of chronically expressing excess torporific serotonin in response to unresolved trauma, to which the body responds with increased acetylcholine expression to overcome the torporific effect of serotonin. While this state may seem paradoxical to the survival of an organism, it is actually the primary biological adaptation to predation, meant by biology to spare prey animals excessive suffering during the act of being predated, through catastrophic release of torporific hormones like serotonin which mediate shock and cognitive dissociation to reduce suffering. As animals, humans also have this response, but where stresses sufficient to induce such trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus in our evolutionary past would have lead to the expiration of an individual, our technological and social advancements in food, sanitation, and medicine instead permits us to survive profound stress and continue to persist in spite of extreme trauma. This problem is best demonstrated in conditions of PTSD in which sufferers find it nearly impossible to extricate themselves, because the problem is not only psychological but literal physical injury to the raphe nucleus to which it responds by chronically expressing excess serotonin which then keeps the brain and body in a constant state of metabolic torpor. 

Such damage to the raphe nucleus is reversible but requires very specific intervention as described later in this paper, which most people are not likely to encounter spontaneously. As this state increases acetylcholine expression, the conditions of alcoholism and addiction are thus neurological disorders. 

1. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine

Alcohol destroys acetylcholine, a fact that all medical professionals and researchers should know, which confirms the condition of of alcoholism being mediated by an excess of acetylcholine, and alcohol thus relieves those with alcoholism of the literal physical and psychological stress of alcoholism by neutralizing excess acetylcholine. 

But because acetylcholine facilitates learning, memory, and consciousness, drinking alcohol to excess can and does induce blackout and loss of consciousness. What is worse is that because acetylcholine is required for learning, the act of drinking to excess also causes failure to learn from mistakes or consequences while intoxicated, since the chemical required to imprint learning is inhibited, which is the reason why alcoholics have such a difficult time abstaining from drink even after highly negative experiences from drinking to excess such as interpersonal conflict and injury, because they literally do not well remember those consequences as a result of being intoxicated in the first place. This is also why abstinence is required for recovery, because learning new life skills to empower an alcoholic and relieve the condition of learned hopelessness cannot occur if alcohol use continues because alcohol literally inhibits the neurochemical required to mediate learning of new skills and imprintation of new, positive life experiences to replace those old, traumatizing experiences which catalyzed the condition.

This problem is even more dire than appears, however, as the more alcohol a person consumes the more the body also upregulates acetylcholine expression, to replace that which is lost. This is why withdrawal from severe alcoholism can even be fatal and must be medically managed to avoid death, because the rebound of acetylcholine after long term, extremely excessive alcohol abuse can be so high it literally kills the person through overstimulation of the nervous system (although this mechanism has not been known previously since the role of acetylcholine in these conditions also has not been known). That acetylcholine can rise high enough to actually kill a person during withdrawal should plainly demonstrate its participation in this condition, to cause literally excruciating physical discomfort which compels alcoholics to reach for the cheapest and mostly widely available medicine to treat excess acetylcholine—alcohol. 

1. Drugs and Acetylcholine

Similar to alcohol, drugs of abuse either inhibit acetylcholine release or oppose the harmful effects of acetylcholine. For instance, although marijuana actually increases acetylcholine expression (which accounts for the time dilation effects experienced by marijuana users) it also lowers adrenaline which is otherwise stimulated by acetylcholine and thus relieves users of the stressful effects of acetylcholine. This is why marijuana also stimulates appetite, because a primary function of adrenaline is to release glucose from glycogen and maintain circulating blood sugar. So marijuana induces relaxation by inhibiting a stressful function of acetylcholine without inhibiting acetylcholine itself.

Heroin and other opiates also increase acetylcholine expression but they also simultaneously stimulate dopamine release, which is normally lowered by excess acetylcholine, which then also acts to block the stressful effects of acetylcholine. Cocaine not only raises dopamine but also causes cells to dump serotonin (which results in its excess circulation but this temporarily relieves cells of its torporific effects), to temporarily relieve users of the stress of excess acetylcholine. The reason acetylcholine lowers dopamine is because acetylcholine excess is associated with stress and it would be evolutionarily counterproductive to induce dopamine during threats to our wellbeing, as an animal would then feel joy from things which are in fact a threat. This is in fact why drugs and alcohol promote self-destructive and even dangerous behavior, because they do just that, inhibiting the stress response from negative experiences and instead causing release of pleasurable neurological and endocrinological factors so that users instead seek them.

Methamphetamine causes incredible excess of dopamine (275% to 2,473% according to one study), which counteracts the increase in acetylcholine better than other drugs, but meth also promotes an increase in acetylcholine release which then also likely accounts for the rapid physical deterioration of meth users since acetylcholine stimulates cellular excitation which in turn causes cells to become depleted of energy and nutrients, but the sheer excess of dopamine it promotes masks the negative feelings and physical stress that would normally be felt by such high acetylcholine and physical deterioration.

Nicotine mimics acetylcholine and temporarily replaces its function in neurological pathways, thus preventing some of the physical stress caused by acetylcholine specifically, while also promoting dopamine release. This is a reason why nicotine withdrawal is so difficult because, opposite to alcohol, nicotine replaces the function of acetylcholine, which downregulates its natural expression to experience a deficiency rather than excess during withdrawal, and thus desires for the stimulatory effect of nicotine to replace that lost from downregulated acetylcholine during chronic nicotine use, but is also why nicotine is often used by those recovering from alcoholism, since nicotine downregulates general acetylcholine expression.

In summary, alcohol destroys acetylcholine while drugs either regulate acetylcholine expression or counteract its negative effects in various ways depending on the specific substance.

1. Diet and Acetylcholine

While stress is a primary mediator of acetylcholine regulation, diet actually has the greatest influence, because acetylcholine is a chemical it is also affected by dietary and environmental regulation. Most consequently, the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant contain glycoalkaloid toxins meant to kill nematodes (tiny parasites) by inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which regulates acetylcholine levels, and kills nematode pests by the same mechanism as alcohol withdrawal, which is overstimulation of the nervous system by an excess of acetylcholine. This demonstrates how toxic acetylcholine can be, as excess can be so great as to actually kill an organism. Though we are many times larger than nematodes and do not directly recognize the harmful effects of exposure to many dietary nightshades they can and do still destroy our acetylcholinesterase and thus cause increase in acetylcholine. There are, in fact, recorded instances of death by consumption of green potato, which has even higher levels of solanine than usual, and populations with high dependence on potatoes, eggplant, and peppers and tomatoes do have correspondingly higher rates of alcoholism. Other dietary factors like frequent starvation and dieting, a poorly nutritive diet, or dysregulation of the gut microbiome due to dietary factors can and do also affect acetylcholine regulation.

Nutritional and environmental factors is why alcoholism and addiction have previously appeared to lack a common denominator, and alcoholics and addicts come from all walks of life with a wide range of demographics in age, wealth, and ethnic backgrounds, because diet and food traditions such as peeling potatoes or not (the peel contains the greatest quantity of the glycoalkaloid solanine) can greatly affect acetylcholine and neurological stress in addition to psychological and emotional stress. A child is a far likelier to develop alcoholism or addiction if they are thus raised in a home that is emotionally volatile while also receiving a diet high in nightshades and other dietary factors which dysregulate acetylcholine homeostasis, yet a child in a good home can still develop alcoholism if they are fed a diet which affects acetylcholine homeostasis, and a child in an abusive home can still avoid the condition if fed a diet which strongly protects them from acetylcholine dysregulation. 

Removal of dietary stresses as nightshade plants can make recovery far more rapid and complete. But inflammatory foods like common wheat (because of difficult to digest gluten) or polyunsaturated fats (canola oil, soy oil, vegetable oil, etc., which more susceptible to peroxidation) can also promote excessive acetylcholine because of inflammation’s effect on acetylcholine and physical recovery, as the parasympathetic nervous system responds to inflammation and low metabolic respiration by expressing greater acetylcholine to stimulate fatigued cells, which must be rescued by a good diet and good dietary behaviors such as consistently sustaining blood sugar as described further in this document. Potatoes and eggplant are the most potent dietary sources of glycoalkaloids and should be entirely replaced by other options until a full recovery is made. Occasional consumption of tomatoes and peppers is not usually a problem, but daily consumption will certainly prevent recovery.

1. Sunlight and Acetylcholine

Environmental factors also contribute to high acetylcholine expression, such as excessive darkness and deficiency of sunlight. This is why many populations nearer the poles have higher rates of alcoholism. Light exposure also lowers serotonin release while deficiency increases it, due to our vestigial hibernation response and circadian rhythms. As primates we actually never lost our hibernation response but instead possess an anti-hibernation response which is mediated by a rise in adrenaline, mediated by an increase in acetylcholine. If this were not the case, humans would also still hibernate when wintertime comes, or other deficiency of light, but this also means that excessive sequestration indoors or other chronic light deficiency also increases acetylcholine and stress. Daily sun exposure, as much as possible without getting sunburned, is also required to prevent or resolve conditions like alcoholism and addiction. The ability to benefit from sun exposure is also dependent on other dietary factors like dietary carotenoids, which can be supported through a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables as is possible (more information on factors like these are discussed in Nathan’s other works).

1. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine 

Because acetylcholine’s primary function is to facilitate consciousness, which increases during stress, reduction of stress is imperative to any recovery effort, to lower excess acetylcholine expression as much as possible without artificial or pharmacological intervention (the taking of drugs and alcohol in the first place is a pharmacological intervention and does not work to cause recovery because acetylcholine expression must be restored to normal without dependence on medication). 

It is common for those suffering addiction or alcoholism to patronize recovery homes and institutions. These services provide relief not only from the assistance of other humans but also the temporary break from real life. The problem is that such relief is only temporary and, in places like the United States which do not provide their citizens with healthcare, is often dependent on the ability to pay for support. So when residence at a recovery home is over, returning to real life and exposure to stressful stimuli simply results in resumption of excessive acetylcholine expression and thus relapse.

Recovery groups such as the Anonymous programs similarly promote recovery through stress mitigation, which occurs both by social support and empowerment with new skills as mentors facilitate new learning experiences to their members. But lacking knowledge of the biological origins and factors of alcoholism and addiction these programs fail to achieve a high rate of recovery and also frequently indoctrinate participants to not expect a cure, which further debilitates total recovery as this idea itself is a hopelessness function. Some derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous also adulterated the original format to include language and practices which continue to blame participants for their condition, such as the practice of denying participants the opportunity to talk about the experience of being intoxicated and the risk of ‘triggering,’ other participants but which unintentionally further imprints experiences of stress and hopelessness even within the recovery program.

Constant stress relief must be practiced by anyone seeking recovery, since it is not possible to live indefinitely in recovery homes or programs, and all of life should be treated as a recovery center—learning and practicing self-care skills, resolving trauma, and refraining from stressful obligations and situations as much as possible such as by staying well-fed, engaging in fun and relaxation, and associating with persons which genuinely care for our wellbeing while avoiding those whom do not. Career ambitions, negative body image, and relationships are often major sources of stress, and putting such concerns on hold as discussed later in this document until after a full recovery and self-empowerment can be achieved can provide relief. 

1. Defining Addiction
1. Not Addiction

Addiction is mediated by dysregulation of the neurochemical acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters like dopamine, and the term ‘addiction’ used casually in the colloquial lexicon leads to classifying some behaviors as addiction which are not actually addictions. Fundamentally, a human being cannot be addicted to things which are part of our human needs and biology, both biological and psychological, such as sugar, food, or love and sex. Sugar is a chemical storage form of energy required by our biology to run metabolic pathways. Cocaine is not, and the equivocation of sugar and drug abuse as is so common in treatment culture and scientific/medical research is both incorrect and amoral. What humans feel during “sugar addiction” is in fact the consequences of carbohydrate deficiency and its effects on raising stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which function in part to help raise blood sugar to keep us alive but which is achieved then by catabolizing glycogen and lean muscle into useable sugars.

Like drugs and alcohol, sugar lowers stress, but unlike drugs and alcohol this is due to the mediation of satiation and resultant production of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which sustains life and is required for life, while drugs and alcohol simply ‘hack’ human biology by altering the normal expression of neurochemicals. Failing to recognize that desires for sugar is simply the need to eat carbohydrate while the desire for drugs and alcohol is a neurological addiction to substances which alter feelings of stress prevents addicts from actively recovering because sugar lowers stress through the natural function of human biology, and that sugar is in fact required to make a full recovery due to the resultant production in ATP and other effects (such as the production of CO2) of dietary carbohydrate which sustain biological metabolism as required by our biology to stay alive.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to lower stress, and it can be done through safer mechanisms such as keeping blood sugar sustained at all times rather than shooting heroin, and equating sugar to drug addiction is a gross denigration of the human condition which purposefully conflates completely disparate substances due to human desires for control of biological limitations and mortal vulnerabilities. Molecules like fructose-6-phosphate, for instance, are crucial for most metabolic pathways, and nearly the entirety of all glucose which enters cells for participation in metabolism is first converted to fructose before consumption in the citric acid cycle and mitochondrial electron transport chain which produce the ATP (energy) which keeps us alive. 

Dietary fructose also more rapidly replenishes glycogen, and also prevents the excessive release of glucose from glycogen storage even during excessive adrenaline expression, helping not only to sustain and preserve glycogen but to also increase ATP production and mitochondrial respiration. Testicles are also sites of high fructose concentrations and fructose metabolism as it is a necessary component for production of testosterone and sperm, and lots of libido problems in both men and women come directly from sugar starvation which then has the effect of increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs because of the direct metabolic consequences of depriving the body of carbohydrate. 

Claiming that sugar is addictive is equal to claiming that air or water are addictive, as sugar is required every bit as much as oxygen and water to keep the body from dying, and during states of extreme sugar deprivation our body even reverse synthesizes sugar from protein in the process of gluconeogenesis, and if it did not do this every human whom engaged in dieting behaviors would simply die, which is why abstinence from sugar causes such extreme physical and mental stress. 

Healthy forms of sugar like fruit are certainly preferable to junk food, but even well-made, high quality candy such as taffy or pectin-containing fruit gems can effectively help promote recovery from alcoholism and addiction by lowering stress and stress hormones, both physically and psychologically, without the cognitive impairment as what occurs from use of substances such as alcohol and drugs. 

Sex and pornography addiction are also not addiction but a biological response to metabolic stress, mediated by excess nitric oxide which compels the human mating response and arousal in an individual who is colonized by opportunistic pathogens and at risk of expiry, as an evolutionary adaptation to promote procreation during stresses which might have otherwise caused early demise to our evolutionary ancestors. Reproduction is one of the most important biological functions of any species and for this reason it is also one of the last systems impaired by illness, but when stress becomes excessive a human’s mating instincts are increased to the point it can feel like addiction (compulsory), but because it is not addiction it is never successfully treated by behavioral intervention and instead must be achieved through nutritional, environmental, and medical interventions which are beyond the scope of this paper. More information on sex addiction can be found at www.natehatch.com and associated media content, specifically the book Fuck Portion Control in the chapter on erectile dysfunction.

Other behaviors which appear to be addictions such as gambling, excessive playing of video games, or adrenaline “addiction” are also not addictions but can benefit from some of the therapies presented in this paper, as they are problems of insufficient self-care, coping skills, and emotional fulfillment, factors also of real addiction, but since they are coping mechanisms and not products of neurochemical dysfunction dependent on exogenous chemicals they are also not true addictions. Addiction is neurological disorder which motivates the willful and chronic abuse of chemical substances, not coping behaviors which simply alleviate stress or emotional dissatisfaction.

1. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior

Clinical addiction is incorrectly defined as reward seeking behavior, pejoratively associated with the hormone dopamine, and as such includes a very broad set of supposed subcategories like sex addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction, gambling addiction, etc., which are not actually addictions and thus undermines research, progress, and treatment of real addiction, and used also to simply shame people for having problems and ineffective ability to cope with stress and life. 

The negative conception of reward is also a consequence of negative conceptions of human life, functions, and experiences, and is in fact prejudice infecting medical and scientific research. Reward (i.e. dopamine) is not a peril of human behavior but is in reality an instinctual survival adaptation possessed of all animals which promote successful behaviors by communicating to the organism what behaviors result in success just as stressful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released when creatures encounter harm, loss, and stress to communicate the potentially harmful nature of those experiences. 

When discussing ‘reward seeking behavior’ and dopamine release it is rarely discussed that this response does not come only from such activities as drug abuse but also from things like giving or receiving a hug, talking with a loved one, accomplishing goals, having a great meal, creating a new relationship, doing well at work, or learning a new skill. Whenever professionals or lay person negatively characterize reward they always refer to things like sex, food, or drugs due to inherited biases about things like self-control, indulgence, willpower, etc., but sex is good and healthy and reflects personal biases against sex and sexual behaviors, or eating disorders and unhealthy attitudes about food which motivate them. Characterizing pornography use as a reward seeking behavior but not finishing homework or getting a new job as reward seeking behavior is entirely a prejudicial bias rooted in shame and trauma that has nothing to do with the real function of dopamine, reward, and addiction, where addiction and its associated behaviors are purely the instinctual self-treatment of the discomfort caused by excess acetylcholine which can instead be achieved by other, healthy methods such as self-care and management of dopamine through ways which are not harmful. Use of the term ‘reward seeking behavior’ should be categorically excised from dialogue, discussion, research, and treatment of addiction except in the affirmation that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with reward seeking behavior.

1. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

Misunderstanding what is and what is not addiction is especially unhelpful for those recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction because addicts commonly adopt further stressful behaviors like dieting, excessive exercise, sex abstinence, or negative self-opinions which reduce rates of recovery due to elevation of stress, stress hormones, and acetylcholine which occurs from the inducement of stress in those not empowered to handle that stress, such as avoiding sugar, the stress of which then increases risk of relapse. Alcohol is a sugar, actually, and one of the reasons for its abuse is that it replaces sugar in those purposefully avoiding sugar and promotes high metabolic activity that would otherwise be achieved through regular intake of healthy sugar sources which in turn temporarily relieves the physical and mental stress underlying addiction, and many people who diet and starve themselves use alcohol because they don’t consider alcohol to be a sugar, which it is. 

Recognizing that sugar is required for our wellbeing and supplying adequate carbohydrate during recovery, especially sugar and especially from good sources like fruit, is highly therapeutic for recovery since strongly preempts cravings for alcohol. Comparing delicious food items to crack or saying we are addicted to chocolate is not a problem, but characterizing addictions as negative behaviors and including taboo coping behaviors in those characterizations undermines the benefit that would otherwise be found in the proper characterization of addiction and alcoholism as neurological illness which cannot be properly treated when bias, prejudice, and ignorance are part of the treatment plan. Recognition that dopamine is the true ‘happiness’ hormone and functions in biology to reinforce experiences which fulfill the needs of an organism will also greatly assist caregivers, professionals, researchers, and the afflicted to understand why hacking biology with exogenous chemicals as drugs and alcohol artificially stimulates feelings which can and should be achieved in ways which truly support and care for the human body and mind and not only those which bring temporary relief.

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease
1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology

Because the purpose of alcohol abuse and drug abuse is to treat acetylcholine dysregulation caused by damage to the dorsal raphe nucleus by excessive stressful stimuli, both alcoholism and addiction are the same disease and are neurological learning disorders.

1. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

The neurological condition underlying alcoholism and addiction is the state of learned hopelessness as earlier described, characterized by trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus and resultant dysregulation of acetylcholine. This condition may or may not present with self-medication by drugs or alcohol abuse—while most likely do use substances to self-medicate many people do have this disease but do not self-medicate, which leaves them unlikely to seek treatment or even recognize that treatment would be useful for the problems they experience from having this condition, such as highly volatile interpersonal relationships and a general inability to handle common life stresses as financial responsibility, parenting, relationships, etc.

Prominent symptoms of this condition are emotional volatility accompanied by atypical fear and anxiety when confronting common stressful stimuli as finances, authority figures, work, responsibility, criticism, interpersonal conflict, failure, maintenance of relationships, rejection, death, religion, socialization, sociopolitical dynamics, etc. Many people, however, do also abuse prescription drugs without recognizing that they are actively abusing drugs because of the perceived institutional legitimacy of legal drugs. 

This condition also requires an effective name and classification which fully encompasses the entire nature of the disease but also counteracts the taboos and prejudices of alcohol and drug abuse which prevent the seeking of treatment or identifying with symptoms, and which is inclusive to those who do not actually abuse substances but whom also suffer the condition.

1. Treatment
1. Emergency Care

Withdrawal from very severe cases of alcoholism and drug addiction must receive immediate medical attention. Contact emergency services if someone presents with life-threatening alcoholism, addiction, withdrawal, overdose, etc.

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy

It is well known that when severe alcoholics go through alcohol withdrawal there is a real risk of death from the withdrawal process. This problem is commonly prevented through supervised administration of antihistamines. In spite of this, the mechanism of action for this benefit has not yet been established, largely due to existing biases about alcoholism and addiction which have prevented effective research and discovery. But histamine release is one of the mechanisms of action by which acetylcholine activates cellular excitation, and also what causes stress and discomfort, so antihistamines help rescue people from the effects of withdrawal by blocking catastrophic and potentially fatal release of histamine due to the heretofore unrecognized rebound of acetylcholine after alcohol cessation.

For the same reason that antihistamine is effective in preventing life threatening withdrawal symptoms, by blocking the negative effects of acetylcholine in excessive release of histamine, antihistamines are also very useful in medically treating alcoholism and addiction generally because of its ability to block such effects of excessive acetylcholine without actually blocking acetylcholine itself  as what occurs with alcohol (and some recreational drugs), since acetylcholine is still necessary in the maintenance of consciousness. An addict or alcoholic still must choose to abstain from substance use entirely while recovering, but antihistamine therapy makes this choice far easier to endure by strongly reducing the stressful effects of untreated acetylcholine excess and thus also helps facilitate the having of new experiences in rehabilitation which are required for empowerment and stress relief. 

Because antihistamines are generally sedative they absolutely should not be used with alcohol or drugs, as harmful side effects could occur and should only be used during abstinence of drugs and alcohol. As drowsiness is a side effect of antihistamines they should also be used only before bed, which will also help promote sleep, but their therapeutic effects will last into the next day (or two).

For the first one to two weeks of recovery a full dose of antihistamine can be used if symptoms are very severe, according to the use directions on the product label, after which the dosage can and should be reduced to 1/2. The longer antihistamine therapy progresses the less dosage is required to achieve a therapeutic effect, and reducing the dose also helps to mitigate any potential toxic side effects of long term use, such as effects on the liver. After several months, when much progress has been made, the dose can be reduced yet again to 1/4 the original, but can be raised temporarily any time a higher dose might be required.

First-generation, common antihistamines like doxylamine succinate or diphenhydramine are more effective than second-generation antihistamines. Some anti-allergy medications are not antihistamines at all, but are steroids which would actually increase the stress which stimulates acetylcholine release (such steroids are stress hormones and actually make recovery more difficult and should also be avoided if possible), so exercise much caution when using “antihistamine” products that they are actually first-generation histamine blockers and not other products that are similarly marketed. These first generation antihistamines are also often sold as ‘sleep-aids’ since antihistamines cause drowsiness, look at the label of products to find what chemical the medication it is.

This low-dose antihistamine therapy can and should continue for at least three months, but as much as six is also acceptable (reducing dosage as progress occurs). This can help an addict or alcoholic achieve the other requirements for recovery with much less stress and emotional distraction. It is important to know and remember, however, that antihistamine therapy is not a cure for alcoholism and addiction. It merely treats symptoms to make recovery easier.

1. Alcohol and Acetic acid

A primary reason alcohol is therapeutic to the alcoholic/addict is that the end product of alcohol metabolism in the body is acetic acid—a short chain fatty acid normally produced in the gut by commensal microbiota feeding on indigestible carbohydrate. Acetic acid is extremely important for human health as a cofactor in many biological pathways and foundational substrate for the production of cholesterol, bile, and hormones like vitamin D, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, the mineralocorticoids, etc. Without acetic acid the body then cannot make hormones or well resist stress, and those with the absolute worst alcoholism have almost no natural acetic acid production in the gut and thus become dependent on alcohol as their only biological source of this short chain fatty acid which is necessary for health and wellness, and there is a direct,  inverse association to the levels of acetic acid production in the gut and the intensity of cravings for alcohol. 

While acetic acid is healthy and requisite for our bodies, the primary reason excess alcohol is toxic to humans is that the intermediary between alcohol metabolism to acetic acid is toxic aldehyde, which is far more toxic than alcohol and requires substantial detoxification by the liver using a molybdenum and riboflavin dependent aldehyde oxidase which in turn can and does exhaust other nutrients like water, riboflavin, and molybdenum in this detoxification pathway (water is used as a cofactor, which is why people commonly experience thirst after drinking heavily). But the large supply of acetic acid resulting from alcohol and aldehyde metabolism can and does then also result in a temporary increase in acetic acid and thus also steroids and hormones and thus also a temporary feeling of wellness that is otherwise elusive and thus association by the mind of alcohol with feeling well.

The gut microbiome is instead supposed to be the primary source of acetic acid, feeding on indigestible carbohydrates, so factors which impair the gut microbiome such as disease, dieting, or chronic exposure to antimicrobial factors like antibiotics, herbicides and other agrochemicals, or even chronic alcohol use itself impairs the gut microbiome, reducing the native supply of acetic acid which then increases dependence on alcohol as a supplemental source. Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables can strongly help restore microbial production of acetate, but vegetables are also more difficult to break down, so abundant consumption of fruit, such as every 2-3 hours, is strongly rehabilitating, specifically to reduce cravings.

1. Sodium Acetate

Acetylcholine is acetylated choline, or in other words choline (a nutrient) that is reacted to acetic acid, which demonstrates another role of acetic acid in human biology. Lowering acetylcholine production by mitigating stress and treating trauma thus helps also spare acetic acid (and choline), to help further reduce cravings for alcohol. The primary constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, and the reason for the therapeutic effects of supplementing vinegar is due to the increase in acetic acid supply. Because cravings for alcohol are very strongly due to its association with acetic acid, cravings can be most strongly treated by supplying needed acetic acid such as through the daily supplementation or consumption of vinegar. Some people like vinegar, but it is also caustic to mucosal tissues and can be uncomfortable to consume, and can even dissolve tooth enamel when used in excess, so its supplementation directly is not universally helpful. Instead, a common medicine called SODIUM ACETATE used in emergency rooms to treat metabolic acidosis (and also used as a food ingredient) is an excellent form for the supplementation of acetic acid because the sodium helps buffer its reactivity.

Sodium acetate is also the result of elementary school science fair volcanoes—mixing vinegar and baking soda together in which the acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2. It is thus also easily manufactured by anyone with access to baking soda and vinegar and thus a highly accessible treatment for alcohol binging and cravings. As of the writing of this paper sodium acetate is not really available for purchase as a supplement, though it should be, and until that is the case the recipe for making one dose of sodium acetate taken daily (divide into two doses the first one or two days) is as follows:

Sodium Acetate

*never mix in a sealed container, the reaction is volatile and will explode sealed containers and may injure you or others. 

1 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 tablespoons vinegar

Place baking soda in an open cup or bowl, then slowly add vinegar until foaming subsides. Agitate solution to react all sodium bicarbonate with vinegar until fizzing stops. Can be left to stand for 10-30 minutes for even more reaction (too much sodium bicarbonate will make it taste salty, too much vinegar will taste too acidic. Finding the right balance makes it taste close to neutral).

Dilute resulting solution with juice. When first starting sodium acetate divide this dose in two and take separately until the body gets used to it, thereafter it can be taken in one dose. Don’t use more than one full dose daily. Daily use strongly suppresses cravings for alcohol and should be used even when cravings are not present for a minimum of six months. If cravings return in the future, immediately use sodium acetate. May increase thirst. 

Acetic acid is so effective in reducing cravings that many people will report reduced cravings even from simply supplementing vinegar, but because sodium acetate facilitates greater consumption of acetic acid by minimizing the caustic side effects it is much more effective than vinegar for treating cravings. 

Mild alcoholics can and should also use supplemental sodium acetate to reduce quantity of consumed alcoholic drinks, as since when the body becomes supplied with acetic acid there is a more natural satisfaction from just one or two drinks. But especially for those who are in recovery, the use of sodium acetate not only inhibits cravings but provides a necessary cofactor for steroids and hormones and thus providing the same therapeutic function as alcohol without the inebriation. 

Sodium acetate is quite palatable in citrus juice, and for those whom must be weaned off alcohol to avoid withdrawal death, mixing alcoholic drinks with sodium acetate will result in more rapid and effective resolution and weaning.  

While drug addicts may or may not also abuse alcohol they will still benefit from sodium acetate use, to increase hormone production, and sodium acetate should be used daily regardless of the substance abused. High grade sodium acetate can likely be bought by recovery institutions from reputable laboratories which supply it to food and research industries which can make it easier to implement in recovery programs. Adding to juice supplied to patients, such as a large cooler or dispenser which patients can freely access, is exceptionally easy to accomplish (be sure to label the additive for knowledge of patients). 

1. Sugar Therapy

Alcohol is a sugar, so consuming dietary sugar during recovery is an excellent way to reduce stress and also prevent cravings without cognitive impairment, as sugar enhances cognition rather than impairing it as do alcohol and drugs, since it is used by cells to produce energy. As discussed earlier, there is no such thing as sugar addiction, which is instead a state of stress caused by too little dietary sugar and carbohydrate as normally required by human biology. Dieting behaviors are extremely common among those with alcoholism and addiction, and because deprivation of sugar and carbohydrate strongly impair energy production, such dieting behaviors, even if unintentional, are a primary driver of substance abuse. 

Dieting behaviors are motivated by conditions of body dysmorphia and psychological trauma surrounding body image and self-esteem, which must also be addressed (as directed later in this paper). But it is not possible to recover from alcoholism or addiction while also avoiding sugar. The consumption of much fruit daily is strongly therapeutic to recovery not only for supporting gut microbes but also in directly supplying sugar and other nutrients, and can be fresh, dried, frozen, eaten plain, or made into fruit salad, smoothies, shakes, desserts, juices, or any other desired foods, and fruit should be the most abundant and primary food item in recovery programs and diets for those in recovery. 

Some dried fruits such as bright-orange apricots are preserved with sulfur dioxide, however, which strongly destroys commensal gut microbes, and such sulfur preservatives should be avoided entirely—as exposure will entirely prevent the microbial production of acetate and other short chain fatty acids by our commensal microbiome. Human gut microbes absolutely thrive on fruit and its rich polyphenol and pectin content, so fruit is especially therapeutic to recovery through the microbial production of acetic acid, and killing off microbes through continued exposure to antimicrobial factors like sulfur dioxide will prevent recovery. 

While fruit is best, any sugar can help reduce stress and cravings, so the use of well-made candies, desserts, and sweetened beverages should also be practiced, and sugar can and should be added to things which contain fruit such as for smoothies, pies, and other desserts, and should be used as an alternative to substances of abuse any time there are cravings and to prevent cravings by keeping blood sugar elevated at all times, never going more than 2-3 hours without eating something. 

The use of sugar in this way is also a behavioral therapy—learning to treat ourselves with compassion and taking care of the body rather than resenting it, as is required in other steps for recovery such as the learning of new life skills discussed later in this paper.

1. Light Therapy

Studies show that light exposure heals trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and exposure to light and healing the dorsal raphe nucleus lowers the expression of torporific serotonin and melatonin which otherwise also increase acetylcholine excess, and because serotonin and melatonin are hormones of torpor their minimization through consistent light exposure raises the metabolic rate and resolves any need by the body to produce excess acetylcholine. This then also helps reverse learned hopelessness at the root of alcoholism and addiction which causes acetylcholine dysregulation, which is thus not actually a learned behavior but instead mediated by neurological trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus. 

Yes—light can and does reach the brain, as tissues filter out all but the red wavelength of light, which is why our internal tissues are primarily red. Holding a bright light against the palm of the hand, for instance, is visible on the other side of the hand as a red glow, because tissues are designed to transmit red wavelengths of light deep into the body, demonstrating this principle. Light deficiency such as occurs in chronic exposure to the indoors and deficient exposure to sunlight oppositely promotes trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, which is also why communities far from the equator often present with greater rates of trauma and social stresses than those nearer the equator, as greater exposure to sunlight increases the rate of spontaneous recovery from traumatic stress.

Red light is specifically therapeutic to tissue rehabilitation because, contrary to common misunderstandings about biology, animal tissues do engage in photosynthesis through our primary respiratory enzyme called cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria which is reactive to red light photons, so exposure to warm-colored wavelengths of light (such as what occurs from the Sun and filtered through the skin and tissues) results in production of ATP, which is why sun exposure usually feels so good, because it results in production of additional free energy to that which is made from food.

Direct sun exposure is sometimes not possible, such as wintertime or excessive summer heat, and too much sun exposure also risks sunburn, so the use of artificial, safe lights like bright, warm-spectrum LED are not only convenient and safe for treatment but often required to prevent light deficiency. The dorsal raphe nucleus is positioned at the top of the spinal column, roughly between the ears, so bright light targeted to the back or the sides of the head from both sunlight and warm-spectrum artificial light can directly reach the dorsal raphe nucleus to stimulate ATP production and reduce serotonin output.

Light therapy is not optional. Where antihistamines and acetic acid treat symptoms this light therapy is the primary rehabilitation for learned hopelessness, and along with the learning of new life skills and resolution of trauma as discussed later in this paper effects permanent recovery from the conditions of alcoholism and addiction (and conditions like PTSD and other trauma) so long as future light deficiency is not again incurred. 

Light therapy is most effective after the previous steps have been achieved, for instance because a mechanism of light therapy is to increase ATP production this cannot occur in states of malnutrition, sugar deprivation, or active substance abuse. Lights used in this therapy must be in the warm color spectrum as 3000K or less in color temperature. This is not heat temperature—lights should not be hot to the touch or cause heating on the head, which can be harmful. This is color temperature which is a measure of the color spectrum. Red light stimulates ATP production while blue spectrum stimulates ATP consumption, so using the wrong kind of light (in the cold spectrum) causes agitation, irritation, and restlessness while the red spectrum oppositely promotes relaxation, calmness, and regeneration through the increased production and availability of ATP. Fluorescent lights common in places of work and commerce, including recovery centers (which absolutely should NOT be used in recovery settings) are higher in blue spectrum light which in turn causes people to become depleted of ATP and feel exhausted, which directly contributes to learned hopelessness and alcoholism and addiction. Do not thus use lights that are higher than 3000 k in color temperature, because it is the penetration of red photons to the interior of the body (which any warm spectrum light will contain) which is responsible for the benefit of this therapy. The light itself does not need to be red, it simply needs to be in the warm color spectrum (infrared does not provide this benefit).

After the previous steps have been achieved, one or two bright lights should then be placed near the back or rear-sides of the head, about the bottom of the skull or ear level, as close to the head as possible without causing burns, heating, or discomfort. Heat stress is not helpful so do not use hot lights, and if heat stress is experienced during this therapy stop immediately, take a break, and keep the lights further away or use less hot lights. LED lights are ideal for this purpose since they do not emit much heat (infrared).

Light application must occur every single day for 2-3 hours and a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Any less than this will not work, and this is also in addition to getting plenty of natural sun exposure daily too (without getting sunburned but without using sunblock, so get sun at times and duration that does not risk burning, such as the morning and late afternoon). After the 2-3 weeks of daily light therapy it is required to never again incur light deficiency, and much care should be taken get plenty of natural light every day and keep a bright light (in the warm color spectrum) at work and home to prevent light deficiency (after therapy is completed light does not need to be specifically directed at the back of the head—exposure to the eyes helps to keep torpor hormones low).

CAUTION: There is one caution and side effect to this therapy that absolutely will occur—as this therapy starts working, the first 3-4 days will cause an increase in depression. This occurs because exposure to bright light strongly slows melatonin production in the pituitary to a normal level, but this causes a significant backlog of serotonin (from which melatonin is made) which will make torpor (depression) feel even more acute. While this isn’t fun it is an excellent sign the therapy is working and after 3-4 days when this serotonin clears a new state of emotional homeostasis will start to emerge (so long as the patient is eating well, keeping up their blood sugar, and getting enough daily sunlight exposure). At the end of the therapy depression will be eliminated or nearly eliminated, with more stable mood and positive emotional feelings, and it must be remembered that this temporary state is only temporary and will not last more than 3-4 days.

Additionally, vitamin C directly supports metabolic respiration, so foods high in vitamin C like orange juice, fruit, leafy greens, etc., should also be used both daily and immediately before light exposure, which will occur anyway with compliance to frequent consumption of fruit as required. If exposure to sun or other light source causes agitation or irritation that is a good sign of vitamin C deficiency which can be rectified by getting vitamin C daily.

1. Niacinamide

A common complication to recovery is eating disorders, specifically anorexia. As it is impossible to recover from addiction without eating a good diet and keeping blood sugar up, so it is extremely important to eat enough calories and sugar every day, from morning to night, practicing no dietary restrictions whatsoever aside from those foods which can potentiate acetylcholine excess (nightshades and inflammatory foods like common wheat and polyunsaturated fats). Eating disorders thus present a significant obstacle for some people, especially those with anorexia. 

While anorexia is typically considered a psychological condition and does have some behavioral elements, it is also entirely a complication of neurochemistry, including very high serotonin expression which suppresses the appetite. Because high serotonin is a hibernation response, part of its function is to prevent animals who hibernate from being hungry, otherwise they would go out during winter and find no food and starve. The state of anorexia is one in which dietary and environmental trauma has gotten so severe as to promote this appetite suppression, thus facilitating the avoidance of food, especially if a person has negative conceptions of their self-worth and body image.

The opposite of serotonin excess such as causes anorexia is high endogenous production of niacin. Both serotonin and niacin are produced from the dietary amino acid tryptophan. During light deficiency, dietary stress, trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and avoidance of sugar our dietary tryptophan is directed to serotonin, but when exposed to light, sugar, and resolution of trauma more tryptophan is directed into niacin which then supports higher metabolic respiration. 

However, a supplement of niacinamide, which is a variant of niacin, is also very effective and generally affordable strategy to help resolve anorexia, as it directly antagonizes the appetite suppressant effects of excess serotonin. It can also help take the edge off depression and promote better energy, better, and a desire to eat for anyone in recovery, even if undereating is not a problem. Those who have anorexia or have trouble eating sufficient daily calories should take a dose of 250 mg to 500 mg every morning (depending on size) with a source of sugar such a orange juice, an apple, or other fruit (or pastry or other yummy, sweet options). This will help restart hunger impulses and thus make it much easier to consume food and calories as required for recovery. Ideas of body image and self-worth should be addressed as discussed in the inventory therapy below. For anyone with depression the use of niacinamide can generally be very useful, but niacin itself has potentially uncomfortable side effects, which is why niacinamide should be preferable.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C directly antagonizes many of the harmful effects of many drugs. Vitamin C deficiency specifically causes a disease called scurvy and indeed many of the debilitating side effects of drug use such as from methamphetamine and heroin are in fact caused by rapid depletion of vitamin C and the initiation of scorbutic disease. Using vitamin C in the treatment of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can thus be very productive in supporting recovery. Opioids are especially associated with vitamin C depletion and vitamin C supplementation can greatly relieve all opioid addicts of some physical pain and deterioration caused by opioid use. Vitamin C is so good at inhibiting the scorbutic side effects of drug abuse it can easily and rapidly treat these side effects and help users keep their teeth, body mass, and skin health even if they do not yet decide to get clean. 

Vitamin C is also a required cofactor for the synthesis of dopamine and adrenaline, and high stress which promotes addiction and alcoholism and causes depression due to deficiency of dopamine occurs also through vitamin C depletion, especially in those who do not eat a healthy diet with daily, generous consumption of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is also best gotten through foods, not a supplement, which is another reason a healthy diet is requisite for recovery. 

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

One of the other primary reasons people drink or use drugs abusively is that alcohol and drugs can and do treat infection with oral and gastrointestinal pathogens, and since there are many, many potential pathogens in our environment from bacteria like Clostridium difficile to parasites like Giardia, many alcoholics and addicts are also self-medicating for the treatment of harmful microbes. Alcohol is, in fact, specifically antibiotic to bacteria, so having gut dysbiosis and opportunistic bacterial infections like C. difficile, H. pylori, or those which affect oral health like P. gingivalis which causes bleeding gums and gum disease makes sobriety highly uncomfortable for those in recovery since these pathogens are then less inhibited by cessation of alcohol or drugs. Cocaine is specifically antiparasitic, and helminth infection (parasites) downregulate an important enzyme in our body called carbonic anhydrase which converts CO2 in the body to bicarbonate to help mange pH functions and the acid/alkaline balance of the body, so people whom abuse cocaine are typically parasitized such as by helminths, giardia, schistosomes, etc., (gut distension is a common symptom of giardia or other gastroinestinal parasites). Amphetamines amplify and restore the function of carbonic anhydrase, and so one of the effects of methamphetamine use is to increase the production of CO2 and bicarbonate in opposition to the effects of parasites on the body. 

Nicotine also increases carbonic anhydrase activity, and part of the brief high and relaxation effect of smoking tobacco is to counteract parasitic infection which lowers carbonic anhydrase activity, but nicotine is also high in cyanide which is actually used as a substrate by the immune system to eradicate pathogens like parasites, so smoking is also a self-medication behavior to colonization by opportunistic microbes. Many addicts and alcoholics can also harbor sexually transmitted diseases not only due to behaviors which increase the risk of exposure but diets and dietary behaviors like fasting and low-carb which impair immune function and increase risk of colonization, and many STD treatments inadvertently wipe out other pathogenic bacteria or parasites and thus rapidly relieve sufferers of some of the symptoms which they are actually treating with drugs or alcohol. 

Reinfection can also happen very rapidly, however, as soon as a treated individual again makes contact with another infected person, thus limiting the effectiveness of medical treatment for infections. If a facility is equipped to treat STDs and parasites it should do so for any and all patients to remove all possible opportunistic pathogen they may carry, including to prevent spreading it to other patients, but it is a healthy diet, intact commensal microbiome, and functioning immune system which primarily prevents colonization by opportunistic pathogens, which is why good dietary behaviors and healthy lifestyles like daily sun exposure and even activities such as gardening are required for a full recovery.

Treatment of pathogens can specifically help with mental health, as there is much evidence that problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder involve infection biogenic amine producing microbes which produce amines like histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, and phenylethylamine that disturb normal neurological and endocrinological function. 

As discussed in Nathan’s work, dietary tannins such as are common to tea, the skin of nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts very powerfully suppress opportunistic gut microbes which otherwise requires complex courses of antibiotics. Eradication of pathogenic bacteria and parasites and daily consumption of tea, nuts, and other high tannin foods can very quickly help an addict or alcoholic with mental health problems experience peace and calmness which can further assist recovery if future infection is also avoided. One simple and useful strategy is to combine fruit juice with tea (such as variants on an Arnold Palmer, which is lemonade and tea) with added sodium acetate and sugar for easy access and compliance.

1. Recovery Diet

Because certain dietary factors can strongly promote and exaggerate alcoholism and addiction, these foods should be limited during recovery. The glycoalkaloid toxins in nightshade plants, specifically potatoes and eggplant which are the most potent (but even having tomatoes daily can also be excessive). Very often too potatoes get a little green when they are left out under grocery store lights (blue light), and this indicates an increase in solanine production. Potatoes can be delicious but during recovery it is best to entirely avoid all potato, eggplant, and to reduce consumption of tomato and peppers to no more than three times a week (sweet potato is not a nightshade and is just fine). Once a person has made a full recovery potato can be reintroduced, but should still not be eaten frequently (no more than 3 times a week), to avoid inducing cravings. If cravings ever return, potato or eggplant consumption should again cease immediately until cravings again disappear, and tomatoes and peppers less frequent. Because solanine is most concentrated in potato skin, nobody should ever, ever eat potato skin, and solanine is also water soluble so boiling and draining potatoes can help reduce their solanine content when reintroducing them. 

The gluten in common wheat is tough to digest because it has been intensely hybridized to resist the growth stresses caused by industrial fertilizer, and gluten is very inflammatory, and since the body responds to inflammation by stimulating localized acetylcholine increase, common wheat should also be avoided for a faster recovery. Common flour also often contains added iron which, unbound by the food matrix, strongly fuels pathogenic overgrowth in the gut, leading to stomachaches, discomfort, and strong inflammation and chronic immune reaction and should be avoided entirely. 

When we try to make dietary changes we often simply avoid the things we are limiting, but this only creates emotional and nutritional stress and usually fails, and the key to making these dietary changes is not to simply avoid foods we like but to replace them with others that are equally or more indulgent and satisfying. Choose sweet potatoes or rice instead of potatoes and wheat. Ancient types of wheat called spelt, einkorn, or kamut can be great replacements for common wheat and taste even better and can be bought or made as pastries, doughnuts, pasta, bread, etc. Many high quality grocery stores carry einkorn pasta or spelt bread, so just look around. Recovery centers can produce their own breads, pastries, and pasta made from these flours and teach their clients how to bake and make their own as well.

Root vegetables also strongly help with recovery of the intestinal system and digestion through the promotion of short chain fatty acids, and even help expel gut parasites. The combination of root vegetables with a small dose of supplemental lithium aspartate or lithium carbonate (no more than 5 mg per dose) can help further treat parasites because lithium paralyzes parasites and helps the immune system eradicate them. Lithium is commonly used in the treatment of mental illness, this can be fairly easy to achieve, but low-dose lithium supplements are far safer than pharmacological doses. As lithium has a calming effect (it can be safely used in doses up to 20 mg) this can be very useful for recovery.

Fruit usually results in the production of acetic acid in the gut, because of its pectin content, and is not optional for recovery, by helping to increase production of gastrointestinal acetic acid and supporting commensal acetogenic bacteria. Sugar (especially fruit) is one of the best tools to restore a healthy gut microbiome, because most of our healthy commensal microorganisms are highly dependent on carbohydrate. So indulging on a great quantity of peaches, apples, grapes, watermelon, plums, raisins, dried, fresh, frozen, or preserves can be very useful and emotionally therapeutic.

Additionally, the consumption of healthy foods like leafy greens, especially from the brassica family (broccoli, watercress, brussels sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, etc) can be very helpful because they also promote immune function which can help address the gut microbiome or oral infections which may have been contracted during the course of alcoholic and addictive behavior. 

Yogurt and other fermented dairy like kefir oppositely inhibit acetogenic bacteria and promotes lactic acid producing microbes and can and does directly contribute to conditions of alcoholism, addiction, and depression and should be avoided always. So-called filtered yogurts or greek yogurt are still harmful and should not be consumed.

1. Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee can be a great support for recovery because coffee is dopaminergic, which is why it can make us feel good. Caffeine is a drug but it does not impair cognitive function, so it is not harmful to use in recovery, although some alcoholics and addicts believe they should avoid anything that can be drug-like it is harmful to remove all pleasure and fun things from our experiences and exactly the kind of addict thinking which drives us back to drug and alcoholic abuse. Remember that one of the problems of the trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction is not knowing how to properly enjoy ourselves. Having a nice cup of coffee can be one of those pleasures which helps recovery.

However, coffee and caffeine are metabolic stimulants and as such they can sometimes promote stress if they are not supported by the diet and sufficient intake of carbohydrate, calories, and protein. When people get shaky from drinking caffeinated beverages it is because they do not have enough carbohydrate, sugar, or protein in their body to support the increase in metabolic rate, and this then stimulates the release of cortisol to turn lean tissue into useable sugars and amino acids, thence the shaking, jitters, and discomfort. 

Coffee and caffeine should thus never be taken on an empty stomach or during low blood sugar. Adrenaline in fact is made from dopamine, so failing to eat before using caffeine or coffee directly promotes high levels of adrenaline and then cortisol which will only make physical recovery impossible. Oppositely, consuming sufficient calories, carbohydrates, and protein before and alongside coffee use can promote recovery by fueling metabolic activity and promoting dopamine in a healthy manner. It can often be enough to drink a glass of orange juice or milk in the morning before coffee, so long as a person also makes breakfast alongside or very shortly after using coffee. 

Coffee, containing some tannin, can also promote a helpful gut microbiome as well and is healthier than caffeinated sodas or caffeine supplements which usually contain unhelpful chemicals or additives and do not support commensal microbes. Because coffee and tea are extremely high in prebiotics (compounds that promote microbial growth) care should be taken not to brew coffee or tea with aerated water, which introduces oxygen to the gut and, along with the prebiotics, promotes overgrowth of harmful aerobic bacteria. Many water faucets have grilles that cause foamy, aerated water when dispensing, and this grille can be removed or the water dispensed slowly so as not to cause aeration of the brew water. Coffee and tea are also good ways to administer a lithium supplement to support health and mental health, and the supplement can be added to water used to brew coffee and tea by pulling apart the capsule and dumping the contents directly in the water.

1. Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid and optional supplement which can support recovery from depression and lift the mood of addicts and alcoholics, especially when supported by sufficient sugar intake. Pathogenic microbes can actually siphon our taurine from our bile in the gut and produce toxic hydrogen sulfide and deplete taurine stores which then contributes to depression and substance abuse. Taurine is required to protect cells from the stress of excessive cellular excitation and thusly helps cells to use protein (other amino acids) more efficiently. Dopamine, which makes us feel happy, is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which becomes wasted when the body is stimulated by excessive stress such as what occurs from trauma, abuse, and poor diets, dietary behaviors, and sunlight deprivation. Because taurine helps spare amino acids it also helps the body restore its taurine supplies, when supported by a good diet and abundant dietary tannins. Without more important steps like fixing the diet and resolving gut and environmental deficiencies as earlier discussed, taurine will not be too helpful, but if these factors are resolved 500-1000 mg taken once a day can help restore taurine homeostasis and thus help resolve depression.

Taurine does have one side effect, which is to restart bile release in the gut, which since bile is required to absorb fats required for hormone synthesis can be a good thing, but often the previous deficiency of bile expression can make the body temporarily produce too much bile when taurine is reintroduced. In this case a steady stomachache can result. If this happens, briefly cease taurine supplementation, wait for the discomfort to resolve, then restart once again. This may happen two or three times after which it will not happen again as bile regulation normalizes.

As discussed in Nathan’s other work, carotene inhibits the synthesis of toxic hydrogen sulfide by opportunistic microbes, and taurine can also be protected in the body by frequently consuming foods high in carotene such as carrots, peaches, squashes, orange sweet potato, tomatoes, etc. This is a function of frequency, not quantity, so large doses will not necessarily help but consistent dietary behaviors will. Since many fruits are high in carotene and carrots are readily available this is not a difficult step to practice. 

 

1. Treating Psychological factors
1. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

Alcoholics and addicts are often stereotypically characterized as lazy hedonists who do nothing but seek pleasure and a good time. In fact, the opposite is true and most people with alcoholism and addiction fundamentally lack the ability to enjoy themselves or to engage in compassionate self-care and recreational activity, and resort to drugs and alcohol as their only real option for the relief and relaxation healthy people find even in mundane activities like cleaning up our home, being with a friend, connecting with a loved one, being alone, etc.

This problem is the result of a childhood which required using our time and energy just to survive abusive, dominating, or neglectful parents or environment, unable to spend much time getting to know ourselves and to develop a strong personal identity. Most children from healthy homes get to discover who they are, separately from others, which imparts some degree of confidence, recognition of what brings them satisfaction and fulfillment, personal tastes and interests, and thus an ability to successfully connect with others, which is an experience missing from those with substance abuse problems.

Alcoholics and addicts who never got to develop a strong sense of identity thus lack those interests and skills for self-fulfillment, and an inability to connect with others often leads to fear of work, volatile interpersonal relationships, and an absence of fulfilling activities like cooking, reading, sports, writing, drawing, etc., and especially not from required self-care skills like managing finances, living within our means, paying taxes, maintaining healthy relationships, healthy interpersonal boundaries, etc.

A lack of self-care skills occurs because our parents did not possess them to teach us, and many alcoholics and addicts are reluctant to learn new skills because the trauma of past experience elicits a strong fear response when it comes to anything that can be perceived as failure, rejection, or criticism, and this in turn reveals a lack of skills to handle fear, rejection, judgement, disappointment, and other harsh realities of human social dynamics.

Anyone might think that to acquire new skills requires going out to learn them or the having of new experiences, but these skills for an alcoholic or addict are not learned by directly experiencing them and are instead learned by resolving past experiences of trauma which cause the fear response as discussed in inventory therapy which then makes space (psychologically) for an ability to handle new experiences. After inventory therapy is completed, alcoholics and addicts can then have new experiences which will teach empowerment and help begin to form a new sense of personal identity and self-worth.

1. 12-step Programs

12-step programs are often helpful for recovery (the author of this document was a member of AA for 3 years). But 12-step programs do not recognize any biological aspect of alcoholism and addiction, which accounts for their inability to help most people entering the programs. Worse, other derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous teach their members principles specifically not included in AA, such as the avoidance of triggers. This problem can undermine recovery because in AA they rightly teach that triggers (such as going to a bar or being around alcohol) will not be a problem once you finish the program, and indeed that is exactly how it works, as a person is responsible for their own actions and not helpless to the temptations in the world around us. These derivative programs have inadvertently integrated some of the control and coping mechanisms inherent to addiction which is the failure to accept personal responsibility for choices and thus foment fear and insecurity in adherents rather than resolve them. 

Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous also has a great deal of religious principles in their program which is unhelpful to many who in fact have been offended by religion and its adherents. Alcoholics Anonymous was developed in part with religious people who demanded to retain a lot of religious elements in it, and the compromise includes appeals to ignore the abuses that many religions and religious persons commit which leads to the abuse and trauma that underlies alcoholism and addiction in the first place.

But the concept of “God” to a recovering alcoholic or addict really means the cessation of relying only on ourselves in our own lives. We are not ourselves God, nor capable of commanding reality, and in reality alcoholics and addicts usually consider themselves to be alone, without any recourse for help should things fall apart, often even harassed and persecuted by their own families to get clean in ways which continue to perpetuate abuse, fear, neglect, etc. Additionally, the concept that there are greater forces which dictate fate and reality such as physics and the immutable laws of the Universe, especially represented by concepts of birth and death or other people over which we have no control, are often frightening for non addicts and alcoholics let alone those who are, and learning how to accept these realities rather than try to control them is one of the benefits of 12-step programs in spite of its heavy use of religions language. The point is for an alcoholic or addict to stop taking responsibility for things which are outside of our control, such as whether others like us, or we are rich, or avoiding disease and death, or even if we have alcoholism or addiction, because we cannot control those things in the first place it can only be stressful if we do try to control them.

1. Relearning Life Lessons

Because the disease of alcoholism and addiction is a neurological learning disorder which has corrupted a person’s life experience to associate even the most mundane of stresses with intense negativity and exaggerated stress while also lacking effective self-care and interpersonal relationship skills, these experiences can be unlearned. 

But this also requires abstinence, since alcohol and drugs impair cognitive comprehension by blocking or inhibiting the learning-memory-consciousness function of acetylcholine it is impossible to undo the psychological damage which causes sensitivity to stressful stimuli as conditioned from a lifetime of trauma. The originators of Alcoholics Anonymous intuited these steps, which is how they were able to construct a program which had marked efficacy in spite of its shortcomings. But the primary effect that 12-step programs have which supports recovery from addiction and alcoholism is teaching those with learned hopelessness (alcoholism and addiction) new skills and to facilitate new learning experiences, supported by empathetic peers, which can replace past negative experiences with new positive ones. The new skills an addict or alcoholic learns from 12-step programs give an addict or alcoholic empowerment for the first time in their lives. Fundamentally, for instance, the skill and ability to handle our own mistakes and make an apology to amend and maintain personal relationships relationships is often regarded by many people, alcoholic or not, as an affront to be avoided at all costs simply because we have never been taught how to properly and effectively apologize and so lack confidence in our own ability to do it. Facilitating the learning of this skill by requiring members of 12-step programs to amend their past mistakes teaches a brand new skill to adherents which, when done correctly, causes us to have a new experience when dealing with mistakes and confronting others and learning that we can, in fact, not only do it but that it is very comforting and helpful.

Many people think that confidence is an adopted strength we can choose to have, but this is entirely incorrect and adopted confidence is in fact arrogance, where arrogance denies our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities while confidence accepts them. Confidence comes from having positive and successful experiences—it is not an adopted attitude, which explains why so many alcoholics and addicts lack confidence because life or perception of it has been filled with so many negative experiences. Empowering skills such as are taught in 12-step programs can facilitate these new and positive associations with aspects of life which used to bring immense stress, such as interpersonal relationships, work and colleagues, bosses, financial management, government, disease, death, loss, rejection, etc., thus facilitating successful experiences and thus engendering confidence for perhaps the first time in our lives. 

The most problematic absence of positive experiences are that of personal enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Those with learned hopelessness fundamentally do not know how to derive satisfaction from life, even though we might try, and end up pursuing only superficial goals and success such as money, status, attractiveness, etc., since such attributes in life are easily observed, and using drugs and alcohol as a shortcut to enjoyment. Real satisfaction in life comes things which are mundane, like having close, healthy relationships with family or friends, having a clean house, going outside to recreate, or cooking delicious meals. Even enjoying our own company, which is highly foreign to all alcoholics and addicts, can be highly rewarding if we develop a real sense of self. Life can seem incredibly boring and so must be filled with excitement, always looking forward to vacations or events or breaks from obligation, but since none of these ever last an alcoholic or addict is always dissatisfied and always looking forward to the next break or next vacation, which is why we turn to alcohol and drugs, to cope with the hopelessness, dissatisfaction, and boredom of living in the present.

Learning how to enjoy ourselves is dependent on resolution of neurological stress from excessive acetylcholine, because high stress hormones prevent us from sitting still and being present. That is one of the purposes of stress hormones, actually, which is to motivate action and get an organism out and doing things. In us who are alcoholic or addicted these hormones are always on so we can never sit still and enjoy ourselves. Then after the biochemical treatment of alcoholism begins to work, inventory therapy can help us relearn life experiences to then find incredible satisfaction in things which before seemed mundane and unexciting.

1. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

12-steps programs do contain prejudices which blame addicts and alcoholics for their problems rather than recognizing the biological and psychological realities which create this condition, and thus are vulnerable to perpetuating the problems of addiction and alcoholism and not universally effective. Human biology is also designed in evolutionary terms to perpetuate the survival of the species, even at the expense of an individual, and many of our most heinous traits as humans such as violence and other antisocial behaviors are in fact basic survival instincts which originated from our past as a wild animal, and when human beings are traumatized enough we can entirely lose the ability to function as a human at all, which really is the fault of our biology and our vulnerability to stress and deprivation of basic human needs and not the responsibility of any one individual. So while every person individually is responsible for their choices and behavior, very often we do not possess the skills, awareness, or experiences in the first place which would have empowered us to make better choices. It is entirely possible to accept responsibility for our mistakes and harmful behavior while also having compassion for ourselves and our mortal, human fallibility, which is not something the 12-steps really accomplish, due to inherent resentment for our human condition.

Recovery centers which offer 12-step programs are also often run by fellow alcoholics and addicts, which is perfectly fine if they have also successfully completed recovery and can further benefit their patients through integration of the biological aspects of alcoholism and addiction as mentioned above. But often recovery homes and services are predatory, driven by unresolved desires of the owners to be rich or assert control, and the profit motive for recovery can obscure very real problems and even dangers in these centers. 

Rehabilitation centers also usually serve simply as a vacation for those with means who want to take a break from the stresses of life, temporarily freed from the responsibilities of work, family, finances, etc. The irony is that the tools taught by practicing inventory therapy as discussed later in this document can bring permanent freedom from the stresses of family, work, finances, etc., even while experiencing them, through the learning of new skills to effectively handle and even enjoy and find fulfillment from such obligations. The only reason any experience is stressful is due to a lack of emotional and mental skills to handle such obligations, which can be self-taught through inventory. Rehab centers tend to fail their patients because they only function as a temporary respite from stress, where if they instead empowered their patients with these skills and effectively treated their underlying neurological and endocrinological wellness as described above would actually be effective in treating alcoholism and addiction beyond the limited time spent in recovery homes and programs.

1. Self-compassion

The underlying psychological trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction in the first place is an abject lack of compassion for ourselves as individuals. Often and usually little to no compassion was shown to us as children and thus we do not know how to have it for ourselves, and spend the entirety of our lives trying to justify our existence and needs and wants as if we are by default undeserving of love, fulfillment, care, and compassion, when in fact we do not need at all to justify those needs, only to learn how to have compassion for ourselves and the experiences we have been through, to show ourselves the care and compassion we expect from others, whom are often not capable of giving it since, like us, they also lack those skills.

Inventory therapy as presented in this work (and the books written by Mr. Hatch) recognizes the inherent psychology in 12-step programs, specifically the step requiring inventory, reformulating it to be more accessible and effecting by considering past experiences not as self-centered resentments but instead as trauma, to both recognize and validate the abuse and pain lived by alcoholics and addicts and empowering us accept and resolve personal responsibility for our behavior and choices as separate from but still informed by our trauma. This approach, when done correctly, specifically engenders and teaches self-compassion, which is the key to resolving alcoholism and addiction entirely. Any person who refuses to do inventory will still not be able to make a full recovery because lacking self-compassion such as what is demonstrated in the act of doing inventory therapy drives stress sufficiently that it prevents effective behavior in relationships, mistakes, ambitions, goals, mortality, etc., that will continue to stimulate excessive stress, since we are not ourselves responsible for anything except our own choices and decisions (not even our own emotions!).

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity

  Many people mistake self-pity for self-compassion, because we have in fact never experienced compassion, but they are in fact very different, and self-pity also always indicates an absence of self-compassion. While self-pity is often derided as a weakness or shamed by others in reality self-pity is an adaptive survival strategy to generate a sense of self-worth when none is forthcoming from our environment, when a person does not know how to have compassion for themselves because none has ever been shown them. In stable, healthy homes parents display an abundance of compassion for their children and thus those children know what compassion is, both for others but also themselves. But when raised in a home where parents lack self-compassion and healthy self-care skills and are burdened with their own trauma their children are thus never taught what compassion is, because we cannot give what we do not have, and so in turn we do not know what self-compassion is. In this case, self-pity takes its place and serves as way to find value for oneself in a world which can be at times very harsh and stressful.

The difference between self-pity and self-compassion is that, much like arrogance and confidence, self-pity denies personal responsibility while self-compassion accepts it, because we with self-pity lack skills to handle conflict and trauma, and so are afraid of accepting personal responsibility for fear of validating insecurities, abuse, and trauma. Like confidence, self-compassion comes from positive experiences and is not an adopted, willful attitude but one which is practiced and comes from action. Unlike confidence, which comes from external experiences, self-compassion comes from internal experiences through self-care behaviors like practicing inventory therapy, because the act of sitting down to write inventory is the very act of practicing self-compassion, in which the mind then participates and experiences that compassion from the act. 

1. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Because 12-step programs were developed before the advent of much contemporary science, these programs do not directly encompass trauma, but resolving trauma is the entire point of recovery. 

But even most contemporary psychology does not even resolve the trauma which underlies addiction and alcoholism, which is why there must be support groups to serve this function. The author of this work was inexplicably turned away from a free mental health clinic after revealing their recent entry into AA, at a time when psychological support would have been invaluable, because of the biases which permeate professional mental healthcare surrounding addiction and alcoholism and ignorance to how trauma drives addiction (and heretofore ignorance of how to treat it). 

This failure is specifically because the Karpman Drama Triangle model of conflict and trauma is not commonly taught nor employed in contemporary mental health treatment. The Karpman Drama Triangle was developed by Dr. Stephen Karpman and is the most accurate and effective characterization of the consequences of abuse and trauma. It characterizes 3 distinct psychological phenotypes which develop out of prolonged experiences of trauma (trauma can also include nutritional factors as earlier described). Conflict triangulation is the natural behavioral phenomena which describes how conflict cannot be contained only between two people, and usually integrates a third or more persons such as friends or family members into conflict. Often and usually this includes us as little children who do not possess the requisite skills and experiences to resist emotional trauma from adults in such experiences, hence the Karpman Drama Triangles model which describes the specific consequences of such experiences. 

The 3 phenotypes:

The Persecutor—characteristic of narcissism, type one feels that other people stand in the way of our ambitions, and blames, shames, and attacks others for our perceived weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example we may feel entitled to a partner who is physically fit and attractive and blame them for falling out of shape or not dieting. The persecutor type is often emotionally neglected as a child and resorted to narcissism to find value in themselves. Intense fear of weakness originates from parents shaming children for their vulnerabilities.

The Helper—a person who can only find value when indisposable to others, we were often middle children who could only find attention from parents and other siblings if they inserted themselves into conflict and acted as mediator. They often find purpose in the psychological professions which is a perfect vehicle to entertain this insecurity, can be people-pleasing and often undermine the confidence or wellness of others because their motivation is be indisposable, not to actually help others, which would otherwise liberate others from dependence on us.

The Victim—is not a victim in the sense being a recipient of crime or abuse, but one whom, because of our experiences of trauma, inherently feel powerless and weak and that we cannot achieve our goals and dreams without the help or assistance of more powerful personalities.

It is extremely helpful to recognize and understand this model of psychological trauma because it drives addiction and alcoholism in specific ways. The author of this document describes in shorthand each personality thusly: the Persecutor fundamentally believes “I don’t need you,” the Helper believes “You need me,” and the Victim believes “I need you.”

Each of these phenotypes can be observed in states of addiction because each type of trauma is fundamentally concerned with others, not themselves, since others were the source of their trauma fail to fully comprehend both their own weaknesses and their strengths. Fixation on others drives the fears which underlie addiction and alcoholism, and the inventory instead turns focus onto the self, through introspective therapy, to accept personal weakness and recognize and appreciate individual strengths, thus undermining the insecurities which drive fear and thus dependence on alcohol and addiction, to treat the stress hormones and excessive acetylcholine stimulated by insecurities, fear, and lack of empowerment.

Where Karpman described this model he did not also elucidate methods to their resolution. That honor instead belongs to Dr. Margalis Fjelstad, who generally described the solution to Dr. Karpman’s model as “maintaining a center position within the triangle,” to employ the strengths of each type equally rather than the weaknesses of any single identity. We are all in fact at times oscillating between each of the three, where one predominates, where a healthy psyche is all three at once but in the corresponding strengths, such as personal responsibility, genuine helpfulness and compassion, and self-compassion replacing self-pity. More learning and research on the Karpman Drama Triangles can and will benefit any mental health professional whether or not they work in recovery, but the inventory therapy below can directly address and resolve these aspects of the psyche through the resolution of the specific experiences of trauma which caused them in the first place.

1. Social Support

Renowned psychologist Bruce K. Alexander was dissatisfied with past experiments on rats in which they were given water bottles with and without LSD to demonstrate addictive properties of LSD, but kept alone in individual cages with nothing to do as if rats have no emotions, desires, or instincts. So he built a large experiment which he termed “rat park” in which there were many rats for each to interact with and form relationships, as well as stimulating activities like running wheels, obstacle courses, and even paintings on the sides of the cages. In the isolated, lonely cages rats had preferred the LSD water, because of course they would, but in rat park none of the rats used the LSD water, even though it was freely available. 

Dr. Alexander demonstrated the truth about addiction and alcoholism—which is based on trauma centered largely around the absence of emotional and social relationships, access, and integration in social animals. Our parents also have their own trauma which prevented them from providing the things we needed as children, often being emotionally unavailable to us, and many of us grew into adulthood feeling alone, lacking the kind of normal emotional and intimate relationships we need and being deprived of learning experiences which teach us effective social and self-care skills, which is made worse when exposed to environmental factors like glycoalkaloid toxins, or deprivation of sunlight or sugar.

One of the problems facing alcoholics in terms of personal satisfaction and enjoyment is that a lack of experiences with fast friendships and healthy relationships makes us feel stressed and isolated, thus increasing the expression of stress hormones which rise during isolation and in turn cause us to feel unsettled, restless, discontent, and lonely. Lacking effective skills to create these relationships for ourselves we then turn to substance abuse as our only tool to manage such difficult emotions just as the rats did in their isolated cages, or mistake drinking partners, colleagues, and even service providers as replacements for friends. One of the specific benefits recovery programs provide to addicts and alcoholics is structured social support—having access to a guide and friend whom is ostensibly responsible for passing on skills and information learned through 12-step programs in reality is probably the first person in the life of an alcoholic or addict who is constantly available for emotional and social support and guidance and thus serving a very special function to those in recovery which directly combats the loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness that we as addicts and alcoholics have been accustom. This social support, however, can come from anywhere by collecting (but not abusing) relationships within our peer group on whom we can rely for real emotional connection. We are all also capable of providing these social needs for ourselves, and can be our own friend and best advocate, we just have never been taught how.

Usually, as an addict or alcoholic we are limited in this regard by our poor conception of ourselves, fear of others, and fear of emotional intimacy and so purposefully withhold ourselves from others because of our past trauma and negative experiences make us fearful of rejection. For instance if we are paying someone to be our therapist, coach, manager, agent, realtor, etc., we mistake the transaction for interaction and power for friendship, because having that power makes us feel safe. But all friendships and relationships require equality, and paying someone to be your ‘friend’ imbalances the relationship in your favor and is not truly vulnerable, as we must risk rejection in order to win relationships. 

Having friends is also not the same as having fulfilling relationships, and many of us also have family members who are equally unavailable and distant and as such not ideal candidates for this kind of social support. Accomplishing the inventory therapy as outlined below can teach us how to find, make, grow, sustain, repair healthy relationships that fulfill these fundamental needs missing from our lives and thus provide this invaluable asset for ourselves where before we may have found it impossible, or limited to others who are also active addicts and alcoholics.

Similarly, many of us have never considered that we can and should be our own best friend and advocate, which can be learned by resolving trauma and developing a healthier conception of ourselves through inventory, and is key to then establishing and maintaining real, healthy relationships with others through whom we can find fulfillment.  

1. Inventory Therapy
1. Preparation

All that is required to practice inventory therapy is this guide, a writing utensil, and paper. A notebook with large pages can be very helpful. This therapy absolutely should never be done on an electronic device. The act of writing communicates with the subconscious, and one of the reasons this therapy works is that writing communicates with the subconscious. Typing cannot do this. Use manual writing implements. On paper. No exceptions.

1. Abstinence

A period of abstinence should precede the beginning of this therapy. As discussed previously, it is impossible to achieve new psychological learning experiences when acetylcholine is impaired such as by drugs or alcohol. So prioritizing dedication to abstinence and using tools like nightly low-dose antihistamine therapy, sodium acetate, vitamin C, fruit and sugar, light therapy, and niacinamide must be done first. It is good to start the inventory therapy as soon as possible, but not until an addict or alcoholic’s mind is clearer and present. Always practice also on a full stomach. Make some nice tea or coffee, keep some candy or fruit around, and sit in a cute chair near a window or other pleasant, quiet atmosphere.

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy

Inventory therapy consists of two parts, the personal inventory, which directly addresses experiences of trauma, disappointment, loss, frustration, etc., and the fear inventory which directly addresses existential fears that we may have as a result of negative life experiences. The inventory practice in AA is often more complicated, this version is designed for efficiency as well as greatest psychological effect.

Fears motivate resentments, so it is most helpful to start with resentments, then identify which fears are relevant to those resentments and then make those fear entries. It is unhelpful, however, to lump all resentments against a single person, institution, or idea into one resentment entry dump. The traumatic experiences we have are not because of the person or institution is innately bad but because their actions are bad or harmful. Lumping every resentment against a parent or a religion, for instance, fixates on the person or institution rather than on the actions which hurt us. So each separate offense should be entered as a single resentment entry separately from the others. Some offenses hurt us for different reasons that others, so they each must be analyzed individually.

No fear exists in isolation from other fears. For example, a fear of death can also be a fear of pain, fear of loss, punishment, the unknown, religion, God, consequences, conflict, violence, etc., When making fear entries it is useful to also write down any other related fears which may be revealed.

Clues to what we write in each of the columns lie in the one which preceded it. So, if determining for instance what part of self was damaged by a particular event seems difficult we can revisit our entry in the preceding column, cause, for help in identifying those parts of self which were hurt.

1. Personal Inventory — Resentment

In the personal inventory there are five columns. The first three represent parts of life in which we have absolutely no control (no matter how much you may wish it). While the last two represent aspects of life we do in fact control. Many people in fact will write things like emotions into the “my part” column, but in fact emotions are hormones and we do not have control over emotions. If someone breaks into your apartment and stabs you, you are going to be upset. The idea that we should control emotions is the consequence of abuse behavior by parents who tried even to control our very emotions which made them uncomfortable, because they too lacked the skills to handle their own uncomfortable emotions. All emotions go in the cause column because they are part of the reason our experiences were uncomfortable, disruptive, or traumatizing. 

The first column of a personal inventory labeled Resentment and is a short identifier of that from which our resentment originates. 

Examples for this column are things like: parents, dad, mom, religion, Catholicism, Mormonism, Baptists, government, your friend John, your boyfriend Alex, the IRS, mortality, disease, being a parent, a specific child that might be driving you crazy, your wife Barbara, having to take out the trash, stubbing my toe, death, cancer, car breaking down, money, being poor, being rich, being ugly, sexual assault, having alcoholism or addiction, past relationships, a boss, coworkers, not getting a raise, betrayal, disloyalty, doctors, medicine, acne, hair loss, coronavirus lockdown, a school shooting or shooter, foreign governments, specific government officials, political opponents or oppositional parties, theft, inequality, work, unfairness, violence, social situations, anxiety, depression, frustrations, disappointments, rules, your apartment manager, the loud neighbors, aging, having diabetes, meetings, government regulations, etc.

Resentments are poison to happiness and rob us of fulfilling experiences and relationships. For instance, many people don’t realize that our traumas which create resentments can prejudice us against people with whom we could otherwise have deep and meaningful relationships. We might be resentful of a sibling for something they did and thus distance ourselves from them, or worse we might have done something to them over which we are embarrassed and thus withdraw from the relationship, hurting them twice and denying ourselves the value of such a relationship because we don’t know how to amend mistakes or handle our own fallibility. Teaching ourselves these skills by practicing inventory therapy and resolving those resentments can enlighten us to the reality of these experiences, our own power, and what parts we can and cannot control. Normally we try to deal with resentments by ignoring them or “moving on,” but this in fact leaves them unresolved, and we then accumulate many negative experiences which are indeed difficult burdens to bear and thusly contribute to the psychological stress which underlies alcoholism and addiction. 

Some people try to cope with trauma by deluding themselves into believing they have no resentments, usually from a desire to be a good person, having been taught that resentments are bad. But a resentment is anything which causes us pain, frustration, rumination, remorse, regret, anxiety, dissatisfaction, heartache, anger, sadness, restlessness, irritation, etc. The first step in resolving trauma is recognizing from where our trauma originated, so anything which robs us of joy, happiness, satisfaction, or fulfillment for all purposes in this practice is considered a resentment and entered as such under that column.

1. Personal Inventory — Cause

In the next column under Cause we write a brief phrase or phrases about the event and the reason for the resentment and the effect it had on us. It is helpful to split up repeat offenders into each separate cause rather than lumping many causes into one resentment. Failing to do this is entertaining our resentment and focusing on the person, institution, or idea rather than how their behavior affected us, as they are not themselves inherently offensive, but their actions or choices by which we are hurt. If a repeat offender should offend after we have already done inventory on our experiences with them, we make a new entry regardless of what entries we have already done.

Cause is as simple as the simple fact that something happened or can and does happen. For instance a resentment of death occurs because death is something that happens to all of us. Or if our bank charged us an exorbitant and exploitive amount of money for an overdraft, or the I.R.S. forcibly collected a reassessment of taxes during the coronavirus outbreak four years after we filed them and we could hardly afford rent that month. Parents or children often do things that hurt us, so in addition to the action they took which was the source of the problem we also can write other causes which are related to the event such as past traumatic experiences these remind us of or triggers, or past conditioning which makes us sensitive to these things such as what we were taught in school or church or by our caregivers. If a boss or coworker undermines our performance at work, in addition to their action we can also write that it threatens our sense of self-worth and accomplishment, makes us feel embarrassed, threatened, or sad, or feeling insecure about our future employment and financial stability.

Emotions always go under cause, because emotions are hormones and we do not control those. If you feel embarrassed, sad, hurt, angry, etc., it is not something we control and thus goes under cause. Acting on those feelings is something we control and thus does not go in this column. Many people misunderstand that acting on a feeling is not the same as having that feeling, and many of us act as if our feelings are directly connected to and justified by our feelings, which they absolutely are not. This in fact often gets alcoholics and addicts in trouble because we were not taught skill to effectively manage our feelings, and thus fail to recognize the separation between feeling and actions. This practice does teach us that difference. 

1. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt

During the span of a human life we require certain resources to live a successful, happy, and fulfilled life, and frankly also to avoid dying. These are basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothes, companionship, safety, love both platonic and erotic, community, opportunity, and accomplishment. Whenever unpleasant or painful things happen to us (the things we write under cause and resentment) they are painful because they endanger or take from us any one of these needs which are required in life.

Though we dislike pain, its function is to make us aware of potential dangers to our wellbeing. Children born without a physical pain reflex will chew on their own tongues. Both physical and emotional pain is necessary for our survival and wellbeing, but because of the function of acetylcholine in response to excessive stress in those with alcoholism and addiction, the imprintation of painful experiences can be so excessive as to cause irrational stress even from things which are not a danger to our wellbeing, like managing our bank account, so we avoid the stress by avoiding looking at our finances and thereby repeatedly cause the very financial instability we so greatly fear.

Recognizing the parts of self which are traumatized from experiences of pain helps us to legitimize our trauma instead of trying to just ignore it or move on from it. This in turn helps us begin to learn compassion for ourselves and our negative experiences which itself is the key to acceptance.

Because these parts of self are finite and not subjective, we do not invent or formulate what to put in this column. Instead we choose from the list of human needs which are: self-esteem, pride, emotional security, financial security, personal relations, sex relations, and ambition.

Sometimes we are unaware of which parts are hurt. For instance, many people try to compensate for past trauma which made them feel insecure by adopting confidence as a way to cope with that trauma, and so will not choose pride or self-esteem because they now view themselves as confident. But this very act of adopting confidence is a defensive mechanism which shows deep wounds to pride and self esteem, and is actually arrogance, not confidence, since confidence accepts weaknesses while arrogance denies them, and of course we are wounded in such ways since none of us is completely unfeeling.

Failing to understand how we are hurt by our experiences leads to rumination and obsession on those people and institutions which hurt us, which is specifically an absence of self-compassion because it then focuses on them instead of ourselves. This is one way in which self-pity can be self-defeating because we focus so much on what others have done to us rather than understanding the pain we are going through or have gone through.

1. Personal Inventory — My Part

Under My Part we list our actions and choices we made which contributed to or continue to contribute to the resentment. 

Not every event included our actions, especially those which happened to us as children (behavior begins to be our own around the ages of 15-18). When we are children, we play no role in my part because we are entirely incapable of providing for ourselves those things which are required for human life. Being entirely dependent on our caretakers, whom in fact as teachers, leaders, and providers are the originators of the choices and actions we take as children, we do not bear responsibly for our actions until we are more mature and capable of providing those needs for ourselves. Sometimes it can be helpful to accept that things we did as children were hurtful, although they are usually a consequence of adaptations to abuse or neglect which would not have occurred had we been cared for sufficiently, and in that cause the cause column should include the absence of instruction, care, or abuse which catalyzed that behavior.

Emotions are absolutely not our part—people often write things in my part such as ‘I let them make me angry,’ or ‘I choose to be sad.’ This is not how life works. Emotions, you will remember, are hormones and thus entirely outside our power to control (except through drug and alcohol use, which is why addiction occurs and is only temporary and self-destructive anyway). We want to believe we have power over our emotions because that means we can choose which ones we feel. We were often taught as children that in fact we could and should control our emotions, but this was abuse perpetrated by caregivers who had no skills to manage their own feelings. In reality, this is impossible, and believing this leads to further frustration and pain as well as a lack of compassion for ourselves. Feelings are entirely not within the scope of the my part column, and instead go under cause. 

My part is always actions and choices—I shouted at them, I stole that item, I hit them, I cheated, I lied, I withheld affection, I demanded sex, I harassed her, I didn’t tell them how much they mean to me, I drove drunk, I talked behind their back, I was defensive, reacted angrily (not felt angry), ducked my responsibility, antagonized them, wrote that nasty email, said those hurtful things, flirted with that handsome coworker, left my wife, made that purchase, didn’t monitor my bank account, didn’t pay my taxes.

Importantly, my part is never a criticism of ourselves nor judgment of our value as a person. Most of us avoid such personal introspection because we believe that self-analysis will reveal justification for every abuse we have suffered and insecurity we possess. In fact, many things we write under my part can also be positive actions—I stood up for them, I chose to have children, I got married, I didn’t cheat, I asked for a raise, I accepted this job, woke up early, went on that flight, paid for dinner, tried to help that person, spoke up for my needs, voted for good, came out of the closet. Even though we do good things it does not actually control our experiences, so we can be met with unpleasant consequences and thus become despairing at the results, instead of being proud of our good choices. So the my part can also help us correctly evaluate our own behavior separate from that of others and the things we actually cannot control.

Many of us waste years of our lives trying to control others, life, and consequences, and this is absolutely impossible. Indeed we are often taught by our parents, society, and religions that not only is it within our power to control fate, consequence, and other people, but that we should. Life does not work that way even a little bit, so we become constantly frustrated and even driven mad by our failure to control things we absolutely cannot control. The my part section helps us to objectively analyze the one thing we can control, which is our own behavior, and thus stop wasting our time, resources, and emotional and mental energy on things which are impossible to control.

1. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses

In the last column, Character Weakness we list character traits which we possess which motivate our actions and choices listed under my part. 

This too is not a judgment of our character or value as a person, which is itself simply the residue of shame and self-hatred at the hands of abusive and neglectful people in our lives, but instead a way to identify exactly how the events of our past have caused damage to us as a person which thus cause us to adopt coping mechanisms which we use to survive life. 

My favorite example to use in the illustration of this reality are pathological liars, since everyone “dislikes” liars. But the talent of lying is actually an instinctual coping mechanism adopted to survive a childhood where parents were especially and opportunistically vindictive, using any mistake no matter how trivial as an excuse to abuse and who use the child as an outlet for their overflowing anger and hatred. 

Since childhood is the time which forms our personal identity and thus survival strategies to use in adulthood, a child from such a home erroneously (and unconsciously) believes that lying is the only effective life tool to avoid pain and heartache and even death, and thus brings this tool with them into adulthood. 

But of course, lying in adulthood more often causes additional stress and isolation as we deal with mistakes and insecurities through dishonesty, and build for ourselves unnecessary consequences and complicated, unmanageable lives. Character weaknesses are coping mechanisms we develop to survive trauma but which then complicate and imperil our wellbeing as adults by preventing the formation of healthy relationships, destabilizing material wellbeing, and jeopardizing our moral and legal standing.

Most debilitatingly, coping mechanisms such as fear and insecurity which result from very traumatic experiences of assault, rejection, abuse, exploitation, etc., serve to make us hyperaware of future potential threats to our person, since it is through such threats that our very ability to survive life can be subverted. But then as an adult we spend every waking minute fearing other people, constantly repeating the trauma of our past, peering around every proverbial corner with anxiety, and even avoid opportunities for personal and professional advancement or preemptively destroying romantic affairs even when we have never again actually experienced the things of which we are afraid. 

Fixation on money is a coping mechanism for fear of loss and financial insecurity which creates miserliness, selfishness, dishonesty, and even theft. Other coping mechanisms such as perfectionism disrupt our lives by preventing satisfaction in accomplishment even when we are actually successful. Laziness is a preemptive coping mechanism to avoid failure in the first place. Being vain, narcissistic, or having self-pity is the mind’s attempt to provide a sense of self-worth which was not forthcoming from our environment as children. Timidity and shyness are an attempt to cope with rejection by avoiding attention in the first place. Being defensive or confrontational betrays fears of humiliation or loss which probably originated from parents who insulted and humiliated us, and so on and so on.

An adult should be capable of supporting ourselves emotionally and materially, and when we do not possess the skills to do so we resort to destructive coping mechanisms revealed as character weakness and undermine our own wellbeing in the process. Supporting ourselves does not mean going it alone. Being able to ask for help and to build strong relationships is an act of providing for ourselves, but this is misunderstood because of the mountain of trauma under which many of us are buried. It’s no wonder alcoholics and addicts have such a difficult time handling life. 

 

1. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fears are preconceptions about life which prevent us from living fully. Fears cause us to avoid situations, people, challenges, and opportunity. Often they motivate animus, resentment, pain, and actively undermine our own wellbeing and work against our self-interests even though they ostensibly exist to do the opposite. Under the first column in the fear inventory, we specify what fear we are inventorying be it rejection, imperfection, confrontation, failure, disease, losing children, losing a spouse, the government, pain, death, etc.

Coping mechanisms and character weakness all actually originate from a specific fear or set of fears. For instance, people who fear financial insecurity may lie, cheat, steal, or coerce, agitate, belittle their significant others, children, and friends, or simply avoid checking their bank account in dealing with that fear. They may be miserly or selfish with their prosperity. They may also spend egregiously or irresponsibly, because a digital number on a website doesn’t make us feel rich but a large house or an expensive, flashy car does, but thus constantly live in a state of financial insecurity in order to subvert this fear by exercising the active use of our money, even if it makes us bankrupt. 

The fear of financial insecurity is itself a more primal fear of death caused by lack of resources, which can also include the social and emotional security which comes from attracting other humans to us through material wealth. This fear also comes from being afraid that no one is watching out for us, or not believing in some kind of higher power or purpose, that our life is left only to us alone. 

Fear of imperfection drives us to obsess over our performance and robs us of satisfaction even in our successes. Some fears are more visceral, like fear of the dark, of violence, of men, of our mother, of natural disasters, impending doom or wild animals. 

Fears are created in our childhood in response to unpleasant experiences, pain, and abuse. In reality, fear is a biological mechanism used to make us aware of potential threats to our person. If we had no fears we would not even be on this earth as a species. Fear of the dark, of heights, of wild animals, of disease, and of competition are all fears which have kept our species alive throughout the ages. If a bird did not have a fear of cats it would simply succumb to predation. If humans did not have a fear of water if they can’t swim they might drown. As such, the development of our fears originate in our biology and the instincts we have for self-preservation. 

But since fears are also reactionary and instinctual, and also develop when we are small children when we are more helpless, they are also often misunderstood and more severe than what is useful as an adult, and as such can get in the way of things we really want. For instance, if as a child we were the frequent recipient of rejection by family or friends we may, as adults, simply avoid friendships or romantic engagements due to our fears of rejection, and thus by our own behavior engineer the very loneliness and isolation we regret. If we get attacked by a dog as a child we might grow up into an adult which fears them, and then never actually get to experience the joy of animal companionship. Fears of being unlovable may motivate us to coerce partners into demonstrate their commitment and thus turn relationships into an exercise of dominance and willfulness rather than the free expression of love, or to preemptively destroy a relationship or avoid people we would truly love simply because we fear the power their presence would have on us and potential devastation should we lose them. 

Fear can be debilitating and overwhelming, driving us even into insanity, because it is such a primal and biological survival mechanism which is more concerned with the survival of our entire species rather than us as an individual. Fearing others, especially in geopolitical contexts, can drive families apart for the stupidest of reasons and foment xenophobia and racism. When we fail to understand our fears we are instead operating simply as a human animal, which comes with all the limitations and problems imposed by instinct and ignorance. 

Our response to fear and indeed even the very purpose of fear are also largely attempts to neutralize the thing of which we are afraid rather than fear itself, since fear is an esoteric and intangible construct of the human psyche. The human mind is designed to address fear by addressing the subject of our fear and not fear directly. Fearing competition and danger from other humans we buy guns and engage in arms races. Fearing crime we empower armed and aggressive law enforcement institutions to suppress our communities and stifle economic prosperity. Fearing our own self-worth we waste the entirety of our lives and relationships pursuing money and status. 

In fact, it is this very dynamic of our response to fear which carves us up into disparate political, regional, and ideological alliances. Those whose lives are dominated by fear and the desire to subvert that which they are afraid are those drawn to power simply for the sake of it, who sacrifice their morality and humanity merely to feel protected and empowered against that which they are afraid. This is the purpose which religion serves in the lives of man, to bring feelings of reassurance and power over things which are frightening, whether or not it actually does. It is why people willingly bankrupt themselves in support of institutions and persons who exploit them. Why voters choose leaders who rig political systems against their best interests. We are not ignorant to the consequences of our actions nor the debilitating effect it has on our lives—It is the price we are willing to pay for protection from the things we fear. The justification for our actions is simply that. Belief is in the power to subvert that which we are afraid, rather than fear itself.  

The fear inventory transforms esoteric, intangible fears into something which is tangible, allowing that we can in turn confront and resolve them, which is entirely possible, rather than that which we are afraid, which is impossible. Those who more naturally understand that our problem is fear and not that of which we are afraid are more happy, hopeful, creative, accomplished, capable, unifying, fun, and successful.

Fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones which reduce metabolic health, and if we have other metabolic illnesses our fear can make our physical health immeasurably worse. This is what happens when people absolutely lose their minds and become psychologically ill, or when people feel overwhelming terror at certain fears which lead to phobias such as of flying, groups of people, germs, etc.

1. Fear Inventory — Cause

Under Cause we write from where this fear originated. Fear of financial insecurity perhaps originates because we are, in fact, reliant in many ways on money to survive, and a lack of money causes stress and impairs our access to other things we need to survive like food, clothing, and shelter. As this illustrates, the cause of a fear is often because the existence of the thing of which we are afraid is something that actually does exist or does happen to us. A fear of failure often exists because we do in fact fail, even often. Even worse, people will often actively exploit our failures and use it as ammunition against us. Death actually is a thing, and we all must die, so that is one cause of the fear of death, but choosing to ignore reality or pretend death is a long way off or delude ourselves into acrobatic religious beliefs to distract us from this fear instead gives the fear of death immense power over our lives because we do not truly understand what causes the fear in the first place. Death is often used as a cudgel by parents and religious leaders to make us feel terrible about ourselves and thus easier to coerce and control (in turn to give themselves a feeling of control). Death is also often unpleasant such as during disease or accidents or violence, all of which are also fears to inventory. But it is largely through societal attitudes and our past experiences that we have these fears to begin with, and identifying their origins empowers us to begin accepting the fear, since we begin to understand why we have it, which is usually because of our prejudices surrounding the thing of which we are afraid and ignorance to reality rather than any real need to fear these things. Clues to the cause of our fears can also be found in the resentment and cause columns of the personal inventory, since it is often our past experiences which inform and catalyze the fear response. For instance, fear of authority may have originated from experiences of abuse or recrimination suffered by opportunistic and self-righteous parents, religious leaders, or employers who exploit our vulnerability for their own personal gain and control. Or fear of helplessness, violence, or even sex may be caused by experiences of sexual assault, violence, and abuse. Fear of being powerless may simply result from having been a child and at one point powerless. A fear of rejection may have been caused by past failures or painful experiences with family or ineffective and inexperienced romantic behaviors, or being taught that rejection defines our self-worth or should be considered with severity (rather than levity). Identifying the cause of our fears is the opposite of making other people or life in general responsible for them, and redirects our energies from controlling life and other people to instead having compassion for our mortal condition and understanding and operating within the natural bounds and limitations of our effectiveness which in turn empowers us to actually be effective in our lives.

All resentments are associated with one or more underlying fears which is what motivates our control mechanisms revealed in how we respond to those resentments (especially my part), and by inventorying these fears we can understand and resolve them, because all fears are simply caused by ignorance and this practice provides us with answers for why we have such fears in the first place. A fear of death is not actually a fear of death, which you will come to understand through the successful practice of inventory, but instead a fear of dying with yet unamended wrongs, expiring while still burdened with the guilt and shame of our mistakes and thus no more chance to repair them. We are also taught to fear death, to consider it as bad or scary, as punishment for our natural weaknesses as a human being, associated with pain and terror, or that there is only one life or that life is a test which determines your eternal fate, or that there is nothing to look forward to after death and we simply cease to exist. Rather than removing the thing of which we are afraid, which is impossible, the knowledge of why we fear is the key to removing that fear, which is done by recognizing the causes from which those fears originate.

1. Fear Inventory — Effect

Remember, that we cannot neutralize fear by neutralizing the thing of which we are afraid. When we do that we destroy relationships, opportunities, and become self-defeating. The rules of life do not change simply because we resent them. Believing ourselves required but unable to neutralize death, for instance, those of us who are driven by a fear of death plead to the divine to spare us from it, make excuses for wrongdoing, and foment fear and self-pity, concocting magnificent schemes which seek to facilitate the subversion of fear but in so doing simply serve to empower it and increase our mental, spiritual, and physical suffering. 

A person who is truly unafraid instead recognizes that it is okay that we die. That it is okay that we don’t know what happens after death. That the likelihood is death will care for us every bit as life has done. Ironically, those who desperately seek God and religion in the first place often do so because of intense fears of death, the unknown, and fate in general.

In truth it is impossible to subvert the things of which we are afraid. We cannot stop death. We cannot stop pain, or disappointment, inconvenience, rejection, heartache, loss, and challenges, and the inability to cope with this reality is one of the major problems which drives alcoholism and addiction. Instead of trying to control those things of which we are afraid, which is impossible to do anyway, under Effect we write what effect a particular fear has on our lives. Not the effect of the thing of which we are afraid—but possession of the fear and what this fear does to us. 

This is important because when we try to live in spite of our fears we are in fact ignoring or suppressing our fears and in turn ignore how they also control our lives. Recognizing that a fear of intimacy prevents us from growing close to others helps us see how we actually engineer the very self-defeating behaviors which get in our own way. The degree to which we fuck up our lives in response to fear is about ninety-percent of our day to day problems, and life in reality is a very lovely and amazing experience of which most of us are wholly ignorant because we perceive it largely through our fears and insecurities. 

The effect of fear of death is not to actually die, although it may actually increase our chances of dying since we might react to that fear in self-destructive ways, but the effect instead is to spend our entire lives always fearing the end, never actually enjoying the present, or even missing out on relationships or destroying them altogether because of our inability to handle the concept of death. 

Fears also of our children being failures may have the effect of stressing them out, aggravating interpersonal conflict, engendering animosity, resentment, stressing us out, preventing enjoyment of and feeling pride for our children, and even catalyzing through our behavior the very problems that we fear. Fear of authority may cause us to avoid or even antagonize authority figures, or miss out on opportunities for advancement altogether, or become ineffective when presented by challenges from authority figures. Fears make us sensitive to criticism, and so we may cling to destructive behaviors which impair our ability to succeed. Fear of accountability may prevent us from amending relationships when we have offended others and thus undermine or even lose those important relationships. Fear of failure may keep us from taking chances and acting on opportunity, or at the very least keep us from enjoying the success we have earned. Fear of illness not only keeps us from enjoying the health we do have but very often actually doing things which cause illness in the first place, resenting our body which is in truth only trying to take care of us. 

Fear of others prevents us from engaging in civics or prejudices us against people who would otherwise be neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters and amplifying political conflict and animosity, self-sabotaging our own wellbeing out of spite. We need other people to have relationships, but many of us are so afraid of sharing ourselves with others we actively withdraw from relationships rather than be vulnerable. Many of us are so afraid of life we would rather spend it fucked up, doing dangerous things and risking death when in fact understanding our fear and the trauma which caused it can free ourselves from the power of fear, no matter what actually happens in our lives. Thus, effect is not the effect that thing of which we are afraid, but the effect of having the fear in the first place. It is very important to understand this point because it is an exploration of the influence fear has over our behavior and conception of life, not the effect of those things we fear, because fear is the primary cause of ineffective action and choices which result in consequences which disrupt our lives and cause frustration and pain and not actually those things which we may fear. 

1. Fear Inventory — Better Way

Inventorying our fears flips the biological function of fear on its head, helping our mind to identify and address fear directly which neutralizes fear altogether and thus the very motivation to have our control mechanisms and insecurities in the first place. This relieves us of a great deal of suffering and stress since fear can be all-consuming at times, keeping us in a state of constant hyper-vigilance for threats to our person, and frees an enormous amount of emotional energy, time, and resources, turning our life over the Universe or your concept of a higher power which, unlike ourselves, is actually in charge of fate and most of the other things we have been afraid. 

No longer afraid of our bank account we actually manage it properly and accumulate wealth. No longer afraid of losing our children we actually spend time interacting with them and developing real emotional intimacy. No longer afraid of rejection we actually have fun dating, even when we get rejected, and take chances on healthy and inspiring adults of whom we were once also fearful.

Resolving fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones and excessive expression of acetylcholine. 

Normally if we have a fear of aging, or getting sick, or fat, we might think the way to deal with that fear is to go to the gym more, eat better, or try to lose weight. This is entirely wrong, because it is motivated by fear and continues to demonstrate a desire to control life and fear which is entirely impossible to do and exactly what drives our misery and ineffectiveness. 

In A Better Way we write an opposite way to consider the things of which we are afraid, especially as it pertains to trusting life to carry us through or our concept of a higher power and our place in the Universe, not on our own limited mortality but in terms of turning our lives over to fate, life, the laws of nature and reality, or a concept of God, to submit to these rules and realities rather than trying to control them. It is not a conception of what our life would be like without fear, nor the things we can or could do to try and control that of which we are afraid, but is a different way of thinking about those things which cause us fear. 

For instance, we never consider that there is actually such a thing as good conflict, or that both sides can often in fact be right at the same time during conflict, that everyone’s needs are legitimate and that conflict does not inherently require one winner and one who loses. Most relationships are often conducted this way, in competition at the expense of the other which results in acrimony and resentment. We can ask for what we need without taking from others. 

Rather than doing more things to control death, a better way might be to realize that it’s okay that we die. All people die, and it’s okay not to know what happens afterward. The same forces which placed us on this earth are also those responsible for taking us out, it is not our job to manage, plan, or anticipate death. Because of how biology works and the end of our sensory abilities you may also be surprised and relieved that death is not actually something we experience. We can also trust in life or a higher power to carry us through to the next stage of existence just as it brought us into this one. That rather than all the negativity we have been taught death is natural and good, because it makes room for new life and new people and carries us forward to the next stage of existence, whatever that may be.

Often we try to delude ourselves when facing fears, like “things will be okay,” or “death is a long ways off.” But these are not necessarily true and thus they fail to resolve fear. Very often things are not, in fact, okay. We often lose people or experience pain and heartache, so what good does your fear in the face of reality? Very often, recognizing that we fear something because it really does happen (which is part of the cause) is actually okay that it happens (in the better way). There really is nothing wrong with rejection, or death, or loss, only our deluded conceptions and denial which gives power to fear. Recognizing that sometimes the things of which we are afraid are real, but that it’s okay they happen can be a very empowering practice in a better way. We are still valuable if others reject us, conflict can actually be productive, money is fake and not actually that important, success merely serves as a way to attract relationships, validation, and attention which we can get from healthy relationships, no relationships last forever, new ones can always be found, people are mostly lovely, kind, and caring, healing is always possible, I have demonstrated resilience and persistence in the past and there is no reason to believe I won’t in the future. My parents had trauma that prevented them from raising me well, other people are hurting and deserving of compassion, life is cyclical and no one state ever persists. The Universe is looking out for me, regardless of the problems I must face. 

1. Inventory Practice and Success

The inventory therapy should be practiced daily and prioritized above all other activities until it is completed. During recovery our fears may compel us to continue fixating on jobs, relationships, success, and other obligations. But we can never achieve fulfillment in these pursuits if suffering from alcoholism and addiction, which can and does get in the way of creativity, productivity, success, and undermines relationships we require to be happy and successful.  

While at first it can be daunting to practice inventory, this is simply a fear of the unknown and of letting go of control, because we have never done it before. But trying to make ourselves do inventory is a also control, and demonstrates a lack of compassion for our experiences as we have been so well conditioned to do. 

Instead, inventorying the inventory therapy can help clarify why we experience resistance to taking care of needs. Inventory might be boring, or threatening, it requires time and attention when we would rather be making money or looking for sex or playing video games. Like the rest of our lives to this point, willing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do is the withholding of self-compassion. Of course inventory therapy is boring and uncomfortable and we would rather not do it. Inventorying that in a resentment entry and the associated fears of letting go of control can help us understand our own motivations and thus clear away resistance. 

Many people only do as much inventory as is minimally helpful to resolve the worst parts of their life experience, and continue to live year after year still struggling to find resolution to destructive perceptions of life and intense fears and insecurities, because we cannot willfully change such things which require introspective therapy such as inventory therapy accomplishes. 

If it is prioritized, inventory therapy very quickly becomes associated with relief as good or better than a drink or a hit because it permanently removes trauma, insecurity, regret, remorse, resentment, and fear simply by sitting down and doing the writing. The only requirement being abstinent and clear-headed and a pen and paper. The therapy is the writing practice, and no more is required, no attitude adjustment, no willpower, just dedicated practice. Communicating with the subconscious in this structured therapy helps the subconscious become aware of the conflict between our ego and our best interests, and when presented with new experiences and stimuli in the future addressed by the inventory behavior will naturally change as the subconscious tries new approaches automatically in dealing with stress. 

Sometimes some trauma is so deep it requires multiple entries before a true understanding and resolution can occur. Simply making new entries as required when these fears or frustrations are triggered is all that is required until it is fully resolved. 

This is a practice, and while it can be completed in as little as two weeks if a person dedicates an abundance of time each day, it is also a tool to assist us in everyday life moving forward as needed, but it must be completed (everything from the past you can possibly remember) to enact the kind of permanent resolution of psychological trauma and the finding of unrivaled confidence, peace, and happiness, and thus the resolution of learned hopelessness which underlies addiction and alcoholism.

1. Prevention
1. Abuse

Although it may seem obvious, preventing the kind of abuse and neglect as what catalyzes alcoholism and addiction is the key to its prevention. Very many parents are allowed to abuse their children as long as it is not physical and severe enough to be reported to child protective services. But abusive parents, like the alcoholic or addict, do not possess better self-care and parenting skills such as is taught by the inventory therapy.

Empowering parents with the tools to handle trauma, frustration, and conflict such as is taught in this program can help parents feel calmer and more effective both in their obligations as parents and in their partnership and other relationships, which in turn prevents abuse, but also models such tools for their own children to also in turn feel empowered to care for their own needs and meet life’s challenges. 

Empowerment is the key to undoing both parental abuse and neglect and alcoholism and addiction, so sharing these therapies even with people who are not alcoholics and addicts for more effective parenting experiences is the key to undoing systemic alcoholism and addiction.

1. Diet

Feeding children high quantities of potato, especially the skins, can very strongly promote the development of alcoholism and addiction. Potatoes are delicious, just serve them a few times a week instead of most days, and always peel potatoes. The other nightshade foods, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, etc., are not as harmful, but they can still contribute if they are abundant in the diet, so integrating other options and orienting the diet to foods which are not in the nightshade family and instead enjoying these in smaller quantities can help to prevent the development of addiction and alcoholism.

Common wheat, being highly inflammatory, can cause a myriad of childhood health problems and set the stage for later alcoholism and addiction, especially when combined with abuse and other excessive and unnecessary stresses. Ear infections, for instance, are caused by bacteria opportunistically colonizing swollen ear canals caused by reactions to common wheat gluten. Common wheat is also usually fortified with iron, and excess iron promotes pathogenic microbes which are even more dependent on iron for their growth than we are, so avoiding common wheat is also helpful for this reason (ingredients on food labels that contain iron say iron or ferric or ferrous compounds). 

Children are designed by nature to especially benefit from fruit, so a diet which is high in fruit for growing children will not only help promote a healthy gut microbiome and prevent alcoholism and addiction but also better overall development in every facet of growth. 

1. Environment

Sunlight deprivation catalyzes depression, and over time can increase sensitivity to stress. Children should have daily, ample exposure to sunlight at hours which do not risk sunburn. Both glass and sunblock prevent vitamin D synthesis (and sunblock often contains toxic chemicals), so avoid excessive sun exposure when it is especially intense, around midday, and instead get sun in the early or later times or play in areas which are partially shaded.

Many of our cities and towns are build and designed around cars, and as such make it dangerous for children to play outside. In fact, the loneliness and separation which permeates suburban lifestyles is a significant promoter of depression and alcoholism and addiction. Redesigning infrastructure to accommodate  safe and protected biking can empower children to travel to school, the homes of friends, or sports activities without always requiring a chaperone. The Netherlands is a country which models this example perfectly, they have the happiest kids in the entire world, low crime rates, and one of the lowest rates of alcoholism by country (those that ban alcohol don’t count, they just have a lot of dry drunks). 

Social integration, support, love, emotional availability are the antidotes to alcoholism, which is why empowering parents to resolve their own trauma can prevent the development of alcoholism and addiction in children. But kids can get and also need support from other members of their immediate society—extended family living nearby, friends, role models, etc. which can only be facilitated by living within communities that can easily access one another, which means also living in and designing infrastructure to provide immediate access to other people and not one which is centered around and dependent on driving. Social media has filled this role and need for many young people because our cities and towns are largely built to separate us from each other, and kids can often only find the access to friends, information, and engagement through the internet. There is nothing wrong with social media in general, and access to the internet is one of the factors which has driven down crime in many places because people feel more empowered and not so alone and disenfranchised. But it’s negative sides such as fomenting extremism, harassment, and volatile political discord is a product first of loneliness and isolation which makes people vulnerable to exploitation, and many extremists and reactionaries are untreated alcoholics and drug addicts, so addressing the underlying causes of alcoholism and addiction will keep children from becoming victims to those elements of the internet. 

1. Conclusion

Alcoholism and addiction have only been incurable because of the biases and prejudices which permeate even scientific and medical research, but mostly society as a whole, treating mental illness and those who struggle with trauma and the human condition as pariahs, withholding compassion and empathy from those who need it most. Because of this work, alcoholism and addiction no longer need be a disease that any person on earth should suffer, so this document can and should be shared with every institution, group, or individual affected by alcoholism and addiction, to promote awareness and empowerment. 

Very often alcoholics and addicts are so ill they do not have the capacity to help themselves, so it behooves family, friends, and society to assist them, which cannot be done if they do not understand how this disease works. 

It does require that alcoholics and addicts be willing to participate in therapy, but staging interventions or getting institutional assistance can be a great support. Contact recovery organizations in your local community for resources, ask for help, and learn the inventory therapy yourself which can help you to teach it to others, leading by example and empowered by the resolution of your own trauma. 

All therapists, counselors, and medical professionals who work with addicts and alcoholics must learn and practice the inventory therapy themselves, otherwise it will be impossible to assist those who need it. We cannot, after all, give what we do not have. But it can also help to insulate professionals from the stresses of interacting with and dealing with these patients, since it can often be a frustrating experience. 

Alcoholism and addiction are no longer untreatable. If it wasn’t clear before, this is a permanent cure of the disease, not simply a recovery program, and if done correctly it is possible to again enjoy alcohol and minor recreational drug use like marijuana in the same manner as healthy people who do not abuse them. But in order for this to occur an alcoholic or addict must be able to sustain sobriety for about two or three years. Any intense desire to use drugs or alcohol are still a sign that recovery is not complete, and more work must be done on resolving the biochemical and psychological stresses which underlying the disease, or else this risks relapse. Deluded thinking and trivialization of stress, drinking, or drug use are definite signs that psychological therapy is not complete. Many people only do the inventory therapy enough to resolve their most egregious and inconvenient mental stresses, but do not finish it and thus continue to persist with emotional trauma and control and coping mechanisms which will absolutely result in relapse. Want to drink again in the future? Finish the inventory and take care of your body first.

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The Biological and Psychological Nature of Addiction and Alcoholism and Novel Strategies to Their Resolution

Nathan Guy Hatch

December 2025

This document is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license. This means you are free to copy and distribute this document in its entirety, but may not alter nor cause it to be altered in any way (it may be translated into other languages so long as no changes are made to any of its content). Proper attribution should also be credited to the author. Commercial use of this document is strictly forbidden (meaning you cannot sell it or make money from it).

By taking or using this document you agree to these terms set forth at 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode

Please occasionally check back to the original source (fuckportioncontrol.com and
Nathan Hatch) for updated versions

1. Introduction

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction

1. Acetylcholine
2. Acetylcholine and Stress
3. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
4. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine
5. Drugs and Acetylcholine
6. Diet and Acetylcholine
7. Sunlight and Acetylcholine
8. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine

1. Defining Addiction

1. Not Addiction
2. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior
3. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease

1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology
2. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

Treatment

1. Emergency Care

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy
2. Alcohol and Acetic acid

Sodium Acetate

1. Sugar Therapy
2. Light Therapy
3. Niacinamide

Vitamin C

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

Recovery Diet

1. Coffee and Caffeine
2. Taurine
3. Treating Psychological factors
4. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

12-step Programs

1. Relearning Life Lessons
2. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

Self-compassion

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity
2. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Social Support

Inventory Therapy

1. Preparation

1. Abstinence

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy
2. Personal Inventory — Resentment
3. Personal Inventory — Cause
4. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt
5. Personal Inventory — My Part
6. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses
7. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fear Inventory — Cause

1. Fear Inventory — Effect
2. Fear Inventory — Better Way
3. Inventory Practice and Success

Prevention

Abuse

1. Diet

Environment

Conclusion

1. Introduction

Alcoholism and Addiction have been a plague on mankind for most of history. Completely misunderstood, addicts and alcoholics and their family and friends are often fated to a lifetime of conflict because no medical research has yet knowingly uncovered the pathways which mediate this condition. Yet even as we slam atomic particles together and live-video call across the world, addiction and alcoholism are still often treated as a personal problem with willpower. In truth, alcoholism and addiction are every bit diseases as any other metabolic condition such as diabetes, cancer, and mental illness as what affect human life and mortality, as we do not control the function of the brain and other organs. While Anonymous programs and some medical support have great benefit for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, its biological and psychological origination is almost entirely un-elucidated, condemning many people to a life of suffering as families and communities afflicted by this universal disease remain untreated.

It turns out that causes of Alcoholism and Addiction are actually quite straightforward and pretty simple to understand, as elucidated by this paper, and are already supported by existing, established science though even the authors of such studies were unaware of this fact at the time of their publication. This document seeks to enlighten and educate others to the underlying causes as well as effective treatment for those afflicted by conditions of alcoholism and addiction, especially its prevention. For more information not included in this document or for help with problems understanding or applying this information please visit www.natehatch.com. In the interest of efficiency and clarity, citations are not here provided but most scientific claims herein may be easily and independently confirmed at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. A few claims in this document are the result of Nathan’s own academic work, research, and personal experience in dealing with the condition of addiction and alcoholism and its successful resolution through the methods indicated herein, and are not yet supported by any existing studies as of the publication date of this document.

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction
1. Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is an important excitatory (stimulating) neurotransmitter involved in addiction and alcoholism which mediates consciousness, learning, and memory in the human brain and nervous system. Consciousness, learning, and memory are in fact all the same biological function—as memory is consciousness is also learning—and acetylcholine is the primary mediator of this neurological function.

Being the mediator of learning, memory, and consciousness, acetylcholine is released when we experience stimuli to both record experiences and retrieve prior deposited information such as when learning to speak, learning to play the piano, what body posture to adopt around people we like or around those we don’t, how fast to cross a busy street, how to handle our parents, meeting a dog, getting into arguments, or that we get scared of the dark or our bank account. Acetylcholine also has other neurological functions like dilation of the cardiovascular system or the induction of sweating.

1. Acetylcholine and Stress

Acetylcholine is expressed in greater quantity during stressful stimuli such as interpersonal conflict, physical threats or harm, receiving of unwanted attention, scrutiny, shame, and guilt, experiences of loss, and onerous responsibility or obligation in those with low-self esteem or deficiency of confidence. In terms of human evolutionary development this increase occurs during stress because experiences of stress must be more strongly imprinted on our mind and development, as a survival mechanism to prepare animals both proverbially and literally for threats to our wellbeing, development, and survival. If this did not occur we would not be adequately prepared to meet threats to our wellbeing with awareness and action from the imprinting of learned lessons derived from such experiences. In evolutionary terms, encountering a wild predator while walking through the forest stimulates greater expression of acetylcholine so we can better remember that predators are dangerous. In evolutionary terms, our survival was simply not threatened by nice things like hugs and butterflies, so excess acetylcholine does not occur during oppositely pleasant and enjoyable experiences. 

Because more acetylcholine expression is stimulated by stress, experiences like getting spanked or being hit as a child, our parents fighting, ridicule or rejection by peers, teachers or other adults making fun of us, being threatened with hell or spiritual punishment, sexual assault and sexual abuse, loss of possessions, or hunger or financial stress are also sources of excessive acetylcholine expression. If such stimuli are regular and constant during growth and development in childhood, excessive acetylcholine expression is also constant during growth and development which in turn causes the brain to imprint both a greater quantity and intensity of negative experiences than children raised in less stressful environments, thereby conditioning the brain of that child to experience greater psychological stress throughout their development and thereby come to regard life with constant anxiety, trepidation, anticipation, hypervigilance, etc.

Being deprived of effective life skills and emotional tools as is also a common experience also powerfully compounds stress and acetylcholine expression due to an inability to effectively handle stressful life experiences and thus makes stressful experiences even more stressful, frightening, demoralizing, or otherwise traumatizing than they might be should a child or person have otherwise been empowered with effective coping skills which will relieve that stress. For instance, a person whom never learns how to effectively handle the experience of rejection experiences greater acetylcholine release and neurological stress when confronted by the experience of rejection or the threat of rejection. Later in life when presented with opportunities for rejection such as seeking inclusion in a group, holding a job, or romantic partnering a person lacking the skill to handle rejection while also burdened with stressful imprinting of previous experiences of rejection and heightened acetylcholine will experience immense stress surrounding those experiences compared to someone without such experiences and excess acetylcholine. 

Oppositely, effective life skills and coping mechanisms increase feelings of empowerment and thus decrease stress and acetylcholine excess in response to stressful stimuli. A person who did learn effective coping skills for rejection is only nominally stressed by those experiences and thus experiences normal acetylcholine expression, since acetylcholine expression is increased by stress and their stress is lessened due to empowerment with effective skills.

Thus, because stress promotes acetylcholine and acetylcholine also promotes stress, the more stress a person experiences during their developmental years the more stress they feel in turn from stressful stimuli when they are grown, becoming more and more conditioned to feel stress, to anticipate stress, and to feel stressed during stress. So when confronted with stressful stimuli such as managing a bank account, interpersonal conflict, or negative conceptions of self worth an addict or alcoholic becomes paralyzed by fear and insecurity disproportionate to the stimuli due to exaggerated neurological expression of acetylcholine and its effects on imprintation, cognition, emotions, and other functions of acetylcholine such as heart rate, sweating, arousal, etc.

1. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus

The dorsal raphe nucleus is the serotonergic center of the brain (produces, regulates, and responds to serotonin). Contrary to common belief, even among the scientific community, serotonin is not actually a hormone of ‘happiness’ but is instead a hormone of biological torpor, most commonly demonstrated by the function of hibernation (torpor means to slow things down) which is triggered by spikes in serotonin and its derivative, melatonin. Serotonin is confusingly and errantly associated with depression because its torporific effects can have the appearance of therapy in manic-depressive states (now called bipolar disorder) for which it was originally studied, since the introduction or upregulation of serotonin can sedate or subdue someone in a manic state. But this is also why serotonergic drugs often come with increased risks of suicide, which is paradoxical if serotonin is the hormone of ‘happiness,’ because serotonin in fact induces torpor, not happiness. Profound psychological stress such as PTSD damages the dorsal raphe nucleus which afterward then begins to chronically express greater quantities of serotonin than before injury. Since serotonin is a hormone of torpor, not happiness, this then results in conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, etc. 

Not widely recognized, serotonin is also the hormone of shame and guilt, which is why those with alcoholism and addiction always suffer from debilitating fixation on shame and guilt, because trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus by highly stressful, unresolved experiences of trauma results in an excess production of serotonin and thus chronic feelings of guilt and shame.

This function of the dorsal raphe nucleus was uncovered during horrifying research conducted on rats and dogs in the discovery of a condition called Learned Helplessness and the effect of inescapable torture on the function of the brain, which is characterized by failure to act, even when presented with an opportunity to do so, in which an animal will refrain from escape attempts even when their life is in danger. But the term hopelessness is a better characterization of the condition, marked by a deep sense of despair and unmotivated to extract oneself from negativity, not ignorance to ability as helplessness implies. Research on this condition is thus termed learned helplessness but should be termed learned hopelessness as sufferers do not lack knowledge of how to act but motivation that action is worthwhile, and the use of the word helplessness biases treatment and recovery to fault those whom are ill rather than correctly identifying biology as the origination of illness.   

Learned hopelessness is then the condition of the dorsal raphe being traumatized to the point of chronically expressing excess torporific serotonin in response to unresolved trauma, to which the body responds with increased acetylcholine expression to overcome the torporific effect of serotonin. While this state may seem paradoxical to the survival of an organism, it is actually the primary biological adaptation to predation, meant by biology to spare prey animals excessive suffering during the act of being predated, through catastrophic release of torporific hormones like serotonin which mediate shock and cognitive dissociation to reduce suffering. As animals, humans also have this response, but where stresses sufficient to induce such trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus in our evolutionary past would have lead to the expiration of an individual, our technological and social advancements in food, sanitation, and medicine instead permits us to survive profound stress and continue to persist in spite of extreme trauma. This problem is best demonstrated in conditions of PTSD in which sufferers find it nearly impossible to extricate themselves, because the problem is not only psychological but literal physical injury to the raphe nucleus to which it responds by chronically expressing excess serotonin which then keeps the brain and body in a constant state of metabolic torpor. 

Such damage to the raphe nucleus is reversible but requires very specific intervention as described later in this paper, which most people are not likely to encounter spontaneously. As this state increases acetylcholine expression, the conditions of alcoholism and addiction are thus neurological disorders. 

1. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine

Alcohol destroys acetylcholine, a fact that all medical professionals and researchers should know, which confirms the condition of of alcoholism being mediated by an excess of acetylcholine, and alcohol thus relieves those with alcoholism of the literal physical and psychological stress of alcoholism by neutralizing excess acetylcholine. 

But because acetylcholine facilitates learning, memory, and consciousness, drinking alcohol to excess can and does induce blackout and loss of consciousness. What is worse is that because acetylcholine is required for learning, the act of drinking to excess also causes failure to learn from mistakes or consequences while intoxicated, since the chemical required to imprint learning is inhibited, which is the reason why alcoholics have such a difficult time abstaining from drink even after highly negative experiences from drinking to excess such as interpersonal conflict and injury, because they literally do not well remember those consequences as a result of being intoxicated in the first place. This is also why abstinence is required for recovery, because learning new life skills to empower an alcoholic and relieve the condition of learned hopelessness cannot occur if alcohol use continues because alcohol literally inhibits the neurochemical required to mediate learning of new skills and imprintation of new, positive life experiences to replace those old, traumatizing experiences which catalyzed the condition.

This problem is even more dire than appears, however, as the more alcohol a person consumes the more the body also upregulates acetylcholine expression, to replace that which is lost. This is why withdrawal from severe alcoholism can even be fatal and must be medically managed to avoid death, because the rebound of acetylcholine after long term, extremely excessive alcohol abuse can be so high it literally kills the person through overstimulation of the nervous system (although this mechanism has not been known previously since the role of acetylcholine in these conditions also has not been known). That acetylcholine can rise high enough to actually kill a person during withdrawal should plainly demonstrate its participation in this condition, to cause literally excruciating physical discomfort which compels alcoholics to reach for the cheapest and mostly widely available medicine to treat excess acetylcholine—alcohol. 

1. Drugs and Acetylcholine

Similar to alcohol, drugs of abuse either inhibit acetylcholine release or oppose the harmful effects of acetylcholine. For instance, although marijuana actually increases acetylcholine expression (which accounts for the time dilation effects experienced by marijuana users) it also lowers adrenaline which is otherwise stimulated by acetylcholine and thus relieves users of the stressful effects of acetylcholine. This is why marijuana also stimulates appetite, because a primary function of adrenaline is to release glucose from glycogen and maintain circulating blood sugar. So marijuana induces relaxation by inhibiting a stressful function of acetylcholine without inhibiting acetylcholine itself.

Heroin and other opiates also increase acetylcholine expression but they also simultaneously stimulate dopamine release, which is normally lowered by excess acetylcholine, which then also acts to block the stressful effects of acetylcholine. Cocaine not only raises dopamine but also causes cells to dump serotonin (which results in its excess circulation but this temporarily relieves cells of its torporific effects), to temporarily relieve users of the stress of excess acetylcholine. The reason acetylcholine lowers dopamine is because acetylcholine excess is associated with stress and it would be evolutionarily counterproductive to induce dopamine during threats to our wellbeing, as an animal would then feel joy from things which are in fact a threat. This is in fact why drugs and alcohol promote self-destructive and even dangerous behavior, because they do just that, inhibiting the stress response from negative experiences and instead causing release of pleasurable neurological and endocrinological factors so that users instead seek them.

Methamphetamine causes incredible excess of dopamine (275% to 2,473% according to one study), which counteracts the increase in acetylcholine better than other drugs, but meth also promotes an increase in acetylcholine release which then also likely accounts for the rapid physical deterioration of meth users since acetylcholine stimulates cellular excitation which in turn causes cells to become depleted of energy and nutrients, but the sheer excess of dopamine it promotes masks the negative feelings and physical stress that would normally be felt by such high acetylcholine and physical deterioration.

Nicotine mimics acetylcholine and temporarily replaces its function in neurological pathways, thus preventing some of the physical stress caused by acetylcholine specifically, while also promoting dopamine release. This is a reason why nicotine withdrawal is so difficult because, opposite to alcohol, nicotine replaces the function of acetylcholine, which downregulates its natural expression to experience a deficiency rather than excess during withdrawal, and thus desires for the stimulatory effect of nicotine to replace that lost from downregulated acetylcholine during chronic nicotine use, but is also why nicotine is often used by those recovering from alcoholism, since nicotine downregulates general acetylcholine expression.

In summary, alcohol destroys acetylcholine while drugs either regulate acetylcholine expression or counteract its negative effects in various ways depending on the specific substance.

1. Diet and Acetylcholine

While stress is a primary mediator of acetylcholine regulation, diet actually has the greatest influence, because acetylcholine is a chemical it is also affected by dietary and environmental regulation. Most consequently, the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant contain glycoalkaloid toxins meant to kill nematodes (tiny parasites) by inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which regulates acetylcholine levels, and kills nematode pests by the same mechanism as alcohol withdrawal, which is overstimulation of the nervous system by an excess of acetylcholine. This demonstrates how toxic acetylcholine can be, as excess can be so great as to actually kill an organism. Though we are many times larger than nematodes and do not directly recognize the harmful effects of exposure to many dietary nightshades they can and do still destroy our acetylcholinesterase and thus cause increase in acetylcholine. There are, in fact, recorded instances of death by consumption of green potato, which has even higher levels of solanine than usual, and populations with high dependence on potatoes, eggplant, and peppers and tomatoes do have correspondingly higher rates of alcoholism. Other dietary factors like frequent starvation and dieting, a poorly nutritive diet, or dysregulation of the gut microbiome due to dietary factors can and do also affect acetylcholine regulation.

Nutritional and environmental factors is why alcoholism and addiction have previously appeared to lack a common denominator, and alcoholics and addicts come from all walks of life with a wide range of demographics in age, wealth, and ethnic backgrounds, because diet and food traditions such as peeling potatoes or not (the peel contains the greatest quantity of the glycoalkaloid solanine) can greatly affect acetylcholine and neurological stress in addition to psychological and emotional stress. A child is a far likelier to develop alcoholism or addiction if they are thus raised in a home that is emotionally volatile while also receiving a diet high in nightshades and other dietary factors which dysregulate acetylcholine homeostasis, yet a child in a good home can still develop alcoholism if they are fed a diet which affects acetylcholine homeostasis, and a child in an abusive home can still avoid the condition if fed a diet which strongly protects them from acetylcholine dysregulation. 

Removal of dietary stresses as nightshade plants can make recovery far more rapid and complete. But inflammatory foods like common wheat (because of difficult to digest gluten) or polyunsaturated fats (canola oil, soy oil, vegetable oil, etc., which more susceptible to peroxidation) can also promote excessive acetylcholine because of inflammation’s effect on acetylcholine and physical recovery, as the parasympathetic nervous system responds to inflammation and low metabolic respiration by expressing greater acetylcholine to stimulate fatigued cells, which must be rescued by a good diet and good dietary behaviors such as consistently sustaining blood sugar as described further in this document. Potatoes and eggplant are the most potent dietary sources of glycoalkaloids and should be entirely replaced by other options until a full recovery is made. Occasional consumption of tomatoes and peppers is not usually a problem, but daily consumption will certainly prevent recovery.

1. Sunlight and Acetylcholine

Environmental factors also contribute to high acetylcholine expression, such as excessive darkness and deficiency of sunlight. This is why many populations nearer the poles have higher rates of alcoholism. Light exposure also lowers serotonin release while deficiency increases it, due to our vestigial hibernation response and circadian rhythms. As primates we actually never lost our hibernation response but instead possess an anti-hibernation response which is mediated by a rise in adrenaline, mediated by an increase in acetylcholine. If this were not the case, humans would also still hibernate when wintertime comes, or other deficiency of light, but this also means that excessive sequestration indoors or other chronic light deficiency also increases acetylcholine and stress. Daily sun exposure, as much as possible without getting sunburned, is also required to prevent or resolve conditions like alcoholism and addiction. The ability to benefit from sun exposure is also dependent on other dietary factors like dietary carotenoids, which can be supported through a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables as is possible (more information on factors like these are discussed in Nathan’s other works).

1. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine 

Because acetylcholine’s primary function is to facilitate consciousness, which increases during stress, reduction of stress is imperative to any recovery effort, to lower excess acetylcholine expression as much as possible without artificial or pharmacological intervention (the taking of drugs and alcohol in the first place is a pharmacological intervention and does not work to cause recovery because acetylcholine expression must be restored to normal without dependence on medication). 

It is common for those suffering addiction or alcoholism to patronize recovery homes and institutions. These services provide relief not only from the assistance of other humans but also the temporary break from real life. The problem is that such relief is only temporary and, in places like the United States which do not provide their citizens with healthcare, is often dependent on the ability to pay for support. So when residence at a recovery home is over, returning to real life and exposure to stressful stimuli simply results in resumption of excessive acetylcholine expression and thus relapse.

Recovery groups such as the Anonymous programs similarly promote recovery through stress mitigation, which occurs both by social support and empowerment with new skills as mentors facilitate new learning experiences to their members. But lacking knowledge of the biological origins and factors of alcoholism and addiction these programs fail to achieve a high rate of recovery and also frequently indoctrinate participants to not expect a cure, which further debilitates total recovery as this idea itself is a hopelessness function. Some derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous also adulterated the original format to include language and practices which continue to blame participants for their condition, such as the practice of denying participants the opportunity to talk about the experience of being intoxicated and the risk of ‘triggering,’ other participants but which unintentionally further imprints experiences of stress and hopelessness even within the recovery program.

Constant stress relief must be practiced by anyone seeking recovery, since it is not possible to live indefinitely in recovery homes or programs, and all of life should be treated as a recovery center—learning and practicing self-care skills, resolving trauma, and refraining from stressful obligations and situations as much as possible such as by staying well-fed, engaging in fun and relaxation, and associating with persons which genuinely care for our wellbeing while avoiding those whom do not. Career ambitions, negative body image, and relationships are often major sources of stress, and putting such concerns on hold as discussed later in this document until after a full recovery and self-empowerment can be achieved can provide relief. 

1. Defining Addiction
1. Not Addiction

Addiction is mediated by dysregulation of the neurochemical acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters like dopamine, and the term ‘addiction’ used casually in the colloquial lexicon leads to classifying some behaviors as addiction which are not actually addictions. Fundamentally, a human being cannot be addicted to things which are part of our human needs and biology, both biological and psychological, such as sugar, food, or love and sex. Sugar is a chemical storage form of energy required by our biology to run metabolic pathways. Cocaine is not, and the equivocation of sugar and drug abuse as is so common in treatment culture and scientific/medical research is both incorrect and amoral. What humans feel during “sugar addiction” is in fact the consequences of carbohydrate deficiency and its effects on raising stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which function in part to help raise blood sugar to keep us alive but which is achieved then by catabolizing glycogen and lean muscle into useable sugars.

Like drugs and alcohol, sugar lowers stress, but unlike drugs and alcohol this is due to the mediation of satiation and resultant production of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which sustains life and is required for life, while drugs and alcohol simply ‘hack’ human biology by altering the normal expression of neurochemicals. Failing to recognize that desires for sugar is simply the need to eat carbohydrate while the desire for drugs and alcohol is a neurological addiction to substances which alter feelings of stress prevents addicts from actively recovering because sugar lowers stress through the natural function of human biology, and that sugar is in fact required to make a full recovery due to the resultant production in ATP and other effects (such as the production of CO2) of dietary carbohydrate which sustain biological metabolism as required by our biology to stay alive.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to lower stress, and it can be done through safer mechanisms such as keeping blood sugar sustained at all times rather than shooting heroin, and equating sugar to drug addiction is a gross denigration of the human condition which purposefully conflates completely disparate substances due to human desires for control of biological limitations and mortal vulnerabilities. Molecules like fructose-6-phosphate, for instance, are crucial for most metabolic pathways, and nearly the entirety of all glucose which enters cells for participation in metabolism is first converted to fructose before consumption in the citric acid cycle and mitochondrial electron transport chain which produce the ATP (energy) which keeps us alive. 

Dietary fructose also more rapidly replenishes glycogen, and also prevents the excessive release of glucose from glycogen storage even during excessive adrenaline expression, helping not only to sustain and preserve glycogen but to also increase ATP production and mitochondrial respiration. Testicles are also sites of high fructose concentrations and fructose metabolism as it is a necessary component for production of testosterone and sperm, and lots of libido problems in both men and women come directly from sugar starvation which then has the effect of increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs because of the direct metabolic consequences of depriving the body of carbohydrate. 

Claiming that sugar is addictive is equal to claiming that air or water are addictive, as sugar is required every bit as much as oxygen and water to keep the body from dying, and during states of extreme sugar deprivation our body even reverse synthesizes sugar from protein in the process of gluconeogenesis, and if it did not do this every human whom engaged in dieting behaviors would simply die, which is why abstinence from sugar causes such extreme physical and mental stress. 

Healthy forms of sugar like fruit are certainly preferable to junk food, but even well-made, high quality candy such as taffy or pectin-containing fruit gems can effectively help promote recovery from alcoholism and addiction by lowering stress and stress hormones, both physically and psychologically, without the cognitive impairment as what occurs from use of substances such as alcohol and drugs. 

Sex and pornography addiction are also not addiction but a biological response to metabolic stress, mediated by excess nitric oxide which compels the human mating response and arousal in an individual who is colonized by opportunistic pathogens and at risk of expiry, as an evolutionary adaptation to promote procreation during stresses which might have otherwise caused early demise to our evolutionary ancestors. Reproduction is one of the most important biological functions of any species and for this reason it is also one of the last systems impaired by illness, but when stress becomes excessive a human’s mating instincts are increased to the point it can feel like addiction (compulsory), but because it is not addiction it is never successfully treated by behavioral intervention and instead must be achieved through nutritional, environmental, and medical interventions which are beyond the scope of this paper. More information on sex addiction can be found at www.natehatch.com and associated media content, specifically the book Fuck Portion Control in the chapter on erectile dysfunction.

Other behaviors which appear to be addictions such as gambling, excessive playing of video games, or adrenaline “addiction” are also not addictions but can benefit from some of the therapies presented in this paper, as they are problems of insufficient self-care, coping skills, and emotional fulfillment, factors also of real addiction, but since they are coping mechanisms and not products of neurochemical dysfunction dependent on exogenous chemicals they are also not true addictions. Addiction is neurological disorder which motivates the willful and chronic abuse of chemical substances, not coping behaviors which simply alleviate stress or emotional dissatisfaction.

1. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior

Clinical addiction is incorrectly defined as reward seeking behavior, pejoratively associated with the hormone dopamine, and as such includes a very broad set of supposed subcategories like sex addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction, gambling addiction, etc., which are not actually addictions and thus undermines research, progress, and treatment of real addiction, and used also to simply shame people for having problems and ineffective ability to cope with stress and life. 

The negative conception of reward is also a consequence of negative conceptions of human life, functions, and experiences, and is in fact prejudice infecting medical and scientific research. Reward (i.e. dopamine) is not a peril of human behavior but is in reality an instinctual survival adaptation possessed of all animals which promote successful behaviors by communicating to the organism what behaviors result in success just as stressful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released when creatures encounter harm, loss, and stress to communicate the potentially harmful nature of those experiences. 

When discussing ‘reward seeking behavior’ and dopamine release it is rarely discussed that this response does not come only from such activities as drug abuse but also from things like giving or receiving a hug, talking with a loved one, accomplishing goals, having a great meal, creating a new relationship, doing well at work, or learning a new skill. Whenever professionals or lay person negatively characterize reward they always refer to things like sex, food, or drugs due to inherited biases about things like self-control, indulgence, willpower, etc., but sex is good and healthy and reflects personal biases against sex and sexual behaviors, or eating disorders and unhealthy attitudes about food which motivate them. Characterizing pornography use as a reward seeking behavior but not finishing homework or getting a new job as reward seeking behavior is entirely a prejudicial bias rooted in shame and trauma that has nothing to do with the real function of dopamine, reward, and addiction, where addiction and its associated behaviors are purely the instinctual self-treatment of the discomfort caused by excess acetylcholine which can instead be achieved by other, healthy methods such as self-care and management of dopamine through ways which are not harmful. Use of the term ‘reward seeking behavior’ should be categorically excised from dialogue, discussion, research, and treatment of addiction except in the affirmation that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with reward seeking behavior.

1. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

Misunderstanding what is and what is not addiction is especially unhelpful for those recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction because addicts commonly adopt further stressful behaviors like dieting, excessive exercise, sex abstinence, or negative self-opinions which reduce rates of recovery due to elevation of stress, stress hormones, and acetylcholine which occurs from the inducement of stress in those not empowered to handle that stress, such as avoiding sugar, the stress of which then increases risk of relapse. Alcohol is a sugar, actually, and one of the reasons for its abuse is that it replaces sugar in those purposefully avoiding sugar and promotes high metabolic activity that would otherwise be achieved through regular intake of healthy sugar sources which in turn temporarily relieves the physical and mental stress underlying addiction, and many people who diet and starve themselves use alcohol because they don’t consider alcohol to be a sugar, which it is. 

Recognizing that sugar is required for our wellbeing and supplying adequate carbohydrate during recovery, especially sugar and especially from good sources like fruit, is highly therapeutic for recovery since strongly preempts cravings for alcohol. Comparing delicious food items to crack or saying we are addicted to chocolate is not a problem, but characterizing addictions as negative behaviors and including taboo coping behaviors in those characterizations undermines the benefit that would otherwise be found in the proper characterization of addiction and alcoholism as neurological illness which cannot be properly treated when bias, prejudice, and ignorance are part of the treatment plan. Recognition that dopamine is the true ‘happiness’ hormone and functions in biology to reinforce experiences which fulfill the needs of an organism will also greatly assist caregivers, professionals, researchers, and the afflicted to understand why hacking biology with exogenous chemicals as drugs and alcohol artificially stimulates feelings which can and should be achieved in ways which truly support and care for the human body and mind and not only those which bring temporary relief.

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease
1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology

Because the purpose of alcohol abuse and drug abuse is to treat acetylcholine dysregulation caused by damage to the dorsal raphe nucleus by excessive stressful stimuli, both alcoholism and addiction are the same disease and are neurological learning disorders.

1. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

The neurological condition underlying alcoholism and addiction is the state of learned hopelessness as earlier described, characterized by trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus and resultant dysregulation of acetylcholine. This condition may or may not present with self-medication by drugs or alcohol abuse—while most likely do use substances to self-medicate many people do have this disease but do not self-medicate, which leaves them unlikely to seek treatment or even recognize that treatment would be useful for the problems they experience from having this condition, such as highly volatile interpersonal relationships and a general inability to handle common life stresses as financial responsibility, parenting, relationships, etc.

Prominent symptoms of this condition are emotional volatility accompanied by atypical fear and anxiety when confronting common stressful stimuli as finances, authority figures, work, responsibility, criticism, interpersonal conflict, failure, maintenance of relationships, rejection, death, religion, socialization, sociopolitical dynamics, etc. Many people, however, do also abuse prescription drugs without recognizing that they are actively abusing drugs because of the perceived institutional legitimacy of legal drugs. 

This condition also requires an effective name and classification which fully encompasses the entire nature of the disease but also counteracts the taboos and prejudices of alcohol and drug abuse which prevent the seeking of treatment or identifying with symptoms, and which is inclusive to those who do not actually abuse substances but whom also suffer the condition.

1. Treatment
1. Emergency Care

Withdrawal from very severe cases of alcoholism and drug addiction must receive immediate medical attention. Contact emergency services if someone presents with life-threatening alcoholism, addiction, withdrawal, overdose, etc.

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy

It is well known that when severe alcoholics go through alcohol withdrawal there is a real risk of death from the withdrawal process. This problem is commonly prevented through supervised administration of antihistamines. In spite of this, the mechanism of action for this benefit has not yet been established, largely due to existing biases about alcoholism and addiction which have prevented effective research and discovery. But histamine release is one of the mechanisms of action by which acetylcholine activates cellular excitation, and also what causes stress and discomfort, so antihistamines help rescue people from the effects of withdrawal by blocking catastrophic and potentially fatal release of histamine due to the heretofore unrecognized rebound of acetylcholine after alcohol cessation.

For the same reason that antihistamine is effective in preventing life threatening withdrawal symptoms, by blocking the negative effects of acetylcholine in excessive release of histamine, antihistamines are also very useful in medically treating alcoholism and addiction generally because of its ability to block such effects of excessive acetylcholine without actually blocking acetylcholine itself  as what occurs with alcohol (and some recreational drugs), since acetylcholine is still necessary in the maintenance of consciousness. An addict or alcoholic still must choose to abstain from substance use entirely while recovering, but antihistamine therapy makes this choice far easier to endure by strongly reducing the stressful effects of untreated acetylcholine excess and thus also helps facilitate the having of new experiences in rehabilitation which are required for empowerment and stress relief. 

Because antihistamines are generally sedative they absolutely should not be used with alcohol or drugs, as harmful side effects could occur and should only be used during abstinence of drugs and alcohol. As drowsiness is a side effect of antihistamines they should also be used only before bed, which will also help promote sleep, but their therapeutic effects will last into the next day (or two).

For the first one to two weeks of recovery a full dose of antihistamine can be used if symptoms are very severe, according to the use directions on the product label, after which the dosage can and should be reduced to 1/2. The longer antihistamine therapy progresses the less dosage is required to achieve a therapeutic effect, and reducing the dose also helps to mitigate any potential toxic side effects of long term use, such as effects on the liver. After several months, when much progress has been made, the dose can be reduced yet again to 1/4 the original, but can be raised temporarily any time a higher dose might be required.

First-generation, common antihistamines like doxylamine succinate or diphenhydramine are more effective than second-generation antihistamines. Some anti-allergy medications are not antihistamines at all, but are steroids which would actually increase the stress which stimulates acetylcholine release (such steroids are stress hormones and actually make recovery more difficult and should also be avoided if possible), so exercise much caution when using “antihistamine” products that they are actually first-generation histamine blockers and not other products that are similarly marketed. These first generation antihistamines are also often sold as ‘sleep-aids’ since antihistamines cause drowsiness, look at the label of products to find what chemical the medication it is.

This low-dose antihistamine therapy can and should continue for at least three months, but as much as six is also acceptable (reducing dosage as progress occurs). This can help an addict or alcoholic achieve the other requirements for recovery with much less stress and emotional distraction. It is important to know and remember, however, that antihistamine therapy is not a cure for alcoholism and addiction. It merely treats symptoms to make recovery easier.

1. Alcohol and Acetic acid

A primary reason alcohol is therapeutic to the alcoholic/addict is that the end product of alcohol metabolism in the body is acetic acid—a short chain fatty acid normally produced in the gut by commensal microbiota feeding on indigestible carbohydrate. Acetic acid is extremely important for human health as a cofactor in many biological pathways and foundational substrate for the production of cholesterol, bile, and hormones like vitamin D, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, the mineralocorticoids, etc. Without acetic acid the body then cannot make hormones or well resist stress, and those with the absolute worst alcoholism have almost no natural acetic acid production in the gut and thus become dependent on alcohol as their only biological source of this short chain fatty acid which is necessary for health and wellness, and there is a direct,  inverse association to the levels of acetic acid production in the gut and the intensity of cravings for alcohol. 

While acetic acid is healthy and requisite for our bodies, the primary reason excess alcohol is toxic to humans is that the intermediary between alcohol metabolism to acetic acid is toxic aldehyde, which is far more toxic than alcohol and requires substantial detoxification by the liver using a molybdenum and riboflavin dependent aldehyde oxidase which in turn can and does exhaust other nutrients like water, riboflavin, and molybdenum in this detoxification pathway (water is used as a cofactor, which is why people commonly experience thirst after drinking heavily). But the large supply of acetic acid resulting from alcohol and aldehyde metabolism can and does then also result in a temporary increase in acetic acid and thus also steroids and hormones and thus also a temporary feeling of wellness that is otherwise elusive and thus association by the mind of alcohol with feeling well.

The gut microbiome is instead supposed to be the primary source of acetic acid, feeding on indigestible carbohydrates, so factors which impair the gut microbiome such as disease, dieting, or chronic exposure to antimicrobial factors like antibiotics, herbicides and other agrochemicals, or even chronic alcohol use itself impairs the gut microbiome, reducing the native supply of acetic acid which then increases dependence on alcohol as a supplemental source. Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables can strongly help restore microbial production of acetate, but vegetables are also more difficult to break down, so abundant consumption of fruit, such as every 2-3 hours, is strongly rehabilitating, specifically to reduce cravings.

1. Sodium Acetate

Acetylcholine is acetylated choline, or in other words choline (a nutrient) that is reacted to acetic acid, which demonstrates another role of acetic acid in human biology. Lowering acetylcholine production by mitigating stress and treating trauma thus helps also spare acetic acid (and choline), to help further reduce cravings for alcohol. The primary constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, and the reason for the therapeutic effects of supplementing vinegar is due to the increase in acetic acid supply. Because cravings for alcohol are very strongly due to its association with acetic acid, cravings can be most strongly treated by supplying needed acetic acid such as through the daily supplementation or consumption of vinegar. Some people like vinegar, but it is also caustic to mucosal tissues and can be uncomfortable to consume, and can even dissolve tooth enamel when used in excess, so its supplementation directly is not universally helpful. Instead, a common medicine called SODIUM ACETATE used in emergency rooms to treat metabolic acidosis (and also used as a food ingredient) is an excellent form for the supplementation of acetic acid because the sodium helps buffer its reactivity.

Sodium acetate is also the result of elementary school science fair volcanoes—mixing vinegar and baking soda together in which the acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2. It is thus also easily manufactured by anyone with access to baking soda and vinegar and thus a highly accessible treatment for alcohol binging and cravings. As of the writing of this paper sodium acetate is not really available for purchase as a supplement, though it should be, and until that is the case the recipe for making one dose of sodium acetate taken daily (divide into two doses the first one or two days) is as follows:

Sodium Acetate

*never mix in a sealed container, the reaction is volatile and will explode sealed containers and may injure you or others. 

1 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 tablespoons vinegar

Place baking soda in an open cup or bowl, then slowly add vinegar until foaming subsides. Agitate solution to react all sodium bicarbonate with vinegar until fizzing stops. Can be left to stand for 10-30 minutes for even more reaction (too much sodium bicarbonate will make it taste salty, too much vinegar will taste too acidic. Finding the right balance makes it taste close to neutral).

Dilute resulting solution with juice. When first starting sodium acetate divide this dose in two and take separately until the body gets used to it, thereafter it can be taken in one dose. Don’t use more than one full dose daily. Daily use strongly suppresses cravings for alcohol and should be used even when cravings are not present for a minimum of six months. If cravings return in the future, immediately use sodium acetate. May increase thirst. 

Acetic acid is so effective in reducing cravings that many people will report reduced cravings even from simply supplementing vinegar, but because sodium acetate facilitates greater consumption of acetic acid by minimizing the caustic side effects it is much more effective than vinegar for treating cravings. 

Mild alcoholics can and should also use supplemental sodium acetate to reduce quantity of consumed alcoholic drinks, as since when the body becomes supplied with acetic acid there is a more natural satisfaction from just one or two drinks. But especially for those who are in recovery, the use of sodium acetate not only inhibits cravings but provides a necessary cofactor for steroids and hormones and thus providing the same therapeutic function as alcohol without the inebriation. 

Sodium acetate is quite palatable in citrus juice, and for those whom must be weaned off alcohol to avoid withdrawal death, mixing alcoholic drinks with sodium acetate will result in more rapid and effective resolution and weaning.  

While drug addicts may or may not also abuse alcohol they will still benefit from sodium acetate use, to increase hormone production, and sodium acetate should be used daily regardless of the substance abused. High grade sodium acetate can likely be bought by recovery institutions from reputable laboratories which supply it to food and research industries which can make it easier to implement in recovery programs. Adding to juice supplied to patients, such as a large cooler or dispenser which patients can freely access, is exceptionally easy to accomplish (be sure to label the additive for knowledge of patients). 

1. Sugar Therapy

Alcohol is a sugar, so consuming dietary sugar during recovery is an excellent way to reduce stress and also prevent cravings without cognitive impairment, as sugar enhances cognition rather than impairing it as do alcohol and drugs, since it is used by cells to produce energy. As discussed earlier, there is no such thing as sugar addiction, which is instead a state of stress caused by too little dietary sugar and carbohydrate as normally required by human biology. Dieting behaviors are extremely common among those with alcoholism and addiction, and because deprivation of sugar and carbohydrate strongly impair energy production, such dieting behaviors, even if unintentional, are a primary driver of substance abuse. 

Dieting behaviors are motivated by conditions of body dysmorphia and psychological trauma surrounding body image and self-esteem, which must also be addressed (as directed later in this paper). But it is not possible to recover from alcoholism or addiction while also avoiding sugar. The consumption of much fruit daily is strongly therapeutic to recovery not only for supporting gut microbes but also in directly supplying sugar and other nutrients, and can be fresh, dried, frozen, eaten plain, or made into fruit salad, smoothies, shakes, desserts, juices, or any other desired foods, and fruit should be the most abundant and primary food item in recovery programs and diets for those in recovery. 

Some dried fruits such as bright-orange apricots are preserved with sulfur dioxide, however, which strongly destroys commensal gut microbes, and such sulfur preservatives should be avoided entirely—as exposure will entirely prevent the microbial production of acetate and other short chain fatty acids by our commensal microbiome. Human gut microbes absolutely thrive on fruit and its rich polyphenol and pectin content, so fruit is especially therapeutic to recovery through the microbial production of acetic acid, and killing off microbes through continued exposure to antimicrobial factors like sulfur dioxide will prevent recovery. 

While fruit is best, any sugar can help reduce stress and cravings, so the use of well-made candies, desserts, and sweetened beverages should also be practiced, and sugar can and should be added to things which contain fruit such as for smoothies, pies, and other desserts, and should be used as an alternative to substances of abuse any time there are cravings and to prevent cravings by keeping blood sugar elevated at all times, never going more than 2-3 hours without eating something. 

The use of sugar in this way is also a behavioral therapy—learning to treat ourselves with compassion and taking care of the body rather than resenting it, as is required in other steps for recovery such as the learning of new life skills discussed later in this paper.

1. Light Therapy

Studies show that light exposure heals trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and exposure to light and healing the dorsal raphe nucleus lowers the expression of torporific serotonin and melatonin which otherwise also increase acetylcholine excess, and because serotonin and melatonin are hormones of torpor their minimization through consistent light exposure raises the metabolic rate and resolves any need by the body to produce excess acetylcholine. This then also helps reverse learned hopelessness at the root of alcoholism and addiction which causes acetylcholine dysregulation, which is thus not actually a learned behavior but instead mediated by neurological trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus. 

Yes—light can and does reach the brain, as tissues filter out all but the red wavelength of light, which is why our internal tissues are primarily red. Holding a bright light against the palm of the hand, for instance, is visible on the other side of the hand as a red glow, because tissues are designed to transmit red wavelengths of light deep into the body, demonstrating this principle. Light deficiency such as occurs in chronic exposure to the indoors and deficient exposure to sunlight oppositely promotes trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, which is also why communities far from the equator often present with greater rates of trauma and social stresses than those nearer the equator, as greater exposure to sunlight increases the rate of spontaneous recovery from traumatic stress.

Red light is specifically therapeutic to tissue rehabilitation because, contrary to common misunderstandings about biology, animal tissues do engage in photosynthesis through our primary respiratory enzyme called cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria which is reactive to red light photons, so exposure to warm-colored wavelengths of light (such as what occurs from the Sun and filtered through the skin and tissues) results in production of ATP, which is why sun exposure usually feels so good, because it results in production of additional free energy to that which is made from food.

Direct sun exposure is sometimes not possible, such as wintertime or excessive summer heat, and too much sun exposure also risks sunburn, so the use of artificial, safe lights like bright, warm-spectrum LED are not only convenient and safe for treatment but often required to prevent light deficiency. The dorsal raphe nucleus is positioned at the top of the spinal column, roughly between the ears, so bright light targeted to the back or the sides of the head from both sunlight and warm-spectrum artificial light can directly reach the dorsal raphe nucleus to stimulate ATP production and reduce serotonin output.

Light therapy is not optional. Where antihistamines and acetic acid treat symptoms this light therapy is the primary rehabilitation for learned hopelessness, and along with the learning of new life skills and resolution of trauma as discussed later in this paper effects permanent recovery from the conditions of alcoholism and addiction (and conditions like PTSD and other trauma) so long as future light deficiency is not again incurred. 

Light therapy is most effective after the previous steps have been achieved, for instance because a mechanism of light therapy is to increase ATP production this cannot occur in states of malnutrition, sugar deprivation, or active substance abuse. Lights used in this therapy must be in the warm color spectrum as 3000K or less in color temperature. This is not heat temperature—lights should not be hot to the touch or cause heating on the head, which can be harmful. This is color temperature which is a measure of the color spectrum. Red light stimulates ATP production while blue spectrum stimulates ATP consumption, so using the wrong kind of light (in the cold spectrum) causes agitation, irritation, and restlessness while the red spectrum oppositely promotes relaxation, calmness, and regeneration through the increased production and availability of ATP. Fluorescent lights common in places of work and commerce, including recovery centers (which absolutely should NOT be used in recovery settings) are higher in blue spectrum light which in turn causes people to become depleted of ATP and feel exhausted, which directly contributes to learned hopelessness and alcoholism and addiction. Do not thus use lights that are higher than 3000 k in color temperature, because it is the penetration of red photons to the interior of the body (which any warm spectrum light will contain) which is responsible for the benefit of this therapy. The light itself does not need to be red, it simply needs to be in the warm color spectrum (infrared does not provide this benefit).

After the previous steps have been achieved, one or two bright lights should then be placed near the back or rear-sides of the head, about the bottom of the skull or ear level, as close to the head as possible without causing burns, heating, or discomfort. Heat stress is not helpful so do not use hot lights, and if heat stress is experienced during this therapy stop immediately, take a break, and keep the lights further away or use less hot lights. LED lights are ideal for this purpose since they do not emit much heat (infrared).

Light application must occur every single day for 2-3 hours and a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Any less than this will not work, and this is also in addition to getting plenty of natural sun exposure daily too (without getting sunburned but without using sunblock, so get sun at times and duration that does not risk burning, such as the morning and late afternoon). After the 2-3 weeks of daily light therapy it is required to never again incur light deficiency, and much care should be taken get plenty of natural light every day and keep a bright light (in the warm color spectrum) at work and home to prevent light deficiency (after therapy is completed light does not need to be specifically directed at the back of the head—exposure to the eyes helps to keep torpor hormones low).

CAUTION: There is one caution and side effect to this therapy that absolutely will occur—as this therapy starts working, the first 3-4 days will cause an increase in depression. This occurs because exposure to bright light strongly slows melatonin production in the pituitary to a normal level, but this causes a significant backlog of serotonin (from which melatonin is made) which will make torpor (depression) feel even more acute. While this isn’t fun it is an excellent sign the therapy is working and after 3-4 days when this serotonin clears a new state of emotional homeostasis will start to emerge (so long as the patient is eating well, keeping up their blood sugar, and getting enough daily sunlight exposure). At the end of the therapy depression will be eliminated or nearly eliminated, with more stable mood and positive emotional feelings, and it must be remembered that this temporary state is only temporary and will not last more than 3-4 days.

Additionally, vitamin C directly supports metabolic respiration, so foods high in vitamin C like orange juice, fruit, leafy greens, etc., should also be used both daily and immediately before light exposure, which will occur anyway with compliance to frequent consumption of fruit as required. If exposure to sun or other light source causes agitation or irritation that is a good sign of vitamin C deficiency which can be rectified by getting vitamin C daily.

1. Niacinamide

A common complication to recovery is eating disorders, specifically anorexia. As it is impossible to recover from addiction without eating a good diet and keeping blood sugar up, so it is extremely important to eat enough calories and sugar every day, from morning to night, practicing no dietary restrictions whatsoever aside from those foods which can potentiate acetylcholine excess (nightshades and inflammatory foods like common wheat and polyunsaturated fats). Eating disorders thus present a significant obstacle for some people, especially those with anorexia. 

While anorexia is typically considered a psychological condition and does have some behavioral elements, it is also entirely a complication of neurochemistry, including very high serotonin expression which suppresses the appetite. Because high serotonin is a hibernation response, part of its function is to prevent animals who hibernate from being hungry, otherwise they would go out during winter and find no food and starve. The state of anorexia is one in which dietary and environmental trauma has gotten so severe as to promote this appetite suppression, thus facilitating the avoidance of food, especially if a person has negative conceptions of their self-worth and body image.

The opposite of serotonin excess such as causes anorexia is high endogenous production of niacin. Both serotonin and niacin are produced from the dietary amino acid tryptophan. During light deficiency, dietary stress, trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and avoidance of sugar our dietary tryptophan is directed to serotonin, but when exposed to light, sugar, and resolution of trauma more tryptophan is directed into niacin which then supports higher metabolic respiration. 

However, a supplement of niacinamide, which is a variant of niacin, is also very effective and generally affordable strategy to help resolve anorexia, as it directly antagonizes the appetite suppressant effects of excess serotonin. It can also help take the edge off depression and promote better energy, better, and a desire to eat for anyone in recovery, even if undereating is not a problem. Those who have anorexia or have trouble eating sufficient daily calories should take a dose of 250 mg to 500 mg every morning (depending on size) with a source of sugar such a orange juice, an apple, or other fruit (or pastry or other yummy, sweet options). This will help restart hunger impulses and thus make it much easier to consume food and calories as required for recovery. Ideas of body image and self-worth should be addressed as discussed in the inventory therapy below. For anyone with depression the use of niacinamide can generally be very useful, but niacin itself has potentially uncomfortable side effects, which is why niacinamide should be preferable.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C directly antagonizes many of the harmful effects of many drugs. Vitamin C deficiency specifically causes a disease called scurvy and indeed many of the debilitating side effects of drug use such as from methamphetamine and heroin are in fact caused by rapid depletion of vitamin C and the initiation of scorbutic disease. Using vitamin C in the treatment of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can thus be very productive in supporting recovery. Opioids are especially associated with vitamin C depletion and vitamin C supplementation can greatly relieve all opioid addicts of some physical pain and deterioration caused by opioid use. Vitamin C is so good at inhibiting the scorbutic side effects of drug abuse it can easily and rapidly treat these side effects and help users keep their teeth, body mass, and skin health even if they do not yet decide to get clean. 

Vitamin C is also a required cofactor for the synthesis of dopamine and adrenaline, and high stress which promotes addiction and alcoholism and causes depression due to deficiency of dopamine occurs also through vitamin C depletion, especially in those who do not eat a healthy diet with daily, generous consumption of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is also best gotten through foods, not a supplement, which is another reason a healthy diet is requisite for recovery. 

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

One of the other primary reasons people drink or use drugs abusively is that alcohol and drugs can and do treat infection with oral and gastrointestinal pathogens, and since there are many, many potential pathogens in our environment from bacteria like Clostridium difficile to parasites like Giardia, many alcoholics and addicts are also self-medicating for the treatment of harmful microbes. Alcohol is, in fact, specifically antibiotic to bacteria, so having gut dysbiosis and opportunistic bacterial infections like C. difficile, H. pylori, or those which affect oral health like P. gingivalis which causes bleeding gums and gum disease makes sobriety highly uncomfortable for those in recovery since these pathogens are then less inhibited by cessation of alcohol or drugs. Cocaine is specifically antiparasitic, and helminth infection (parasites) downregulate an important enzyme in our body called carbonic anhydrase which converts CO2 in the body to bicarbonate to help mange pH functions and the acid/alkaline balance of the body, so people whom abuse cocaine are typically parasitized such as by helminths, giardia, schistosomes, etc., (gut distension is a common symptom of giardia or other gastroinestinal parasites). Amphetamines amplify and restore the function of carbonic anhydrase, and so one of the effects of methamphetamine use is to increase the production of CO2 and bicarbonate in opposition to the effects of parasites on the body. 

Nicotine also increases carbonic anhydrase activity, and part of the brief high and relaxation effect of smoking tobacco is to counteract parasitic infection which lowers carbonic anhydrase activity, but nicotine is also high in cyanide which is actually used as a substrate by the immune system to eradicate pathogens like parasites, so smoking is also a self-medication behavior to colonization by opportunistic microbes. Many addicts and alcoholics can also harbor sexually transmitted diseases not only due to behaviors which increase the risk of exposure but diets and dietary behaviors like fasting and low-carb which impair immune function and increase risk of colonization, and many STD treatments inadvertently wipe out other pathogenic bacteria or parasites and thus rapidly relieve sufferers of some of the symptoms which they are actually treating with drugs or alcohol. 

Reinfection can also happen very rapidly, however, as soon as a treated individual again makes contact with another infected person, thus limiting the effectiveness of medical treatment for infections. If a facility is equipped to treat STDs and parasites it should do so for any and all patients to remove all possible opportunistic pathogen they may carry, including to prevent spreading it to other patients, but it is a healthy diet, intact commensal microbiome, and functioning immune system which primarily prevents colonization by opportunistic pathogens, which is why good dietary behaviors and healthy lifestyles like daily sun exposure and even activities such as gardening are required for a full recovery.

Treatment of pathogens can specifically help with mental health, as there is much evidence that problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder involve infection biogenic amine producing microbes which produce amines like histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, and phenylethylamine that disturb normal neurological and endocrinological function. 

As discussed in Nathan’s work, dietary tannins such as are common to tea, the skin of nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts very powerfully suppress opportunistic gut microbes which otherwise requires complex courses of antibiotics. Eradication of pathogenic bacteria and parasites and daily consumption of tea, nuts, and other high tannin foods can very quickly help an addict or alcoholic with mental health problems experience peace and calmness which can further assist recovery if future infection is also avoided. One simple and useful strategy is to combine fruit juice with tea (such as variants on an Arnold Palmer, which is lemonade and tea) with added sodium acetate and sugar for easy access and compliance.

1. Recovery Diet

Because certain dietary factors can strongly promote and exaggerate alcoholism and addiction, these foods should be limited during recovery. The glycoalkaloid toxins in nightshade plants, specifically potatoes and eggplant which are the most potent (but even having tomatoes daily can also be excessive). Very often too potatoes get a little green when they are left out under grocery store lights (blue light), and this indicates an increase in solanine production. Potatoes can be delicious but during recovery it is best to entirely avoid all potato, eggplant, and to reduce consumption of tomato and peppers to no more than three times a week (sweet potato is not a nightshade and is just fine). Once a person has made a full recovery potato can be reintroduced, but should still not be eaten frequently (no more than 3 times a week), to avoid inducing cravings. If cravings ever return, potato or eggplant consumption should again cease immediately until cravings again disappear, and tomatoes and peppers less frequent. Because solanine is most concentrated in potato skin, nobody should ever, ever eat potato skin, and solanine is also water soluble so boiling and draining potatoes can help reduce their solanine content when reintroducing them. 

The gluten in common wheat is tough to digest because it has been intensely hybridized to resist the growth stresses caused by industrial fertilizer, and gluten is very inflammatory, and since the body responds to inflammation by stimulating localized acetylcholine increase, common wheat should also be avoided for a faster recovery. Common flour also often contains added iron which, unbound by the food matrix, strongly fuels pathogenic overgrowth in the gut, leading to stomachaches, discomfort, and strong inflammation and chronic immune reaction and should be avoided entirely. 

When we try to make dietary changes we often simply avoid the things we are limiting, but this only creates emotional and nutritional stress and usually fails, and the key to making these dietary changes is not to simply avoid foods we like but to replace them with others that are equally or more indulgent and satisfying. Choose sweet potatoes or rice instead of potatoes and wheat. Ancient types of wheat called spelt, einkorn, or kamut can be great replacements for common wheat and taste even better and can be bought or made as pastries, doughnuts, pasta, bread, etc. Many high quality grocery stores carry einkorn pasta or spelt bread, so just look around. Recovery centers can produce their own breads, pastries, and pasta made from these flours and teach their clients how to bake and make their own as well.

Root vegetables also strongly help with recovery of the intestinal system and digestion through the promotion of short chain fatty acids, and even help expel gut parasites. The combination of root vegetables with a small dose of supplemental lithium aspartate or lithium carbonate (no more than 5 mg per dose) can help further treat parasites because lithium paralyzes parasites and helps the immune system eradicate them. Lithium is commonly used in the treatment of mental illness, this can be fairly easy to achieve, but low-dose lithium supplements are far safer than pharmacological doses. As lithium has a calming effect (it can be safely used in doses up to 20 mg) this can be very useful for recovery.

Fruit usually results in the production of acetic acid in the gut, because of its pectin content, and is not optional for recovery, by helping to increase production of gastrointestinal acetic acid and supporting commensal acetogenic bacteria. Sugar (especially fruit) is one of the best tools to restore a healthy gut microbiome, because most of our healthy commensal microorganisms are highly dependent on carbohydrate. So indulging on a great quantity of peaches, apples, grapes, watermelon, plums, raisins, dried, fresh, frozen, or preserves can be very useful and emotionally therapeutic.

Additionally, the consumption of healthy foods like leafy greens, especially from the brassica family (broccoli, watercress, brussels sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, etc) can be very helpful because they also promote immune function which can help address the gut microbiome or oral infections which may have been contracted during the course of alcoholic and addictive behavior. 

Yogurt and other fermented dairy like kefir oppositely inhibit acetogenic bacteria and promotes lactic acid producing microbes and can and does directly contribute to conditions of alcoholism, addiction, and depression and should be avoided always. So-called filtered yogurts or greek yogurt are still harmful and should not be consumed.

1. Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee can be a great support for recovery because coffee is dopaminergic, which is why it can make us feel good. Caffeine is a drug but it does not impair cognitive function, so it is not harmful to use in recovery, although some alcoholics and addicts believe they should avoid anything that can be drug-like it is harmful to remove all pleasure and fun things from our experiences and exactly the kind of addict thinking which drives us back to drug and alcoholic abuse. Remember that one of the problems of the trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction is not knowing how to properly enjoy ourselves. Having a nice cup of coffee can be one of those pleasures which helps recovery.

However, coffee and caffeine are metabolic stimulants and as such they can sometimes promote stress if they are not supported by the diet and sufficient intake of carbohydrate, calories, and protein. When people get shaky from drinking caffeinated beverages it is because they do not have enough carbohydrate, sugar, or protein in their body to support the increase in metabolic rate, and this then stimulates the release of cortisol to turn lean tissue into useable sugars and amino acids, thence the shaking, jitters, and discomfort. 

Coffee and caffeine should thus never be taken on an empty stomach or during low blood sugar. Adrenaline in fact is made from dopamine, so failing to eat before using caffeine or coffee directly promotes high levels of adrenaline and then cortisol which will only make physical recovery impossible. Oppositely, consuming sufficient calories, carbohydrates, and protein before and alongside coffee use can promote recovery by fueling metabolic activity and promoting dopamine in a healthy manner. It can often be enough to drink a glass of orange juice or milk in the morning before coffee, so long as a person also makes breakfast alongside or very shortly after using coffee. 

Coffee, containing some tannin, can also promote a helpful gut microbiome as well and is healthier than caffeinated sodas or caffeine supplements which usually contain unhelpful chemicals or additives and do not support commensal microbes. Because coffee and tea are extremely high in prebiotics (compounds that promote microbial growth) care should be taken not to brew coffee or tea with aerated water, which introduces oxygen to the gut and, along with the prebiotics, promotes overgrowth of harmful aerobic bacteria. Many water faucets have grilles that cause foamy, aerated water when dispensing, and this grille can be removed or the water dispensed slowly so as not to cause aeration of the brew water. Coffee and tea are also good ways to administer a lithium supplement to support health and mental health, and the supplement can be added to water used to brew coffee and tea by pulling apart the capsule and dumping the contents directly in the water.

1. Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid and optional supplement which can support recovery from depression and lift the mood of addicts and alcoholics, especially when supported by sufficient sugar intake. Pathogenic microbes can actually siphon our taurine from our bile in the gut and produce toxic hydrogen sulfide and deplete taurine stores which then contributes to depression and substance abuse. Taurine is required to protect cells from the stress of excessive cellular excitation and thusly helps cells to use protein (other amino acids) more efficiently. Dopamine, which makes us feel happy, is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which becomes wasted when the body is stimulated by excessive stress such as what occurs from trauma, abuse, and poor diets, dietary behaviors, and sunlight deprivation. Because taurine helps spare amino acids it also helps the body restore its taurine supplies, when supported by a good diet and abundant dietary tannins. Without more important steps like fixing the diet and resolving gut and environmental deficiencies as earlier discussed, taurine will not be too helpful, but if these factors are resolved 500-1000 mg taken once a day can help restore taurine homeostasis and thus help resolve depression.

Taurine does have one side effect, which is to restart bile release in the gut, which since bile is required to absorb fats required for hormone synthesis can be a good thing, but often the previous deficiency of bile expression can make the body temporarily produce too much bile when taurine is reintroduced. In this case a steady stomachache can result. If this happens, briefly cease taurine supplementation, wait for the discomfort to resolve, then restart once again. This may happen two or three times after which it will not happen again as bile regulation normalizes.

As discussed in Nathan’s other work, carotene inhibits the synthesis of toxic hydrogen sulfide by opportunistic microbes, and taurine can also be protected in the body by frequently consuming foods high in carotene such as carrots, peaches, squashes, orange sweet potato, tomatoes, etc. This is a function of frequency, not quantity, so large doses will not necessarily help but consistent dietary behaviors will. Since many fruits are high in carotene and carrots are readily available this is not a difficult step to practice. 

 

1. Treating Psychological factors
1. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

Alcoholics and addicts are often stereotypically characterized as lazy hedonists who do nothing but seek pleasure and a good time. In fact, the opposite is true and most people with alcoholism and addiction fundamentally lack the ability to enjoy themselves or to engage in compassionate self-care and recreational activity, and resort to drugs and alcohol as their only real option for the relief and relaxation healthy people find even in mundane activities like cleaning up our home, being with a friend, connecting with a loved one, being alone, etc.

This problem is the result of a childhood which required using our time and energy just to survive abusive, dominating, or neglectful parents or environment, unable to spend much time getting to know ourselves and to develop a strong personal identity. Most children from healthy homes get to discover who they are, separately from others, which imparts some degree of confidence, recognition of what brings them satisfaction and fulfillment, personal tastes and interests, and thus an ability to successfully connect with others, which is an experience missing from those with substance abuse problems.

Alcoholics and addicts who never got to develop a strong sense of identity thus lack those interests and skills for self-fulfillment, and an inability to connect with others often leads to fear of work, volatile interpersonal relationships, and an absence of fulfilling activities like cooking, reading, sports, writing, drawing, etc., and especially not from required self-care skills like managing finances, living within our means, paying taxes, maintaining healthy relationships, healthy interpersonal boundaries, etc.

A lack of self-care skills occurs because our parents did not possess them to teach us, and many alcoholics and addicts are reluctant to learn new skills because the trauma of past experience elicits a strong fear response when it comes to anything that can be perceived as failure, rejection, or criticism, and this in turn reveals a lack of skills to handle fear, rejection, judgement, disappointment, and other harsh realities of human social dynamics.

Anyone might think that to acquire new skills requires going out to learn them or the having of new experiences, but these skills for an alcoholic or addict are not learned by directly experiencing them and are instead learned by resolving past experiences of trauma which cause the fear response as discussed in inventory therapy which then makes space (psychologically) for an ability to handle new experiences. After inventory therapy is completed, alcoholics and addicts can then have new experiences which will teach empowerment and help begin to form a new sense of personal identity and self-worth.

1. 12-step Programs

12-step programs are often helpful for recovery (the author of this document was a member of AA for 3 years). But 12-step programs do not recognize any biological aspect of alcoholism and addiction, which accounts for their inability to help most people entering the programs. Worse, other derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous teach their members principles specifically not included in AA, such as the avoidance of triggers. This problem can undermine recovery because in AA they rightly teach that triggers (such as going to a bar or being around alcohol) will not be a problem once you finish the program, and indeed that is exactly how it works, as a person is responsible for their own actions and not helpless to the temptations in the world around us. These derivative programs have inadvertently integrated some of the control and coping mechanisms inherent to addiction which is the failure to accept personal responsibility for choices and thus foment fear and insecurity in adherents rather than resolve them. 

Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous also has a great deal of religious principles in their program which is unhelpful to many who in fact have been offended by religion and its adherents. Alcoholics Anonymous was developed in part with religious people who demanded to retain a lot of religious elements in it, and the compromise includes appeals to ignore the abuses that many religions and religious persons commit which leads to the abuse and trauma that underlies alcoholism and addiction in the first place.

But the concept of “God” to a recovering alcoholic or addict really means the cessation of relying only on ourselves in our own lives. We are not ourselves God, nor capable of commanding reality, and in reality alcoholics and addicts usually consider themselves to be alone, without any recourse for help should things fall apart, often even harassed and persecuted by their own families to get clean in ways which continue to perpetuate abuse, fear, neglect, etc. Additionally, the concept that there are greater forces which dictate fate and reality such as physics and the immutable laws of the Universe, especially represented by concepts of birth and death or other people over which we have no control, are often frightening for non addicts and alcoholics let alone those who are, and learning how to accept these realities rather than try to control them is one of the benefits of 12-step programs in spite of its heavy use of religions language. The point is for an alcoholic or addict to stop taking responsibility for things which are outside of our control, such as whether others like us, or we are rich, or avoiding disease and death, or even if we have alcoholism or addiction, because we cannot control those things in the first place it can only be stressful if we do try to control them.

1. Relearning Life Lessons

Because the disease of alcoholism and addiction is a neurological learning disorder which has corrupted a person’s life experience to associate even the most mundane of stresses with intense negativity and exaggerated stress while also lacking effective self-care and interpersonal relationship skills, these experiences can be unlearned. 

But this also requires abstinence, since alcohol and drugs impair cognitive comprehension by blocking or inhibiting the learning-memory-consciousness function of acetylcholine it is impossible to undo the psychological damage which causes sensitivity to stressful stimuli as conditioned from a lifetime of trauma. The originators of Alcoholics Anonymous intuited these steps, which is how they were able to construct a program which had marked efficacy in spite of its shortcomings. But the primary effect that 12-step programs have which supports recovery from addiction and alcoholism is teaching those with learned hopelessness (alcoholism and addiction) new skills and to facilitate new learning experiences, supported by empathetic peers, which can replace past negative experiences with new positive ones. The new skills an addict or alcoholic learns from 12-step programs give an addict or alcoholic empowerment for the first time in their lives. Fundamentally, for instance, the skill and ability to handle our own mistakes and make an apology to amend and maintain personal relationships relationships is often regarded by many people, alcoholic or not, as an affront to be avoided at all costs simply because we have never been taught how to properly and effectively apologize and so lack confidence in our own ability to do it. Facilitating the learning of this skill by requiring members of 12-step programs to amend their past mistakes teaches a brand new skill to adherents which, when done correctly, causes us to have a new experience when dealing with mistakes and confronting others and learning that we can, in fact, not only do it but that it is very comforting and helpful.

Many people think that confidence is an adopted strength we can choose to have, but this is entirely incorrect and adopted confidence is in fact arrogance, where arrogance denies our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities while confidence accepts them. Confidence comes from having positive and successful experiences—it is not an adopted attitude, which explains why so many alcoholics and addicts lack confidence because life or perception of it has been filled with so many negative experiences. Empowering skills such as are taught in 12-step programs can facilitate these new and positive associations with aspects of life which used to bring immense stress, such as interpersonal relationships, work and colleagues, bosses, financial management, government, disease, death, loss, rejection, etc., thus facilitating successful experiences and thus engendering confidence for perhaps the first time in our lives. 

The most problematic absence of positive experiences are that of personal enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Those with learned hopelessness fundamentally do not know how to derive satisfaction from life, even though we might try, and end up pursuing only superficial goals and success such as money, status, attractiveness, etc., since such attributes in life are easily observed, and using drugs and alcohol as a shortcut to enjoyment. Real satisfaction in life comes things which are mundane, like having close, healthy relationships with family or friends, having a clean house, going outside to recreate, or cooking delicious meals. Even enjoying our own company, which is highly foreign to all alcoholics and addicts, can be highly rewarding if we develop a real sense of self. Life can seem incredibly boring and so must be filled with excitement, always looking forward to vacations or events or breaks from obligation, but since none of these ever last an alcoholic or addict is always dissatisfied and always looking forward to the next break or next vacation, which is why we turn to alcohol and drugs, to cope with the hopelessness, dissatisfaction, and boredom of living in the present.

Learning how to enjoy ourselves is dependent on resolution of neurological stress from excessive acetylcholine, because high stress hormones prevent us from sitting still and being present. That is one of the purposes of stress hormones, actually, which is to motivate action and get an organism out and doing things. In us who are alcoholic or addicted these hormones are always on so we can never sit still and enjoy ourselves. Then after the biochemical treatment of alcoholism begins to work, inventory therapy can help us relearn life experiences to then find incredible satisfaction in things which before seemed mundane and unexciting.

1. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

12-steps programs do contain prejudices which blame addicts and alcoholics for their problems rather than recognizing the biological and psychological realities which create this condition, and thus are vulnerable to perpetuating the problems of addiction and alcoholism and not universally effective. Human biology is also designed in evolutionary terms to perpetuate the survival of the species, even at the expense of an individual, and many of our most heinous traits as humans such as violence and other antisocial behaviors are in fact basic survival instincts which originated from our past as a wild animal, and when human beings are traumatized enough we can entirely lose the ability to function as a human at all, which really is the fault of our biology and our vulnerability to stress and deprivation of basic human needs and not the responsibility of any one individual. So while every person individually is responsible for their choices and behavior, very often we do not possess the skills, awareness, or experiences in the first place which would have empowered us to make better choices. It is entirely possible to accept responsibility for our mistakes and harmful behavior while also having compassion for ourselves and our mortal, human fallibility, which is not something the 12-steps really accomplish, due to inherent resentment for our human condition.

Recovery centers which offer 12-step programs are also often run by fellow alcoholics and addicts, which is perfectly fine if they have also successfully completed recovery and can further benefit their patients through integration of the biological aspects of alcoholism and addiction as mentioned above. But often recovery homes and services are predatory, driven by unresolved desires of the owners to be rich or assert control, and the profit motive for recovery can obscure very real problems and even dangers in these centers. 

Rehabilitation centers also usually serve simply as a vacation for those with means who want to take a break from the stresses of life, temporarily freed from the responsibilities of work, family, finances, etc. The irony is that the tools taught by practicing inventory therapy as discussed later in this document can bring permanent freedom from the stresses of family, work, finances, etc., even while experiencing them, through the learning of new skills to effectively handle and even enjoy and find fulfillment from such obligations. The only reason any experience is stressful is due to a lack of emotional and mental skills to handle such obligations, which can be self-taught through inventory. Rehab centers tend to fail their patients because they only function as a temporary respite from stress, where if they instead empowered their patients with these skills and effectively treated their underlying neurological and endocrinological wellness as described above would actually be effective in treating alcoholism and addiction beyond the limited time spent in recovery homes and programs.

1. Self-compassion

The underlying psychological trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction in the first place is an abject lack of compassion for ourselves as individuals. Often and usually little to no compassion was shown to us as children and thus we do not know how to have it for ourselves, and spend the entirety of our lives trying to justify our existence and needs and wants as if we are by default undeserving of love, fulfillment, care, and compassion, when in fact we do not need at all to justify those needs, only to learn how to have compassion for ourselves and the experiences we have been through, to show ourselves the care and compassion we expect from others, whom are often not capable of giving it since, like us, they also lack those skills.

Inventory therapy as presented in this work (and the books written by Mr. Hatch) recognizes the inherent psychology in 12-step programs, specifically the step requiring inventory, reformulating it to be more accessible and effecting by considering past experiences not as self-centered resentments but instead as trauma, to both recognize and validate the abuse and pain lived by alcoholics and addicts and empowering us accept and resolve personal responsibility for our behavior and choices as separate from but still informed by our trauma. This approach, when done correctly, specifically engenders and teaches self-compassion, which is the key to resolving alcoholism and addiction entirely. Any person who refuses to do inventory will still not be able to make a full recovery because lacking self-compassion such as what is demonstrated in the act of doing inventory therapy drives stress sufficiently that it prevents effective behavior in relationships, mistakes, ambitions, goals, mortality, etc., that will continue to stimulate excessive stress, since we are not ourselves responsible for anything except our own choices and decisions (not even our own emotions!).

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity

  Many people mistake self-pity for self-compassion, because we have in fact never experienced compassion, but they are in fact very different, and self-pity also always indicates an absence of self-compassion. While self-pity is often derided as a weakness or shamed by others in reality self-pity is an adaptive survival strategy to generate a sense of self-worth when none is forthcoming from our environment, when a person does not know how to have compassion for themselves because none has ever been shown them. In stable, healthy homes parents display an abundance of compassion for their children and thus those children know what compassion is, both for others but also themselves. But when raised in a home where parents lack self-compassion and healthy self-care skills and are burdened with their own trauma their children are thus never taught what compassion is, because we cannot give what we do not have, and so in turn we do not know what self-compassion is. In this case, self-pity takes its place and serves as way to find value for oneself in a world which can be at times very harsh and stressful.

The difference between self-pity and self-compassion is that, much like arrogance and confidence, self-pity denies personal responsibility while self-compassion accepts it, because we with self-pity lack skills to handle conflict and trauma, and so are afraid of accepting personal responsibility for fear of validating insecurities, abuse, and trauma. Like confidence, self-compassion comes from positive experiences and is not an adopted, willful attitude but one which is practiced and comes from action. Unlike confidence, which comes from external experiences, self-compassion comes from internal experiences through self-care behaviors like practicing inventory therapy, because the act of sitting down to write inventory is the very act of practicing self-compassion, in which the mind then participates and experiences that compassion from the act. 

1. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Because 12-step programs were developed before the advent of much contemporary science, these programs do not directly encompass trauma, but resolving trauma is the entire point of recovery. 

But even most contemporary psychology does not even resolve the trauma which underlies addiction and alcoholism, which is why there must be support groups to serve this function. The author of this work was inexplicably turned away from a free mental health clinic after revealing their recent entry into AA, at a time when psychological support would have been invaluable, because of the biases which permeate professional mental healthcare surrounding addiction and alcoholism and ignorance to how trauma drives addiction (and heretofore ignorance of how to treat it). 

This failure is specifically because the Karpman Drama Triangle model of conflict and trauma is not commonly taught nor employed in contemporary mental health treatment. The Karpman Drama Triangle was developed by Dr. Stephen Karpman and is the most accurate and effective characterization of the consequences of abuse and trauma. It characterizes 3 distinct psychological phenotypes which develop out of prolonged experiences of trauma (trauma can also include nutritional factors as earlier described). Conflict triangulation is the natural behavioral phenomena which describes how conflict cannot be contained only between two people, and usually integrates a third or more persons such as friends or family members into conflict. Often and usually this includes us as little children who do not possess the requisite skills and experiences to resist emotional trauma from adults in such experiences, hence the Karpman Drama Triangles model which describes the specific consequences of such experiences. 

The 3 phenotypes:

The Persecutor—characteristic of narcissism, type one feels that other people stand in the way of our ambitions, and blames, shames, and attacks others for our perceived weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example we may feel entitled to a partner who is physically fit and attractive and blame them for falling out of shape or not dieting. The persecutor type is often emotionally neglected as a child and resorted to narcissism to find value in themselves. Intense fear of weakness originates from parents shaming children for their vulnerabilities.

The Helper—a person who can only find value when indisposable to others, we were often middle children who could only find attention from parents and other siblings if they inserted themselves into conflict and acted as mediator. They often find purpose in the psychological professions which is a perfect vehicle to entertain this insecurity, can be people-pleasing and often undermine the confidence or wellness of others because their motivation is be indisposable, not to actually help others, which would otherwise liberate others from dependence on us.

The Victim—is not a victim in the sense being a recipient of crime or abuse, but one whom, because of our experiences of trauma, inherently feel powerless and weak and that we cannot achieve our goals and dreams without the help or assistance of more powerful personalities.

It is extremely helpful to recognize and understand this model of psychological trauma because it drives addiction and alcoholism in specific ways. The author of this document describes in shorthand each personality thusly: the Persecutor fundamentally believes “I don’t need you,” the Helper believes “You need me,” and the Victim believes “I need you.”

Each of these phenotypes can be observed in states of addiction because each type of trauma is fundamentally concerned with others, not themselves, since others were the source of their trauma fail to fully comprehend both their own weaknesses and their strengths. Fixation on others drives the fears which underlie addiction and alcoholism, and the inventory instead turns focus onto the self, through introspective therapy, to accept personal weakness and recognize and appreciate individual strengths, thus undermining the insecurities which drive fear and thus dependence on alcohol and addiction, to treat the stress hormones and excessive acetylcholine stimulated by insecurities, fear, and lack of empowerment.

Where Karpman described this model he did not also elucidate methods to their resolution. That honor instead belongs to Dr. Margalis Fjelstad, who generally described the solution to Dr. Karpman’s model as “maintaining a center position within the triangle,” to employ the strengths of each type equally rather than the weaknesses of any single identity. We are all in fact at times oscillating between each of the three, where one predominates, where a healthy psyche is all three at once but in the corresponding strengths, such as personal responsibility, genuine helpfulness and compassion, and self-compassion replacing self-pity. More learning and research on the Karpman Drama Triangles can and will benefit any mental health professional whether or not they work in recovery, but the inventory therapy below can directly address and resolve these aspects of the psyche through the resolution of the specific experiences of trauma which caused them in the first place.

1. Social Support

Renowned psychologist Bruce K. Alexander was dissatisfied with past experiments on rats in which they were given water bottles with and without LSD to demonstrate addictive properties of LSD, but kept alone in individual cages with nothing to do as if rats have no emotions, desires, or instincts. So he built a large experiment which he termed “rat park” in which there were many rats for each to interact with and form relationships, as well as stimulating activities like running wheels, obstacle courses, and even paintings on the sides of the cages. In the isolated, lonely cages rats had preferred the LSD water, because of course they would, but in rat park none of the rats used the LSD water, even though it was freely available. 

Dr. Alexander demonstrated the truth about addiction and alcoholism—which is based on trauma centered largely around the absence of emotional and social relationships, access, and integration in social animals. Our parents also have their own trauma which prevented them from providing the things we needed as children, often being emotionally unavailable to us, and many of us grew into adulthood feeling alone, lacking the kind of normal emotional and intimate relationships we need and being deprived of learning experiences which teach us effective social and self-care skills, which is made worse when exposed to environmental factors like glycoalkaloid toxins, or deprivation of sunlight or sugar.

One of the problems facing alcoholics in terms of personal satisfaction and enjoyment is that a lack of experiences with fast friendships and healthy relationships makes us feel stressed and isolated, thus increasing the expression of stress hormones which rise during isolation and in turn cause us to feel unsettled, restless, discontent, and lonely. Lacking effective skills to create these relationships for ourselves we then turn to substance abuse as our only tool to manage such difficult emotions just as the rats did in their isolated cages, or mistake drinking partners, colleagues, and even service providers as replacements for friends. One of the specific benefits recovery programs provide to addicts and alcoholics is structured social support—having access to a guide and friend whom is ostensibly responsible for passing on skills and information learned through 12-step programs in reality is probably the first person in the life of an alcoholic or addict who is constantly available for emotional and social support and guidance and thus serving a very special function to those in recovery which directly combats the loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness that we as addicts and alcoholics have been accustom. This social support, however, can come from anywhere by collecting (but not abusing) relationships within our peer group on whom we can rely for real emotional connection. We are all also capable of providing these social needs for ourselves, and can be our own friend and best advocate, we just have never been taught how.

Usually, as an addict or alcoholic we are limited in this regard by our poor conception of ourselves, fear of others, and fear of emotional intimacy and so purposefully withhold ourselves from others because of our past trauma and negative experiences make us fearful of rejection. For instance if we are paying someone to be our therapist, coach, manager, agent, realtor, etc., we mistake the transaction for interaction and power for friendship, because having that power makes us feel safe. But all friendships and relationships require equality, and paying someone to be your ‘friend’ imbalances the relationship in your favor and is not truly vulnerable, as we must risk rejection in order to win relationships. 

Having friends is also not the same as having fulfilling relationships, and many of us also have family members who are equally unavailable and distant and as such not ideal candidates for this kind of social support. Accomplishing the inventory therapy as outlined below can teach us how to find, make, grow, sustain, repair healthy relationships that fulfill these fundamental needs missing from our lives and thus provide this invaluable asset for ourselves where before we may have found it impossible, or limited to others who are also active addicts and alcoholics.

Similarly, many of us have never considered that we can and should be our own best friend and advocate, which can be learned by resolving trauma and developing a healthier conception of ourselves through inventory, and is key to then establishing and maintaining real, healthy relationships with others through whom we can find fulfillment.  

1. Inventory Therapy
1. Preparation

All that is required to practice inventory therapy is this guide, a writing utensil, and paper. A notebook with large pages can be very helpful. This therapy absolutely should never be done on an electronic device. The act of writing communicates with the subconscious, and one of the reasons this therapy works is that writing communicates with the subconscious. Typing cannot do this. Use manual writing implements. On paper. No exceptions.

1. Abstinence

A period of abstinence should precede the beginning of this therapy. As discussed previously, it is impossible to achieve new psychological learning experiences when acetylcholine is impaired such as by drugs or alcohol. So prioritizing dedication to abstinence and using tools like nightly low-dose antihistamine therapy, sodium acetate, vitamin C, fruit and sugar, light therapy, and niacinamide must be done first. It is good to start the inventory therapy as soon as possible, but not until an addict or alcoholic’s mind is clearer and present. Always practice also on a full stomach. Make some nice tea or coffee, keep some candy or fruit around, and sit in a cute chair near a window or other pleasant, quiet atmosphere.

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy

Inventory therapy consists of two parts, the personal inventory, which directly addresses experiences of trauma, disappointment, loss, frustration, etc., and the fear inventory which directly addresses existential fears that we may have as a result of negative life experiences. The inventory practice in AA is often more complicated, this version is designed for efficiency as well as greatest psychological effect.

Fears motivate resentments, so it is most helpful to start with resentments, then identify which fears are relevant to those resentments and then make those fear entries. It is unhelpful, however, to lump all resentments against a single person, institution, or idea into one resentment entry dump. The traumatic experiences we have are not because of the person or institution is innately bad but because their actions are bad or harmful. Lumping every resentment against a parent or a religion, for instance, fixates on the person or institution rather than on the actions which hurt us. So each separate offense should be entered as a single resentment entry separately from the others. Some offenses hurt us for different reasons that others, so they each must be analyzed individually.

No fear exists in isolation from other fears. For example, a fear of death can also be a fear of pain, fear of loss, punishment, the unknown, religion, God, consequences, conflict, violence, etc., When making fear entries it is useful to also write down any other related fears which may be revealed.

Clues to what we write in each of the columns lie in the one which preceded it. So, if determining for instance what part of self was damaged by a particular event seems difficult we can revisit our entry in the preceding column, cause, for help in identifying those parts of self which were hurt.

1. Personal Inventory — Resentment

In the personal inventory there are five columns. The first three represent parts of life in which we have absolutely no control (no matter how much you may wish it). While the last two represent aspects of life we do in fact control. Many people in fact will write things like emotions into the “my part” column, but in fact emotions are hormones and we do not have control over emotions. If someone breaks into your apartment and stabs you, you are going to be upset. The idea that we should control emotions is the consequence of abuse behavior by parents who tried even to control our very emotions which made them uncomfortable, because they too lacked the skills to handle their own uncomfortable emotions. All emotions go in the cause column because they are part of the reason our experiences were uncomfortable, disruptive, or traumatizing. 

The first column of a personal inventory labeled Resentment and is a short identifier of that from which our resentment originates. 

Examples for this column are things like: parents, dad, mom, religion, Catholicism, Mormonism, Baptists, government, your friend John, your boyfriend Alex, the IRS, mortality, disease, being a parent, a specific child that might be driving you crazy, your wife Barbara, having to take out the trash, stubbing my toe, death, cancer, car breaking down, money, being poor, being rich, being ugly, sexual assault, having alcoholism or addiction, past relationships, a boss, coworkers, not getting a raise, betrayal, disloyalty, doctors, medicine, acne, hair loss, coronavirus lockdown, a school shooting or shooter, foreign governments, specific government officials, political opponents or oppositional parties, theft, inequality, work, unfairness, violence, social situations, anxiety, depression, frustrations, disappointments, rules, your apartment manager, the loud neighbors, aging, having diabetes, meetings, government regulations, etc.

Resentments are poison to happiness and rob us of fulfilling experiences and relationships. For instance, many people don’t realize that our traumas which create resentments can prejudice us against people with whom we could otherwise have deep and meaningful relationships. We might be resentful of a sibling for something they did and thus distance ourselves from them, or worse we might have done something to them over which we are embarrassed and thus withdraw from the relationship, hurting them twice and denying ourselves the value of such a relationship because we don’t know how to amend mistakes or handle our own fallibility. Teaching ourselves these skills by practicing inventory therapy and resolving those resentments can enlighten us to the reality of these experiences, our own power, and what parts we can and cannot control. Normally we try to deal with resentments by ignoring them or “moving on,” but this in fact leaves them unresolved, and we then accumulate many negative experiences which are indeed difficult burdens to bear and thusly contribute to the psychological stress which underlies alcoholism and addiction. 

Some people try to cope with trauma by deluding themselves into believing they have no resentments, usually from a desire to be a good person, having been taught that resentments are bad. But a resentment is anything which causes us pain, frustration, rumination, remorse, regret, anxiety, dissatisfaction, heartache, anger, sadness, restlessness, irritation, etc. The first step in resolving trauma is recognizing from where our trauma originated, so anything which robs us of joy, happiness, satisfaction, or fulfillment for all purposes in this practice is considered a resentment and entered as such under that column.

1. Personal Inventory — Cause

In the next column under Cause we write a brief phrase or phrases about the event and the reason for the resentment and the effect it had on us. It is helpful to split up repeat offenders into each separate cause rather than lumping many causes into one resentment. Failing to do this is entertaining our resentment and focusing on the person, institution, or idea rather than how their behavior affected us, as they are not themselves inherently offensive, but their actions or choices by which we are hurt. If a repeat offender should offend after we have already done inventory on our experiences with them, we make a new entry regardless of what entries we have already done.

Cause is as simple as the simple fact that something happened or can and does happen. For instance a resentment of death occurs because death is something that happens to all of us. Or if our bank charged us an exorbitant and exploitive amount of money for an overdraft, or the I.R.S. forcibly collected a reassessment of taxes during the coronavirus outbreak four years after we filed them and we could hardly afford rent that month. Parents or children often do things that hurt us, so in addition to the action they took which was the source of the problem we also can write other causes which are related to the event such as past traumatic experiences these remind us of or triggers, or past conditioning which makes us sensitive to these things such as what we were taught in school or church or by our caregivers. If a boss or coworker undermines our performance at work, in addition to their action we can also write that it threatens our sense of self-worth and accomplishment, makes us feel embarrassed, threatened, or sad, or feeling insecure about our future employment and financial stability.

Emotions always go under cause, because emotions are hormones and we do not control those. If you feel embarrassed, sad, hurt, angry, etc., it is not something we control and thus goes under cause. Acting on those feelings is something we control and thus does not go in this column. Many people misunderstand that acting on a feeling is not the same as having that feeling, and many of us act as if our feelings are directly connected to and justified by our feelings, which they absolutely are not. This in fact often gets alcoholics and addicts in trouble because we were not taught skill to effectively manage our feelings, and thus fail to recognize the separation between feeling and actions. This practice does teach us that difference. 

1. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt

During the span of a human life we require certain resources to live a successful, happy, and fulfilled life, and frankly also to avoid dying. These are basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothes, companionship, safety, love both platonic and erotic, community, opportunity, and accomplishment. Whenever unpleasant or painful things happen to us (the things we write under cause and resentment) they are painful because they endanger or take from us any one of these needs which are required in life.

Though we dislike pain, its function is to make us aware of potential dangers to our wellbeing. Children born without a physical pain reflex will chew on their own tongues. Both physical and emotional pain is necessary for our survival and wellbeing, but because of the function of acetylcholine in response to excessive stress in those with alcoholism and addiction, the imprintation of painful experiences can be so excessive as to cause irrational stress even from things which are not a danger to our wellbeing, like managing our bank account, so we avoid the stress by avoiding looking at our finances and thereby repeatedly cause the very financial instability we so greatly fear.

Recognizing the parts of self which are traumatized from experiences of pain helps us to legitimize our trauma instead of trying to just ignore it or move on from it. This in turn helps us begin to learn compassion for ourselves and our negative experiences which itself is the key to acceptance.

Because these parts of self are finite and not subjective, we do not invent or formulate what to put in this column. Instead we choose from the list of human needs which are: self-esteem, pride, emotional security, financial security, personal relations, sex relations, and ambition.

Sometimes we are unaware of which parts are hurt. For instance, many people try to compensate for past trauma which made them feel insecure by adopting confidence as a way to cope with that trauma, and so will not choose pride or self-esteem because they now view themselves as confident. But this very act of adopting confidence is a defensive mechanism which shows deep wounds to pride and self esteem, and is actually arrogance, not confidence, since confidence accepts weaknesses while arrogance denies them, and of course we are wounded in such ways since none of us is completely unfeeling.

Failing to understand how we are hurt by our experiences leads to rumination and obsession on those people and institutions which hurt us, which is specifically an absence of self-compassion because it then focuses on them instead of ourselves. This is one way in which self-pity can be self-defeating because we focus so much on what others have done to us rather than understanding the pain we are going through or have gone through.

1. Personal Inventory — My Part

Under My Part we list our actions and choices we made which contributed to or continue to contribute to the resentment. 

Not every event included our actions, especially those which happened to us as children (behavior begins to be our own around the ages of 15-18). When we are children, we play no role in my part because we are entirely incapable of providing for ourselves those things which are required for human life. Being entirely dependent on our caretakers, whom in fact as teachers, leaders, and providers are the originators of the choices and actions we take as children, we do not bear responsibly for our actions until we are more mature and capable of providing those needs for ourselves. Sometimes it can be helpful to accept that things we did as children were hurtful, although they are usually a consequence of adaptations to abuse or neglect which would not have occurred had we been cared for sufficiently, and in that cause the cause column should include the absence of instruction, care, or abuse which catalyzed that behavior.

Emotions are absolutely not our part—people often write things in my part such as ‘I let them make me angry,’ or ‘I choose to be sad.’ This is not how life works. Emotions, you will remember, are hormones and thus entirely outside our power to control (except through drug and alcohol use, which is why addiction occurs and is only temporary and self-destructive anyway). We want to believe we have power over our emotions because that means we can choose which ones we feel. We were often taught as children that in fact we could and should control our emotions, but this was abuse perpetrated by caregivers who had no skills to manage their own feelings. In reality, this is impossible, and believing this leads to further frustration and pain as well as a lack of compassion for ourselves. Feelings are entirely not within the scope of the my part column, and instead go under cause. 

My part is always actions and choices—I shouted at them, I stole that item, I hit them, I cheated, I lied, I withheld affection, I demanded sex, I harassed her, I didn’t tell them how much they mean to me, I drove drunk, I talked behind their back, I was defensive, reacted angrily (not felt angry), ducked my responsibility, antagonized them, wrote that nasty email, said those hurtful things, flirted with that handsome coworker, left my wife, made that purchase, didn’t monitor my bank account, didn’t pay my taxes.

Importantly, my part is never a criticism of ourselves nor judgment of our value as a person. Most of us avoid such personal introspection because we believe that self-analysis will reveal justification for every abuse we have suffered and insecurity we possess. In fact, many things we write under my part can also be positive actions—I stood up for them, I chose to have children, I got married, I didn’t cheat, I asked for a raise, I accepted this job, woke up early, went on that flight, paid for dinner, tried to help that person, spoke up for my needs, voted for good, came out of the closet. Even though we do good things it does not actually control our experiences, so we can be met with unpleasant consequences and thus become despairing at the results, instead of being proud of our good choices. So the my part can also help us correctly evaluate our own behavior separate from that of others and the things we actually cannot control.

Many of us waste years of our lives trying to control others, life, and consequences, and this is absolutely impossible. Indeed we are often taught by our parents, society, and religions that not only is it within our power to control fate, consequence, and other people, but that we should. Life does not work that way even a little bit, so we become constantly frustrated and even driven mad by our failure to control things we absolutely cannot control. The my part section helps us to objectively analyze the one thing we can control, which is our own behavior, and thus stop wasting our time, resources, and emotional and mental energy on things which are impossible to control.

1. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses

In the last column, Character Weakness we list character traits which we possess which motivate our actions and choices listed under my part. 

This too is not a judgment of our character or value as a person, which is itself simply the residue of shame and self-hatred at the hands of abusive and neglectful people in our lives, but instead a way to identify exactly how the events of our past have caused damage to us as a person which thus cause us to adopt coping mechanisms which we use to survive life. 

My favorite example to use in the illustration of this reality are pathological liars, since everyone “dislikes” liars. But the talent of lying is actually an instinctual coping mechanism adopted to survive a childhood where parents were especially and opportunistically vindictive, using any mistake no matter how trivial as an excuse to abuse and who use the child as an outlet for their overflowing anger and hatred. 

Since childhood is the time which forms our personal identity and thus survival strategies to use in adulthood, a child from such a home erroneously (and unconsciously) believes that lying is the only effective life tool to avoid pain and heartache and even death, and thus brings this tool with them into adulthood. 

But of course, lying in adulthood more often causes additional stress and isolation as we deal with mistakes and insecurities through dishonesty, and build for ourselves unnecessary consequences and complicated, unmanageable lives. Character weaknesses are coping mechanisms we develop to survive trauma but which then complicate and imperil our wellbeing as adults by preventing the formation of healthy relationships, destabilizing material wellbeing, and jeopardizing our moral and legal standing.

Most debilitatingly, coping mechanisms such as fear and insecurity which result from very traumatic experiences of assault, rejection, abuse, exploitation, etc., serve to make us hyperaware of future potential threats to our person, since it is through such threats that our very ability to survive life can be subverted. But then as an adult we spend every waking minute fearing other people, constantly repeating the trauma of our past, peering around every proverbial corner with anxiety, and even avoid opportunities for personal and professional advancement or preemptively destroying romantic affairs even when we have never again actually experienced the things of which we are afraid. 

Fixation on money is a coping mechanism for fear of loss and financial insecurity which creates miserliness, selfishness, dishonesty, and even theft. Other coping mechanisms such as perfectionism disrupt our lives by preventing satisfaction in accomplishment even when we are actually successful. Laziness is a preemptive coping mechanism to avoid failure in the first place. Being vain, narcissistic, or having self-pity is the mind’s attempt to provide a sense of self-worth which was not forthcoming from our environment as children. Timidity and shyness are an attempt to cope with rejection by avoiding attention in the first place. Being defensive or confrontational betrays fears of humiliation or loss which probably originated from parents who insulted and humiliated us, and so on and so on.

An adult should be capable of supporting ourselves emotionally and materially, and when we do not possess the skills to do so we resort to destructive coping mechanisms revealed as character weakness and undermine our own wellbeing in the process. Supporting ourselves does not mean going it alone. Being able to ask for help and to build strong relationships is an act of providing for ourselves, but this is misunderstood because of the mountain of trauma under which many of us are buried. It’s no wonder alcoholics and addicts have such a difficult time handling life. 

 

1. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fears are preconceptions about life which prevent us from living fully. Fears cause us to avoid situations, people, challenges, and opportunity. Often they motivate animus, resentment, pain, and actively undermine our own wellbeing and work against our self-interests even though they ostensibly exist to do the opposite. Under the first column in the fear inventory, we specify what fear we are inventorying be it rejection, imperfection, confrontation, failure, disease, losing children, losing a spouse, the government, pain, death, etc.

Coping mechanisms and character weakness all actually originate from a specific fear or set of fears. For instance, people who fear financial insecurity may lie, cheat, steal, or coerce, agitate, belittle their significant others, children, and friends, or simply avoid checking their bank account in dealing with that fear. They may be miserly or selfish with their prosperity. They may also spend egregiously or irresponsibly, because a digital number on a website doesn’t make us feel rich but a large house or an expensive, flashy car does, but thus constantly live in a state of financial insecurity in order to subvert this fear by exercising the active use of our money, even if it makes us bankrupt. 

The fear of financial insecurity is itself a more primal fear of death caused by lack of resources, which can also include the social and emotional security which comes from attracting other humans to us through material wealth. This fear also comes from being afraid that no one is watching out for us, or not believing in some kind of higher power or purpose, that our life is left only to us alone. 

Fear of imperfection drives us to obsess over our performance and robs us of satisfaction even in our successes. Some fears are more visceral, like fear of the dark, of violence, of men, of our mother, of natural disasters, impending doom or wild animals. 

Fears are created in our childhood in response to unpleasant experiences, pain, and abuse. In reality, fear is a biological mechanism used to make us aware of potential threats to our person. If we had no fears we would not even be on this earth as a species. Fear of the dark, of heights, of wild animals, of disease, and of competition are all fears which have kept our species alive throughout the ages. If a bird did not have a fear of cats it would simply succumb to predation. If humans did not have a fear of water if they can’t swim they might drown. As such, the development of our fears originate in our biology and the instincts we have for self-preservation. 

But since fears are also reactionary and instinctual, and also develop when we are small children when we are more helpless, they are also often misunderstood and more severe than what is useful as an adult, and as such can get in the way of things we really want. For instance, if as a child we were the frequent recipient of rejection by family or friends we may, as adults, simply avoid friendships or romantic engagements due to our fears of rejection, and thus by our own behavior engineer the very loneliness and isolation we regret. If we get attacked by a dog as a child we might grow up into an adult which fears them, and then never actually get to experience the joy of animal companionship. Fears of being unlovable may motivate us to coerce partners into demonstrate their commitment and thus turn relationships into an exercise of dominance and willfulness rather than the free expression of love, or to preemptively destroy a relationship or avoid people we would truly love simply because we fear the power their presence would have on us and potential devastation should we lose them. 

Fear can be debilitating and overwhelming, driving us even into insanity, because it is such a primal and biological survival mechanism which is more concerned with the survival of our entire species rather than us as an individual. Fearing others, especially in geopolitical contexts, can drive families apart for the stupidest of reasons and foment xenophobia and racism. When we fail to understand our fears we are instead operating simply as a human animal, which comes with all the limitations and problems imposed by instinct and ignorance. 

Our response to fear and indeed even the very purpose of fear are also largely attempts to neutralize the thing of which we are afraid rather than fear itself, since fear is an esoteric and intangible construct of the human psyche. The human mind is designed to address fear by addressing the subject of our fear and not fear directly. Fearing competition and danger from other humans we buy guns and engage in arms races. Fearing crime we empower armed and aggressive law enforcement institutions to suppress our communities and stifle economic prosperity. Fearing our own self-worth we waste the entirety of our lives and relationships pursuing money and status. 

In fact, it is this very dynamic of our response to fear which carves us up into disparate political, regional, and ideological alliances. Those whose lives are dominated by fear and the desire to subvert that which they are afraid are those drawn to power simply for the sake of it, who sacrifice their morality and humanity merely to feel protected and empowered against that which they are afraid. This is the purpose which religion serves in the lives of man, to bring feelings of reassurance and power over things which are frightening, whether or not it actually does. It is why people willingly bankrupt themselves in support of institutions and persons who exploit them. Why voters choose leaders who rig political systems against their best interests. We are not ignorant to the consequences of our actions nor the debilitating effect it has on our lives—It is the price we are willing to pay for protection from the things we fear. The justification for our actions is simply that. Belief is in the power to subvert that which we are afraid, rather than fear itself.  

The fear inventory transforms esoteric, intangible fears into something which is tangible, allowing that we can in turn confront and resolve them, which is entirely possible, rather than that which we are afraid, which is impossible. Those who more naturally understand that our problem is fear and not that of which we are afraid are more happy, hopeful, creative, accomplished, capable, unifying, fun, and successful.

Fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones which reduce metabolic health, and if we have other metabolic illnesses our fear can make our physical health immeasurably worse. This is what happens when people absolutely lose their minds and become psychologically ill, or when people feel overwhelming terror at certain fears which lead to phobias such as of flying, groups of people, germs, etc.

1. Fear Inventory — Cause

Under Cause we write from where this fear originated. Fear of financial insecurity perhaps originates because we are, in fact, reliant in many ways on money to survive, and a lack of money causes stress and impairs our access to other things we need to survive like food, clothing, and shelter. As this illustrates, the cause of a fear is often because the existence of the thing of which we are afraid is something that actually does exist or does happen to us. A fear of failure often exists because we do in fact fail, even often. Even worse, people will often actively exploit our failures and use it as ammunition against us. Death actually is a thing, and we all must die, so that is one cause of the fear of death, but choosing to ignore reality or pretend death is a long way off or delude ourselves into acrobatic religious beliefs to distract us from this fear instead gives the fear of death immense power over our lives because we do not truly understand what causes the fear in the first place. Death is often used as a cudgel by parents and religious leaders to make us feel terrible about ourselves and thus easier to coerce and control (in turn to give themselves a feeling of control). Death is also often unpleasant such as during disease or accidents or violence, all of which are also fears to inventory. But it is largely through societal attitudes and our past experiences that we have these fears to begin with, and identifying their origins empowers us to begin accepting the fear, since we begin to understand why we have it, which is usually because of our prejudices surrounding the thing of which we are afraid and ignorance to reality rather than any real need to fear these things. Clues to the cause of our fears can also be found in the resentment and cause columns of the personal inventory, since it is often our past experiences which inform and catalyze the fear response. For instance, fear of authority may have originated from experiences of abuse or recrimination suffered by opportunistic and self-righteous parents, religious leaders, or employers who exploit our vulnerability for their own personal gain and control. Or fear of helplessness, violence, or even sex may be caused by experiences of sexual assault, violence, and abuse. Fear of being powerless may simply result from having been a child and at one point powerless. A fear of rejection may have been caused by past failures or painful experiences with family or ineffective and inexperienced romantic behaviors, or being taught that rejection defines our self-worth or should be considered with severity (rather than levity). Identifying the cause of our fears is the opposite of making other people or life in general responsible for them, and redirects our energies from controlling life and other people to instead having compassion for our mortal condition and understanding and operating within the natural bounds and limitations of our effectiveness which in turn empowers us to actually be effective in our lives.

All resentments are associated with one or more underlying fears which is what motivates our control mechanisms revealed in how we respond to those resentments (especially my part), and by inventorying these fears we can understand and resolve them, because all fears are simply caused by ignorance and this practice provides us with answers for why we have such fears in the first place. A fear of death is not actually a fear of death, which you will come to understand through the successful practice of inventory, but instead a fear of dying with yet unamended wrongs, expiring while still burdened with the guilt and shame of our mistakes and thus no more chance to repair them. We are also taught to fear death, to consider it as bad or scary, as punishment for our natural weaknesses as a human being, associated with pain and terror, or that there is only one life or that life is a test which determines your eternal fate, or that there is nothing to look forward to after death and we simply cease to exist. Rather than removing the thing of which we are afraid, which is impossible, the knowledge of why we fear is the key to removing that fear, which is done by recognizing the causes from which those fears originate.

1. Fear Inventory — Effect

Remember, that we cannot neutralize fear by neutralizing the thing of which we are afraid. When we do that we destroy relationships, opportunities, and become self-defeating. The rules of life do not change simply because we resent them. Believing ourselves required but unable to neutralize death, for instance, those of us who are driven by a fear of death plead to the divine to spare us from it, make excuses for wrongdoing, and foment fear and self-pity, concocting magnificent schemes which seek to facilitate the subversion of fear but in so doing simply serve to empower it and increase our mental, spiritual, and physical suffering. 

A person who is truly unafraid instead recognizes that it is okay that we die. That it is okay that we don’t know what happens after death. That the likelihood is death will care for us every bit as life has done. Ironically, those who desperately seek God and religion in the first place often do so because of intense fears of death, the unknown, and fate in general.

In truth it is impossible to subvert the things of which we are afraid. We cannot stop death. We cannot stop pain, or disappointment, inconvenience, rejection, heartache, loss, and challenges, and the inability to cope with this reality is one of the major problems which drives alcoholism and addiction. Instead of trying to control those things of which we are afraid, which is impossible to do anyway, under Effect we write what effect a particular fear has on our lives. Not the effect of the thing of which we are afraid—but possession of the fear and what this fear does to us. 

This is important because when we try to live in spite of our fears we are in fact ignoring or suppressing our fears and in turn ignore how they also control our lives. Recognizing that a fear of intimacy prevents us from growing close to others helps us see how we actually engineer the very self-defeating behaviors which get in our own way. The degree to which we fuck up our lives in response to fear is about ninety-percent of our day to day problems, and life in reality is a very lovely and amazing experience of which most of us are wholly ignorant because we perceive it largely through our fears and insecurities. 

The effect of fear of death is not to actually die, although it may actually increase our chances of dying since we might react to that fear in self-destructive ways, but the effect instead is to spend our entire lives always fearing the end, never actually enjoying the present, or even missing out on relationships or destroying them altogether because of our inability to handle the concept of death. 

Fears also of our children being failures may have the effect of stressing them out, aggravating interpersonal conflict, engendering animosity, resentment, stressing us out, preventing enjoyment of and feeling pride for our children, and even catalyzing through our behavior the very problems that we fear. Fear of authority may cause us to avoid or even antagonize authority figures, or miss out on opportunities for advancement altogether, or become ineffective when presented by challenges from authority figures. Fears make us sensitive to criticism, and so we may cling to destructive behaviors which impair our ability to succeed. Fear of accountability may prevent us from amending relationships when we have offended others and thus undermine or even lose those important relationships. Fear of failure may keep us from taking chances and acting on opportunity, or at the very least keep us from enjoying the success we have earned. Fear of illness not only keeps us from enjoying the health we do have but very often actually doing things which cause illness in the first place, resenting our body which is in truth only trying to take care of us. 

Fear of others prevents us from engaging in civics or prejudices us against people who would otherwise be neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters and amplifying political conflict and animosity, self-sabotaging our own wellbeing out of spite. We need other people to have relationships, but many of us are so afraid of sharing ourselves with others we actively withdraw from relationships rather than be vulnerable. Many of us are so afraid of life we would rather spend it fucked up, doing dangerous things and risking death when in fact understanding our fear and the trauma which caused it can free ourselves from the power of fear, no matter what actually happens in our lives. Thus, effect is not the effect that thing of which we are afraid, but the effect of having the fear in the first place. It is very important to understand this point because it is an exploration of the influence fear has over our behavior and conception of life, not the effect of those things we fear, because fear is the primary cause of ineffective action and choices which result in consequences which disrupt our lives and cause frustration and pain and not actually those things which we may fear. 

1. Fear Inventory — Better Way

Inventorying our fears flips the biological function of fear on its head, helping our mind to identify and address fear directly which neutralizes fear altogether and thus the very motivation to have our control mechanisms and insecurities in the first place. This relieves us of a great deal of suffering and stress since fear can be all-consuming at times, keeping us in a state of constant hyper-vigilance for threats to our person, and frees an enormous amount of emotional energy, time, and resources, turning our life over the Universe or your concept of a higher power which, unlike ourselves, is actually in charge of fate and most of the other things we have been afraid. 

No longer afraid of our bank account we actually manage it properly and accumulate wealth. No longer afraid of losing our children we actually spend time interacting with them and developing real emotional intimacy. No longer afraid of rejection we actually have fun dating, even when we get rejected, and take chances on healthy and inspiring adults of whom we were once also fearful.

Resolving fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones and excessive expression of acetylcholine. 

Normally if we have a fear of aging, or getting sick, or fat, we might think the way to deal with that fear is to go to the gym more, eat better, or try to lose weight. This is entirely wrong, because it is motivated by fear and continues to demonstrate a desire to control life and fear which is entirely impossible to do and exactly what drives our misery and ineffectiveness. 

In A Better Way we write an opposite way to consider the things of which we are afraid, especially as it pertains to trusting life to carry us through or our concept of a higher power and our place in the Universe, not on our own limited mortality but in terms of turning our lives over to fate, life, the laws of nature and reality, or a concept of God, to submit to these rules and realities rather than trying to control them. It is not a conception of what our life would be like without fear, nor the things we can or could do to try and control that of which we are afraid, but is a different way of thinking about those things which cause us fear. 

For instance, we never consider that there is actually such a thing as good conflict, or that both sides can often in fact be right at the same time during conflict, that everyone’s needs are legitimate and that conflict does not inherently require one winner and one who loses. Most relationships are often conducted this way, in competition at the expense of the other which results in acrimony and resentment. We can ask for what we need without taking from others. 

Rather than doing more things to control death, a better way might be to realize that it’s okay that we die. All people die, and it’s okay not to know what happens afterward. The same forces which placed us on this earth are also those responsible for taking us out, it is not our job to manage, plan, or anticipate death. Because of how biology works and the end of our sensory abilities you may also be surprised and relieved that death is not actually something we experience. We can also trust in life or a higher power to carry us through to the next stage of existence just as it brought us into this one. That rather than all the negativity we have been taught death is natural and good, because it makes room for new life and new people and carries us forward to the next stage of existence, whatever that may be.

Often we try to delude ourselves when facing fears, like “things will be okay,” or “death is a long ways off.” But these are not necessarily true and thus they fail to resolve fear. Very often things are not, in fact, okay. We often lose people or experience pain and heartache, so what good does your fear in the face of reality? Very often, recognizing that we fear something because it really does happen (which is part of the cause) is actually okay that it happens (in the better way). There really is nothing wrong with rejection, or death, or loss, only our deluded conceptions and denial which gives power to fear. Recognizing that sometimes the things of which we are afraid are real, but that it’s okay they happen can be a very empowering practice in a better way. We are still valuable if others reject us, conflict can actually be productive, money is fake and not actually that important, success merely serves as a way to attract relationships, validation, and attention which we can get from healthy relationships, no relationships last forever, new ones can always be found, people are mostly lovely, kind, and caring, healing is always possible, I have demonstrated resilience and persistence in the past and there is no reason to believe I won’t in the future. My parents had trauma that prevented them from raising me well, other people are hurting and deserving of compassion, life is cyclical and no one state ever persists. The Universe is looking out for me, regardless of the problems I must face. 

1. Inventory Practice and Success

The inventory therapy should be practiced daily and prioritized above all other activities until it is completed. During recovery our fears may compel us to continue fixating on jobs, relationships, success, and other obligations. But we can never achieve fulfillment in these pursuits if suffering from alcoholism and addiction, which can and does get in the way of creativity, productivity, success, and undermines relationships we require to be happy and successful.  

While at first it can be daunting to practice inventory, this is simply a fear of the unknown and of letting go of control, because we have never done it before. But trying to make ourselves do inventory is a also control, and demonstrates a lack of compassion for our experiences as we have been so well conditioned to do. 

Instead, inventorying the inventory therapy can help clarify why we experience resistance to taking care of needs. Inventory might be boring, or threatening, it requires time and attention when we would rather be making money or looking for sex or playing video games. Like the rest of our lives to this point, willing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do is the withholding of self-compassion. Of course inventory therapy is boring and uncomfortable and we would rather not do it. Inventorying that in a resentment entry and the associated fears of letting go of control can help us understand our own motivations and thus clear away resistance. 

Many people only do as much inventory as is minimally helpful to resolve the worst parts of their life experience, and continue to live year after year still struggling to find resolution to destructive perceptions of life and intense fears and insecurities, because we cannot willfully change such things which require introspective therapy such as inventory therapy accomplishes. 

If it is prioritized, inventory therapy very quickly becomes associated with relief as good or better than a drink or a hit because it permanently removes trauma, insecurity, regret, remorse, resentment, and fear simply by sitting down and doing the writing. The only requirement being abstinent and clear-headed and a pen and paper. The therapy is the writing practice, and no more is required, no attitude adjustment, no willpower, just dedicated practice. Communicating with the subconscious in this structured therapy helps the subconscious become aware of the conflict between our ego and our best interests, and when presented with new experiences and stimuli in the future addressed by the inventory behavior will naturally change as the subconscious tries new approaches automatically in dealing with stress. 

Sometimes some trauma is so deep it requires multiple entries before a true understanding and resolution can occur. Simply making new entries as required when these fears or frustrations are triggered is all that is required until it is fully resolved. 

This is a practice, and while it can be completed in as little as two weeks if a person dedicates an abundance of time each day, it is also a tool to assist us in everyday life moving forward as needed, but it must be completed (everything from the past you can possibly remember) to enact the kind of permanent resolution of psychological trauma and the finding of unrivaled confidence, peace, and happiness, and thus the resolution of learned hopelessness which underlies addiction and alcoholism.

1. Prevention
1. Abuse

Although it may seem obvious, preventing the kind of abuse and neglect as what catalyzes alcoholism and addiction is the key to its prevention. Very many parents are allowed to abuse their children as long as it is not physical and severe enough to be reported to child protective services. But abusive parents, like the alcoholic or addict, do not possess better self-care and parenting skills such as is taught by the inventory therapy.

Empowering parents with the tools to handle trauma, frustration, and conflict such as is taught in this program can help parents feel calmer and more effective both in their obligations as parents and in their partnership and other relationships, which in turn prevents abuse, but also models such tools for their own children to also in turn feel empowered to care for their own needs and meet life’s challenges. 

Empowerment is the key to undoing both parental abuse and neglect and alcoholism and addiction, so sharing these therapies even with people who are not alcoholics and addicts for more effective parenting experiences is the key to undoing systemic alcoholism and addiction.

1. Diet

Feeding children high quantities of potato, especially the skins, can very strongly promote the development of alcoholism and addiction. Potatoes are delicious, just serve them a few times a week instead of most days, and always peel potatoes. The other nightshade foods, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, etc., are not as harmful, but they can still contribute if they are abundant in the diet, so integrating other options and orienting the diet to foods which are not in the nightshade family and instead enjoying these in smaller quantities can help to prevent the development of addiction and alcoholism.

Common wheat, being highly inflammatory, can cause a myriad of childhood health problems and set the stage for later alcoholism and addiction, especially when combined with abuse and other excessive and unnecessary stresses. Ear infections, for instance, are caused by bacteria opportunistically colonizing swollen ear canals caused by reactions to common wheat gluten. Common wheat is also usually fortified with iron, and excess iron promotes pathogenic microbes which are even more dependent on iron for their growth than we are, so avoiding common wheat is also helpful for this reason (ingredients on food labels that contain iron say iron or ferric or ferrous compounds). 

Children are designed by nature to especially benefit from fruit, so a diet which is high in fruit for growing children will not only help promote a healthy gut microbiome and prevent alcoholism and addiction but also better overall development in every facet of growth. 

1. Environment

Sunlight deprivation catalyzes depression, and over time can increase sensitivity to stress. Children should have daily, ample exposure to sunlight at hours which do not risk sunburn. Both glass and sunblock prevent vitamin D synthesis (and sunblock often contains toxic chemicals), so avoid excessive sun exposure when it is especially intense, around midday, and instead get sun in the early or later times or play in areas which are partially shaded.

Many of our cities and towns are build and designed around cars, and as such make it dangerous for children to play outside. In fact, the loneliness and separation which permeates suburban lifestyles is a significant promoter of depression and alcoholism and addiction. Redesigning infrastructure to accommodate  safe and protected biking can empower children to travel to school, the homes of friends, or sports activities without always requiring a chaperone. The Netherlands is a country which models this example perfectly, they have the happiest kids in the entire world, low crime rates, and one of the lowest rates of alcoholism by country (those that ban alcohol don’t count, they just have a lot of dry drunks). 

Social integration, support, love, emotional availability are the antidotes to alcoholism, which is why empowering parents to resolve their own trauma can prevent the development of alcoholism and addiction in children. But kids can get and also need support from other members of their immediate society—extended family living nearby, friends, role models, etc. which can only be facilitated by living within communities that can easily access one another, which means also living in and designing infrastructure to provide immediate access to other people and not one which is centered around and dependent on driving. Social media has filled this role and need for many young people because our cities and towns are largely built to separate us from each other, and kids can often only find the access to friends, information, and engagement through the internet. There is nothing wrong with social media in general, and access to the internet is one of the factors which has driven down crime in many places because people feel more empowered and not so alone and disenfranchised. But it’s negative sides such as fomenting extremism, harassment, and volatile political discord is a product first of loneliness and isolation which makes people vulnerable to exploitation, and many extremists and reactionaries are untreated alcoholics and drug addicts, so addressing the underlying causes of alcoholism and addiction will keep children from becoming victims to those elements of the internet. 

1. Conclusion

Alcoholism and addiction have only been incurable because of the biases and prejudices which permeate even scientific and medical research, but mostly society as a whole, treating mental illness and those who struggle with trauma and the human condition as pariahs, withholding compassion and empathy from those who need it most. Because of this work, alcoholism and addiction no longer need be a disease that any person on earth should suffer, so this document can and should be shared with every institution, group, or individual affected by alcoholism and addiction, to promote awareness and empowerment. 

Very often alcoholics and addicts are so ill they do not have the capacity to help themselves, so it behooves family, friends, and society to assist them, which cannot be done if they do not understand how this disease works. 

It does require that alcoholics and addicts be willing to participate in therapy, but staging interventions or getting institutional assistance can be a great support. Contact recovery organizations in your local community for resources, ask for help, and learn the inventory therapy yourself which can help you to teach it to others, leading by example and empowered by the resolution of your own trauma. 

All therapists, counselors, and medical professionals who work with addicts and alcoholics must learn and practice the inventory therapy themselves, otherwise it will be impossible to assist those who need it. We cannot, after all, give what we do not have. But it can also help to insulate professionals from the stresses of interacting with and dealing with these patients, since it can often be a frustrating experience. 

Alcoholism and addiction are no longer untreatable. If it wasn’t clear before, this is a permanent cure of the disease, not simply a recovery program, and if done correctly it is possible to again enjoy alcohol and minor recreational drug use like marijuana in the same manner as healthy people who do not abuse them. But in order for this to occur an alcoholic or addict must be able to sustain sobriety for about two or three years. Any intense desire to use drugs or alcohol are still a sign that recovery is not complete, and more work must be done on resolving the biochemical and psychological stresses which underlying the disease, or else this risks relapse. Deluded thinking and trivialization of stress, drinking, or drug use are definite signs that psychological therapy is not complete. Many people only do the inventory therapy enough to resolve their most egregious and inconvenient mental stresses, but do not finish it and thus continue to persist with emotional trauma and control and coping mechanisms which will absolutely result in relapse. Want to drink again in the future? Finish the inventory and take care of your body first.

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The Biological and Psychological Nature of Addiction and Alcoholism and Novel Strategies to Their Resolution

Nathan Guy Hatch

December 2025

This document is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license. This means you are free to copy and distribute this document in its entirety, but may not alter nor cause it to be altered in any way (it may be translated into other languages so long as no changes are made to any of its content). Proper attribution should also be credited to the author. Commercial use of this document is strictly forbidden (meaning you cannot sell it or make money from it).

By taking or using this document you agree to these terms set forth at 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode

Please occasionally check back to the original source (fuckportioncontrol.com and
Nathan Hatch) for updated versions

1. Introduction

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction

1. Acetylcholine
2. Acetylcholine and Stress
3. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
4. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine
5. Drugs and Acetylcholine
6. Diet and Acetylcholine
7. Sunlight and Acetylcholine
8. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine

1. Defining Addiction

1. Not Addiction
2. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior
3. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease

1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology
2. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

Treatment

1. Emergency Care

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy
2. Alcohol and Acetic acid

Sodium Acetate

1. Sugar Therapy
2. Light Therapy
3. Niacinamide

Vitamin C

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

Recovery Diet

1. Coffee and Caffeine
2. Taurine
3. Treating Psychological factors
4. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

12-step Programs

1. Relearning Life Lessons
2. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

Self-compassion

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity
2. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Social Support

Inventory Therapy

1. Preparation

1. Abstinence

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy
2. Personal Inventory — Resentment
3. Personal Inventory — Cause
4. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt
5. Personal Inventory — My Part
6. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses
7. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fear Inventory — Cause

1. Fear Inventory — Effect
2. Fear Inventory — Better Way
3. Inventory Practice and Success

Prevention

Abuse

1. Diet

Environment

Conclusion

1. Introduction

Alcoholism and Addiction have been a plague on mankind for most of history. Completely misunderstood, addicts and alcoholics and their family and friends are often fated to a lifetime of conflict because no medical research has yet knowingly uncovered the pathways which mediate this condition. Yet even as we slam atomic particles together and live-video call across the world, addiction and alcoholism are still often treated as a personal problem with willpower. In truth, alcoholism and addiction are every bit diseases as any other metabolic condition such as diabetes, cancer, and mental illness as what affect human life and mortality, as we do not control the function of the brain and other organs. While Anonymous programs and some medical support have great benefit for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, its biological and psychological origination is almost entirely un-elucidated, condemning many people to a life of suffering as families and communities afflicted by this universal disease remain untreated.

It turns out that causes of Alcoholism and Addiction are actually quite straightforward and pretty simple to understand, as elucidated by this paper, and are already supported by existing, established science though even the authors of such studies were unaware of this fact at the time of their publication. This document seeks to enlighten and educate others to the underlying causes as well as effective treatment for those afflicted by conditions of alcoholism and addiction, especially its prevention. For more information not included in this document or for help with problems understanding or applying this information please visit www.natehatch.com. In the interest of efficiency and clarity, citations are not here provided but most scientific claims herein may be easily and independently confirmed at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. A few claims in this document are the result of Nathan’s own academic work, research, and personal experience in dealing with the condition of addiction and alcoholism and its successful resolution through the methods indicated herein, and are not yet supported by any existing studies as of the publication date of this document.

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction
1. Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is an important excitatory (stimulating) neurotransmitter involved in addiction and alcoholism which mediates consciousness, learning, and memory in the human brain and nervous system. Consciousness, learning, and memory are in fact all the same biological function—as memory is consciousness is also learning—and acetylcholine is the primary mediator of this neurological function.

Being the mediator of learning, memory, and consciousness, acetylcholine is released when we experience stimuli to both record experiences and retrieve prior deposited information such as when learning to speak, learning to play the piano, what body posture to adopt around people we like or around those we don’t, how fast to cross a busy street, how to handle our parents, meeting a dog, getting into arguments, or that we get scared of the dark or our bank account. Acetylcholine also has other neurological functions like dilation of the cardiovascular system or the induction of sweating.

1. Acetylcholine and Stress

Acetylcholine is expressed in greater quantity during stressful stimuli such as interpersonal conflict, physical threats or harm, receiving of unwanted attention, scrutiny, shame, and guilt, experiences of loss, and onerous responsibility or obligation in those with low-self esteem or deficiency of confidence. In terms of human evolutionary development this increase occurs during stress because experiences of stress must be more strongly imprinted on our mind and development, as a survival mechanism to prepare animals both proverbially and literally for threats to our wellbeing, development, and survival. If this did not occur we would not be adequately prepared to meet threats to our wellbeing with awareness and action from the imprinting of learned lessons derived from such experiences. In evolutionary terms, encountering a wild predator while walking through the forest stimulates greater expression of acetylcholine so we can better remember that predators are dangerous. In evolutionary terms, our survival was simply not threatened by nice things like hugs and butterflies, so excess acetylcholine does not occur during oppositely pleasant and enjoyable experiences. 

Because more acetylcholine expression is stimulated by stress, experiences like getting spanked or being hit as a child, our parents fighting, ridicule or rejection by peers, teachers or other adults making fun of us, being threatened with hell or spiritual punishment, sexual assault and sexual abuse, loss of possessions, or hunger or financial stress are also sources of excessive acetylcholine expression. If such stimuli are regular and constant during growth and development in childhood, excessive acetylcholine expression is also constant during growth and development which in turn causes the brain to imprint both a greater quantity and intensity of negative experiences than children raised in less stressful environments, thereby conditioning the brain of that child to experience greater psychological stress throughout their development and thereby come to regard life with constant anxiety, trepidation, anticipation, hypervigilance, etc.

Being deprived of effective life skills and emotional tools as is also a common experience also powerfully compounds stress and acetylcholine expression due to an inability to effectively handle stressful life experiences and thus makes stressful experiences even more stressful, frightening, demoralizing, or otherwise traumatizing than they might be should a child or person have otherwise been empowered with effective coping skills which will relieve that stress. For instance, a person whom never learns how to effectively handle the experience of rejection experiences greater acetylcholine release and neurological stress when confronted by the experience of rejection or the threat of rejection. Later in life when presented with opportunities for rejection such as seeking inclusion in a group, holding a job, or romantic partnering a person lacking the skill to handle rejection while also burdened with stressful imprinting of previous experiences of rejection and heightened acetylcholine will experience immense stress surrounding those experiences compared to someone without such experiences and excess acetylcholine. 

Oppositely, effective life skills and coping mechanisms increase feelings of empowerment and thus decrease stress and acetylcholine excess in response to stressful stimuli. A person who did learn effective coping skills for rejection is only nominally stressed by those experiences and thus experiences normal acetylcholine expression, since acetylcholine expression is increased by stress and their stress is lessened due to empowerment with effective skills.

Thus, because stress promotes acetylcholine and acetylcholine also promotes stress, the more stress a person experiences during their developmental years the more stress they feel in turn from stressful stimuli when they are grown, becoming more and more conditioned to feel stress, to anticipate stress, and to feel stressed during stress. So when confronted with stressful stimuli such as managing a bank account, interpersonal conflict, or negative conceptions of self worth an addict or alcoholic becomes paralyzed by fear and insecurity disproportionate to the stimuli due to exaggerated neurological expression of acetylcholine and its effects on imprintation, cognition, emotions, and other functions of acetylcholine such as heart rate, sweating, arousal, etc.

1. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus

The dorsal raphe nucleus is the serotonergic center of the brain (produces, regulates, and responds to serotonin). Contrary to common belief, even among the scientific community, serotonin is not actually a hormone of ‘happiness’ but is instead a hormone of biological torpor, most commonly demonstrated by the function of hibernation (torpor means to slow things down) which is triggered by spikes in serotonin and its derivative, melatonin. Serotonin is confusingly and errantly associated with depression because its torporific effects can have the appearance of therapy in manic-depressive states (now called bipolar disorder) for which it was originally studied, since the introduction or upregulation of serotonin can sedate or subdue someone in a manic state. But this is also why serotonergic drugs often come with increased risks of suicide, which is paradoxical if serotonin is the hormone of ‘happiness,’ because serotonin in fact induces torpor, not happiness. Profound psychological stress such as PTSD damages the dorsal raphe nucleus which afterward then begins to chronically express greater quantities of serotonin than before injury. Since serotonin is a hormone of torpor, not happiness, this then results in conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, etc. 

Not widely recognized, serotonin is also the hormone of shame and guilt, which is why those with alcoholism and addiction always suffer from debilitating fixation on shame and guilt, because trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus by highly stressful, unresolved experiences of trauma results in an excess production of serotonin and thus chronic feelings of guilt and shame.

This function of the dorsal raphe nucleus was uncovered during horrifying research conducted on rats and dogs in the discovery of a condition called Learned Helplessness and the effect of inescapable torture on the function of the brain, which is characterized by failure to act, even when presented with an opportunity to do so, in which an animal will refrain from escape attempts even when their life is in danger. But the term hopelessness is a better characterization of the condition, marked by a deep sense of despair and unmotivated to extract oneself from negativity, not ignorance to ability as helplessness implies. Research on this condition is thus termed learned helplessness but should be termed learned hopelessness as sufferers do not lack knowledge of how to act but motivation that action is worthwhile, and the use of the word helplessness biases treatment and recovery to fault those whom are ill rather than correctly identifying biology as the origination of illness.   

Learned hopelessness is then the condition of the dorsal raphe being traumatized to the point of chronically expressing excess torporific serotonin in response to unresolved trauma, to which the body responds with increased acetylcholine expression to overcome the torporific effect of serotonin. While this state may seem paradoxical to the survival of an organism, it is actually the primary biological adaptation to predation, meant by biology to spare prey animals excessive suffering during the act of being predated, through catastrophic release of torporific hormones like serotonin which mediate shock and cognitive dissociation to reduce suffering. As animals, humans also have this response, but where stresses sufficient to induce such trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus in our evolutionary past would have lead to the expiration of an individual, our technological and social advancements in food, sanitation, and medicine instead permits us to survive profound stress and continue to persist in spite of extreme trauma. This problem is best demonstrated in conditions of PTSD in which sufferers find it nearly impossible to extricate themselves, because the problem is not only psychological but literal physical injury to the raphe nucleus to which it responds by chronically expressing excess serotonin which then keeps the brain and body in a constant state of metabolic torpor. 

Such damage to the raphe nucleus is reversible but requires very specific intervention as described later in this paper, which most people are not likely to encounter spontaneously. As this state increases acetylcholine expression, the conditions of alcoholism and addiction are thus neurological disorders. 

1. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine

Alcohol destroys acetylcholine, a fact that all medical professionals and researchers should know, which confirms the condition of of alcoholism being mediated by an excess of acetylcholine, and alcohol thus relieves those with alcoholism of the literal physical and psychological stress of alcoholism by neutralizing excess acetylcholine. 

But because acetylcholine facilitates learning, memory, and consciousness, drinking alcohol to excess can and does induce blackout and loss of consciousness. What is worse is that because acetylcholine is required for learning, the act of drinking to excess also causes failure to learn from mistakes or consequences while intoxicated, since the chemical required to imprint learning is inhibited, which is the reason why alcoholics have such a difficult time abstaining from drink even after highly negative experiences from drinking to excess such as interpersonal conflict and injury, because they literally do not well remember those consequences as a result of being intoxicated in the first place. This is also why abstinence is required for recovery, because learning new life skills to empower an alcoholic and relieve the condition of learned hopelessness cannot occur if alcohol use continues because alcohol literally inhibits the neurochemical required to mediate learning of new skills and imprintation of new, positive life experiences to replace those old, traumatizing experiences which catalyzed the condition.

This problem is even more dire than appears, however, as the more alcohol a person consumes the more the body also upregulates acetylcholine expression, to replace that which is lost. This is why withdrawal from severe alcoholism can even be fatal and must be medically managed to avoid death, because the rebound of acetylcholine after long term, extremely excessive alcohol abuse can be so high it literally kills the person through overstimulation of the nervous system (although this mechanism has not been known previously since the role of acetylcholine in these conditions also has not been known). That acetylcholine can rise high enough to actually kill a person during withdrawal should plainly demonstrate its participation in this condition, to cause literally excruciating physical discomfort which compels alcoholics to reach for the cheapest and mostly widely available medicine to treat excess acetylcholine—alcohol. 

1. Drugs and Acetylcholine

Similar to alcohol, drugs of abuse either inhibit acetylcholine release or oppose the harmful effects of acetylcholine. For instance, although marijuana actually increases acetylcholine expression (which accounts for the time dilation effects experienced by marijuana users) it also lowers adrenaline which is otherwise stimulated by acetylcholine and thus relieves users of the stressful effects of acetylcholine. This is why marijuana also stimulates appetite, because a primary function of adrenaline is to release glucose from glycogen and maintain circulating blood sugar. So marijuana induces relaxation by inhibiting a stressful function of acetylcholine without inhibiting acetylcholine itself.

Heroin and other opiates also increase acetylcholine expression but they also simultaneously stimulate dopamine release, which is normally lowered by excess acetylcholine, which then also acts to block the stressful effects of acetylcholine. Cocaine not only raises dopamine but also causes cells to dump serotonin (which results in its excess circulation but this temporarily relieves cells of its torporific effects), to temporarily relieve users of the stress of excess acetylcholine. The reason acetylcholine lowers dopamine is because acetylcholine excess is associated with stress and it would be evolutionarily counterproductive to induce dopamine during threats to our wellbeing, as an animal would then feel joy from things which are in fact a threat. This is in fact why drugs and alcohol promote self-destructive and even dangerous behavior, because they do just that, inhibiting the stress response from negative experiences and instead causing release of pleasurable neurological and endocrinological factors so that users instead seek them.

Methamphetamine causes incredible excess of dopamine (275% to 2,473% according to one study), which counteracts the increase in acetylcholine better than other drugs, but meth also promotes an increase in acetylcholine release which then also likely accounts for the rapid physical deterioration of meth users since acetylcholine stimulates cellular excitation which in turn causes cells to become depleted of energy and nutrients, but the sheer excess of dopamine it promotes masks the negative feelings and physical stress that would normally be felt by such high acetylcholine and physical deterioration.

Nicotine mimics acetylcholine and temporarily replaces its function in neurological pathways, thus preventing some of the physical stress caused by acetylcholine specifically, while also promoting dopamine release. This is a reason why nicotine withdrawal is so difficult because, opposite to alcohol, nicotine replaces the function of acetylcholine, which downregulates its natural expression to experience a deficiency rather than excess during withdrawal, and thus desires for the stimulatory effect of nicotine to replace that lost from downregulated acetylcholine during chronic nicotine use, but is also why nicotine is often used by those recovering from alcoholism, since nicotine downregulates general acetylcholine expression.

In summary, alcohol destroys acetylcholine while drugs either regulate acetylcholine expression or counteract its negative effects in various ways depending on the specific substance.

1. Diet and Acetylcholine

While stress is a primary mediator of acetylcholine regulation, diet actually has the greatest influence, because acetylcholine is a chemical it is also affected by dietary and environmental regulation. Most consequently, the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant contain glycoalkaloid toxins meant to kill nematodes (tiny parasites) by inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which regulates acetylcholine levels, and kills nematode pests by the same mechanism as alcohol withdrawal, which is overstimulation of the nervous system by an excess of acetylcholine. This demonstrates how toxic acetylcholine can be, as excess can be so great as to actually kill an organism. Though we are many times larger than nematodes and do not directly recognize the harmful effects of exposure to many dietary nightshades they can and do still destroy our acetylcholinesterase and thus cause increase in acetylcholine. There are, in fact, recorded instances of death by consumption of green potato, which has even higher levels of solanine than usual, and populations with high dependence on potatoes, eggplant, and peppers and tomatoes do have correspondingly higher rates of alcoholism. Other dietary factors like frequent starvation and dieting, a poorly nutritive diet, or dysregulation of the gut microbiome due to dietary factors can and do also affect acetylcholine regulation.

Nutritional and environmental factors is why alcoholism and addiction have previously appeared to lack a common denominator, and alcoholics and addicts come from all walks of life with a wide range of demographics in age, wealth, and ethnic backgrounds, because diet and food traditions such as peeling potatoes or not (the peel contains the greatest quantity of the glycoalkaloid solanine) can greatly affect acetylcholine and neurological stress in addition to psychological and emotional stress. A child is a far likelier to develop alcoholism or addiction if they are thus raised in a home that is emotionally volatile while also receiving a diet high in nightshades and other dietary factors which dysregulate acetylcholine homeostasis, yet a child in a good home can still develop alcoholism if they are fed a diet which affects acetylcholine homeostasis, and a child in an abusive home can still avoid the condition if fed a diet which strongly protects them from acetylcholine dysregulation. 

Removal of dietary stresses as nightshade plants can make recovery far more rapid and complete. But inflammatory foods like common wheat (because of difficult to digest gluten) or polyunsaturated fats (canola oil, soy oil, vegetable oil, etc., which more susceptible to peroxidation) can also promote excessive acetylcholine because of inflammation’s effect on acetylcholine and physical recovery, as the parasympathetic nervous system responds to inflammation and low metabolic respiration by expressing greater acetylcholine to stimulate fatigued cells, which must be rescued by a good diet and good dietary behaviors such as consistently sustaining blood sugar as described further in this document. Potatoes and eggplant are the most potent dietary sources of glycoalkaloids and should be entirely replaced by other options until a full recovery is made. Occasional consumption of tomatoes and peppers is not usually a problem, but daily consumption will certainly prevent recovery.

1. Sunlight and Acetylcholine

Environmental factors also contribute to high acetylcholine expression, such as excessive darkness and deficiency of sunlight. This is why many populations nearer the poles have higher rates of alcoholism. Light exposure also lowers serotonin release while deficiency increases it, due to our vestigial hibernation response and circadian rhythms. As primates we actually never lost our hibernation response but instead possess an anti-hibernation response which is mediated by a rise in adrenaline, mediated by an increase in acetylcholine. If this were not the case, humans would also still hibernate when wintertime comes, or other deficiency of light, but this also means that excessive sequestration indoors or other chronic light deficiency also increases acetylcholine and stress. Daily sun exposure, as much as possible without getting sunburned, is also required to prevent or resolve conditions like alcoholism and addiction. The ability to benefit from sun exposure is also dependent on other dietary factors like dietary carotenoids, which can be supported through a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables as is possible (more information on factors like these are discussed in Nathan’s other works).

1. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine 

Because acetylcholine’s primary function is to facilitate consciousness, which increases during stress, reduction of stress is imperative to any recovery effort, to lower excess acetylcholine expression as much as possible without artificial or pharmacological intervention (the taking of drugs and alcohol in the first place is a pharmacological intervention and does not work to cause recovery because acetylcholine expression must be restored to normal without dependence on medication). 

It is common for those suffering addiction or alcoholism to patronize recovery homes and institutions. These services provide relief not only from the assistance of other humans but also the temporary break from real life. The problem is that such relief is only temporary and, in places like the United States which do not provide their citizens with healthcare, is often dependent on the ability to pay for support. So when residence at a recovery home is over, returning to real life and exposure to stressful stimuli simply results in resumption of excessive acetylcholine expression and thus relapse.

Recovery groups such as the Anonymous programs similarly promote recovery through stress mitigation, which occurs both by social support and empowerment with new skills as mentors facilitate new learning experiences to their members. But lacking knowledge of the biological origins and factors of alcoholism and addiction these programs fail to achieve a high rate of recovery and also frequently indoctrinate participants to not expect a cure, which further debilitates total recovery as this idea itself is a hopelessness function. Some derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous also adulterated the original format to include language and practices which continue to blame participants for their condition, such as the practice of denying participants the opportunity to talk about the experience of being intoxicated and the risk of ‘triggering,’ other participants but which unintentionally further imprints experiences of stress and hopelessness even within the recovery program.

Constant stress relief must be practiced by anyone seeking recovery, since it is not possible to live indefinitely in recovery homes or programs, and all of life should be treated as a recovery center—learning and practicing self-care skills, resolving trauma, and refraining from stressful obligations and situations as much as possible such as by staying well-fed, engaging in fun and relaxation, and associating with persons which genuinely care for our wellbeing while avoiding those whom do not. Career ambitions, negative body image, and relationships are often major sources of stress, and putting such concerns on hold as discussed later in this document until after a full recovery and self-empowerment can be achieved can provide relief. 

1. Defining Addiction
1. Not Addiction

Addiction is mediated by dysregulation of the neurochemical acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters like dopamine, and the term ‘addiction’ used casually in the colloquial lexicon leads to classifying some behaviors as addiction which are not actually addictions. Fundamentally, a human being cannot be addicted to things which are part of our human needs and biology, both biological and psychological, such as sugar, food, or love and sex. Sugar is a chemical storage form of energy required by our biology to run metabolic pathways. Cocaine is not, and the equivocation of sugar and drug abuse as is so common in treatment culture and scientific/medical research is both incorrect and amoral. What humans feel during “sugar addiction” is in fact the consequences of carbohydrate deficiency and its effects on raising stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which function in part to help raise blood sugar to keep us alive but which is achieved then by catabolizing glycogen and lean muscle into useable sugars.

Like drugs and alcohol, sugar lowers stress, but unlike drugs and alcohol this is due to the mediation of satiation and resultant production of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which sustains life and is required for life, while drugs and alcohol simply ‘hack’ human biology by altering the normal expression of neurochemicals. Failing to recognize that desires for sugar is simply the need to eat carbohydrate while the desire for drugs and alcohol is a neurological addiction to substances which alter feelings of stress prevents addicts from actively recovering because sugar lowers stress through the natural function of human biology, and that sugar is in fact required to make a full recovery due to the resultant production in ATP and other effects (such as the production of CO2) of dietary carbohydrate which sustain biological metabolism as required by our biology to stay alive.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to lower stress, and it can be done through safer mechanisms such as keeping blood sugar sustained at all times rather than shooting heroin, and equating sugar to drug addiction is a gross denigration of the human condition which purposefully conflates completely disparate substances due to human desires for control of biological limitations and mortal vulnerabilities. Molecules like fructose-6-phosphate, for instance, are crucial for most metabolic pathways, and nearly the entirety of all glucose which enters cells for participation in metabolism is first converted to fructose before consumption in the citric acid cycle and mitochondrial electron transport chain which produce the ATP (energy) which keeps us alive. 

Dietary fructose also more rapidly replenishes glycogen, and also prevents the excessive release of glucose from glycogen storage even during excessive adrenaline expression, helping not only to sustain and preserve glycogen but to also increase ATP production and mitochondrial respiration. Testicles are also sites of high fructose concentrations and fructose metabolism as it is a necessary component for production of testosterone and sperm, and lots of libido problems in both men and women come directly from sugar starvation which then has the effect of increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs because of the direct metabolic consequences of depriving the body of carbohydrate. 

Claiming that sugar is addictive is equal to claiming that air or water are addictive, as sugar is required every bit as much as oxygen and water to keep the body from dying, and during states of extreme sugar deprivation our body even reverse synthesizes sugar from protein in the process of gluconeogenesis, and if it did not do this every human whom engaged in dieting behaviors would simply die, which is why abstinence from sugar causes such extreme physical and mental stress. 

Healthy forms of sugar like fruit are certainly preferable to junk food, but even well-made, high quality candy such as taffy or pectin-containing fruit gems can effectively help promote recovery from alcoholism and addiction by lowering stress and stress hormones, both physically and psychologically, without the cognitive impairment as what occurs from use of substances such as alcohol and drugs. 

Sex and pornography addiction are also not addiction but a biological response to metabolic stress, mediated by excess nitric oxide which compels the human mating response and arousal in an individual who is colonized by opportunistic pathogens and at risk of expiry, as an evolutionary adaptation to promote procreation during stresses which might have otherwise caused early demise to our evolutionary ancestors. Reproduction is one of the most important biological functions of any species and for this reason it is also one of the last systems impaired by illness, but when stress becomes excessive a human’s mating instincts are increased to the point it can feel like addiction (compulsory), but because it is not addiction it is never successfully treated by behavioral intervention and instead must be achieved through nutritional, environmental, and medical interventions which are beyond the scope of this paper. More information on sex addiction can be found at www.natehatch.com and associated media content, specifically the book Fuck Portion Control in the chapter on erectile dysfunction.

Other behaviors which appear to be addictions such as gambling, excessive playing of video games, or adrenaline “addiction” are also not addictions but can benefit from some of the therapies presented in this paper, as they are problems of insufficient self-care, coping skills, and emotional fulfillment, factors also of real addiction, but since they are coping mechanisms and not products of neurochemical dysfunction dependent on exogenous chemicals they are also not true addictions. Addiction is neurological disorder which motivates the willful and chronic abuse of chemical substances, not coping behaviors which simply alleviate stress or emotional dissatisfaction.

1. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior

Clinical addiction is incorrectly defined as reward seeking behavior, pejoratively associated with the hormone dopamine, and as such includes a very broad set of supposed subcategories like sex addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction, gambling addiction, etc., which are not actually addictions and thus undermines research, progress, and treatment of real addiction, and used also to simply shame people for having problems and ineffective ability to cope with stress and life. 

The negative conception of reward is also a consequence of negative conceptions of human life, functions, and experiences, and is in fact prejudice infecting medical and scientific research. Reward (i.e. dopamine) is not a peril of human behavior but is in reality an instinctual survival adaptation possessed of all animals which promote successful behaviors by communicating to the organism what behaviors result in success just as stressful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released when creatures encounter harm, loss, and stress to communicate the potentially harmful nature of those experiences. 

When discussing ‘reward seeking behavior’ and dopamine release it is rarely discussed that this response does not come only from such activities as drug abuse but also from things like giving or receiving a hug, talking with a loved one, accomplishing goals, having a great meal, creating a new relationship, doing well at work, or learning a new skill. Whenever professionals or lay person negatively characterize reward they always refer to things like sex, food, or drugs due to inherited biases about things like self-control, indulgence, willpower, etc., but sex is good and healthy and reflects personal biases against sex and sexual behaviors, or eating disorders and unhealthy attitudes about food which motivate them. Characterizing pornography use as a reward seeking behavior but not finishing homework or getting a new job as reward seeking behavior is entirely a prejudicial bias rooted in shame and trauma that has nothing to do with the real function of dopamine, reward, and addiction, where addiction and its associated behaviors are purely the instinctual self-treatment of the discomfort caused by excess acetylcholine which can instead be achieved by other, healthy methods such as self-care and management of dopamine through ways which are not harmful. Use of the term ‘reward seeking behavior’ should be categorically excised from dialogue, discussion, research, and treatment of addiction except in the affirmation that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with reward seeking behavior.

1. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

Misunderstanding what is and what is not addiction is especially unhelpful for those recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction because addicts commonly adopt further stressful behaviors like dieting, excessive exercise, sex abstinence, or negative self-opinions which reduce rates of recovery due to elevation of stress, stress hormones, and acetylcholine which occurs from the inducement of stress in those not empowered to handle that stress, such as avoiding sugar, the stress of which then increases risk of relapse. Alcohol is a sugar, actually, and one of the reasons for its abuse is that it replaces sugar in those purposefully avoiding sugar and promotes high metabolic activity that would otherwise be achieved through regular intake of healthy sugar sources which in turn temporarily relieves the physical and mental stress underlying addiction, and many people who diet and starve themselves use alcohol because they don’t consider alcohol to be a sugar, which it is. 

Recognizing that sugar is required for our wellbeing and supplying adequate carbohydrate during recovery, especially sugar and especially from good sources like fruit, is highly therapeutic for recovery since strongly preempts cravings for alcohol. Comparing delicious food items to crack or saying we are addicted to chocolate is not a problem, but characterizing addictions as negative behaviors and including taboo coping behaviors in those characterizations undermines the benefit that would otherwise be found in the proper characterization of addiction and alcoholism as neurological illness which cannot be properly treated when bias, prejudice, and ignorance are part of the treatment plan. Recognition that dopamine is the true ‘happiness’ hormone and functions in biology to reinforce experiences which fulfill the needs of an organism will also greatly assist caregivers, professionals, researchers, and the afflicted to understand why hacking biology with exogenous chemicals as drugs and alcohol artificially stimulates feelings which can and should be achieved in ways which truly support and care for the human body and mind and not only those which bring temporary relief.

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease
1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology

Because the purpose of alcohol abuse and drug abuse is to treat acetylcholine dysregulation caused by damage to the dorsal raphe nucleus by excessive stressful stimuli, both alcoholism and addiction are the same disease and are neurological learning disorders.

1. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

The neurological condition underlying alcoholism and addiction is the state of learned hopelessness as earlier described, characterized by trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus and resultant dysregulation of acetylcholine. This condition may or may not present with self-medication by drugs or alcohol abuse—while most likely do use substances to self-medicate many people do have this disease but do not self-medicate, which leaves them unlikely to seek treatment or even recognize that treatment would be useful for the problems they experience from having this condition, such as highly volatile interpersonal relationships and a general inability to handle common life stresses as financial responsibility, parenting, relationships, etc.

Prominent symptoms of this condition are emotional volatility accompanied by atypical fear and anxiety when confronting common stressful stimuli as finances, authority figures, work, responsibility, criticism, interpersonal conflict, failure, maintenance of relationships, rejection, death, religion, socialization, sociopolitical dynamics, etc. Many people, however, do also abuse prescription drugs without recognizing that they are actively abusing drugs because of the perceived institutional legitimacy of legal drugs. 

This condition also requires an effective name and classification which fully encompasses the entire nature of the disease but also counteracts the taboos and prejudices of alcohol and drug abuse which prevent the seeking of treatment or identifying with symptoms, and which is inclusive to those who do not actually abuse substances but whom also suffer the condition.

1. Treatment
1. Emergency Care

Withdrawal from very severe cases of alcoholism and drug addiction must receive immediate medical attention. Contact emergency services if someone presents with life-threatening alcoholism, addiction, withdrawal, overdose, etc.

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy

It is well known that when severe alcoholics go through alcohol withdrawal there is a real risk of death from the withdrawal process. This problem is commonly prevented through supervised administration of antihistamines. In spite of this, the mechanism of action for this benefit has not yet been established, largely due to existing biases about alcoholism and addiction which have prevented effective research and discovery. But histamine release is one of the mechanisms of action by which acetylcholine activates cellular excitation, and also what causes stress and discomfort, so antihistamines help rescue people from the effects of withdrawal by blocking catastrophic and potentially fatal release of histamine due to the heretofore unrecognized rebound of acetylcholine after alcohol cessation.

For the same reason that antihistamine is effective in preventing life threatening withdrawal symptoms, by blocking the negative effects of acetylcholine in excessive release of histamine, antihistamines are also very useful in medically treating alcoholism and addiction generally because of its ability to block such effects of excessive acetylcholine without actually blocking acetylcholine itself  as what occurs with alcohol (and some recreational drugs), since acetylcholine is still necessary in the maintenance of consciousness. An addict or alcoholic still must choose to abstain from substance use entirely while recovering, but antihistamine therapy makes this choice far easier to endure by strongly reducing the stressful effects of untreated acetylcholine excess and thus also helps facilitate the having of new experiences in rehabilitation which are required for empowerment and stress relief. 

Because antihistamines are generally sedative they absolutely should not be used with alcohol or drugs, as harmful side effects could occur and should only be used during abstinence of drugs and alcohol. As drowsiness is a side effect of antihistamines they should also be used only before bed, which will also help promote sleep, but their therapeutic effects will last into the next day (or two).

For the first one to two weeks of recovery a full dose of antihistamine can be used if symptoms are very severe, according to the use directions on the product label, after which the dosage can and should be reduced to 1/2. The longer antihistamine therapy progresses the less dosage is required to achieve a therapeutic effect, and reducing the dose also helps to mitigate any potential toxic side effects of long term use, such as effects on the liver. After several months, when much progress has been made, the dose can be reduced yet again to 1/4 the original, but can be raised temporarily any time a higher dose might be required.

First-generation, common antihistamines like doxylamine succinate or diphenhydramine are more effective than second-generation antihistamines. Some anti-allergy medications are not antihistamines at all, but are steroids which would actually increase the stress which stimulates acetylcholine release (such steroids are stress hormones and actually make recovery more difficult and should also be avoided if possible), so exercise much caution when using “antihistamine” products that they are actually first-generation histamine blockers and not other products that are similarly marketed. These first generation antihistamines are also often sold as ‘sleep-aids’ since antihistamines cause drowsiness, look at the label of products to find what chemical the medication it is.

This low-dose antihistamine therapy can and should continue for at least three months, but as much as six is also acceptable (reducing dosage as progress occurs). This can help an addict or alcoholic achieve the other requirements for recovery with much less stress and emotional distraction. It is important to know and remember, however, that antihistamine therapy is not a cure for alcoholism and addiction. It merely treats symptoms to make recovery easier.

1. Alcohol and Acetic acid

A primary reason alcohol is therapeutic to the alcoholic/addict is that the end product of alcohol metabolism in the body is acetic acid—a short chain fatty acid normally produced in the gut by commensal microbiota feeding on indigestible carbohydrate. Acetic acid is extremely important for human health as a cofactor in many biological pathways and foundational substrate for the production of cholesterol, bile, and hormones like vitamin D, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, the mineralocorticoids, etc. Without acetic acid the body then cannot make hormones or well resist stress, and those with the absolute worst alcoholism have almost no natural acetic acid production in the gut and thus become dependent on alcohol as their only biological source of this short chain fatty acid which is necessary for health and wellness, and there is a direct,  inverse association to the levels of acetic acid production in the gut and the intensity of cravings for alcohol. 

While acetic acid is healthy and requisite for our bodies, the primary reason excess alcohol is toxic to humans is that the intermediary between alcohol metabolism to acetic acid is toxic aldehyde, which is far more toxic than alcohol and requires substantial detoxification by the liver using a molybdenum and riboflavin dependent aldehyde oxidase which in turn can and does exhaust other nutrients like water, riboflavin, and molybdenum in this detoxification pathway (water is used as a cofactor, which is why people commonly experience thirst after drinking heavily). But the large supply of acetic acid resulting from alcohol and aldehyde metabolism can and does then also result in a temporary increase in acetic acid and thus also steroids and hormones and thus also a temporary feeling of wellness that is otherwise elusive and thus association by the mind of alcohol with feeling well.

The gut microbiome is instead supposed to be the primary source of acetic acid, feeding on indigestible carbohydrates, so factors which impair the gut microbiome such as disease, dieting, or chronic exposure to antimicrobial factors like antibiotics, herbicides and other agrochemicals, or even chronic alcohol use itself impairs the gut microbiome, reducing the native supply of acetic acid which then increases dependence on alcohol as a supplemental source. Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables can strongly help restore microbial production of acetate, but vegetables are also more difficult to break down, so abundant consumption of fruit, such as every 2-3 hours, is strongly rehabilitating, specifically to reduce cravings.

1. Sodium Acetate

Acetylcholine is acetylated choline, or in other words choline (a nutrient) that is reacted to acetic acid, which demonstrates another role of acetic acid in human biology. Lowering acetylcholine production by mitigating stress and treating trauma thus helps also spare acetic acid (and choline), to help further reduce cravings for alcohol. The primary constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, and the reason for the therapeutic effects of supplementing vinegar is due to the increase in acetic acid supply. Because cravings for alcohol are very strongly due to its association with acetic acid, cravings can be most strongly treated by supplying needed acetic acid such as through the daily supplementation or consumption of vinegar. Some people like vinegar, but it is also caustic to mucosal tissues and can be uncomfortable to consume, and can even dissolve tooth enamel when used in excess, so its supplementation directly is not universally helpful. Instead, a common medicine called SODIUM ACETATE used in emergency rooms to treat metabolic acidosis (and also used as a food ingredient) is an excellent form for the supplementation of acetic acid because the sodium helps buffer its reactivity.

Sodium acetate is also the result of elementary school science fair volcanoes—mixing vinegar and baking soda together in which the acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2. It is thus also easily manufactured by anyone with access to baking soda and vinegar and thus a highly accessible treatment for alcohol binging and cravings. As of the writing of this paper sodium acetate is not really available for purchase as a supplement, though it should be, and until that is the case the recipe for making one dose of sodium acetate taken daily (divide into two doses the first one or two days) is as follows:

Sodium Acetate

*never mix in a sealed container, the reaction is volatile and will explode sealed containers and may injure you or others. 

1 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 tablespoons vinegar

Place baking soda in an open cup or bowl, then slowly add vinegar until foaming subsides. Agitate solution to react all sodium bicarbonate with vinegar until fizzing stops. Can be left to stand for 10-30 minutes for even more reaction (too much sodium bicarbonate will make it taste salty, too much vinegar will taste too acidic. Finding the right balance makes it taste close to neutral).

Dilute resulting solution with juice. When first starting sodium acetate divide this dose in two and take separately until the body gets used to it, thereafter it can be taken in one dose. Don’t use more than one full dose daily. Daily use strongly suppresses cravings for alcohol and should be used even when cravings are not present for a minimum of six months. If cravings return in the future, immediately use sodium acetate. May increase thirst. 

Acetic acid is so effective in reducing cravings that many people will report reduced cravings even from simply supplementing vinegar, but because sodium acetate facilitates greater consumption of acetic acid by minimizing the caustic side effects it is much more effective than vinegar for treating cravings. 

Mild alcoholics can and should also use supplemental sodium acetate to reduce quantity of consumed alcoholic drinks, as since when the body becomes supplied with acetic acid there is a more natural satisfaction from just one or two drinks. But especially for those who are in recovery, the use of sodium acetate not only inhibits cravings but provides a necessary cofactor for steroids and hormones and thus providing the same therapeutic function as alcohol without the inebriation. 

Sodium acetate is quite palatable in citrus juice, and for those whom must be weaned off alcohol to avoid withdrawal death, mixing alcoholic drinks with sodium acetate will result in more rapid and effective resolution and weaning.  

While drug addicts may or may not also abuse alcohol they will still benefit from sodium acetate use, to increase hormone production, and sodium acetate should be used daily regardless of the substance abused. High grade sodium acetate can likely be bought by recovery institutions from reputable laboratories which supply it to food and research industries which can make it easier to implement in recovery programs. Adding to juice supplied to patients, such as a large cooler or dispenser which patients can freely access, is exceptionally easy to accomplish (be sure to label the additive for knowledge of patients). 

1. Sugar Therapy

Alcohol is a sugar, so consuming dietary sugar during recovery is an excellent way to reduce stress and also prevent cravings without cognitive impairment, as sugar enhances cognition rather than impairing it as do alcohol and drugs, since it is used by cells to produce energy. As discussed earlier, there is no such thing as sugar addiction, which is instead a state of stress caused by too little dietary sugar and carbohydrate as normally required by human biology. Dieting behaviors are extremely common among those with alcoholism and addiction, and because deprivation of sugar and carbohydrate strongly impair energy production, such dieting behaviors, even if unintentional, are a primary driver of substance abuse. 

Dieting behaviors are motivated by conditions of body dysmorphia and psychological trauma surrounding body image and self-esteem, which must also be addressed (as directed later in this paper). But it is not possible to recover from alcoholism or addiction while also avoiding sugar. The consumption of much fruit daily is strongly therapeutic to recovery not only for supporting gut microbes but also in directly supplying sugar and other nutrients, and can be fresh, dried, frozen, eaten plain, or made into fruit salad, smoothies, shakes, desserts, juices, or any other desired foods, and fruit should be the most abundant and primary food item in recovery programs and diets for those in recovery. 

Some dried fruits such as bright-orange apricots are preserved with sulfur dioxide, however, which strongly destroys commensal gut microbes, and such sulfur preservatives should be avoided entirely—as exposure will entirely prevent the microbial production of acetate and other short chain fatty acids by our commensal microbiome. Human gut microbes absolutely thrive on fruit and its rich polyphenol and pectin content, so fruit is especially therapeutic to recovery through the microbial production of acetic acid, and killing off microbes through continued exposure to antimicrobial factors like sulfur dioxide will prevent recovery. 

While fruit is best, any sugar can help reduce stress and cravings, so the use of well-made candies, desserts, and sweetened beverages should also be practiced, and sugar can and should be added to things which contain fruit such as for smoothies, pies, and other desserts, and should be used as an alternative to substances of abuse any time there are cravings and to prevent cravings by keeping blood sugar elevated at all times, never going more than 2-3 hours without eating something. 

The use of sugar in this way is also a behavioral therapy—learning to treat ourselves with compassion and taking care of the body rather than resenting it, as is required in other steps for recovery such as the learning of new life skills discussed later in this paper.

1. Light Therapy

Studies show that light exposure heals trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and exposure to light and healing the dorsal raphe nucleus lowers the expression of torporific serotonin and melatonin which otherwise also increase acetylcholine excess, and because serotonin and melatonin are hormones of torpor their minimization through consistent light exposure raises the metabolic rate and resolves any need by the body to produce excess acetylcholine. This then also helps reverse learned hopelessness at the root of alcoholism and addiction which causes acetylcholine dysregulation, which is thus not actually a learned behavior but instead mediated by neurological trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus. 

Yes—light can and does reach the brain, as tissues filter out all but the red wavelength of light, which is why our internal tissues are primarily red. Holding a bright light against the palm of the hand, for instance, is visible on the other side of the hand as a red glow, because tissues are designed to transmit red wavelengths of light deep into the body, demonstrating this principle. Light deficiency such as occurs in chronic exposure to the indoors and deficient exposure to sunlight oppositely promotes trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, which is also why communities far from the equator often present with greater rates of trauma and social stresses than those nearer the equator, as greater exposure to sunlight increases the rate of spontaneous recovery from traumatic stress.

Red light is specifically therapeutic to tissue rehabilitation because, contrary to common misunderstandings about biology, animal tissues do engage in photosynthesis through our primary respiratory enzyme called cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria which is reactive to red light photons, so exposure to warm-colored wavelengths of light (such as what occurs from the Sun and filtered through the skin and tissues) results in production of ATP, which is why sun exposure usually feels so good, because it results in production of additional free energy to that which is made from food.

Direct sun exposure is sometimes not possible, such as wintertime or excessive summer heat, and too much sun exposure also risks sunburn, so the use of artificial, safe lights like bright, warm-spectrum LED are not only convenient and safe for treatment but often required to prevent light deficiency. The dorsal raphe nucleus is positioned at the top of the spinal column, roughly between the ears, so bright light targeted to the back or the sides of the head from both sunlight and warm-spectrum artificial light can directly reach the dorsal raphe nucleus to stimulate ATP production and reduce serotonin output.

Light therapy is not optional. Where antihistamines and acetic acid treat symptoms this light therapy is the primary rehabilitation for learned hopelessness, and along with the learning of new life skills and resolution of trauma as discussed later in this paper effects permanent recovery from the conditions of alcoholism and addiction (and conditions like PTSD and other trauma) so long as future light deficiency is not again incurred. 

Light therapy is most effective after the previous steps have been achieved, for instance because a mechanism of light therapy is to increase ATP production this cannot occur in states of malnutrition, sugar deprivation, or active substance abuse. Lights used in this therapy must be in the warm color spectrum as 3000K or less in color temperature. This is not heat temperature—lights should not be hot to the touch or cause heating on the head, which can be harmful. This is color temperature which is a measure of the color spectrum. Red light stimulates ATP production while blue spectrum stimulates ATP consumption, so using the wrong kind of light (in the cold spectrum) causes agitation, irritation, and restlessness while the red spectrum oppositely promotes relaxation, calmness, and regeneration through the increased production and availability of ATP. Fluorescent lights common in places of work and commerce, including recovery centers (which absolutely should NOT be used in recovery settings) are higher in blue spectrum light which in turn causes people to become depleted of ATP and feel exhausted, which directly contributes to learned hopelessness and alcoholism and addiction. Do not thus use lights that are higher than 3000 k in color temperature, because it is the penetration of red photons to the interior of the body (which any warm spectrum light will contain) which is responsible for the benefit of this therapy. The light itself does not need to be red, it simply needs to be in the warm color spectrum (infrared does not provide this benefit).

After the previous steps have been achieved, one or two bright lights should then be placed near the back or rear-sides of the head, about the bottom of the skull or ear level, as close to the head as possible without causing burns, heating, or discomfort. Heat stress is not helpful so do not use hot lights, and if heat stress is experienced during this therapy stop immediately, take a break, and keep the lights further away or use less hot lights. LED lights are ideal for this purpose since they do not emit much heat (infrared).

Light application must occur every single day for 2-3 hours and a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Any less than this will not work, and this is also in addition to getting plenty of natural sun exposure daily too (without getting sunburned but without using sunblock, so get sun at times and duration that does not risk burning, such as the morning and late afternoon). After the 2-3 weeks of daily light therapy it is required to never again incur light deficiency, and much care should be taken get plenty of natural light every day and keep a bright light (in the warm color spectrum) at work and home to prevent light deficiency (after therapy is completed light does not need to be specifically directed at the back of the head—exposure to the eyes helps to keep torpor hormones low).

CAUTION: There is one caution and side effect to this therapy that absolutely will occur—as this therapy starts working, the first 3-4 days will cause an increase in depression. This occurs because exposure to bright light strongly slows melatonin production in the pituitary to a normal level, but this causes a significant backlog of serotonin (from which melatonin is made) which will make torpor (depression) feel even more acute. While this isn’t fun it is an excellent sign the therapy is working and after 3-4 days when this serotonin clears a new state of emotional homeostasis will start to emerge (so long as the patient is eating well, keeping up their blood sugar, and getting enough daily sunlight exposure). At the end of the therapy depression will be eliminated or nearly eliminated, with more stable mood and positive emotional feelings, and it must be remembered that this temporary state is only temporary and will not last more than 3-4 days.

Additionally, vitamin C directly supports metabolic respiration, so foods high in vitamin C like orange juice, fruit, leafy greens, etc., should also be used both daily and immediately before light exposure, which will occur anyway with compliance to frequent consumption of fruit as required. If exposure to sun or other light source causes agitation or irritation that is a good sign of vitamin C deficiency which can be rectified by getting vitamin C daily.

1. Niacinamide

A common complication to recovery is eating disorders, specifically anorexia. As it is impossible to recover from addiction without eating a good diet and keeping blood sugar up, so it is extremely important to eat enough calories and sugar every day, from morning to night, practicing no dietary restrictions whatsoever aside from those foods which can potentiate acetylcholine excess (nightshades and inflammatory foods like common wheat and polyunsaturated fats). Eating disorders thus present a significant obstacle for some people, especially those with anorexia. 

While anorexia is typically considered a psychological condition and does have some behavioral elements, it is also entirely a complication of neurochemistry, including very high serotonin expression which suppresses the appetite. Because high serotonin is a hibernation response, part of its function is to prevent animals who hibernate from being hungry, otherwise they would go out during winter and find no food and starve. The state of anorexia is one in which dietary and environmental trauma has gotten so severe as to promote this appetite suppression, thus facilitating the avoidance of food, especially if a person has negative conceptions of their self-worth and body image.

The opposite of serotonin excess such as causes anorexia is high endogenous production of niacin. Both serotonin and niacin are produced from the dietary amino acid tryptophan. During light deficiency, dietary stress, trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and avoidance of sugar our dietary tryptophan is directed to serotonin, but when exposed to light, sugar, and resolution of trauma more tryptophan is directed into niacin which then supports higher metabolic respiration. 

However, a supplement of niacinamide, which is a variant of niacin, is also very effective and generally affordable strategy to help resolve anorexia, as it directly antagonizes the appetite suppressant effects of excess serotonin. It can also help take the edge off depression and promote better energy, better, and a desire to eat for anyone in recovery, even if undereating is not a problem. Those who have anorexia or have trouble eating sufficient daily calories should take a dose of 250 mg to 500 mg every morning (depending on size) with a source of sugar such a orange juice, an apple, or other fruit (or pastry or other yummy, sweet options). This will help restart hunger impulses and thus make it much easier to consume food and calories as required for recovery. Ideas of body image and self-worth should be addressed as discussed in the inventory therapy below. For anyone with depression the use of niacinamide can generally be very useful, but niacin itself has potentially uncomfortable side effects, which is why niacinamide should be preferable.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C directly antagonizes many of the harmful effects of many drugs. Vitamin C deficiency specifically causes a disease called scurvy and indeed many of the debilitating side effects of drug use such as from methamphetamine and heroin are in fact caused by rapid depletion of vitamin C and the initiation of scorbutic disease. Using vitamin C in the treatment of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can thus be very productive in supporting recovery. Opioids are especially associated with vitamin C depletion and vitamin C supplementation can greatly relieve all opioid addicts of some physical pain and deterioration caused by opioid use. Vitamin C is so good at inhibiting the scorbutic side effects of drug abuse it can easily and rapidly treat these side effects and help users keep their teeth, body mass, and skin health even if they do not yet decide to get clean. 

Vitamin C is also a required cofactor for the synthesis of dopamine and adrenaline, and high stress which promotes addiction and alcoholism and causes depression due to deficiency of dopamine occurs also through vitamin C depletion, especially in those who do not eat a healthy diet with daily, generous consumption of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is also best gotten through foods, not a supplement, which is another reason a healthy diet is requisite for recovery. 

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

One of the other primary reasons people drink or use drugs abusively is that alcohol and drugs can and do treat infection with oral and gastrointestinal pathogens, and since there are many, many potential pathogens in our environment from bacteria like Clostridium difficile to parasites like Giardia, many alcoholics and addicts are also self-medicating for the treatment of harmful microbes. Alcohol is, in fact, specifically antibiotic to bacteria, so having gut dysbiosis and opportunistic bacterial infections like C. difficile, H. pylori, or those which affect oral health like P. gingivalis which causes bleeding gums and gum disease makes sobriety highly uncomfortable for those in recovery since these pathogens are then less inhibited by cessation of alcohol or drugs. Cocaine is specifically antiparasitic, and helminth infection (parasites) downregulate an important enzyme in our body called carbonic anhydrase which converts CO2 in the body to bicarbonate to help mange pH functions and the acid/alkaline balance of the body, so people whom abuse cocaine are typically parasitized such as by helminths, giardia, schistosomes, etc., (gut distension is a common symptom of giardia or other gastroinestinal parasites). Amphetamines amplify and restore the function of carbonic anhydrase, and so one of the effects of methamphetamine use is to increase the production of CO2 and bicarbonate in opposition to the effects of parasites on the body. 

Nicotine also increases carbonic anhydrase activity, and part of the brief high and relaxation effect of smoking tobacco is to counteract parasitic infection which lowers carbonic anhydrase activity, but nicotine is also high in cyanide which is actually used as a substrate by the immune system to eradicate pathogens like parasites, so smoking is also a self-medication behavior to colonization by opportunistic microbes. Many addicts and alcoholics can also harbor sexually transmitted diseases not only due to behaviors which increase the risk of exposure but diets and dietary behaviors like fasting and low-carb which impair immune function and increase risk of colonization, and many STD treatments inadvertently wipe out other pathogenic bacteria or parasites and thus rapidly relieve sufferers of some of the symptoms which they are actually treating with drugs or alcohol. 

Reinfection can also happen very rapidly, however, as soon as a treated individual again makes contact with another infected person, thus limiting the effectiveness of medical treatment for infections. If a facility is equipped to treat STDs and parasites it should do so for any and all patients to remove all possible opportunistic pathogen they may carry, including to prevent spreading it to other patients, but it is a healthy diet, intact commensal microbiome, and functioning immune system which primarily prevents colonization by opportunistic pathogens, which is why good dietary behaviors and healthy lifestyles like daily sun exposure and even activities such as gardening are required for a full recovery.

Treatment of pathogens can specifically help with mental health, as there is much evidence that problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder involve infection biogenic amine producing microbes which produce amines like histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, and phenylethylamine that disturb normal neurological and endocrinological function. 

As discussed in Nathan’s work, dietary tannins such as are common to tea, the skin of nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts very powerfully suppress opportunistic gut microbes which otherwise requires complex courses of antibiotics. Eradication of pathogenic bacteria and parasites and daily consumption of tea, nuts, and other high tannin foods can very quickly help an addict or alcoholic with mental health problems experience peace and calmness which can further assist recovery if future infection is also avoided. One simple and useful strategy is to combine fruit juice with tea (such as variants on an Arnold Palmer, which is lemonade and tea) with added sodium acetate and sugar for easy access and compliance.

1. Recovery Diet

Because certain dietary factors can strongly promote and exaggerate alcoholism and addiction, these foods should be limited during recovery. The glycoalkaloid toxins in nightshade plants, specifically potatoes and eggplant which are the most potent (but even having tomatoes daily can also be excessive). Very often too potatoes get a little green when they are left out under grocery store lights (blue light), and this indicates an increase in solanine production. Potatoes can be delicious but during recovery it is best to entirely avoid all potato, eggplant, and to reduce consumption of tomato and peppers to no more than three times a week (sweet potato is not a nightshade and is just fine). Once a person has made a full recovery potato can be reintroduced, but should still not be eaten frequently (no more than 3 times a week), to avoid inducing cravings. If cravings ever return, potato or eggplant consumption should again cease immediately until cravings again disappear, and tomatoes and peppers less frequent. Because solanine is most concentrated in potato skin, nobody should ever, ever eat potato skin, and solanine is also water soluble so boiling and draining potatoes can help reduce their solanine content when reintroducing them. 

The gluten in common wheat is tough to digest because it has been intensely hybridized to resist the growth stresses caused by industrial fertilizer, and gluten is very inflammatory, and since the body responds to inflammation by stimulating localized acetylcholine increase, common wheat should also be avoided for a faster recovery. Common flour also often contains added iron which, unbound by the food matrix, strongly fuels pathogenic overgrowth in the gut, leading to stomachaches, discomfort, and strong inflammation and chronic immune reaction and should be avoided entirely. 

When we try to make dietary changes we often simply avoid the things we are limiting, but this only creates emotional and nutritional stress and usually fails, and the key to making these dietary changes is not to simply avoid foods we like but to replace them with others that are equally or more indulgent and satisfying. Choose sweet potatoes or rice instead of potatoes and wheat. Ancient types of wheat called spelt, einkorn, or kamut can be great replacements for common wheat and taste even better and can be bought or made as pastries, doughnuts, pasta, bread, etc. Many high quality grocery stores carry einkorn pasta or spelt bread, so just look around. Recovery centers can produce their own breads, pastries, and pasta made from these flours and teach their clients how to bake and make their own as well.

Root vegetables also strongly help with recovery of the intestinal system and digestion through the promotion of short chain fatty acids, and even help expel gut parasites. The combination of root vegetables with a small dose of supplemental lithium aspartate or lithium carbonate (no more than 5 mg per dose) can help further treat parasites because lithium paralyzes parasites and helps the immune system eradicate them. Lithium is commonly used in the treatment of mental illness, this can be fairly easy to achieve, but low-dose lithium supplements are far safer than pharmacological doses. As lithium has a calming effect (it can be safely used in doses up to 20 mg) this can be very useful for recovery.

Fruit usually results in the production of acetic acid in the gut, because of its pectin content, and is not optional for recovery, by helping to increase production of gastrointestinal acetic acid and supporting commensal acetogenic bacteria. Sugar (especially fruit) is one of the best tools to restore a healthy gut microbiome, because most of our healthy commensal microorganisms are highly dependent on carbohydrate. So indulging on a great quantity of peaches, apples, grapes, watermelon, plums, raisins, dried, fresh, frozen, or preserves can be very useful and emotionally therapeutic.

Additionally, the consumption of healthy foods like leafy greens, especially from the brassica family (broccoli, watercress, brussels sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, etc) can be very helpful because they also promote immune function which can help address the gut microbiome or oral infections which may have been contracted during the course of alcoholic and addictive behavior. 

Yogurt and other fermented dairy like kefir oppositely inhibit acetogenic bacteria and promotes lactic acid producing microbes and can and does directly contribute to conditions of alcoholism, addiction, and depression and should be avoided always. So-called filtered yogurts or greek yogurt are still harmful and should not be consumed.

1. Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee can be a great support for recovery because coffee is dopaminergic, which is why it can make us feel good. Caffeine is a drug but it does not impair cognitive function, so it is not harmful to use in recovery, although some alcoholics and addicts believe they should avoid anything that can be drug-like it is harmful to remove all pleasure and fun things from our experiences and exactly the kind of addict thinking which drives us back to drug and alcoholic abuse. Remember that one of the problems of the trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction is not knowing how to properly enjoy ourselves. Having a nice cup of coffee can be one of those pleasures which helps recovery.

However, coffee and caffeine are metabolic stimulants and as such they can sometimes promote stress if they are not supported by the diet and sufficient intake of carbohydrate, calories, and protein. When people get shaky from drinking caffeinated beverages it is because they do not have enough carbohydrate, sugar, or protein in their body to support the increase in metabolic rate, and this then stimulates the release of cortisol to turn lean tissue into useable sugars and amino acids, thence the shaking, jitters, and discomfort. 

Coffee and caffeine should thus never be taken on an empty stomach or during low blood sugar. Adrenaline in fact is made from dopamine, so failing to eat before using caffeine or coffee directly promotes high levels of adrenaline and then cortisol which will only make physical recovery impossible. Oppositely, consuming sufficient calories, carbohydrates, and protein before and alongside coffee use can promote recovery by fueling metabolic activity and promoting dopamine in a healthy manner. It can often be enough to drink a glass of orange juice or milk in the morning before coffee, so long as a person also makes breakfast alongside or very shortly after using coffee. 

Coffee, containing some tannin, can also promote a helpful gut microbiome as well and is healthier than caffeinated sodas or caffeine supplements which usually contain unhelpful chemicals or additives and do not support commensal microbes. Because coffee and tea are extremely high in prebiotics (compounds that promote microbial growth) care should be taken not to brew coffee or tea with aerated water, which introduces oxygen to the gut and, along with the prebiotics, promotes overgrowth of harmful aerobic bacteria. Many water faucets have grilles that cause foamy, aerated water when dispensing, and this grille can be removed or the water dispensed slowly so as not to cause aeration of the brew water. Coffee and tea are also good ways to administer a lithium supplement to support health and mental health, and the supplement can be added to water used to brew coffee and tea by pulling apart the capsule and dumping the contents directly in the water.

1. Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid and optional supplement which can support recovery from depression and lift the mood of addicts and alcoholics, especially when supported by sufficient sugar intake. Pathogenic microbes can actually siphon our taurine from our bile in the gut and produce toxic hydrogen sulfide and deplete taurine stores which then contributes to depression and substance abuse. Taurine is required to protect cells from the stress of excessive cellular excitation and thusly helps cells to use protein (other amino acids) more efficiently. Dopamine, which makes us feel happy, is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which becomes wasted when the body is stimulated by excessive stress such as what occurs from trauma, abuse, and poor diets, dietary behaviors, and sunlight deprivation. Because taurine helps spare amino acids it also helps the body restore its taurine supplies, when supported by a good diet and abundant dietary tannins. Without more important steps like fixing the diet and resolving gut and environmental deficiencies as earlier discussed, taurine will not be too helpful, but if these factors are resolved 500-1000 mg taken once a day can help restore taurine homeostasis and thus help resolve depression.

Taurine does have one side effect, which is to restart bile release in the gut, which since bile is required to absorb fats required for hormone synthesis can be a good thing, but often the previous deficiency of bile expression can make the body temporarily produce too much bile when taurine is reintroduced. In this case a steady stomachache can result. If this happens, briefly cease taurine supplementation, wait for the discomfort to resolve, then restart once again. This may happen two or three times after which it will not happen again as bile regulation normalizes.

As discussed in Nathan’s other work, carotene inhibits the synthesis of toxic hydrogen sulfide by opportunistic microbes, and taurine can also be protected in the body by frequently consuming foods high in carotene such as carrots, peaches, squashes, orange sweet potato, tomatoes, etc. This is a function of frequency, not quantity, so large doses will not necessarily help but consistent dietary behaviors will. Since many fruits are high in carotene and carrots are readily available this is not a difficult step to practice. 

 

1. Treating Psychological factors
1. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

Alcoholics and addicts are often stereotypically characterized as lazy hedonists who do nothing but seek pleasure and a good time. In fact, the opposite is true and most people with alcoholism and addiction fundamentally lack the ability to enjoy themselves or to engage in compassionate self-care and recreational activity, and resort to drugs and alcohol as their only real option for the relief and relaxation healthy people find even in mundane activities like cleaning up our home, being with a friend, connecting with a loved one, being alone, etc.

This problem is the result of a childhood which required using our time and energy just to survive abusive, dominating, or neglectful parents or environment, unable to spend much time getting to know ourselves and to develop a strong personal identity. Most children from healthy homes get to discover who they are, separately from others, which imparts some degree of confidence, recognition of what brings them satisfaction and fulfillment, personal tastes and interests, and thus an ability to successfully connect with others, which is an experience missing from those with substance abuse problems.

Alcoholics and addicts who never got to develop a strong sense of identity thus lack those interests and skills for self-fulfillment, and an inability to connect with others often leads to fear of work, volatile interpersonal relationships, and an absence of fulfilling activities like cooking, reading, sports, writing, drawing, etc., and especially not from required self-care skills like managing finances, living within our means, paying taxes, maintaining healthy relationships, healthy interpersonal boundaries, etc.

A lack of self-care skills occurs because our parents did not possess them to teach us, and many alcoholics and addicts are reluctant to learn new skills because the trauma of past experience elicits a strong fear response when it comes to anything that can be perceived as failure, rejection, or criticism, and this in turn reveals a lack of skills to handle fear, rejection, judgement, disappointment, and other harsh realities of human social dynamics.

Anyone might think that to acquire new skills requires going out to learn them or the having of new experiences, but these skills for an alcoholic or addict are not learned by directly experiencing them and are instead learned by resolving past experiences of trauma which cause the fear response as discussed in inventory therapy which then makes space (psychologically) for an ability to handle new experiences. After inventory therapy is completed, alcoholics and addicts can then have new experiences which will teach empowerment and help begin to form a new sense of personal identity and self-worth.

1. 12-step Programs

12-step programs are often helpful for recovery (the author of this document was a member of AA for 3 years). But 12-step programs do not recognize any biological aspect of alcoholism and addiction, which accounts for their inability to help most people entering the programs. Worse, other derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous teach their members principles specifically not included in AA, such as the avoidance of triggers. This problem can undermine recovery because in AA they rightly teach that triggers (such as going to a bar or being around alcohol) will not be a problem once you finish the program, and indeed that is exactly how it works, as a person is responsible for their own actions and not helpless to the temptations in the world around us. These derivative programs have inadvertently integrated some of the control and coping mechanisms inherent to addiction which is the failure to accept personal responsibility for choices and thus foment fear and insecurity in adherents rather than resolve them. 

Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous also has a great deal of religious principles in their program which is unhelpful to many who in fact have been offended by religion and its adherents. Alcoholics Anonymous was developed in part with religious people who demanded to retain a lot of religious elements in it, and the compromise includes appeals to ignore the abuses that many religions and religious persons commit which leads to the abuse and trauma that underlies alcoholism and addiction in the first place.

But the concept of “God” to a recovering alcoholic or addict really means the cessation of relying only on ourselves in our own lives. We are not ourselves God, nor capable of commanding reality, and in reality alcoholics and addicts usually consider themselves to be alone, without any recourse for help should things fall apart, often even harassed and persecuted by their own families to get clean in ways which continue to perpetuate abuse, fear, neglect, etc. Additionally, the concept that there are greater forces which dictate fate and reality such as physics and the immutable laws of the Universe, especially represented by concepts of birth and death or other people over which we have no control, are often frightening for non addicts and alcoholics let alone those who are, and learning how to accept these realities rather than try to control them is one of the benefits of 12-step programs in spite of its heavy use of religions language. The point is for an alcoholic or addict to stop taking responsibility for things which are outside of our control, such as whether others like us, or we are rich, or avoiding disease and death, or even if we have alcoholism or addiction, because we cannot control those things in the first place it can only be stressful if we do try to control them.

1. Relearning Life Lessons

Because the disease of alcoholism and addiction is a neurological learning disorder which has corrupted a person’s life experience to associate even the most mundane of stresses with intense negativity and exaggerated stress while also lacking effective self-care and interpersonal relationship skills, these experiences can be unlearned. 

But this also requires abstinence, since alcohol and drugs impair cognitive comprehension by blocking or inhibiting the learning-memory-consciousness function of acetylcholine it is impossible to undo the psychological damage which causes sensitivity to stressful stimuli as conditioned from a lifetime of trauma. The originators of Alcoholics Anonymous intuited these steps, which is how they were able to construct a program which had marked efficacy in spite of its shortcomings. But the primary effect that 12-step programs have which supports recovery from addiction and alcoholism is teaching those with learned hopelessness (alcoholism and addiction) new skills and to facilitate new learning experiences, supported by empathetic peers, which can replace past negative experiences with new positive ones. The new skills an addict or alcoholic learns from 12-step programs give an addict or alcoholic empowerment for the first time in their lives. Fundamentally, for instance, the skill and ability to handle our own mistakes and make an apology to amend and maintain personal relationships relationships is often regarded by many people, alcoholic or not, as an affront to be avoided at all costs simply because we have never been taught how to properly and effectively apologize and so lack confidence in our own ability to do it. Facilitating the learning of this skill by requiring members of 12-step programs to amend their past mistakes teaches a brand new skill to adherents which, when done correctly, causes us to have a new experience when dealing with mistakes and confronting others and learning that we can, in fact, not only do it but that it is very comforting and helpful.

Many people think that confidence is an adopted strength we can choose to have, but this is entirely incorrect and adopted confidence is in fact arrogance, where arrogance denies our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities while confidence accepts them. Confidence comes from having positive and successful experiences—it is not an adopted attitude, which explains why so many alcoholics and addicts lack confidence because life or perception of it has been filled with so many negative experiences. Empowering skills such as are taught in 12-step programs can facilitate these new and positive associations with aspects of life which used to bring immense stress, such as interpersonal relationships, work and colleagues, bosses, financial management, government, disease, death, loss, rejection, etc., thus facilitating successful experiences and thus engendering confidence for perhaps the first time in our lives. 

The most problematic absence of positive experiences are that of personal enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Those with learned hopelessness fundamentally do not know how to derive satisfaction from life, even though we might try, and end up pursuing only superficial goals and success such as money, status, attractiveness, etc., since such attributes in life are easily observed, and using drugs and alcohol as a shortcut to enjoyment. Real satisfaction in life comes things which are mundane, like having close, healthy relationships with family or friends, having a clean house, going outside to recreate, or cooking delicious meals. Even enjoying our own company, which is highly foreign to all alcoholics and addicts, can be highly rewarding if we develop a real sense of self. Life can seem incredibly boring and so must be filled with excitement, always looking forward to vacations or events or breaks from obligation, but since none of these ever last an alcoholic or addict is always dissatisfied and always looking forward to the next break or next vacation, which is why we turn to alcohol and drugs, to cope with the hopelessness, dissatisfaction, and boredom of living in the present.

Learning how to enjoy ourselves is dependent on resolution of neurological stress from excessive acetylcholine, because high stress hormones prevent us from sitting still and being present. That is one of the purposes of stress hormones, actually, which is to motivate action and get an organism out and doing things. In us who are alcoholic or addicted these hormones are always on so we can never sit still and enjoy ourselves. Then after the biochemical treatment of alcoholism begins to work, inventory therapy can help us relearn life experiences to then find incredible satisfaction in things which before seemed mundane and unexciting.

1. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

12-steps programs do contain prejudices which blame addicts and alcoholics for their problems rather than recognizing the biological and psychological realities which create this condition, and thus are vulnerable to perpetuating the problems of addiction and alcoholism and not universally effective. Human biology is also designed in evolutionary terms to perpetuate the survival of the species, even at the expense of an individual, and many of our most heinous traits as humans such as violence and other antisocial behaviors are in fact basic survival instincts which originated from our past as a wild animal, and when human beings are traumatized enough we can entirely lose the ability to function as a human at all, which really is the fault of our biology and our vulnerability to stress and deprivation of basic human needs and not the responsibility of any one individual. So while every person individually is responsible for their choices and behavior, very often we do not possess the skills, awareness, or experiences in the first place which would have empowered us to make better choices. It is entirely possible to accept responsibility for our mistakes and harmful behavior while also having compassion for ourselves and our mortal, human fallibility, which is not something the 12-steps really accomplish, due to inherent resentment for our human condition.

Recovery centers which offer 12-step programs are also often run by fellow alcoholics and addicts, which is perfectly fine if they have also successfully completed recovery and can further benefit their patients through integration of the biological aspects of alcoholism and addiction as mentioned above. But often recovery homes and services are predatory, driven by unresolved desires of the owners to be rich or assert control, and the profit motive for recovery can obscure very real problems and even dangers in these centers. 

Rehabilitation centers also usually serve simply as a vacation for those with means who want to take a break from the stresses of life, temporarily freed from the responsibilities of work, family, finances, etc. The irony is that the tools taught by practicing inventory therapy as discussed later in this document can bring permanent freedom from the stresses of family, work, finances, etc., even while experiencing them, through the learning of new skills to effectively handle and even enjoy and find fulfillment from such obligations. The only reason any experience is stressful is due to a lack of emotional and mental skills to handle such obligations, which can be self-taught through inventory. Rehab centers tend to fail their patients because they only function as a temporary respite from stress, where if they instead empowered their patients with these skills and effectively treated their underlying neurological and endocrinological wellness as described above would actually be effective in treating alcoholism and addiction beyond the limited time spent in recovery homes and programs.

1. Self-compassion

The underlying psychological trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction in the first place is an abject lack of compassion for ourselves as individuals. Often and usually little to no compassion was shown to us as children and thus we do not know how to have it for ourselves, and spend the entirety of our lives trying to justify our existence and needs and wants as if we are by default undeserving of love, fulfillment, care, and compassion, when in fact we do not need at all to justify those needs, only to learn how to have compassion for ourselves and the experiences we have been through, to show ourselves the care and compassion we expect from others, whom are often not capable of giving it since, like us, they also lack those skills.

Inventory therapy as presented in this work (and the books written by Mr. Hatch) recognizes the inherent psychology in 12-step programs, specifically the step requiring inventory, reformulating it to be more accessible and effecting by considering past experiences not as self-centered resentments but instead as trauma, to both recognize and validate the abuse and pain lived by alcoholics and addicts and empowering us accept and resolve personal responsibility for our behavior and choices as separate from but still informed by our trauma. This approach, when done correctly, specifically engenders and teaches self-compassion, which is the key to resolving alcoholism and addiction entirely. Any person who refuses to do inventory will still not be able to make a full recovery because lacking self-compassion such as what is demonstrated in the act of doing inventory therapy drives stress sufficiently that it prevents effective behavior in relationships, mistakes, ambitions, goals, mortality, etc., that will continue to stimulate excessive stress, since we are not ourselves responsible for anything except our own choices and decisions (not even our own emotions!).

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity

  Many people mistake self-pity for self-compassion, because we have in fact never experienced compassion, but they are in fact very different, and self-pity also always indicates an absence of self-compassion. While self-pity is often derided as a weakness or shamed by others in reality self-pity is an adaptive survival strategy to generate a sense of self-worth when none is forthcoming from our environment, when a person does not know how to have compassion for themselves because none has ever been shown them. In stable, healthy homes parents display an abundance of compassion for their children and thus those children know what compassion is, both for others but also themselves. But when raised in a home where parents lack self-compassion and healthy self-care skills and are burdened with their own trauma their children are thus never taught what compassion is, because we cannot give what we do not have, and so in turn we do not know what self-compassion is. In this case, self-pity takes its place and serves as way to find value for oneself in a world which can be at times very harsh and stressful.

The difference between self-pity and self-compassion is that, much like arrogance and confidence, self-pity denies personal responsibility while self-compassion accepts it, because we with self-pity lack skills to handle conflict and trauma, and so are afraid of accepting personal responsibility for fear of validating insecurities, abuse, and trauma. Like confidence, self-compassion comes from positive experiences and is not an adopted, willful attitude but one which is practiced and comes from action. Unlike confidence, which comes from external experiences, self-compassion comes from internal experiences through self-care behaviors like practicing inventory therapy, because the act of sitting down to write inventory is the very act of practicing self-compassion, in which the mind then participates and experiences that compassion from the act. 

1. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Because 12-step programs were developed before the advent of much contemporary science, these programs do not directly encompass trauma, but resolving trauma is the entire point of recovery. 

But even most contemporary psychology does not even resolve the trauma which underlies addiction and alcoholism, which is why there must be support groups to serve this function. The author of this work was inexplicably turned away from a free mental health clinic after revealing their recent entry into AA, at a time when psychological support would have been invaluable, because of the biases which permeate professional mental healthcare surrounding addiction and alcoholism and ignorance to how trauma drives addiction (and heretofore ignorance of how to treat it). 

This failure is specifically because the Karpman Drama Triangle model of conflict and trauma is not commonly taught nor employed in contemporary mental health treatment. The Karpman Drama Triangle was developed by Dr. Stephen Karpman and is the most accurate and effective characterization of the consequences of abuse and trauma. It characterizes 3 distinct psychological phenotypes which develop out of prolonged experiences of trauma (trauma can also include nutritional factors as earlier described). Conflict triangulation is the natural behavioral phenomena which describes how conflict cannot be contained only between two people, and usually integrates a third or more persons such as friends or family members into conflict. Often and usually this includes us as little children who do not possess the requisite skills and experiences to resist emotional trauma from adults in such experiences, hence the Karpman Drama Triangles model which describes the specific consequences of such experiences. 

The 3 phenotypes:

The Persecutor—characteristic of narcissism, type one feels that other people stand in the way of our ambitions, and blames, shames, and attacks others for our perceived weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example we may feel entitled to a partner who is physically fit and attractive and blame them for falling out of shape or not dieting. The persecutor type is often emotionally neglected as a child and resorted to narcissism to find value in themselves. Intense fear of weakness originates from parents shaming children for their vulnerabilities.

The Helper—a person who can only find value when indisposable to others, we were often middle children who could only find attention from parents and other siblings if they inserted themselves into conflict and acted as mediator. They often find purpose in the psychological professions which is a perfect vehicle to entertain this insecurity, can be people-pleasing and often undermine the confidence or wellness of others because their motivation is be indisposable, not to actually help others, which would otherwise liberate others from dependence on us.

The Victim—is not a victim in the sense being a recipient of crime or abuse, but one whom, because of our experiences of trauma, inherently feel powerless and weak and that we cannot achieve our goals and dreams without the help or assistance of more powerful personalities.

It is extremely helpful to recognize and understand this model of psychological trauma because it drives addiction and alcoholism in specific ways. The author of this document describes in shorthand each personality thusly: the Persecutor fundamentally believes “I don’t need you,” the Helper believes “You need me,” and the Victim believes “I need you.”

Each of these phenotypes can be observed in states of addiction because each type of trauma is fundamentally concerned with others, not themselves, since others were the source of their trauma fail to fully comprehend both their own weaknesses and their strengths. Fixation on others drives the fears which underlie addiction and alcoholism, and the inventory instead turns focus onto the self, through introspective therapy, to accept personal weakness and recognize and appreciate individual strengths, thus undermining the insecurities which drive fear and thus dependence on alcohol and addiction, to treat the stress hormones and excessive acetylcholine stimulated by insecurities, fear, and lack of empowerment.

Where Karpman described this model he did not also elucidate methods to their resolution. That honor instead belongs to Dr. Margalis Fjelstad, who generally described the solution to Dr. Karpman’s model as “maintaining a center position within the triangle,” to employ the strengths of each type equally rather than the weaknesses of any single identity. We are all in fact at times oscillating between each of the three, where one predominates, where a healthy psyche is all three at once but in the corresponding strengths, such as personal responsibility, genuine helpfulness and compassion, and self-compassion replacing self-pity. More learning and research on the Karpman Drama Triangles can and will benefit any mental health professional whether or not they work in recovery, but the inventory therapy below can directly address and resolve these aspects of the psyche through the resolution of the specific experiences of trauma which caused them in the first place.

1. Social Support

Renowned psychologist Bruce K. Alexander was dissatisfied with past experiments on rats in which they were given water bottles with and without LSD to demonstrate addictive properties of LSD, but kept alone in individual cages with nothing to do as if rats have no emotions, desires, or instincts. So he built a large experiment which he termed “rat park” in which there were many rats for each to interact with and form relationships, as well as stimulating activities like running wheels, obstacle courses, and even paintings on the sides of the cages. In the isolated, lonely cages rats had preferred the LSD water, because of course they would, but in rat park none of the rats used the LSD water, even though it was freely available. 

Dr. Alexander demonstrated the truth about addiction and alcoholism—which is based on trauma centered largely around the absence of emotional and social relationships, access, and integration in social animals. Our parents also have their own trauma which prevented them from providing the things we needed as children, often being emotionally unavailable to us, and many of us grew into adulthood feeling alone, lacking the kind of normal emotional and intimate relationships we need and being deprived of learning experiences which teach us effective social and self-care skills, which is made worse when exposed to environmental factors like glycoalkaloid toxins, or deprivation of sunlight or sugar.

One of the problems facing alcoholics in terms of personal satisfaction and enjoyment is that a lack of experiences with fast friendships and healthy relationships makes us feel stressed and isolated, thus increasing the expression of stress hormones which rise during isolation and in turn cause us to feel unsettled, restless, discontent, and lonely. Lacking effective skills to create these relationships for ourselves we then turn to substance abuse as our only tool to manage such difficult emotions just as the rats did in their isolated cages, or mistake drinking partners, colleagues, and even service providers as replacements for friends. One of the specific benefits recovery programs provide to addicts and alcoholics is structured social support—having access to a guide and friend whom is ostensibly responsible for passing on skills and information learned through 12-step programs in reality is probably the first person in the life of an alcoholic or addict who is constantly available for emotional and social support and guidance and thus serving a very special function to those in recovery which directly combats the loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness that we as addicts and alcoholics have been accustom. This social support, however, can come from anywhere by collecting (but not abusing) relationships within our peer group on whom we can rely for real emotional connection. We are all also capable of providing these social needs for ourselves, and can be our own friend and best advocate, we just have never been taught how.

Usually, as an addict or alcoholic we are limited in this regard by our poor conception of ourselves, fear of others, and fear of emotional intimacy and so purposefully withhold ourselves from others because of our past trauma and negative experiences make us fearful of rejection. For instance if we are paying someone to be our therapist, coach, manager, agent, realtor, etc., we mistake the transaction for interaction and power for friendship, because having that power makes us feel safe. But all friendships and relationships require equality, and paying someone to be your ‘friend’ imbalances the relationship in your favor and is not truly vulnerable, as we must risk rejection in order to win relationships. 

Having friends is also not the same as having fulfilling relationships, and many of us also have family members who are equally unavailable and distant and as such not ideal candidates for this kind of social support. Accomplishing the inventory therapy as outlined below can teach us how to find, make, grow, sustain, repair healthy relationships that fulfill these fundamental needs missing from our lives and thus provide this invaluable asset for ourselves where before we may have found it impossible, or limited to others who are also active addicts and alcoholics.

Similarly, many of us have never considered that we can and should be our own best friend and advocate, which can be learned by resolving trauma and developing a healthier conception of ourselves through inventory, and is key to then establishing and maintaining real, healthy relationships with others through whom we can find fulfillment.  

1. Inventory Therapy
1. Preparation

All that is required to practice inventory therapy is this guide, a writing utensil, and paper. A notebook with large pages can be very helpful. This therapy absolutely should never be done on an electronic device. The act of writing communicates with the subconscious, and one of the reasons this therapy works is that writing communicates with the subconscious. Typing cannot do this. Use manual writing implements. On paper. No exceptions.

1. Abstinence

A period of abstinence should precede the beginning of this therapy. As discussed previously, it is impossible to achieve new psychological learning experiences when acetylcholine is impaired such as by drugs or alcohol. So prioritizing dedication to abstinence and using tools like nightly low-dose antihistamine therapy, sodium acetate, vitamin C, fruit and sugar, light therapy, and niacinamide must be done first. It is good to start the inventory therapy as soon as possible, but not until an addict or alcoholic’s mind is clearer and present. Always practice also on a full stomach. Make some nice tea or coffee, keep some candy or fruit around, and sit in a cute chair near a window or other pleasant, quiet atmosphere.

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy

Inventory therapy consists of two parts, the personal inventory, which directly addresses experiences of trauma, disappointment, loss, frustration, etc., and the fear inventory which directly addresses existential fears that we may have as a result of negative life experiences. The inventory practice in AA is often more complicated, this version is designed for efficiency as well as greatest psychological effect.

Fears motivate resentments, so it is most helpful to start with resentments, then identify which fears are relevant to those resentments and then make those fear entries. It is unhelpful, however, to lump all resentments against a single person, institution, or idea into one resentment entry dump. The traumatic experiences we have are not because of the person or institution is innately bad but because their actions are bad or harmful. Lumping every resentment against a parent or a religion, for instance, fixates on the person or institution rather than on the actions which hurt us. So each separate offense should be entered as a single resentment entry separately from the others. Some offenses hurt us for different reasons that others, so they each must be analyzed individually.

No fear exists in isolation from other fears. For example, a fear of death can also be a fear of pain, fear of loss, punishment, the unknown, religion, God, consequences, conflict, violence, etc., When making fear entries it is useful to also write down any other related fears which may be revealed.

Clues to what we write in each of the columns lie in the one which preceded it. So, if determining for instance what part of self was damaged by a particular event seems difficult we can revisit our entry in the preceding column, cause, for help in identifying those parts of self which were hurt.

1. Personal Inventory — Resentment

In the personal inventory there are five columns. The first three represent parts of life in which we have absolutely no control (no matter how much you may wish it). While the last two represent aspects of life we do in fact control. Many people in fact will write things like emotions into the “my part” column, but in fact emotions are hormones and we do not have control over emotions. If someone breaks into your apartment and stabs you, you are going to be upset. The idea that we should control emotions is the consequence of abuse behavior by parents who tried even to control our very emotions which made them uncomfortable, because they too lacked the skills to handle their own uncomfortable emotions. All emotions go in the cause column because they are part of the reason our experiences were uncomfortable, disruptive, or traumatizing. 

The first column of a personal inventory labeled Resentment and is a short identifier of that from which our resentment originates. 

Examples for this column are things like: parents, dad, mom, religion, Catholicism, Mormonism, Baptists, government, your friend John, your boyfriend Alex, the IRS, mortality, disease, being a parent, a specific child that might be driving you crazy, your wife Barbara, having to take out the trash, stubbing my toe, death, cancer, car breaking down, money, being poor, being rich, being ugly, sexual assault, having alcoholism or addiction, past relationships, a boss, coworkers, not getting a raise, betrayal, disloyalty, doctors, medicine, acne, hair loss, coronavirus lockdown, a school shooting or shooter, foreign governments, specific government officials, political opponents or oppositional parties, theft, inequality, work, unfairness, violence, social situations, anxiety, depression, frustrations, disappointments, rules, your apartment manager, the loud neighbors, aging, having diabetes, meetings, government regulations, etc.

Resentments are poison to happiness and rob us of fulfilling experiences and relationships. For instance, many people don’t realize that our traumas which create resentments can prejudice us against people with whom we could otherwise have deep and meaningful relationships. We might be resentful of a sibling for something they did and thus distance ourselves from them, or worse we might have done something to them over which we are embarrassed and thus withdraw from the relationship, hurting them twice and denying ourselves the value of such a relationship because we don’t know how to amend mistakes or handle our own fallibility. Teaching ourselves these skills by practicing inventory therapy and resolving those resentments can enlighten us to the reality of these experiences, our own power, and what parts we can and cannot control. Normally we try to deal with resentments by ignoring them or “moving on,” but this in fact leaves them unresolved, and we then accumulate many negative experiences which are indeed difficult burdens to bear and thusly contribute to the psychological stress which underlies alcoholism and addiction. 

Some people try to cope with trauma by deluding themselves into believing they have no resentments, usually from a desire to be a good person, having been taught that resentments are bad. But a resentment is anything which causes us pain, frustration, rumination, remorse, regret, anxiety, dissatisfaction, heartache, anger, sadness, restlessness, irritation, etc. The first step in resolving trauma is recognizing from where our trauma originated, so anything which robs us of joy, happiness, satisfaction, or fulfillment for all purposes in this practice is considered a resentment and entered as such under that column.

1. Personal Inventory — Cause

In the next column under Cause we write a brief phrase or phrases about the event and the reason for the resentment and the effect it had on us. It is helpful to split up repeat offenders into each separate cause rather than lumping many causes into one resentment. Failing to do this is entertaining our resentment and focusing on the person, institution, or idea rather than how their behavior affected us, as they are not themselves inherently offensive, but their actions or choices by which we are hurt. If a repeat offender should offend after we have already done inventory on our experiences with them, we make a new entry regardless of what entries we have already done.

Cause is as simple as the simple fact that something happened or can and does happen. For instance a resentment of death occurs because death is something that happens to all of us. Or if our bank charged us an exorbitant and exploitive amount of money for an overdraft, or the I.R.S. forcibly collected a reassessment of taxes during the coronavirus outbreak four years after we filed them and we could hardly afford rent that month. Parents or children often do things that hurt us, so in addition to the action they took which was the source of the problem we also can write other causes which are related to the event such as past traumatic experiences these remind us of or triggers, or past conditioning which makes us sensitive to these things such as what we were taught in school or church or by our caregivers. If a boss or coworker undermines our performance at work, in addition to their action we can also write that it threatens our sense of self-worth and accomplishment, makes us feel embarrassed, threatened, or sad, or feeling insecure about our future employment and financial stability.

Emotions always go under cause, because emotions are hormones and we do not control those. If you feel embarrassed, sad, hurt, angry, etc., it is not something we control and thus goes under cause. Acting on those feelings is something we control and thus does not go in this column. Many people misunderstand that acting on a feeling is not the same as having that feeling, and many of us act as if our feelings are directly connected to and justified by our feelings, which they absolutely are not. This in fact often gets alcoholics and addicts in trouble because we were not taught skill to effectively manage our feelings, and thus fail to recognize the separation between feeling and actions. This practice does teach us that difference. 

1. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt

During the span of a human life we require certain resources to live a successful, happy, and fulfilled life, and frankly also to avoid dying. These are basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothes, companionship, safety, love both platonic and erotic, community, opportunity, and accomplishment. Whenever unpleasant or painful things happen to us (the things we write under cause and resentment) they are painful because they endanger or take from us any one of these needs which are required in life.

Though we dislike pain, its function is to make us aware of potential dangers to our wellbeing. Children born without a physical pain reflex will chew on their own tongues. Both physical and emotional pain is necessary for our survival and wellbeing, but because of the function of acetylcholine in response to excessive stress in those with alcoholism and addiction, the imprintation of painful experiences can be so excessive as to cause irrational stress even from things which are not a danger to our wellbeing, like managing our bank account, so we avoid the stress by avoiding looking at our finances and thereby repeatedly cause the very financial instability we so greatly fear.

Recognizing the parts of self which are traumatized from experiences of pain helps us to legitimize our trauma instead of trying to just ignore it or move on from it. This in turn helps us begin to learn compassion for ourselves and our negative experiences which itself is the key to acceptance.

Because these parts of self are finite and not subjective, we do not invent or formulate what to put in this column. Instead we choose from the list of human needs which are: self-esteem, pride, emotional security, financial security, personal relations, sex relations, and ambition.

Sometimes we are unaware of which parts are hurt. For instance, many people try to compensate for past trauma which made them feel insecure by adopting confidence as a way to cope with that trauma, and so will not choose pride or self-esteem because they now view themselves as confident. But this very act of adopting confidence is a defensive mechanism which shows deep wounds to pride and self esteem, and is actually arrogance, not confidence, since confidence accepts weaknesses while arrogance denies them, and of course we are wounded in such ways since none of us is completely unfeeling.

Failing to understand how we are hurt by our experiences leads to rumination and obsession on those people and institutions which hurt us, which is specifically an absence of self-compassion because it then focuses on them instead of ourselves. This is one way in which self-pity can be self-defeating because we focus so much on what others have done to us rather than understanding the pain we are going through or have gone through.

1. Personal Inventory — My Part

Under My Part we list our actions and choices we made which contributed to or continue to contribute to the resentment. 

Not every event included our actions, especially those which happened to us as children (behavior begins to be our own around the ages of 15-18). When we are children, we play no role in my part because we are entirely incapable of providing for ourselves those things which are required for human life. Being entirely dependent on our caretakers, whom in fact as teachers, leaders, and providers are the originators of the choices and actions we take as children, we do not bear responsibly for our actions until we are more mature and capable of providing those needs for ourselves. Sometimes it can be helpful to accept that things we did as children were hurtful, although they are usually a consequence of adaptations to abuse or neglect which would not have occurred had we been cared for sufficiently, and in that cause the cause column should include the absence of instruction, care, or abuse which catalyzed that behavior.

Emotions are absolutely not our part—people often write things in my part such as ‘I let them make me angry,’ or ‘I choose to be sad.’ This is not how life works. Emotions, you will remember, are hormones and thus entirely outside our power to control (except through drug and alcohol use, which is why addiction occurs and is only temporary and self-destructive anyway). We want to believe we have power over our emotions because that means we can choose which ones we feel. We were often taught as children that in fact we could and should control our emotions, but this was abuse perpetrated by caregivers who had no skills to manage their own feelings. In reality, this is impossible, and believing this leads to further frustration and pain as well as a lack of compassion for ourselves. Feelings are entirely not within the scope of the my part column, and instead go under cause. 

My part is always actions and choices—I shouted at them, I stole that item, I hit them, I cheated, I lied, I withheld affection, I demanded sex, I harassed her, I didn’t tell them how much they mean to me, I drove drunk, I talked behind their back, I was defensive, reacted angrily (not felt angry), ducked my responsibility, antagonized them, wrote that nasty email, said those hurtful things, flirted with that handsome coworker, left my wife, made that purchase, didn’t monitor my bank account, didn’t pay my taxes.

Importantly, my part is never a criticism of ourselves nor judgment of our value as a person. Most of us avoid such personal introspection because we believe that self-analysis will reveal justification for every abuse we have suffered and insecurity we possess. In fact, many things we write under my part can also be positive actions—I stood up for them, I chose to have children, I got married, I didn’t cheat, I asked for a raise, I accepted this job, woke up early, went on that flight, paid for dinner, tried to help that person, spoke up for my needs, voted for good, came out of the closet. Even though we do good things it does not actually control our experiences, so we can be met with unpleasant consequences and thus become despairing at the results, instead of being proud of our good choices. So the my part can also help us correctly evaluate our own behavior separate from that of others and the things we actually cannot control.

Many of us waste years of our lives trying to control others, life, and consequences, and this is absolutely impossible. Indeed we are often taught by our parents, society, and religions that not only is it within our power to control fate, consequence, and other people, but that we should. Life does not work that way even a little bit, so we become constantly frustrated and even driven mad by our failure to control things we absolutely cannot control. The my part section helps us to objectively analyze the one thing we can control, which is our own behavior, and thus stop wasting our time, resources, and emotional and mental energy on things which are impossible to control.

1. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses

In the last column, Character Weakness we list character traits which we possess which motivate our actions and choices listed under my part. 

This too is not a judgment of our character or value as a person, which is itself simply the residue of shame and self-hatred at the hands of abusive and neglectful people in our lives, but instead a way to identify exactly how the events of our past have caused damage to us as a person which thus cause us to adopt coping mechanisms which we use to survive life. 

My favorite example to use in the illustration of this reality are pathological liars, since everyone “dislikes” liars. But the talent of lying is actually an instinctual coping mechanism adopted to survive a childhood where parents were especially and opportunistically vindictive, using any mistake no matter how trivial as an excuse to abuse and who use the child as an outlet for their overflowing anger and hatred. 

Since childhood is the time which forms our personal identity and thus survival strategies to use in adulthood, a child from such a home erroneously (and unconsciously) believes that lying is the only effective life tool to avoid pain and heartache and even death, and thus brings this tool with them into adulthood. 

But of course, lying in adulthood more often causes additional stress and isolation as we deal with mistakes and insecurities through dishonesty, and build for ourselves unnecessary consequences and complicated, unmanageable lives. Character weaknesses are coping mechanisms we develop to survive trauma but which then complicate and imperil our wellbeing as adults by preventing the formation of healthy relationships, destabilizing material wellbeing, and jeopardizing our moral and legal standing.

Most debilitatingly, coping mechanisms such as fear and insecurity which result from very traumatic experiences of assault, rejection, abuse, exploitation, etc., serve to make us hyperaware of future potential threats to our person, since it is through such threats that our very ability to survive life can be subverted. But then as an adult we spend every waking minute fearing other people, constantly repeating the trauma of our past, peering around every proverbial corner with anxiety, and even avoid opportunities for personal and professional advancement or preemptively destroying romantic affairs even when we have never again actually experienced the things of which we are afraid. 

Fixation on money is a coping mechanism for fear of loss and financial insecurity which creates miserliness, selfishness, dishonesty, and even theft. Other coping mechanisms such as perfectionism disrupt our lives by preventing satisfaction in accomplishment even when we are actually successful. Laziness is a preemptive coping mechanism to avoid failure in the first place. Being vain, narcissistic, or having self-pity is the mind’s attempt to provide a sense of self-worth which was not forthcoming from our environment as children. Timidity and shyness are an attempt to cope with rejection by avoiding attention in the first place. Being defensive or confrontational betrays fears of humiliation or loss which probably originated from parents who insulted and humiliated us, and so on and so on.

An adult should be capable of supporting ourselves emotionally and materially, and when we do not possess the skills to do so we resort to destructive coping mechanisms revealed as character weakness and undermine our own wellbeing in the process. Supporting ourselves does not mean going it alone. Being able to ask for help and to build strong relationships is an act of providing for ourselves, but this is misunderstood because of the mountain of trauma under which many of us are buried. It’s no wonder alcoholics and addicts have such a difficult time handling life. 

 

1. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fears are preconceptions about life which prevent us from living fully. Fears cause us to avoid situations, people, challenges, and opportunity. Often they motivate animus, resentment, pain, and actively undermine our own wellbeing and work against our self-interests even though they ostensibly exist to do the opposite. Under the first column in the fear inventory, we specify what fear we are inventorying be it rejection, imperfection, confrontation, failure, disease, losing children, losing a spouse, the government, pain, death, etc.

Coping mechanisms and character weakness all actually originate from a specific fear or set of fears. For instance, people who fear financial insecurity may lie, cheat, steal, or coerce, agitate, belittle their significant others, children, and friends, or simply avoid checking their bank account in dealing with that fear. They may be miserly or selfish with their prosperity. They may also spend egregiously or irresponsibly, because a digital number on a website doesn’t make us feel rich but a large house or an expensive, flashy car does, but thus constantly live in a state of financial insecurity in order to subvert this fear by exercising the active use of our money, even if it makes us bankrupt. 

The fear of financial insecurity is itself a more primal fear of death caused by lack of resources, which can also include the social and emotional security which comes from attracting other humans to us through material wealth. This fear also comes from being afraid that no one is watching out for us, or not believing in some kind of higher power or purpose, that our life is left only to us alone. 

Fear of imperfection drives us to obsess over our performance and robs us of satisfaction even in our successes. Some fears are more visceral, like fear of the dark, of violence, of men, of our mother, of natural disasters, impending doom or wild animals. 

Fears are created in our childhood in response to unpleasant experiences, pain, and abuse. In reality, fear is a biological mechanism used to make us aware of potential threats to our person. If we had no fears we would not even be on this earth as a species. Fear of the dark, of heights, of wild animals, of disease, and of competition are all fears which have kept our species alive throughout the ages. If a bird did not have a fear of cats it would simply succumb to predation. If humans did not have a fear of water if they can’t swim they might drown. As such, the development of our fears originate in our biology and the instincts we have for self-preservation. 

But since fears are also reactionary and instinctual, and also develop when we are small children when we are more helpless, they are also often misunderstood and more severe than what is useful as an adult, and as such can get in the way of things we really want. For instance, if as a child we were the frequent recipient of rejection by family or friends we may, as adults, simply avoid friendships or romantic engagements due to our fears of rejection, and thus by our own behavior engineer the very loneliness and isolation we regret. If we get attacked by a dog as a child we might grow up into an adult which fears them, and then never actually get to experience the joy of animal companionship. Fears of being unlovable may motivate us to coerce partners into demonstrate their commitment and thus turn relationships into an exercise of dominance and willfulness rather than the free expression of love, or to preemptively destroy a relationship or avoid people we would truly love simply because we fear the power their presence would have on us and potential devastation should we lose them. 

Fear can be debilitating and overwhelming, driving us even into insanity, because it is such a primal and biological survival mechanism which is more concerned with the survival of our entire species rather than us as an individual. Fearing others, especially in geopolitical contexts, can drive families apart for the stupidest of reasons and foment xenophobia and racism. When we fail to understand our fears we are instead operating simply as a human animal, which comes with all the limitations and problems imposed by instinct and ignorance. 

Our response to fear and indeed even the very purpose of fear are also largely attempts to neutralize the thing of which we are afraid rather than fear itself, since fear is an esoteric and intangible construct of the human psyche. The human mind is designed to address fear by addressing the subject of our fear and not fear directly. Fearing competition and danger from other humans we buy guns and engage in arms races. Fearing crime we empower armed and aggressive law enforcement institutions to suppress our communities and stifle economic prosperity. Fearing our own self-worth we waste the entirety of our lives and relationships pursuing money and status. 

In fact, it is this very dynamic of our response to fear which carves us up into disparate political, regional, and ideological alliances. Those whose lives are dominated by fear and the desire to subvert that which they are afraid are those drawn to power simply for the sake of it, who sacrifice their morality and humanity merely to feel protected and empowered against that which they are afraid. This is the purpose which religion serves in the lives of man, to bring feelings of reassurance and power over things which are frightening, whether or not it actually does. It is why people willingly bankrupt themselves in support of institutions and persons who exploit them. Why voters choose leaders who rig political systems against their best interests. We are not ignorant to the consequences of our actions nor the debilitating effect it has on our lives—It is the price we are willing to pay for protection from the things we fear. The justification for our actions is simply that. Belief is in the power to subvert that which we are afraid, rather than fear itself.  

The fear inventory transforms esoteric, intangible fears into something which is tangible, allowing that we can in turn confront and resolve them, which is entirely possible, rather than that which we are afraid, which is impossible. Those who more naturally understand that our problem is fear and not that of which we are afraid are more happy, hopeful, creative, accomplished, capable, unifying, fun, and successful.

Fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones which reduce metabolic health, and if we have other metabolic illnesses our fear can make our physical health immeasurably worse. This is what happens when people absolutely lose their minds and become psychologically ill, or when people feel overwhelming terror at certain fears which lead to phobias such as of flying, groups of people, germs, etc.

1. Fear Inventory — Cause

Under Cause we write from where this fear originated. Fear of financial insecurity perhaps originates because we are, in fact, reliant in many ways on money to survive, and a lack of money causes stress and impairs our access to other things we need to survive like food, clothing, and shelter. As this illustrates, the cause of a fear is often because the existence of the thing of which we are afraid is something that actually does exist or does happen to us. A fear of failure often exists because we do in fact fail, even often. Even worse, people will often actively exploit our failures and use it as ammunition against us. Death actually is a thing, and we all must die, so that is one cause of the fear of death, but choosing to ignore reality or pretend death is a long way off or delude ourselves into acrobatic religious beliefs to distract us from this fear instead gives the fear of death immense power over our lives because we do not truly understand what causes the fear in the first place. Death is often used as a cudgel by parents and religious leaders to make us feel terrible about ourselves and thus easier to coerce and control (in turn to give themselves a feeling of control). Death is also often unpleasant such as during disease or accidents or violence, all of which are also fears to inventory. But it is largely through societal attitudes and our past experiences that we have these fears to begin with, and identifying their origins empowers us to begin accepting the fear, since we begin to understand why we have it, which is usually because of our prejudices surrounding the thing of which we are afraid and ignorance to reality rather than any real need to fear these things. Clues to the cause of our fears can also be found in the resentment and cause columns of the personal inventory, since it is often our past experiences which inform and catalyze the fear response. For instance, fear of authority may have originated from experiences of abuse or recrimination suffered by opportunistic and self-righteous parents, religious leaders, or employers who exploit our vulnerability for their own personal gain and control. Or fear of helplessness, violence, or even sex may be caused by experiences of sexual assault, violence, and abuse. Fear of being powerless may simply result from having been a child and at one point powerless. A fear of rejection may have been caused by past failures or painful experiences with family or ineffective and inexperienced romantic behaviors, or being taught that rejection defines our self-worth or should be considered with severity (rather than levity). Identifying the cause of our fears is the opposite of making other people or life in general responsible for them, and redirects our energies from controlling life and other people to instead having compassion for our mortal condition and understanding and operating within the natural bounds and limitations of our effectiveness which in turn empowers us to actually be effective in our lives.

All resentments are associated with one or more underlying fears which is what motivates our control mechanisms revealed in how we respond to those resentments (especially my part), and by inventorying these fears we can understand and resolve them, because all fears are simply caused by ignorance and this practice provides us with answers for why we have such fears in the first place. A fear of death is not actually a fear of death, which you will come to understand through the successful practice of inventory, but instead a fear of dying with yet unamended wrongs, expiring while still burdened with the guilt and shame of our mistakes and thus no more chance to repair them. We are also taught to fear death, to consider it as bad or scary, as punishment for our natural weaknesses as a human being, associated with pain and terror, or that there is only one life or that life is a test which determines your eternal fate, or that there is nothing to look forward to after death and we simply cease to exist. Rather than removing the thing of which we are afraid, which is impossible, the knowledge of why we fear is the key to removing that fear, which is done by recognizing the causes from which those fears originate.

1. Fear Inventory — Effect

Remember, that we cannot neutralize fear by neutralizing the thing of which we are afraid. When we do that we destroy relationships, opportunities, and become self-defeating. The rules of life do not change simply because we resent them. Believing ourselves required but unable to neutralize death, for instance, those of us who are driven by a fear of death plead to the divine to spare us from it, make excuses for wrongdoing, and foment fear and self-pity, concocting magnificent schemes which seek to facilitate the subversion of fear but in so doing simply serve to empower it and increase our mental, spiritual, and physical suffering. 

A person who is truly unafraid instead recognizes that it is okay that we die. That it is okay that we don’t know what happens after death. That the likelihood is death will care for us every bit as life has done. Ironically, those who desperately seek God and religion in the first place often do so because of intense fears of death, the unknown, and fate in general.

In truth it is impossible to subvert the things of which we are afraid. We cannot stop death. We cannot stop pain, or disappointment, inconvenience, rejection, heartache, loss, and challenges, and the inability to cope with this reality is one of the major problems which drives alcoholism and addiction. Instead of trying to control those things of which we are afraid, which is impossible to do anyway, under Effect we write what effect a particular fear has on our lives. Not the effect of the thing of which we are afraid—but possession of the fear and what this fear does to us. 

This is important because when we try to live in spite of our fears we are in fact ignoring or suppressing our fears and in turn ignore how they also control our lives. Recognizing that a fear of intimacy prevents us from growing close to others helps us see how we actually engineer the very self-defeating behaviors which get in our own way. The degree to which we fuck up our lives in response to fear is about ninety-percent of our day to day problems, and life in reality is a very lovely and amazing experience of which most of us are wholly ignorant because we perceive it largely through our fears and insecurities. 

The effect of fear of death is not to actually die, although it may actually increase our chances of dying since we might react to that fear in self-destructive ways, but the effect instead is to spend our entire lives always fearing the end, never actually enjoying the present, or even missing out on relationships or destroying them altogether because of our inability to handle the concept of death. 

Fears also of our children being failures may have the effect of stressing them out, aggravating interpersonal conflict, engendering animosity, resentment, stressing us out, preventing enjoyment of and feeling pride for our children, and even catalyzing through our behavior the very problems that we fear. Fear of authority may cause us to avoid or even antagonize authority figures, or miss out on opportunities for advancement altogether, or become ineffective when presented by challenges from authority figures. Fears make us sensitive to criticism, and so we may cling to destructive behaviors which impair our ability to succeed. Fear of accountability may prevent us from amending relationships when we have offended others and thus undermine or even lose those important relationships. Fear of failure may keep us from taking chances and acting on opportunity, or at the very least keep us from enjoying the success we have earned. Fear of illness not only keeps us from enjoying the health we do have but very often actually doing things which cause illness in the first place, resenting our body which is in truth only trying to take care of us. 

Fear of others prevents us from engaging in civics or prejudices us against people who would otherwise be neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters and amplifying political conflict and animosity, self-sabotaging our own wellbeing out of spite. We need other people to have relationships, but many of us are so afraid of sharing ourselves with others we actively withdraw from relationships rather than be vulnerable. Many of us are so afraid of life we would rather spend it fucked up, doing dangerous things and risking death when in fact understanding our fear and the trauma which caused it can free ourselves from the power of fear, no matter what actually happens in our lives. Thus, effect is not the effect that thing of which we are afraid, but the effect of having the fear in the first place. It is very important to understand this point because it is an exploration of the influence fear has over our behavior and conception of life, not the effect of those things we fear, because fear is the primary cause of ineffective action and choices which result in consequences which disrupt our lives and cause frustration and pain and not actually those things which we may fear. 

1. Fear Inventory — Better Way

Inventorying our fears flips the biological function of fear on its head, helping our mind to identify and address fear directly which neutralizes fear altogether and thus the very motivation to have our control mechanisms and insecurities in the first place. This relieves us of a great deal of suffering and stress since fear can be all-consuming at times, keeping us in a state of constant hyper-vigilance for threats to our person, and frees an enormous amount of emotional energy, time, and resources, turning our life over the Universe or your concept of a higher power which, unlike ourselves, is actually in charge of fate and most of the other things we have been afraid. 

No longer afraid of our bank account we actually manage it properly and accumulate wealth. No longer afraid of losing our children we actually spend time interacting with them and developing real emotional intimacy. No longer afraid of rejection we actually have fun dating, even when we get rejected, and take chances on healthy and inspiring adults of whom we were once also fearful.

Resolving fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones and excessive expression of acetylcholine. 

Normally if we have a fear of aging, or getting sick, or fat, we might think the way to deal with that fear is to go to the gym more, eat better, or try to lose weight. This is entirely wrong, because it is motivated by fear and continues to demonstrate a desire to control life and fear which is entirely impossible to do and exactly what drives our misery and ineffectiveness. 

In A Better Way we write an opposite way to consider the things of which we are afraid, especially as it pertains to trusting life to carry us through or our concept of a higher power and our place in the Universe, not on our own limited mortality but in terms of turning our lives over to fate, life, the laws of nature and reality, or a concept of God, to submit to these rules and realities rather than trying to control them. It is not a conception of what our life would be like without fear, nor the things we can or could do to try and control that of which we are afraid, but is a different way of thinking about those things which cause us fear. 

For instance, we never consider that there is actually such a thing as good conflict, or that both sides can often in fact be right at the same time during conflict, that everyone’s needs are legitimate and that conflict does not inherently require one winner and one who loses. Most relationships are often conducted this way, in competition at the expense of the other which results in acrimony and resentment. We can ask for what we need without taking from others. 

Rather than doing more things to control death, a better way might be to realize that it’s okay that we die. All people die, and it’s okay not to know what happens afterward. The same forces which placed us on this earth are also those responsible for taking us out, it is not our job to manage, plan, or anticipate death. Because of how biology works and the end of our sensory abilities you may also be surprised and relieved that death is not actually something we experience. We can also trust in life or a higher power to carry us through to the next stage of existence just as it brought us into this one. That rather than all the negativity we have been taught death is natural and good, because it makes room for new life and new people and carries us forward to the next stage of existence, whatever that may be.

Often we try to delude ourselves when facing fears, like “things will be okay,” or “death is a long ways off.” But these are not necessarily true and thus they fail to resolve fear. Very often things are not, in fact, okay. We often lose people or experience pain and heartache, so what good does your fear in the face of reality? Very often, recognizing that we fear something because it really does happen (which is part of the cause) is actually okay that it happens (in the better way). There really is nothing wrong with rejection, or death, or loss, only our deluded conceptions and denial which gives power to fear. Recognizing that sometimes the things of which we are afraid are real, but that it’s okay they happen can be a very empowering practice in a better way. We are still valuable if others reject us, conflict can actually be productive, money is fake and not actually that important, success merely serves as a way to attract relationships, validation, and attention which we can get from healthy relationships, no relationships last forever, new ones can always be found, people are mostly lovely, kind, and caring, healing is always possible, I have demonstrated resilience and persistence in the past and there is no reason to believe I won’t in the future. My parents had trauma that prevented them from raising me well, other people are hurting and deserving of compassion, life is cyclical and no one state ever persists. The Universe is looking out for me, regardless of the problems I must face. 

1. Inventory Practice and Success

The inventory therapy should be practiced daily and prioritized above all other activities until it is completed. During recovery our fears may compel us to continue fixating on jobs, relationships, success, and other obligations. But we can never achieve fulfillment in these pursuits if suffering from alcoholism and addiction, which can and does get in the way of creativity, productivity, success, and undermines relationships we require to be happy and successful.  

While at first it can be daunting to practice inventory, this is simply a fear of the unknown and of letting go of control, because we have never done it before. But trying to make ourselves do inventory is a also control, and demonstrates a lack of compassion for our experiences as we have been so well conditioned to do. 

Instead, inventorying the inventory therapy can help clarify why we experience resistance to taking care of needs. Inventory might be boring, or threatening, it requires time and attention when we would rather be making money or looking for sex or playing video games. Like the rest of our lives to this point, willing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do is the withholding of self-compassion. Of course inventory therapy is boring and uncomfortable and we would rather not do it. Inventorying that in a resentment entry and the associated fears of letting go of control can help us understand our own motivations and thus clear away resistance. 

Many people only do as much inventory as is minimally helpful to resolve the worst parts of their life experience, and continue to live year after year still struggling to find resolution to destructive perceptions of life and intense fears and insecurities, because we cannot willfully change such things which require introspective therapy such as inventory therapy accomplishes. 

If it is prioritized, inventory therapy very quickly becomes associated with relief as good or better than a drink or a hit because it permanently removes trauma, insecurity, regret, remorse, resentment, and fear simply by sitting down and doing the writing. The only requirement being abstinent and clear-headed and a pen and paper. The therapy is the writing practice, and no more is required, no attitude adjustment, no willpower, just dedicated practice. Communicating with the subconscious in this structured therapy helps the subconscious become aware of the conflict between our ego and our best interests, and when presented with new experiences and stimuli in the future addressed by the inventory behavior will naturally change as the subconscious tries new approaches automatically in dealing with stress. 

Sometimes some trauma is so deep it requires multiple entries before a true understanding and resolution can occur. Simply making new entries as required when these fears or frustrations are triggered is all that is required until it is fully resolved. 

This is a practice, and while it can be completed in as little as two weeks if a person dedicates an abundance of time each day, it is also a tool to assist us in everyday life moving forward as needed, but it must be completed (everything from the past you can possibly remember) to enact the kind of permanent resolution of psychological trauma and the finding of unrivaled confidence, peace, and happiness, and thus the resolution of learned hopelessness which underlies addiction and alcoholism.

1. Prevention
1. Abuse

Although it may seem obvious, preventing the kind of abuse and neglect as what catalyzes alcoholism and addiction is the key to its prevention. Very many parents are allowed to abuse their children as long as it is not physical and severe enough to be reported to child protective services. But abusive parents, like the alcoholic or addict, do not possess better self-care and parenting skills such as is taught by the inventory therapy.

Empowering parents with the tools to handle trauma, frustration, and conflict such as is taught in this program can help parents feel calmer and more effective both in their obligations as parents and in their partnership and other relationships, which in turn prevents abuse, but also models such tools for their own children to also in turn feel empowered to care for their own needs and meet life’s challenges. 

Empowerment is the key to undoing both parental abuse and neglect and alcoholism and addiction, so sharing these therapies even with people who are not alcoholics and addicts for more effective parenting experiences is the key to undoing systemic alcoholism and addiction.

1. Diet

Feeding children high quantities of potato, especially the skins, can very strongly promote the development of alcoholism and addiction. Potatoes are delicious, just serve them a few times a week instead of most days, and always peel potatoes. The other nightshade foods, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, etc., are not as harmful, but they can still contribute if they are abundant in the diet, so integrating other options and orienting the diet to foods which are not in the nightshade family and instead enjoying these in smaller quantities can help to prevent the development of addiction and alcoholism.

Common wheat, being highly inflammatory, can cause a myriad of childhood health problems and set the stage for later alcoholism and addiction, especially when combined with abuse and other excessive and unnecessary stresses. Ear infections, for instance, are caused by bacteria opportunistically colonizing swollen ear canals caused by reactions to common wheat gluten. Common wheat is also usually fortified with iron, and excess iron promotes pathogenic microbes which are even more dependent on iron for their growth than we are, so avoiding common wheat is also helpful for this reason (ingredients on food labels that contain iron say iron or ferric or ferrous compounds). 

Children are designed by nature to especially benefit from fruit, so a diet which is high in fruit for growing children will not only help promote a healthy gut microbiome and prevent alcoholism and addiction but also better overall development in every facet of growth. 

1. Environment

Sunlight deprivation catalyzes depression, and over time can increase sensitivity to stress. Children should have daily, ample exposure to sunlight at hours which do not risk sunburn. Both glass and sunblock prevent vitamin D synthesis (and sunblock often contains toxic chemicals), so avoid excessive sun exposure when it is especially intense, around midday, and instead get sun in the early or later times or play in areas which are partially shaded.

Many of our cities and towns are build and designed around cars, and as such make it dangerous for children to play outside. In fact, the loneliness and separation which permeates suburban lifestyles is a significant promoter of depression and alcoholism and addiction. Redesigning infrastructure to accommodate  safe and protected biking can empower children to travel to school, the homes of friends, or sports activities without always requiring a chaperone. The Netherlands is a country which models this example perfectly, they have the happiest kids in the entire world, low crime rates, and one of the lowest rates of alcoholism by country (those that ban alcohol don’t count, they just have a lot of dry drunks). 

Social integration, support, love, emotional availability are the antidotes to alcoholism, which is why empowering parents to resolve their own trauma can prevent the development of alcoholism and addiction in children. But kids can get and also need support from other members of their immediate society—extended family living nearby, friends, role models, etc. which can only be facilitated by living within communities that can easily access one another, which means also living in and designing infrastructure to provide immediate access to other people and not one which is centered around and dependent on driving. Social media has filled this role and need for many young people because our cities and towns are largely built to separate us from each other, and kids can often only find the access to friends, information, and engagement through the internet. There is nothing wrong with social media in general, and access to the internet is one of the factors which has driven down crime in many places because people feel more empowered and not so alone and disenfranchised. But it’s negative sides such as fomenting extremism, harassment, and volatile political discord is a product first of loneliness and isolation which makes people vulnerable to exploitation, and many extremists and reactionaries are untreated alcoholics and drug addicts, so addressing the underlying causes of alcoholism and addiction will keep children from becoming victims to those elements of the internet. 

1. Conclusion

Alcoholism and addiction have only been incurable because of the biases and prejudices which permeate even scientific and medical research, but mostly society as a whole, treating mental illness and those who struggle with trauma and the human condition as pariahs, withholding compassion and empathy from those who need it most. Because of this work, alcoholism and addiction no longer need be a disease that any person on earth should suffer, so this document can and should be shared with every institution, group, or individual affected by alcoholism and addiction, to promote awareness and empowerment. 

Very often alcoholics and addicts are so ill they do not have the capacity to help themselves, so it behooves family, friends, and society to assist them, which cannot be done if they do not understand how this disease works. 

It does require that alcoholics and addicts be willing to participate in therapy, but staging interventions or getting institutional assistance can be a great support. Contact recovery organizations in your local community for resources, ask for help, and learn the inventory therapy yourself which can help you to teach it to others, leading by example and empowered by the resolution of your own trauma. 

All therapists, counselors, and medical professionals who work with addicts and alcoholics must learn and practice the inventory therapy themselves, otherwise it will be impossible to assist those who need it. We cannot, after all, give what we do not have. But it can also help to insulate professionals from the stresses of interacting with and dealing with these patients, since it can often be a frustrating experience. 

Alcoholism and addiction are no longer untreatable. If it wasn’t clear before, this is a permanent cure of the disease, not simply a recovery program, and if done correctly it is possible to again enjoy alcohol and minor recreational drug use like marijuana in the same manner as healthy people who do not abuse them. But in order for this to occur an alcoholic or addict must be able to sustain sobriety for about two or three years. Any intense desire to use drugs or alcohol are still a sign that recovery is not complete, and more work must be done on resolving the biochemical and psychological stresses which underlying the disease, or else this risks relapse. Deluded thinking and trivialization of stress, drinking, or drug use are definite signs that psychological therapy is not complete. Many people only do the inventory therapy enough to resolve their most egregious and inconvenient mental stresses, but do not finish it and thus continue to persist with emotional trauma and control and coping mechanisms which will absolutely result in relapse. Want to drink again in the future? Finish the inventory and take care of your body first.

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The Biological and Psychological Nature of Addiction and Alcoholism and Novel Strategies to Their Resolution

Nathan Guy Hatch

December 2025

This document is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license. This means you are free to copy and distribute this document in its entirety, but may not alter nor cause it to be altered in any way (it may be translated into other languages so long as no changes are made to any of its content). Proper attribution should also be credited to the author. Commercial use of this document is strictly forbidden (meaning you cannot sell it or make money from it).

By taking or using this document you agree to these terms set forth at 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode

Please occasionally check back to the original source (fuckportioncontrol.com and
Nathan Hatch) for updated versions

1. Introduction

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction

1. Acetylcholine
2. Acetylcholine and Stress
3. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
4. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine
5. Drugs and Acetylcholine
6. Diet and Acetylcholine
7. Sunlight and Acetylcholine
8. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine

1. Defining Addiction

1. Not Addiction
2. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior
3. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease

1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology
2. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

Treatment

1. Emergency Care

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy
2. Alcohol and Acetic acid

Sodium Acetate

1. Sugar Therapy
2. Light Therapy
3. Niacinamide

Vitamin C

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

Recovery Diet

1. Coffee and Caffeine
2. Taurine
3. Treating Psychological factors
4. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

12-step Programs

1. Relearning Life Lessons
2. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

Self-compassion

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity
2. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Social Support

Inventory Therapy

1. Preparation

1. Abstinence

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy
2. Personal Inventory — Resentment
3. Personal Inventory — Cause
4. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt
5. Personal Inventory — My Part
6. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses
7. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fear Inventory — Cause

1. Fear Inventory — Effect
2. Fear Inventory — Better Way
3. Inventory Practice and Success

Prevention

Abuse

1. Diet

Environment

Conclusion

1. Introduction

Alcoholism and Addiction have been a plague on mankind for most of history. Completely misunderstood, addicts and alcoholics and their family and friends are often fated to a lifetime of conflict because no medical research has yet knowingly uncovered the pathways which mediate this condition. Yet even as we slam atomic particles together and live-video call across the world, addiction and alcoholism are still often treated as a personal problem with willpower. In truth, alcoholism and addiction are every bit diseases as any other metabolic condition such as diabetes, cancer, and mental illness as what affect human life and mortality, as we do not control the function of the brain and other organs. While Anonymous programs and some medical support have great benefit for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, its biological and psychological origination is almost entirely un-elucidated, condemning many people to a life of suffering as families and communities afflicted by this universal disease remain untreated.

It turns out that causes of Alcoholism and Addiction are actually quite straightforward and pretty simple to understand, as elucidated by this paper, and are already supported by existing, established science though even the authors of such studies were unaware of this fact at the time of their publication. This document seeks to enlighten and educate others to the underlying causes as well as effective treatment for those afflicted by conditions of alcoholism and addiction, especially its prevention. For more information not included in this document or for help with problems understanding or applying this information please visit www.natehatch.com. In the interest of efficiency and clarity, citations are not here provided but most scientific claims herein may be easily and independently confirmed at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. A few claims in this document are the result of Nathan’s own academic work, research, and personal experience in dealing with the condition of addiction and alcoholism and its successful resolution through the methods indicated herein, and are not yet supported by any existing studies as of the publication date of this document.

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction
1. Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is an important excitatory (stimulating) neurotransmitter involved in addiction and alcoholism which mediates consciousness, learning, and memory in the human brain and nervous system. Consciousness, learning, and memory are in fact all the same biological function—as memory is consciousness is also learning—and acetylcholine is the primary mediator of this neurological function.

Being the mediator of learning, memory, and consciousness, acetylcholine is released when we experience stimuli to both record experiences and retrieve prior deposited information such as when learning to speak, learning to play the piano, what body posture to adopt around people we like or around those we don’t, how fast to cross a busy street, how to handle our parents, meeting a dog, getting into arguments, or that we get scared of the dark or our bank account. Acetylcholine also has other neurological functions like dilation of the cardiovascular system or the induction of sweating.

1. Acetylcholine and Stress

Acetylcholine is expressed in greater quantity during stressful stimuli such as interpersonal conflict, physical threats or harm, receiving of unwanted attention, scrutiny, shame, and guilt, experiences of loss, and onerous responsibility or obligation in those with low-self esteem or deficiency of confidence. In terms of human evolutionary development this increase occurs during stress because experiences of stress must be more strongly imprinted on our mind and development, as a survival mechanism to prepare animals both proverbially and literally for threats to our wellbeing, development, and survival. If this did not occur we would not be adequately prepared to meet threats to our wellbeing with awareness and action from the imprinting of learned lessons derived from such experiences. In evolutionary terms, encountering a wild predator while walking through the forest stimulates greater expression of acetylcholine so we can better remember that predators are dangerous. In evolutionary terms, our survival was simply not threatened by nice things like hugs and butterflies, so excess acetylcholine does not occur during oppositely pleasant and enjoyable experiences. 

Because more acetylcholine expression is stimulated by stress, experiences like getting spanked or being hit as a child, our parents fighting, ridicule or rejection by peers, teachers or other adults making fun of us, being threatened with hell or spiritual punishment, sexual assault and sexual abuse, loss of possessions, or hunger or financial stress are also sources of excessive acetylcholine expression. If such stimuli are regular and constant during growth and development in childhood, excessive acetylcholine expression is also constant during growth and development which in turn causes the brain to imprint both a greater quantity and intensity of negative experiences than children raised in less stressful environments, thereby conditioning the brain of that child to experience greater psychological stress throughout their development and thereby come to regard life with constant anxiety, trepidation, anticipation, hypervigilance, etc.

Being deprived of effective life skills and emotional tools as is also a common experience also powerfully compounds stress and acetylcholine expression due to an inability to effectively handle stressful life experiences and thus makes stressful experiences even more stressful, frightening, demoralizing, or otherwise traumatizing than they might be should a child or person have otherwise been empowered with effective coping skills which will relieve that stress. For instance, a person whom never learns how to effectively handle the experience of rejection experiences greater acetylcholine release and neurological stress when confronted by the experience of rejection or the threat of rejection. Later in life when presented with opportunities for rejection such as seeking inclusion in a group, holding a job, or romantic partnering a person lacking the skill to handle rejection while also burdened with stressful imprinting of previous experiences of rejection and heightened acetylcholine will experience immense stress surrounding those experiences compared to someone without such experiences and excess acetylcholine. 

Oppositely, effective life skills and coping mechanisms increase feelings of empowerment and thus decrease stress and acetylcholine excess in response to stressful stimuli. A person who did learn effective coping skills for rejection is only nominally stressed by those experiences and thus experiences normal acetylcholine expression, since acetylcholine expression is increased by stress and their stress is lessened due to empowerment with effective skills.

Thus, because stress promotes acetylcholine and acetylcholine also promotes stress, the more stress a person experiences during their developmental years the more stress they feel in turn from stressful stimuli when they are grown, becoming more and more conditioned to feel stress, to anticipate stress, and to feel stressed during stress. So when confronted with stressful stimuli such as managing a bank account, interpersonal conflict, or negative conceptions of self worth an addict or alcoholic becomes paralyzed by fear and insecurity disproportionate to the stimuli due to exaggerated neurological expression of acetylcholine and its effects on imprintation, cognition, emotions, and other functions of acetylcholine such as heart rate, sweating, arousal, etc.

1. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus

The dorsal raphe nucleus is the serotonergic center of the brain (produces, regulates, and responds to serotonin). Contrary to common belief, even among the scientific community, serotonin is not actually a hormone of ‘happiness’ but is instead a hormone of biological torpor, most commonly demonstrated by the function of hibernation (torpor means to slow things down) which is triggered by spikes in serotonin and its derivative, melatonin. Serotonin is confusingly and errantly associated with depression because its torporific effects can have the appearance of therapy in manic-depressive states (now called bipolar disorder) for which it was originally studied, since the introduction or upregulation of serotonin can sedate or subdue someone in a manic state. But this is also why serotonergic drugs often come with increased risks of suicide, which is paradoxical if serotonin is the hormone of ‘happiness,’ because serotonin in fact induces torpor, not happiness. Profound psychological stress such as PTSD damages the dorsal raphe nucleus which afterward then begins to chronically express greater quantities of serotonin than before injury. Since serotonin is a hormone of torpor, not happiness, this then results in conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, etc. 

Not widely recognized, serotonin is also the hormone of shame and guilt, which is why those with alcoholism and addiction always suffer from debilitating fixation on shame and guilt, because trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus by highly stressful, unresolved experiences of trauma results in an excess production of serotonin and thus chronic feelings of guilt and shame.

This function of the dorsal raphe nucleus was uncovered during horrifying research conducted on rats and dogs in the discovery of a condition called Learned Helplessness and the effect of inescapable torture on the function of the brain, which is characterized by failure to act, even when presented with an opportunity to do so, in which an animal will refrain from escape attempts even when their life is in danger. But the term hopelessness is a better characterization of the condition, marked by a deep sense of despair and unmotivated to extract oneself from negativity, not ignorance to ability as helplessness implies. Research on this condition is thus termed learned helplessness but should be termed learned hopelessness as sufferers do not lack knowledge of how to act but motivation that action is worthwhile, and the use of the word helplessness biases treatment and recovery to fault those whom are ill rather than correctly identifying biology as the origination of illness.   

Learned hopelessness is then the condition of the dorsal raphe being traumatized to the point of chronically expressing excess torporific serotonin in response to unresolved trauma, to which the body responds with increased acetylcholine expression to overcome the torporific effect of serotonin. While this state may seem paradoxical to the survival of an organism, it is actually the primary biological adaptation to predation, meant by biology to spare prey animals excessive suffering during the act of being predated, through catastrophic release of torporific hormones like serotonin which mediate shock and cognitive dissociation to reduce suffering. As animals, humans also have this response, but where stresses sufficient to induce such trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus in our evolutionary past would have lead to the expiration of an individual, our technological and social advancements in food, sanitation, and medicine instead permits us to survive profound stress and continue to persist in spite of extreme trauma. This problem is best demonstrated in conditions of PTSD in which sufferers find it nearly impossible to extricate themselves, because the problem is not only psychological but literal physical injury to the raphe nucleus to which it responds by chronically expressing excess serotonin which then keeps the brain and body in a constant state of metabolic torpor. 

Such damage to the raphe nucleus is reversible but requires very specific intervention as described later in this paper, which most people are not likely to encounter spontaneously. As this state increases acetylcholine expression, the conditions of alcoholism and addiction are thus neurological disorders. 

1. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine

Alcohol destroys acetylcholine, a fact that all medical professionals and researchers should know, which confirms the condition of of alcoholism being mediated by an excess of acetylcholine, and alcohol thus relieves those with alcoholism of the literal physical and psychological stress of alcoholism by neutralizing excess acetylcholine. 

But because acetylcholine facilitates learning, memory, and consciousness, drinking alcohol to excess can and does induce blackout and loss of consciousness. What is worse is that because acetylcholine is required for learning, the act of drinking to excess also causes failure to learn from mistakes or consequences while intoxicated, since the chemical required to imprint learning is inhibited, which is the reason why alcoholics have such a difficult time abstaining from drink even after highly negative experiences from drinking to excess such as interpersonal conflict and injury, because they literally do not well remember those consequences as a result of being intoxicated in the first place. This is also why abstinence is required for recovery, because learning new life skills to empower an alcoholic and relieve the condition of learned hopelessness cannot occur if alcohol use continues because alcohol literally inhibits the neurochemical required to mediate learning of new skills and imprintation of new, positive life experiences to replace those old, traumatizing experiences which catalyzed the condition.

This problem is even more dire than appears, however, as the more alcohol a person consumes the more the body also upregulates acetylcholine expression, to replace that which is lost. This is why withdrawal from severe alcoholism can even be fatal and must be medically managed to avoid death, because the rebound of acetylcholine after long term, extremely excessive alcohol abuse can be so high it literally kills the person through overstimulation of the nervous system (although this mechanism has not been known previously since the role of acetylcholine in these conditions also has not been known). That acetylcholine can rise high enough to actually kill a person during withdrawal should plainly demonstrate its participation in this condition, to cause literally excruciating physical discomfort which compels alcoholics to reach for the cheapest and mostly widely available medicine to treat excess acetylcholine—alcohol. 

1. Drugs and Acetylcholine

Similar to alcohol, drugs of abuse either inhibit acetylcholine release or oppose the harmful effects of acetylcholine. For instance, although marijuana actually increases acetylcholine expression (which accounts for the time dilation effects experienced by marijuana users) it also lowers adrenaline which is otherwise stimulated by acetylcholine and thus relieves users of the stressful effects of acetylcholine. This is why marijuana also stimulates appetite, because a primary function of adrenaline is to release glucose from glycogen and maintain circulating blood sugar. So marijuana induces relaxation by inhibiting a stressful function of acetylcholine without inhibiting acetylcholine itself.

Heroin and other opiates also increase acetylcholine expression but they also simultaneously stimulate dopamine release, which is normally lowered by excess acetylcholine, which then also acts to block the stressful effects of acetylcholine. Cocaine not only raises dopamine but also causes cells to dump serotonin (which results in its excess circulation but this temporarily relieves cells of its torporific effects), to temporarily relieve users of the stress of excess acetylcholine. The reason acetylcholine lowers dopamine is because acetylcholine excess is associated with stress and it would be evolutionarily counterproductive to induce dopamine during threats to our wellbeing, as an animal would then feel joy from things which are in fact a threat. This is in fact why drugs and alcohol promote self-destructive and even dangerous behavior, because they do just that, inhibiting the stress response from negative experiences and instead causing release of pleasurable neurological and endocrinological factors so that users instead seek them.

Methamphetamine causes incredible excess of dopamine (275% to 2,473% according to one study), which counteracts the increase in acetylcholine better than other drugs, but meth also promotes an increase in acetylcholine release which then also likely accounts for the rapid physical deterioration of meth users since acetylcholine stimulates cellular excitation which in turn causes cells to become depleted of energy and nutrients, but the sheer excess of dopamine it promotes masks the negative feelings and physical stress that would normally be felt by such high acetylcholine and physical deterioration.

Nicotine mimics acetylcholine and temporarily replaces its function in neurological pathways, thus preventing some of the physical stress caused by acetylcholine specifically, while also promoting dopamine release. This is a reason why nicotine withdrawal is so difficult because, opposite to alcohol, nicotine replaces the function of acetylcholine, which downregulates its natural expression to experience a deficiency rather than excess during withdrawal, and thus desires for the stimulatory effect of nicotine to replace that lost from downregulated acetylcholine during chronic nicotine use, but is also why nicotine is often used by those recovering from alcoholism, since nicotine downregulates general acetylcholine expression.

In summary, alcohol destroys acetylcholine while drugs either regulate acetylcholine expression or counteract its negative effects in various ways depending on the specific substance.

1. Diet and Acetylcholine

While stress is a primary mediator of acetylcholine regulation, diet actually has the greatest influence, because acetylcholine is a chemical it is also affected by dietary and environmental regulation. Most consequently, the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant contain glycoalkaloid toxins meant to kill nematodes (tiny parasites) by inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which regulates acetylcholine levels, and kills nematode pests by the same mechanism as alcohol withdrawal, which is overstimulation of the nervous system by an excess of acetylcholine. This demonstrates how toxic acetylcholine can be, as excess can be so great as to actually kill an organism. Though we are many times larger than nematodes and do not directly recognize the harmful effects of exposure to many dietary nightshades they can and do still destroy our acetylcholinesterase and thus cause increase in acetylcholine. There are, in fact, recorded instances of death by consumption of green potato, which has even higher levels of solanine than usual, and populations with high dependence on potatoes, eggplant, and peppers and tomatoes do have correspondingly higher rates of alcoholism. Other dietary factors like frequent starvation and dieting, a poorly nutritive diet, or dysregulation of the gut microbiome due to dietary factors can and do also affect acetylcholine regulation.

Nutritional and environmental factors is why alcoholism and addiction have previously appeared to lack a common denominator, and alcoholics and addicts come from all walks of life with a wide range of demographics in age, wealth, and ethnic backgrounds, because diet and food traditions such as peeling potatoes or not (the peel contains the greatest quantity of the glycoalkaloid solanine) can greatly affect acetylcholine and neurological stress in addition to psychological and emotional stress. A child is a far likelier to develop alcoholism or addiction if they are thus raised in a home that is emotionally volatile while also receiving a diet high in nightshades and other dietary factors which dysregulate acetylcholine homeostasis, yet a child in a good home can still develop alcoholism if they are fed a diet which affects acetylcholine homeostasis, and a child in an abusive home can still avoid the condition if fed a diet which strongly protects them from acetylcholine dysregulation. 

Removal of dietary stresses as nightshade plants can make recovery far more rapid and complete. But inflammatory foods like common wheat (because of difficult to digest gluten) or polyunsaturated fats (canola oil, soy oil, vegetable oil, etc., which more susceptible to peroxidation) can also promote excessive acetylcholine because of inflammation’s effect on acetylcholine and physical recovery, as the parasympathetic nervous system responds to inflammation and low metabolic respiration by expressing greater acetylcholine to stimulate fatigued cells, which must be rescued by a good diet and good dietary behaviors such as consistently sustaining blood sugar as described further in this document. Potatoes and eggplant are the most potent dietary sources of glycoalkaloids and should be entirely replaced by other options until a full recovery is made. Occasional consumption of tomatoes and peppers is not usually a problem, but daily consumption will certainly prevent recovery.

1. Sunlight and Acetylcholine

Environmental factors also contribute to high acetylcholine expression, such as excessive darkness and deficiency of sunlight. This is why many populations nearer the poles have higher rates of alcoholism. Light exposure also lowers serotonin release while deficiency increases it, due to our vestigial hibernation response and circadian rhythms. As primates we actually never lost our hibernation response but instead possess an anti-hibernation response which is mediated by a rise in adrenaline, mediated by an increase in acetylcholine. If this were not the case, humans would also still hibernate when wintertime comes, or other deficiency of light, but this also means that excessive sequestration indoors or other chronic light deficiency also increases acetylcholine and stress. Daily sun exposure, as much as possible without getting sunburned, is also required to prevent or resolve conditions like alcoholism and addiction. The ability to benefit from sun exposure is also dependent on other dietary factors like dietary carotenoids, which can be supported through a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables as is possible (more information on factors like these are discussed in Nathan’s other works).

1. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine 

Because acetylcholine’s primary function is to facilitate consciousness, which increases during stress, reduction of stress is imperative to any recovery effort, to lower excess acetylcholine expression as much as possible without artificial or pharmacological intervention (the taking of drugs and alcohol in the first place is a pharmacological intervention and does not work to cause recovery because acetylcholine expression must be restored to normal without dependence on medication). 

It is common for those suffering addiction or alcoholism to patronize recovery homes and institutions. These services provide relief not only from the assistance of other humans but also the temporary break from real life. The problem is that such relief is only temporary and, in places like the United States which do not provide their citizens with healthcare, is often dependent on the ability to pay for support. So when residence at a recovery home is over, returning to real life and exposure to stressful stimuli simply results in resumption of excessive acetylcholine expression and thus relapse.

Recovery groups such as the Anonymous programs similarly promote recovery through stress mitigation, which occurs both by social support and empowerment with new skills as mentors facilitate new learning experiences to their members. But lacking knowledge of the biological origins and factors of alcoholism and addiction these programs fail to achieve a high rate of recovery and also frequently indoctrinate participants to not expect a cure, which further debilitates total recovery as this idea itself is a hopelessness function. Some derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous also adulterated the original format to include language and practices which continue to blame participants for their condition, such as the practice of denying participants the opportunity to talk about the experience of being intoxicated and the risk of ‘triggering,’ other participants but which unintentionally further imprints experiences of stress and hopelessness even within the recovery program.

Constant stress relief must be practiced by anyone seeking recovery, since it is not possible to live indefinitely in recovery homes or programs, and all of life should be treated as a recovery center—learning and practicing self-care skills, resolving trauma, and refraining from stressful obligations and situations as much as possible such as by staying well-fed, engaging in fun and relaxation, and associating with persons which genuinely care for our wellbeing while avoiding those whom do not. Career ambitions, negative body image, and relationships are often major sources of stress, and putting such concerns on hold as discussed later in this document until after a full recovery and self-empowerment can be achieved can provide relief. 

1. Defining Addiction
1. Not Addiction

Addiction is mediated by dysregulation of the neurochemical acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters like dopamine, and the term ‘addiction’ used casually in the colloquial lexicon leads to classifying some behaviors as addiction which are not actually addictions. Fundamentally, a human being cannot be addicted to things which are part of our human needs and biology, both biological and psychological, such as sugar, food, or love and sex. Sugar is a chemical storage form of energy required by our biology to run metabolic pathways. Cocaine is not, and the equivocation of sugar and drug abuse as is so common in treatment culture and scientific/medical research is both incorrect and amoral. What humans feel during “sugar addiction” is in fact the consequences of carbohydrate deficiency and its effects on raising stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which function in part to help raise blood sugar to keep us alive but which is achieved then by catabolizing glycogen and lean muscle into useable sugars.

Like drugs and alcohol, sugar lowers stress, but unlike drugs and alcohol this is due to the mediation of satiation and resultant production of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which sustains life and is required for life, while drugs and alcohol simply ‘hack’ human biology by altering the normal expression of neurochemicals. Failing to recognize that desires for sugar is simply the need to eat carbohydrate while the desire for drugs and alcohol is a neurological addiction to substances which alter feelings of stress prevents addicts from actively recovering because sugar lowers stress through the natural function of human biology, and that sugar is in fact required to make a full recovery due to the resultant production in ATP and other effects (such as the production of CO2) of dietary carbohydrate which sustain biological metabolism as required by our biology to stay alive.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to lower stress, and it can be done through safer mechanisms such as keeping blood sugar sustained at all times rather than shooting heroin, and equating sugar to drug addiction is a gross denigration of the human condition which purposefully conflates completely disparate substances due to human desires for control of biological limitations and mortal vulnerabilities. Molecules like fructose-6-phosphate, for instance, are crucial for most metabolic pathways, and nearly the entirety of all glucose which enters cells for participation in metabolism is first converted to fructose before consumption in the citric acid cycle and mitochondrial electron transport chain which produce the ATP (energy) which keeps us alive. 

Dietary fructose also more rapidly replenishes glycogen, and also prevents the excessive release of glucose from glycogen storage even during excessive adrenaline expression, helping not only to sustain and preserve glycogen but to also increase ATP production and mitochondrial respiration. Testicles are also sites of high fructose concentrations and fructose metabolism as it is a necessary component for production of testosterone and sperm, and lots of libido problems in both men and women come directly from sugar starvation which then has the effect of increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs because of the direct metabolic consequences of depriving the body of carbohydrate. 

Claiming that sugar is addictive is equal to claiming that air or water are addictive, as sugar is required every bit as much as oxygen and water to keep the body from dying, and during states of extreme sugar deprivation our body even reverse synthesizes sugar from protein in the process of gluconeogenesis, and if it did not do this every human whom engaged in dieting behaviors would simply die, which is why abstinence from sugar causes such extreme physical and mental stress. 

Healthy forms of sugar like fruit are certainly preferable to junk food, but even well-made, high quality candy such as taffy or pectin-containing fruit gems can effectively help promote recovery from alcoholism and addiction by lowering stress and stress hormones, both physically and psychologically, without the cognitive impairment as what occurs from use of substances such as alcohol and drugs. 

Sex and pornography addiction are also not addiction but a biological response to metabolic stress, mediated by excess nitric oxide which compels the human mating response and arousal in an individual who is colonized by opportunistic pathogens and at risk of expiry, as an evolutionary adaptation to promote procreation during stresses which might have otherwise caused early demise to our evolutionary ancestors. Reproduction is one of the most important biological functions of any species and for this reason it is also one of the last systems impaired by illness, but when stress becomes excessive a human’s mating instincts are increased to the point it can feel like addiction (compulsory), but because it is not addiction it is never successfully treated by behavioral intervention and instead must be achieved through nutritional, environmental, and medical interventions which are beyond the scope of this paper. More information on sex addiction can be found at www.natehatch.com and associated media content, specifically the book Fuck Portion Control in the chapter on erectile dysfunction.

Other behaviors which appear to be addictions such as gambling, excessive playing of video games, or adrenaline “addiction” are also not addictions but can benefit from some of the therapies presented in this paper, as they are problems of insufficient self-care, coping skills, and emotional fulfillment, factors also of real addiction, but since they are coping mechanisms and not products of neurochemical dysfunction dependent on exogenous chemicals they are also not true addictions. Addiction is neurological disorder which motivates the willful and chronic abuse of chemical substances, not coping behaviors which simply alleviate stress or emotional dissatisfaction.

1. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior

Clinical addiction is incorrectly defined as reward seeking behavior, pejoratively associated with the hormone dopamine, and as such includes a very broad set of supposed subcategories like sex addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction, gambling addiction, etc., which are not actually addictions and thus undermines research, progress, and treatment of real addiction, and used also to simply shame people for having problems and ineffective ability to cope with stress and life. 

The negative conception of reward is also a consequence of negative conceptions of human life, functions, and experiences, and is in fact prejudice infecting medical and scientific research. Reward (i.e. dopamine) is not a peril of human behavior but is in reality an instinctual survival adaptation possessed of all animals which promote successful behaviors by communicating to the organism what behaviors result in success just as stressful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released when creatures encounter harm, loss, and stress to communicate the potentially harmful nature of those experiences. 

When discussing ‘reward seeking behavior’ and dopamine release it is rarely discussed that this response does not come only from such activities as drug abuse but also from things like giving or receiving a hug, talking with a loved one, accomplishing goals, having a great meal, creating a new relationship, doing well at work, or learning a new skill. Whenever professionals or lay person negatively characterize reward they always refer to things like sex, food, or drugs due to inherited biases about things like self-control, indulgence, willpower, etc., but sex is good and healthy and reflects personal biases against sex and sexual behaviors, or eating disorders and unhealthy attitudes about food which motivate them. Characterizing pornography use as a reward seeking behavior but not finishing homework or getting a new job as reward seeking behavior is entirely a prejudicial bias rooted in shame and trauma that has nothing to do with the real function of dopamine, reward, and addiction, where addiction and its associated behaviors are purely the instinctual self-treatment of the discomfort caused by excess acetylcholine which can instead be achieved by other, healthy methods such as self-care and management of dopamine through ways which are not harmful. Use of the term ‘reward seeking behavior’ should be categorically excised from dialogue, discussion, research, and treatment of addiction except in the affirmation that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with reward seeking behavior.

1. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

Misunderstanding what is and what is not addiction is especially unhelpful for those recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction because addicts commonly adopt further stressful behaviors like dieting, excessive exercise, sex abstinence, or negative self-opinions which reduce rates of recovery due to elevation of stress, stress hormones, and acetylcholine which occurs from the inducement of stress in those not empowered to handle that stress, such as avoiding sugar, the stress of which then increases risk of relapse. Alcohol is a sugar, actually, and one of the reasons for its abuse is that it replaces sugar in those purposefully avoiding sugar and promotes high metabolic activity that would otherwise be achieved through regular intake of healthy sugar sources which in turn temporarily relieves the physical and mental stress underlying addiction, and many people who diet and starve themselves use alcohol because they don’t consider alcohol to be a sugar, which it is. 

Recognizing that sugar is required for our wellbeing and supplying adequate carbohydrate during recovery, especially sugar and especially from good sources like fruit, is highly therapeutic for recovery since strongly preempts cravings for alcohol. Comparing delicious food items to crack or saying we are addicted to chocolate is not a problem, but characterizing addictions as negative behaviors and including taboo coping behaviors in those characterizations undermines the benefit that would otherwise be found in the proper characterization of addiction and alcoholism as neurological illness which cannot be properly treated when bias, prejudice, and ignorance are part of the treatment plan. Recognition that dopamine is the true ‘happiness’ hormone and functions in biology to reinforce experiences which fulfill the needs of an organism will also greatly assist caregivers, professionals, researchers, and the afflicted to understand why hacking biology with exogenous chemicals as drugs and alcohol artificially stimulates feelings which can and should be achieved in ways which truly support and care for the human body and mind and not only those which bring temporary relief.

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease
1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology

Because the purpose of alcohol abuse and drug abuse is to treat acetylcholine dysregulation caused by damage to the dorsal raphe nucleus by excessive stressful stimuli, both alcoholism and addiction are the same disease and are neurological learning disorders.

1. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

The neurological condition underlying alcoholism and addiction is the state of learned hopelessness as earlier described, characterized by trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus and resultant dysregulation of acetylcholine. This condition may or may not present with self-medication by drugs or alcohol abuse—while most likely do use substances to self-medicate many people do have this disease but do not self-medicate, which leaves them unlikely to seek treatment or even recognize that treatment would be useful for the problems they experience from having this condition, such as highly volatile interpersonal relationships and a general inability to handle common life stresses as financial responsibility, parenting, relationships, etc.

Prominent symptoms of this condition are emotional volatility accompanied by atypical fear and anxiety when confronting common stressful stimuli as finances, authority figures, work, responsibility, criticism, interpersonal conflict, failure, maintenance of relationships, rejection, death, religion, socialization, sociopolitical dynamics, etc. Many people, however, do also abuse prescription drugs without recognizing that they are actively abusing drugs because of the perceived institutional legitimacy of legal drugs. 

This condition also requires an effective name and classification which fully encompasses the entire nature of the disease but also counteracts the taboos and prejudices of alcohol and drug abuse which prevent the seeking of treatment or identifying with symptoms, and which is inclusive to those who do not actually abuse substances but whom also suffer the condition.

1. Treatment
1. Emergency Care

Withdrawal from very severe cases of alcoholism and drug addiction must receive immediate medical attention. Contact emergency services if someone presents with life-threatening alcoholism, addiction, withdrawal, overdose, etc.

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy

It is well known that when severe alcoholics go through alcohol withdrawal there is a real risk of death from the withdrawal process. This problem is commonly prevented through supervised administration of antihistamines. In spite of this, the mechanism of action for this benefit has not yet been established, largely due to existing biases about alcoholism and addiction which have prevented effective research and discovery. But histamine release is one of the mechanisms of action by which acetylcholine activates cellular excitation, and also what causes stress and discomfort, so antihistamines help rescue people from the effects of withdrawal by blocking catastrophic and potentially fatal release of histamine due to the heretofore unrecognized rebound of acetylcholine after alcohol cessation.

For the same reason that antihistamine is effective in preventing life threatening withdrawal symptoms, by blocking the negative effects of acetylcholine in excessive release of histamine, antihistamines are also very useful in medically treating alcoholism and addiction generally because of its ability to block such effects of excessive acetylcholine without actually blocking acetylcholine itself  as what occurs with alcohol (and some recreational drugs), since acetylcholine is still necessary in the maintenance of consciousness. An addict or alcoholic still must choose to abstain from substance use entirely while recovering, but antihistamine therapy makes this choice far easier to endure by strongly reducing the stressful effects of untreated acetylcholine excess and thus also helps facilitate the having of new experiences in rehabilitation which are required for empowerment and stress relief. 

Because antihistamines are generally sedative they absolutely should not be used with alcohol or drugs, as harmful side effects could occur and should only be used during abstinence of drugs and alcohol. As drowsiness is a side effect of antihistamines they should also be used only before bed, which will also help promote sleep, but their therapeutic effects will last into the next day (or two).

For the first one to two weeks of recovery a full dose of antihistamine can be used if symptoms are very severe, according to the use directions on the product label, after which the dosage can and should be reduced to 1/2. The longer antihistamine therapy progresses the less dosage is required to achieve a therapeutic effect, and reducing the dose also helps to mitigate any potential toxic side effects of long term use, such as effects on the liver. After several months, when much progress has been made, the dose can be reduced yet again to 1/4 the original, but can be raised temporarily any time a higher dose might be required.

First-generation, common antihistamines like doxylamine succinate or diphenhydramine are more effective than second-generation antihistamines. Some anti-allergy medications are not antihistamines at all, but are steroids which would actually increase the stress which stimulates acetylcholine release (such steroids are stress hormones and actually make recovery more difficult and should also be avoided if possible), so exercise much caution when using “antihistamine” products that they are actually first-generation histamine blockers and not other products that are similarly marketed. These first generation antihistamines are also often sold as ‘sleep-aids’ since antihistamines cause drowsiness, look at the label of products to find what chemical the medication it is.

This low-dose antihistamine therapy can and should continue for at least three months, but as much as six is also acceptable (reducing dosage as progress occurs). This can help an addict or alcoholic achieve the other requirements for recovery with much less stress and emotional distraction. It is important to know and remember, however, that antihistamine therapy is not a cure for alcoholism and addiction. It merely treats symptoms to make recovery easier.

1. Alcohol and Acetic acid

A primary reason alcohol is therapeutic to the alcoholic/addict is that the end product of alcohol metabolism in the body is acetic acid—a short chain fatty acid normally produced in the gut by commensal microbiota feeding on indigestible carbohydrate. Acetic acid is extremely important for human health as a cofactor in many biological pathways and foundational substrate for the production of cholesterol, bile, and hormones like vitamin D, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, the mineralocorticoids, etc. Without acetic acid the body then cannot make hormones or well resist stress, and those with the absolute worst alcoholism have almost no natural acetic acid production in the gut and thus become dependent on alcohol as their only biological source of this short chain fatty acid which is necessary for health and wellness, and there is a direct,  inverse association to the levels of acetic acid production in the gut and the intensity of cravings for alcohol. 

While acetic acid is healthy and requisite for our bodies, the primary reason excess alcohol is toxic to humans is that the intermediary between alcohol metabolism to acetic acid is toxic aldehyde, which is far more toxic than alcohol and requires substantial detoxification by the liver using a molybdenum and riboflavin dependent aldehyde oxidase which in turn can and does exhaust other nutrients like water, riboflavin, and molybdenum in this detoxification pathway (water is used as a cofactor, which is why people commonly experience thirst after drinking heavily). But the large supply of acetic acid resulting from alcohol and aldehyde metabolism can and does then also result in a temporary increase in acetic acid and thus also steroids and hormones and thus also a temporary feeling of wellness that is otherwise elusive and thus association by the mind of alcohol with feeling well.

The gut microbiome is instead supposed to be the primary source of acetic acid, feeding on indigestible carbohydrates, so factors which impair the gut microbiome such as disease, dieting, or chronic exposure to antimicrobial factors like antibiotics, herbicides and other agrochemicals, or even chronic alcohol use itself impairs the gut microbiome, reducing the native supply of acetic acid which then increases dependence on alcohol as a supplemental source. Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables can strongly help restore microbial production of acetate, but vegetables are also more difficult to break down, so abundant consumption of fruit, such as every 2-3 hours, is strongly rehabilitating, specifically to reduce cravings.

1. Sodium Acetate

Acetylcholine is acetylated choline, or in other words choline (a nutrient) that is reacted to acetic acid, which demonstrates another role of acetic acid in human biology. Lowering acetylcholine production by mitigating stress and treating trauma thus helps also spare acetic acid (and choline), to help further reduce cravings for alcohol. The primary constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, and the reason for the therapeutic effects of supplementing vinegar is due to the increase in acetic acid supply. Because cravings for alcohol are very strongly due to its association with acetic acid, cravings can be most strongly treated by supplying needed acetic acid such as through the daily supplementation or consumption of vinegar. Some people like vinegar, but it is also caustic to mucosal tissues and can be uncomfortable to consume, and can even dissolve tooth enamel when used in excess, so its supplementation directly is not universally helpful. Instead, a common medicine called SODIUM ACETATE used in emergency rooms to treat metabolic acidosis (and also used as a food ingredient) is an excellent form for the supplementation of acetic acid because the sodium helps buffer its reactivity.

Sodium acetate is also the result of elementary school science fair volcanoes—mixing vinegar and baking soda together in which the acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2. It is thus also easily manufactured by anyone with access to baking soda and vinegar and thus a highly accessible treatment for alcohol binging and cravings. As of the writing of this paper sodium acetate is not really available for purchase as a supplement, though it should be, and until that is the case the recipe for making one dose of sodium acetate taken daily (divide into two doses the first one or two days) is as follows:

Sodium Acetate

*never mix in a sealed container, the reaction is volatile and will explode sealed containers and may injure you or others. 

1 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 tablespoons vinegar

Place baking soda in an open cup or bowl, then slowly add vinegar until foaming subsides. Agitate solution to react all sodium bicarbonate with vinegar until fizzing stops. Can be left to stand for 10-30 minutes for even more reaction (too much sodium bicarbonate will make it taste salty, too much vinegar will taste too acidic. Finding the right balance makes it taste close to neutral).

Dilute resulting solution with juice. When first starting sodium acetate divide this dose in two and take separately until the body gets used to it, thereafter it can be taken in one dose. Don’t use more than one full dose daily. Daily use strongly suppresses cravings for alcohol and should be used even when cravings are not present for a minimum of six months. If cravings return in the future, immediately use sodium acetate. May increase thirst. 

Acetic acid is so effective in reducing cravings that many people will report reduced cravings even from simply supplementing vinegar, but because sodium acetate facilitates greater consumption of acetic acid by minimizing the caustic side effects it is much more effective than vinegar for treating cravings. 

Mild alcoholics can and should also use supplemental sodium acetate to reduce quantity of consumed alcoholic drinks, as since when the body becomes supplied with acetic acid there is a more natural satisfaction from just one or two drinks. But especially for those who are in recovery, the use of sodium acetate not only inhibits cravings but provides a necessary cofactor for steroids and hormones and thus providing the same therapeutic function as alcohol without the inebriation. 

Sodium acetate is quite palatable in citrus juice, and for those whom must be weaned off alcohol to avoid withdrawal death, mixing alcoholic drinks with sodium acetate will result in more rapid and effective resolution and weaning.  

While drug addicts may or may not also abuse alcohol they will still benefit from sodium acetate use, to increase hormone production, and sodium acetate should be used daily regardless of the substance abused. High grade sodium acetate can likely be bought by recovery institutions from reputable laboratories which supply it to food and research industries which can make it easier to implement in recovery programs. Adding to juice supplied to patients, such as a large cooler or dispenser which patients can freely access, is exceptionally easy to accomplish (be sure to label the additive for knowledge of patients). 

1. Sugar Therapy

Alcohol is a sugar, so consuming dietary sugar during recovery is an excellent way to reduce stress and also prevent cravings without cognitive impairment, as sugar enhances cognition rather than impairing it as do alcohol and drugs, since it is used by cells to produce energy. As discussed earlier, there is no such thing as sugar addiction, which is instead a state of stress caused by too little dietary sugar and carbohydrate as normally required by human biology. Dieting behaviors are extremely common among those with alcoholism and addiction, and because deprivation of sugar and carbohydrate strongly impair energy production, such dieting behaviors, even if unintentional, are a primary driver of substance abuse. 

Dieting behaviors are motivated by conditions of body dysmorphia and psychological trauma surrounding body image and self-esteem, which must also be addressed (as directed later in this paper). But it is not possible to recover from alcoholism or addiction while also avoiding sugar. The consumption of much fruit daily is strongly therapeutic to recovery not only for supporting gut microbes but also in directly supplying sugar and other nutrients, and can be fresh, dried, frozen, eaten plain, or made into fruit salad, smoothies, shakes, desserts, juices, or any other desired foods, and fruit should be the most abundant and primary food item in recovery programs and diets for those in recovery. 

Some dried fruits such as bright-orange apricots are preserved with sulfur dioxide, however, which strongly destroys commensal gut microbes, and such sulfur preservatives should be avoided entirely—as exposure will entirely prevent the microbial production of acetate and other short chain fatty acids by our commensal microbiome. Human gut microbes absolutely thrive on fruit and its rich polyphenol and pectin content, so fruit is especially therapeutic to recovery through the microbial production of acetic acid, and killing off microbes through continued exposure to antimicrobial factors like sulfur dioxide will prevent recovery. 

While fruit is best, any sugar can help reduce stress and cravings, so the use of well-made candies, desserts, and sweetened beverages should also be practiced, and sugar can and should be added to things which contain fruit such as for smoothies, pies, and other desserts, and should be used as an alternative to substances of abuse any time there are cravings and to prevent cravings by keeping blood sugar elevated at all times, never going more than 2-3 hours without eating something. 

The use of sugar in this way is also a behavioral therapy—learning to treat ourselves with compassion and taking care of the body rather than resenting it, as is required in other steps for recovery such as the learning of new life skills discussed later in this paper.

1. Light Therapy

Studies show that light exposure heals trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and exposure to light and healing the dorsal raphe nucleus lowers the expression of torporific serotonin and melatonin which otherwise also increase acetylcholine excess, and because serotonin and melatonin are hormones of torpor their minimization through consistent light exposure raises the metabolic rate and resolves any need by the body to produce excess acetylcholine. This then also helps reverse learned hopelessness at the root of alcoholism and addiction which causes acetylcholine dysregulation, which is thus not actually a learned behavior but instead mediated by neurological trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus. 

Yes—light can and does reach the brain, as tissues filter out all but the red wavelength of light, which is why our internal tissues are primarily red. Holding a bright light against the palm of the hand, for instance, is visible on the other side of the hand as a red glow, because tissues are designed to transmit red wavelengths of light deep into the body, demonstrating this principle. Light deficiency such as occurs in chronic exposure to the indoors and deficient exposure to sunlight oppositely promotes trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, which is also why communities far from the equator often present with greater rates of trauma and social stresses than those nearer the equator, as greater exposure to sunlight increases the rate of spontaneous recovery from traumatic stress.

Red light is specifically therapeutic to tissue rehabilitation because, contrary to common misunderstandings about biology, animal tissues do engage in photosynthesis through our primary respiratory enzyme called cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria which is reactive to red light photons, so exposure to warm-colored wavelengths of light (such as what occurs from the Sun and filtered through the skin and tissues) results in production of ATP, which is why sun exposure usually feels so good, because it results in production of additional free energy to that which is made from food.

Direct sun exposure is sometimes not possible, such as wintertime or excessive summer heat, and too much sun exposure also risks sunburn, so the use of artificial, safe lights like bright, warm-spectrum LED are not only convenient and safe for treatment but often required to prevent light deficiency. The dorsal raphe nucleus is positioned at the top of the spinal column, roughly between the ears, so bright light targeted to the back or the sides of the head from both sunlight and warm-spectrum artificial light can directly reach the dorsal raphe nucleus to stimulate ATP production and reduce serotonin output.

Light therapy is not optional. Where antihistamines and acetic acid treat symptoms this light therapy is the primary rehabilitation for learned hopelessness, and along with the learning of new life skills and resolution of trauma as discussed later in this paper effects permanent recovery from the conditions of alcoholism and addiction (and conditions like PTSD and other trauma) so long as future light deficiency is not again incurred. 

Light therapy is most effective after the previous steps have been achieved, for instance because a mechanism of light therapy is to increase ATP production this cannot occur in states of malnutrition, sugar deprivation, or active substance abuse. Lights used in this therapy must be in the warm color spectrum as 3000K or less in color temperature. This is not heat temperature—lights should not be hot to the touch or cause heating on the head, which can be harmful. This is color temperature which is a measure of the color spectrum. Red light stimulates ATP production while blue spectrum stimulates ATP consumption, so using the wrong kind of light (in the cold spectrum) causes agitation, irritation, and restlessness while the red spectrum oppositely promotes relaxation, calmness, and regeneration through the increased production and availability of ATP. Fluorescent lights common in places of work and commerce, including recovery centers (which absolutely should NOT be used in recovery settings) are higher in blue spectrum light which in turn causes people to become depleted of ATP and feel exhausted, which directly contributes to learned hopelessness and alcoholism and addiction. Do not thus use lights that are higher than 3000 k in color temperature, because it is the penetration of red photons to the interior of the body (which any warm spectrum light will contain) which is responsible for the benefit of this therapy. The light itself does not need to be red, it simply needs to be in the warm color spectrum (infrared does not provide this benefit).

After the previous steps have been achieved, one or two bright lights should then be placed near the back or rear-sides of the head, about the bottom of the skull or ear level, as close to the head as possible without causing burns, heating, or discomfort. Heat stress is not helpful so do not use hot lights, and if heat stress is experienced during this therapy stop immediately, take a break, and keep the lights further away or use less hot lights. LED lights are ideal for this purpose since they do not emit much heat (infrared).

Light application must occur every single day for 2-3 hours and a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Any less than this will not work, and this is also in addition to getting plenty of natural sun exposure daily too (without getting sunburned but without using sunblock, so get sun at times and duration that does not risk burning, such as the morning and late afternoon). After the 2-3 weeks of daily light therapy it is required to never again incur light deficiency, and much care should be taken get plenty of natural light every day and keep a bright light (in the warm color spectrum) at work and home to prevent light deficiency (after therapy is completed light does not need to be specifically directed at the back of the head—exposure to the eyes helps to keep torpor hormones low).

CAUTION: There is one caution and side effect to this therapy that absolutely will occur—as this therapy starts working, the first 3-4 days will cause an increase in depression. This occurs because exposure to bright light strongly slows melatonin production in the pituitary to a normal level, but this causes a significant backlog of serotonin (from which melatonin is made) which will make torpor (depression) feel even more acute. While this isn’t fun it is an excellent sign the therapy is working and after 3-4 days when this serotonin clears a new state of emotional homeostasis will start to emerge (so long as the patient is eating well, keeping up their blood sugar, and getting enough daily sunlight exposure). At the end of the therapy depression will be eliminated or nearly eliminated, with more stable mood and positive emotional feelings, and it must be remembered that this temporary state is only temporary and will not last more than 3-4 days.

Additionally, vitamin C directly supports metabolic respiration, so foods high in vitamin C like orange juice, fruit, leafy greens, etc., should also be used both daily and immediately before light exposure, which will occur anyway with compliance to frequent consumption of fruit as required. If exposure to sun or other light source causes agitation or irritation that is a good sign of vitamin C deficiency which can be rectified by getting vitamin C daily.

1. Niacinamide

A common complication to recovery is eating disorders, specifically anorexia. As it is impossible to recover from addiction without eating a good diet and keeping blood sugar up, so it is extremely important to eat enough calories and sugar every day, from morning to night, practicing no dietary restrictions whatsoever aside from those foods which can potentiate acetylcholine excess (nightshades and inflammatory foods like common wheat and polyunsaturated fats). Eating disorders thus present a significant obstacle for some people, especially those with anorexia. 

While anorexia is typically considered a psychological condition and does have some behavioral elements, it is also entirely a complication of neurochemistry, including very high serotonin expression which suppresses the appetite. Because high serotonin is a hibernation response, part of its function is to prevent animals who hibernate from being hungry, otherwise they would go out during winter and find no food and starve. The state of anorexia is one in which dietary and environmental trauma has gotten so severe as to promote this appetite suppression, thus facilitating the avoidance of food, especially if a person has negative conceptions of their self-worth and body image.

The opposite of serotonin excess such as causes anorexia is high endogenous production of niacin. Both serotonin and niacin are produced from the dietary amino acid tryptophan. During light deficiency, dietary stress, trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and avoidance of sugar our dietary tryptophan is directed to serotonin, but when exposed to light, sugar, and resolution of trauma more tryptophan is directed into niacin which then supports higher metabolic respiration. 

However, a supplement of niacinamide, which is a variant of niacin, is also very effective and generally affordable strategy to help resolve anorexia, as it directly antagonizes the appetite suppressant effects of excess serotonin. It can also help take the edge off depression and promote better energy, better, and a desire to eat for anyone in recovery, even if undereating is not a problem. Those who have anorexia or have trouble eating sufficient daily calories should take a dose of 250 mg to 500 mg every morning (depending on size) with a source of sugar such a orange juice, an apple, or other fruit (or pastry or other yummy, sweet options). This will help restart hunger impulses and thus make it much easier to consume food and calories as required for recovery. Ideas of body image and self-worth should be addressed as discussed in the inventory therapy below. For anyone with depression the use of niacinamide can generally be very useful, but niacin itself has potentially uncomfortable side effects, which is why niacinamide should be preferable.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C directly antagonizes many of the harmful effects of many drugs. Vitamin C deficiency specifically causes a disease called scurvy and indeed many of the debilitating side effects of drug use such as from methamphetamine and heroin are in fact caused by rapid depletion of vitamin C and the initiation of scorbutic disease. Using vitamin C in the treatment of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can thus be very productive in supporting recovery. Opioids are especially associated with vitamin C depletion and vitamin C supplementation can greatly relieve all opioid addicts of some physical pain and deterioration caused by opioid use. Vitamin C is so good at inhibiting the scorbutic side effects of drug abuse it can easily and rapidly treat these side effects and help users keep their teeth, body mass, and skin health even if they do not yet decide to get clean. 

Vitamin C is also a required cofactor for the synthesis of dopamine and adrenaline, and high stress which promotes addiction and alcoholism and causes depression due to deficiency of dopamine occurs also through vitamin C depletion, especially in those who do not eat a healthy diet with daily, generous consumption of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is also best gotten through foods, not a supplement, which is another reason a healthy diet is requisite for recovery. 

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

One of the other primary reasons people drink or use drugs abusively is that alcohol and drugs can and do treat infection with oral and gastrointestinal pathogens, and since there are many, many potential pathogens in our environment from bacteria like Clostridium difficile to parasites like Giardia, many alcoholics and addicts are also self-medicating for the treatment of harmful microbes. Alcohol is, in fact, specifically antibiotic to bacteria, so having gut dysbiosis and opportunistic bacterial infections like C. difficile, H. pylori, or those which affect oral health like P. gingivalis which causes bleeding gums and gum disease makes sobriety highly uncomfortable for those in recovery since these pathogens are then less inhibited by cessation of alcohol or drugs. Cocaine is specifically antiparasitic, and helminth infection (parasites) downregulate an important enzyme in our body called carbonic anhydrase which converts CO2 in the body to bicarbonate to help mange pH functions and the acid/alkaline balance of the body, so people whom abuse cocaine are typically parasitized such as by helminths, giardia, schistosomes, etc., (gut distension is a common symptom of giardia or other gastroinestinal parasites). Amphetamines amplify and restore the function of carbonic anhydrase, and so one of the effects of methamphetamine use is to increase the production of CO2 and bicarbonate in opposition to the effects of parasites on the body. 

Nicotine also increases carbonic anhydrase activity, and part of the brief high and relaxation effect of smoking tobacco is to counteract parasitic infection which lowers carbonic anhydrase activity, but nicotine is also high in cyanide which is actually used as a substrate by the immune system to eradicate pathogens like parasites, so smoking is also a self-medication behavior to colonization by opportunistic microbes. Many addicts and alcoholics can also harbor sexually transmitted diseases not only due to behaviors which increase the risk of exposure but diets and dietary behaviors like fasting and low-carb which impair immune function and increase risk of colonization, and many STD treatments inadvertently wipe out other pathogenic bacteria or parasites and thus rapidly relieve sufferers of some of the symptoms which they are actually treating with drugs or alcohol. 

Reinfection can also happen very rapidly, however, as soon as a treated individual again makes contact with another infected person, thus limiting the effectiveness of medical treatment for infections. If a facility is equipped to treat STDs and parasites it should do so for any and all patients to remove all possible opportunistic pathogen they may carry, including to prevent spreading it to other patients, but it is a healthy diet, intact commensal microbiome, and functioning immune system which primarily prevents colonization by opportunistic pathogens, which is why good dietary behaviors and healthy lifestyles like daily sun exposure and even activities such as gardening are required for a full recovery.

Treatment of pathogens can specifically help with mental health, as there is much evidence that problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder involve infection biogenic amine producing microbes which produce amines like histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, and phenylethylamine that disturb normal neurological and endocrinological function. 

As discussed in Nathan’s work, dietary tannins such as are common to tea, the skin of nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts very powerfully suppress opportunistic gut microbes which otherwise requires complex courses of antibiotics. Eradication of pathogenic bacteria and parasites and daily consumption of tea, nuts, and other high tannin foods can very quickly help an addict or alcoholic with mental health problems experience peace and calmness which can further assist recovery if future infection is also avoided. One simple and useful strategy is to combine fruit juice with tea (such as variants on an Arnold Palmer, which is lemonade and tea) with added sodium acetate and sugar for easy access and compliance.

1. Recovery Diet

Because certain dietary factors can strongly promote and exaggerate alcoholism and addiction, these foods should be limited during recovery. The glycoalkaloid toxins in nightshade plants, specifically potatoes and eggplant which are the most potent (but even having tomatoes daily can also be excessive). Very often too potatoes get a little green when they are left out under grocery store lights (blue light), and this indicates an increase in solanine production. Potatoes can be delicious but during recovery it is best to entirely avoid all potato, eggplant, and to reduce consumption of tomato and peppers to no more than three times a week (sweet potato is not a nightshade and is just fine). Once a person has made a full recovery potato can be reintroduced, but should still not be eaten frequently (no more than 3 times a week), to avoid inducing cravings. If cravings ever return, potato or eggplant consumption should again cease immediately until cravings again disappear, and tomatoes and peppers less frequent. Because solanine is most concentrated in potato skin, nobody should ever, ever eat potato skin, and solanine is also water soluble so boiling and draining potatoes can help reduce their solanine content when reintroducing them. 

The gluten in common wheat is tough to digest because it has been intensely hybridized to resist the growth stresses caused by industrial fertilizer, and gluten is very inflammatory, and since the body responds to inflammation by stimulating localized acetylcholine increase, common wheat should also be avoided for a faster recovery. Common flour also often contains added iron which, unbound by the food matrix, strongly fuels pathogenic overgrowth in the gut, leading to stomachaches, discomfort, and strong inflammation and chronic immune reaction and should be avoided entirely. 

When we try to make dietary changes we often simply avoid the things we are limiting, but this only creates emotional and nutritional stress and usually fails, and the key to making these dietary changes is not to simply avoid foods we like but to replace them with others that are equally or more indulgent and satisfying. Choose sweet potatoes or rice instead of potatoes and wheat. Ancient types of wheat called spelt, einkorn, or kamut can be great replacements for common wheat and taste even better and can be bought or made as pastries, doughnuts, pasta, bread, etc. Many high quality grocery stores carry einkorn pasta or spelt bread, so just look around. Recovery centers can produce their own breads, pastries, and pasta made from these flours and teach their clients how to bake and make their own as well.

Root vegetables also strongly help with recovery of the intestinal system and digestion through the promotion of short chain fatty acids, and even help expel gut parasites. The combination of root vegetables with a small dose of supplemental lithium aspartate or lithium carbonate (no more than 5 mg per dose) can help further treat parasites because lithium paralyzes parasites and helps the immune system eradicate them. Lithium is commonly used in the treatment of mental illness, this can be fairly easy to achieve, but low-dose lithium supplements are far safer than pharmacological doses. As lithium has a calming effect (it can be safely used in doses up to 20 mg) this can be very useful for recovery.

Fruit usually results in the production of acetic acid in the gut, because of its pectin content, and is not optional for recovery, by helping to increase production of gastrointestinal acetic acid and supporting commensal acetogenic bacteria. Sugar (especially fruit) is one of the best tools to restore a healthy gut microbiome, because most of our healthy commensal microorganisms are highly dependent on carbohydrate. So indulging on a great quantity of peaches, apples, grapes, watermelon, plums, raisins, dried, fresh, frozen, or preserves can be very useful and emotionally therapeutic.

Additionally, the consumption of healthy foods like leafy greens, especially from the brassica family (broccoli, watercress, brussels sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, etc) can be very helpful because they also promote immune function which can help address the gut microbiome or oral infections which may have been contracted during the course of alcoholic and addictive behavior. 

Yogurt and other fermented dairy like kefir oppositely inhibit acetogenic bacteria and promotes lactic acid producing microbes and can and does directly contribute to conditions of alcoholism, addiction, and depression and should be avoided always. So-called filtered yogurts or greek yogurt are still harmful and should not be consumed.

1. Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee can be a great support for recovery because coffee is dopaminergic, which is why it can make us feel good. Caffeine is a drug but it does not impair cognitive function, so it is not harmful to use in recovery, although some alcoholics and addicts believe they should avoid anything that can be drug-like it is harmful to remove all pleasure and fun things from our experiences and exactly the kind of addict thinking which drives us back to drug and alcoholic abuse. Remember that one of the problems of the trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction is not knowing how to properly enjoy ourselves. Having a nice cup of coffee can be one of those pleasures which helps recovery.

However, coffee and caffeine are metabolic stimulants and as such they can sometimes promote stress if they are not supported by the diet and sufficient intake of carbohydrate, calories, and protein. When people get shaky from drinking caffeinated beverages it is because they do not have enough carbohydrate, sugar, or protein in their body to support the increase in metabolic rate, and this then stimulates the release of cortisol to turn lean tissue into useable sugars and amino acids, thence the shaking, jitters, and discomfort. 

Coffee and caffeine should thus never be taken on an empty stomach or during low blood sugar. Adrenaline in fact is made from dopamine, so failing to eat before using caffeine or coffee directly promotes high levels of adrenaline and then cortisol which will only make physical recovery impossible. Oppositely, consuming sufficient calories, carbohydrates, and protein before and alongside coffee use can promote recovery by fueling metabolic activity and promoting dopamine in a healthy manner. It can often be enough to drink a glass of orange juice or milk in the morning before coffee, so long as a person also makes breakfast alongside or very shortly after using coffee. 

Coffee, containing some tannin, can also promote a helpful gut microbiome as well and is healthier than caffeinated sodas or caffeine supplements which usually contain unhelpful chemicals or additives and do not support commensal microbes. Because coffee and tea are extremely high in prebiotics (compounds that promote microbial growth) care should be taken not to brew coffee or tea with aerated water, which introduces oxygen to the gut and, along with the prebiotics, promotes overgrowth of harmful aerobic bacteria. Many water faucets have grilles that cause foamy, aerated water when dispensing, and this grille can be removed or the water dispensed slowly so as not to cause aeration of the brew water. Coffee and tea are also good ways to administer a lithium supplement to support health and mental health, and the supplement can be added to water used to brew coffee and tea by pulling apart the capsule and dumping the contents directly in the water.

1. Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid and optional supplement which can support recovery from depression and lift the mood of addicts and alcoholics, especially when supported by sufficient sugar intake. Pathogenic microbes can actually siphon our taurine from our bile in the gut and produce toxic hydrogen sulfide and deplete taurine stores which then contributes to depression and substance abuse. Taurine is required to protect cells from the stress of excessive cellular excitation and thusly helps cells to use protein (other amino acids) more efficiently. Dopamine, which makes us feel happy, is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which becomes wasted when the body is stimulated by excessive stress such as what occurs from trauma, abuse, and poor diets, dietary behaviors, and sunlight deprivation. Because taurine helps spare amino acids it also helps the body restore its taurine supplies, when supported by a good diet and abundant dietary tannins. Without more important steps like fixing the diet and resolving gut and environmental deficiencies as earlier discussed, taurine will not be too helpful, but if these factors are resolved 500-1000 mg taken once a day can help restore taurine homeostasis and thus help resolve depression.

Taurine does have one side effect, which is to restart bile release in the gut, which since bile is required to absorb fats required for hormone synthesis can be a good thing, but often the previous deficiency of bile expression can make the body temporarily produce too much bile when taurine is reintroduced. In this case a steady stomachache can result. If this happens, briefly cease taurine supplementation, wait for the discomfort to resolve, then restart once again. This may happen two or three times after which it will not happen again as bile regulation normalizes.

As discussed in Nathan’s other work, carotene inhibits the synthesis of toxic hydrogen sulfide by opportunistic microbes, and taurine can also be protected in the body by frequently consuming foods high in carotene such as carrots, peaches, squashes, orange sweet potato, tomatoes, etc. This is a function of frequency, not quantity, so large doses will not necessarily help but consistent dietary behaviors will. Since many fruits are high in carotene and carrots are readily available this is not a difficult step to practice. 

 

1. Treating Psychological factors
1. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

Alcoholics and addicts are often stereotypically characterized as lazy hedonists who do nothing but seek pleasure and a good time. In fact, the opposite is true and most people with alcoholism and addiction fundamentally lack the ability to enjoy themselves or to engage in compassionate self-care and recreational activity, and resort to drugs and alcohol as their only real option for the relief and relaxation healthy people find even in mundane activities like cleaning up our home, being with a friend, connecting with a loved one, being alone, etc.

This problem is the result of a childhood which required using our time and energy just to survive abusive, dominating, or neglectful parents or environment, unable to spend much time getting to know ourselves and to develop a strong personal identity. Most children from healthy homes get to discover who they are, separately from others, which imparts some degree of confidence, recognition of what brings them satisfaction and fulfillment, personal tastes and interests, and thus an ability to successfully connect with others, which is an experience missing from those with substance abuse problems.

Alcoholics and addicts who never got to develop a strong sense of identity thus lack those interests and skills for self-fulfillment, and an inability to connect with others often leads to fear of work, volatile interpersonal relationships, and an absence of fulfilling activities like cooking, reading, sports, writing, drawing, etc., and especially not from required self-care skills like managing finances, living within our means, paying taxes, maintaining healthy relationships, healthy interpersonal boundaries, etc.

A lack of self-care skills occurs because our parents did not possess them to teach us, and many alcoholics and addicts are reluctant to learn new skills because the trauma of past experience elicits a strong fear response when it comes to anything that can be perceived as failure, rejection, or criticism, and this in turn reveals a lack of skills to handle fear, rejection, judgement, disappointment, and other harsh realities of human social dynamics.

Anyone might think that to acquire new skills requires going out to learn them or the having of new experiences, but these skills for an alcoholic or addict are not learned by directly experiencing them and are instead learned by resolving past experiences of trauma which cause the fear response as discussed in inventory therapy which then makes space (psychologically) for an ability to handle new experiences. After inventory therapy is completed, alcoholics and addicts can then have new experiences which will teach empowerment and help begin to form a new sense of personal identity and self-worth.

1. 12-step Programs

12-step programs are often helpful for recovery (the author of this document was a member of AA for 3 years). But 12-step programs do not recognize any biological aspect of alcoholism and addiction, which accounts for their inability to help most people entering the programs. Worse, other derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous teach their members principles specifically not included in AA, such as the avoidance of triggers. This problem can undermine recovery because in AA they rightly teach that triggers (such as going to a bar or being around alcohol) will not be a problem once you finish the program, and indeed that is exactly how it works, as a person is responsible for their own actions and not helpless to the temptations in the world around us. These derivative programs have inadvertently integrated some of the control and coping mechanisms inherent to addiction which is the failure to accept personal responsibility for choices and thus foment fear and insecurity in adherents rather than resolve them. 

Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous also has a great deal of religious principles in their program which is unhelpful to many who in fact have been offended by religion and its adherents. Alcoholics Anonymous was developed in part with religious people who demanded to retain a lot of religious elements in it, and the compromise includes appeals to ignore the abuses that many religions and religious persons commit which leads to the abuse and trauma that underlies alcoholism and addiction in the first place.

But the concept of “God” to a recovering alcoholic or addict really means the cessation of relying only on ourselves in our own lives. We are not ourselves God, nor capable of commanding reality, and in reality alcoholics and addicts usually consider themselves to be alone, without any recourse for help should things fall apart, often even harassed and persecuted by their own families to get clean in ways which continue to perpetuate abuse, fear, neglect, etc. Additionally, the concept that there are greater forces which dictate fate and reality such as physics and the immutable laws of the Universe, especially represented by concepts of birth and death or other people over which we have no control, are often frightening for non addicts and alcoholics let alone those who are, and learning how to accept these realities rather than try to control them is one of the benefits of 12-step programs in spite of its heavy use of religions language. The point is for an alcoholic or addict to stop taking responsibility for things which are outside of our control, such as whether others like us, or we are rich, or avoiding disease and death, or even if we have alcoholism or addiction, because we cannot control those things in the first place it can only be stressful if we do try to control them.

1. Relearning Life Lessons

Because the disease of alcoholism and addiction is a neurological learning disorder which has corrupted a person’s life experience to associate even the most mundane of stresses with intense negativity and exaggerated stress while also lacking effective self-care and interpersonal relationship skills, these experiences can be unlearned. 

But this also requires abstinence, since alcohol and drugs impair cognitive comprehension by blocking or inhibiting the learning-memory-consciousness function of acetylcholine it is impossible to undo the psychological damage which causes sensitivity to stressful stimuli as conditioned from a lifetime of trauma. The originators of Alcoholics Anonymous intuited these steps, which is how they were able to construct a program which had marked efficacy in spite of its shortcomings. But the primary effect that 12-step programs have which supports recovery from addiction and alcoholism is teaching those with learned hopelessness (alcoholism and addiction) new skills and to facilitate new learning experiences, supported by empathetic peers, which can replace past negative experiences with new positive ones. The new skills an addict or alcoholic learns from 12-step programs give an addict or alcoholic empowerment for the first time in their lives. Fundamentally, for instance, the skill and ability to handle our own mistakes and make an apology to amend and maintain personal relationships relationships is often regarded by many people, alcoholic or not, as an affront to be avoided at all costs simply because we have never been taught how to properly and effectively apologize and so lack confidence in our own ability to do it. Facilitating the learning of this skill by requiring members of 12-step programs to amend their past mistakes teaches a brand new skill to adherents which, when done correctly, causes us to have a new experience when dealing with mistakes and confronting others and learning that we can, in fact, not only do it but that it is very comforting and helpful.

Many people think that confidence is an adopted strength we can choose to have, but this is entirely incorrect and adopted confidence is in fact arrogance, where arrogance denies our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities while confidence accepts them. Confidence comes from having positive and successful experiences—it is not an adopted attitude, which explains why so many alcoholics and addicts lack confidence because life or perception of it has been filled with so many negative experiences. Empowering skills such as are taught in 12-step programs can facilitate these new and positive associations with aspects of life which used to bring immense stress, such as interpersonal relationships, work and colleagues, bosses, financial management, government, disease, death, loss, rejection, etc., thus facilitating successful experiences and thus engendering confidence for perhaps the first time in our lives. 

The most problematic absence of positive experiences are that of personal enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Those with learned hopelessness fundamentally do not know how to derive satisfaction from life, even though we might try, and end up pursuing only superficial goals and success such as money, status, attractiveness, etc., since such attributes in life are easily observed, and using drugs and alcohol as a shortcut to enjoyment. Real satisfaction in life comes things which are mundane, like having close, healthy relationships with family or friends, having a clean house, going outside to recreate, or cooking delicious meals. Even enjoying our own company, which is highly foreign to all alcoholics and addicts, can be highly rewarding if we develop a real sense of self. Life can seem incredibly boring and so must be filled with excitement, always looking forward to vacations or events or breaks from obligation, but since none of these ever last an alcoholic or addict is always dissatisfied and always looking forward to the next break or next vacation, which is why we turn to alcohol and drugs, to cope with the hopelessness, dissatisfaction, and boredom of living in the present.

Learning how to enjoy ourselves is dependent on resolution of neurological stress from excessive acetylcholine, because high stress hormones prevent us from sitting still and being present. That is one of the purposes of stress hormones, actually, which is to motivate action and get an organism out and doing things. In us who are alcoholic or addicted these hormones are always on so we can never sit still and enjoy ourselves. Then after the biochemical treatment of alcoholism begins to work, inventory therapy can help us relearn life experiences to then find incredible satisfaction in things which before seemed mundane and unexciting.

1. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

12-steps programs do contain prejudices which blame addicts and alcoholics for their problems rather than recognizing the biological and psychological realities which create this condition, and thus are vulnerable to perpetuating the problems of addiction and alcoholism and not universally effective. Human biology is also designed in evolutionary terms to perpetuate the survival of the species, even at the expense of an individual, and many of our most heinous traits as humans such as violence and other antisocial behaviors are in fact basic survival instincts which originated from our past as a wild animal, and when human beings are traumatized enough we can entirely lose the ability to function as a human at all, which really is the fault of our biology and our vulnerability to stress and deprivation of basic human needs and not the responsibility of any one individual. So while every person individually is responsible for their choices and behavior, very often we do not possess the skills, awareness, or experiences in the first place which would have empowered us to make better choices. It is entirely possible to accept responsibility for our mistakes and harmful behavior while also having compassion for ourselves and our mortal, human fallibility, which is not something the 12-steps really accomplish, due to inherent resentment for our human condition.

Recovery centers which offer 12-step programs are also often run by fellow alcoholics and addicts, which is perfectly fine if they have also successfully completed recovery and can further benefit their patients through integration of the biological aspects of alcoholism and addiction as mentioned above. But often recovery homes and services are predatory, driven by unresolved desires of the owners to be rich or assert control, and the profit motive for recovery can obscure very real problems and even dangers in these centers. 

Rehabilitation centers also usually serve simply as a vacation for those with means who want to take a break from the stresses of life, temporarily freed from the responsibilities of work, family, finances, etc. The irony is that the tools taught by practicing inventory therapy as discussed later in this document can bring permanent freedom from the stresses of family, work, finances, etc., even while experiencing them, through the learning of new skills to effectively handle and even enjoy and find fulfillment from such obligations. The only reason any experience is stressful is due to a lack of emotional and mental skills to handle such obligations, which can be self-taught through inventory. Rehab centers tend to fail their patients because they only function as a temporary respite from stress, where if they instead empowered their patients with these skills and effectively treated their underlying neurological and endocrinological wellness as described above would actually be effective in treating alcoholism and addiction beyond the limited time spent in recovery homes and programs.

1. Self-compassion

The underlying psychological trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction in the first place is an abject lack of compassion for ourselves as individuals. Often and usually little to no compassion was shown to us as children and thus we do not know how to have it for ourselves, and spend the entirety of our lives trying to justify our existence and needs and wants as if we are by default undeserving of love, fulfillment, care, and compassion, when in fact we do not need at all to justify those needs, only to learn how to have compassion for ourselves and the experiences we have been through, to show ourselves the care and compassion we expect from others, whom are often not capable of giving it since, like us, they also lack those skills.

Inventory therapy as presented in this work (and the books written by Mr. Hatch) recognizes the inherent psychology in 12-step programs, specifically the step requiring inventory, reformulating it to be more accessible and effecting by considering past experiences not as self-centered resentments but instead as trauma, to both recognize and validate the abuse and pain lived by alcoholics and addicts and empowering us accept and resolve personal responsibility for our behavior and choices as separate from but still informed by our trauma. This approach, when done correctly, specifically engenders and teaches self-compassion, which is the key to resolving alcoholism and addiction entirely. Any person who refuses to do inventory will still not be able to make a full recovery because lacking self-compassion such as what is demonstrated in the act of doing inventory therapy drives stress sufficiently that it prevents effective behavior in relationships, mistakes, ambitions, goals, mortality, etc., that will continue to stimulate excessive stress, since we are not ourselves responsible for anything except our own choices and decisions (not even our own emotions!).

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity

  Many people mistake self-pity for self-compassion, because we have in fact never experienced compassion, but they are in fact very different, and self-pity also always indicates an absence of self-compassion. While self-pity is often derided as a weakness or shamed by others in reality self-pity is an adaptive survival strategy to generate a sense of self-worth when none is forthcoming from our environment, when a person does not know how to have compassion for themselves because none has ever been shown them. In stable, healthy homes parents display an abundance of compassion for their children and thus those children know what compassion is, both for others but also themselves. But when raised in a home where parents lack self-compassion and healthy self-care skills and are burdened with their own trauma their children are thus never taught what compassion is, because we cannot give what we do not have, and so in turn we do not know what self-compassion is. In this case, self-pity takes its place and serves as way to find value for oneself in a world which can be at times very harsh and stressful.

The difference between self-pity and self-compassion is that, much like arrogance and confidence, self-pity denies personal responsibility while self-compassion accepts it, because we with self-pity lack skills to handle conflict and trauma, and so are afraid of accepting personal responsibility for fear of validating insecurities, abuse, and trauma. Like confidence, self-compassion comes from positive experiences and is not an adopted, willful attitude but one which is practiced and comes from action. Unlike confidence, which comes from external experiences, self-compassion comes from internal experiences through self-care behaviors like practicing inventory therapy, because the act of sitting down to write inventory is the very act of practicing self-compassion, in which the mind then participates and experiences that compassion from the act. 

1. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Because 12-step programs were developed before the advent of much contemporary science, these programs do not directly encompass trauma, but resolving trauma is the entire point of recovery. 

But even most contemporary psychology does not even resolve the trauma which underlies addiction and alcoholism, which is why there must be support groups to serve this function. The author of this work was inexplicably turned away from a free mental health clinic after revealing their recent entry into AA, at a time when psychological support would have been invaluable, because of the biases which permeate professional mental healthcare surrounding addiction and alcoholism and ignorance to how trauma drives addiction (and heretofore ignorance of how to treat it). 

This failure is specifically because the Karpman Drama Triangle model of conflict and trauma is not commonly taught nor employed in contemporary mental health treatment. The Karpman Drama Triangle was developed by Dr. Stephen Karpman and is the most accurate and effective characterization of the consequences of abuse and trauma. It characterizes 3 distinct psychological phenotypes which develop out of prolonged experiences of trauma (trauma can also include nutritional factors as earlier described). Conflict triangulation is the natural behavioral phenomena which describes how conflict cannot be contained only between two people, and usually integrates a third or more persons such as friends or family members into conflict. Often and usually this includes us as little children who do not possess the requisite skills and experiences to resist emotional trauma from adults in such experiences, hence the Karpman Drama Triangles model which describes the specific consequences of such experiences. 

The 3 phenotypes:

The Persecutor—characteristic of narcissism, type one feels that other people stand in the way of our ambitions, and blames, shames, and attacks others for our perceived weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example we may feel entitled to a partner who is physically fit and attractive and blame them for falling out of shape or not dieting. The persecutor type is often emotionally neglected as a child and resorted to narcissism to find value in themselves. Intense fear of weakness originates from parents shaming children for their vulnerabilities.

The Helper—a person who can only find value when indisposable to others, we were often middle children who could only find attention from parents and other siblings if they inserted themselves into conflict and acted as mediator. They often find purpose in the psychological professions which is a perfect vehicle to entertain this insecurity, can be people-pleasing and often undermine the confidence or wellness of others because their motivation is be indisposable, not to actually help others, which would otherwise liberate others from dependence on us.

The Victim—is not a victim in the sense being a recipient of crime or abuse, but one whom, because of our experiences of trauma, inherently feel powerless and weak and that we cannot achieve our goals and dreams without the help or assistance of more powerful personalities.

It is extremely helpful to recognize and understand this model of psychological trauma because it drives addiction and alcoholism in specific ways. The author of this document describes in shorthand each personality thusly: the Persecutor fundamentally believes “I don’t need you,” the Helper believes “You need me,” and the Victim believes “I need you.”

Each of these phenotypes can be observed in states of addiction because each type of trauma is fundamentally concerned with others, not themselves, since others were the source of their trauma fail to fully comprehend both their own weaknesses and their strengths. Fixation on others drives the fears which underlie addiction and alcoholism, and the inventory instead turns focus onto the self, through introspective therapy, to accept personal weakness and recognize and appreciate individual strengths, thus undermining the insecurities which drive fear and thus dependence on alcohol and addiction, to treat the stress hormones and excessive acetylcholine stimulated by insecurities, fear, and lack of empowerment.

Where Karpman described this model he did not also elucidate methods to their resolution. That honor instead belongs to Dr. Margalis Fjelstad, who generally described the solution to Dr. Karpman’s model as “maintaining a center position within the triangle,” to employ the strengths of each type equally rather than the weaknesses of any single identity. We are all in fact at times oscillating between each of the three, where one predominates, where a healthy psyche is all three at once but in the corresponding strengths, such as personal responsibility, genuine helpfulness and compassion, and self-compassion replacing self-pity. More learning and research on the Karpman Drama Triangles can and will benefit any mental health professional whether or not they work in recovery, but the inventory therapy below can directly address and resolve these aspects of the psyche through the resolution of the specific experiences of trauma which caused them in the first place.

1. Social Support

Renowned psychologist Bruce K. Alexander was dissatisfied with past experiments on rats in which they were given water bottles with and without LSD to demonstrate addictive properties of LSD, but kept alone in individual cages with nothing to do as if rats have no emotions, desires, or instincts. So he built a large experiment which he termed “rat park” in which there were many rats for each to interact with and form relationships, as well as stimulating activities like running wheels, obstacle courses, and even paintings on the sides of the cages. In the isolated, lonely cages rats had preferred the LSD water, because of course they would, but in rat park none of the rats used the LSD water, even though it was freely available. 

Dr. Alexander demonstrated the truth about addiction and alcoholism—which is based on trauma centered largely around the absence of emotional and social relationships, access, and integration in social animals. Our parents also have their own trauma which prevented them from providing the things we needed as children, often being emotionally unavailable to us, and many of us grew into adulthood feeling alone, lacking the kind of normal emotional and intimate relationships we need and being deprived of learning experiences which teach us effective social and self-care skills, which is made worse when exposed to environmental factors like glycoalkaloid toxins, or deprivation of sunlight or sugar.

One of the problems facing alcoholics in terms of personal satisfaction and enjoyment is that a lack of experiences with fast friendships and healthy relationships makes us feel stressed and isolated, thus increasing the expression of stress hormones which rise during isolation and in turn cause us to feel unsettled, restless, discontent, and lonely. Lacking effective skills to create these relationships for ourselves we then turn to substance abuse as our only tool to manage such difficult emotions just as the rats did in their isolated cages, or mistake drinking partners, colleagues, and even service providers as replacements for friends. One of the specific benefits recovery programs provide to addicts and alcoholics is structured social support—having access to a guide and friend whom is ostensibly responsible for passing on skills and information learned through 12-step programs in reality is probably the first person in the life of an alcoholic or addict who is constantly available for emotional and social support and guidance and thus serving a very special function to those in recovery which directly combats the loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness that we as addicts and alcoholics have been accustom. This social support, however, can come from anywhere by collecting (but not abusing) relationships within our peer group on whom we can rely for real emotional connection. We are all also capable of providing these social needs for ourselves, and can be our own friend and best advocate, we just have never been taught how.

Usually, as an addict or alcoholic we are limited in this regard by our poor conception of ourselves, fear of others, and fear of emotional intimacy and so purposefully withhold ourselves from others because of our past trauma and negative experiences make us fearful of rejection. For instance if we are paying someone to be our therapist, coach, manager, agent, realtor, etc., we mistake the transaction for interaction and power for friendship, because having that power makes us feel safe. But all friendships and relationships require equality, and paying someone to be your ‘friend’ imbalances the relationship in your favor and is not truly vulnerable, as we must risk rejection in order to win relationships. 

Having friends is also not the same as having fulfilling relationships, and many of us also have family members who are equally unavailable and distant and as such not ideal candidates for this kind of social support. Accomplishing the inventory therapy as outlined below can teach us how to find, make, grow, sustain, repair healthy relationships that fulfill these fundamental needs missing from our lives and thus provide this invaluable asset for ourselves where before we may have found it impossible, or limited to others who are also active addicts and alcoholics.

Similarly, many of us have never considered that we can and should be our own best friend and advocate, which can be learned by resolving trauma and developing a healthier conception of ourselves through inventory, and is key to then establishing and maintaining real, healthy relationships with others through whom we can find fulfillment.  

1. Inventory Therapy
1. Preparation

All that is required to practice inventory therapy is this guide, a writing utensil, and paper. A notebook with large pages can be very helpful. This therapy absolutely should never be done on an electronic device. The act of writing communicates with the subconscious, and one of the reasons this therapy works is that writing communicates with the subconscious. Typing cannot do this. Use manual writing implements. On paper. No exceptions.

1. Abstinence

A period of abstinence should precede the beginning of this therapy. As discussed previously, it is impossible to achieve new psychological learning experiences when acetylcholine is impaired such as by drugs or alcohol. So prioritizing dedication to abstinence and using tools like nightly low-dose antihistamine therapy, sodium acetate, vitamin C, fruit and sugar, light therapy, and niacinamide must be done first. It is good to start the inventory therapy as soon as possible, but not until an addict or alcoholic’s mind is clearer and present. Always practice also on a full stomach. Make some nice tea or coffee, keep some candy or fruit around, and sit in a cute chair near a window or other pleasant, quiet atmosphere.

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy

Inventory therapy consists of two parts, the personal inventory, which directly addresses experiences of trauma, disappointment, loss, frustration, etc., and the fear inventory which directly addresses existential fears that we may have as a result of negative life experiences. The inventory practice in AA is often more complicated, this version is designed for efficiency as well as greatest psychological effect.

Fears motivate resentments, so it is most helpful to start with resentments, then identify which fears are relevant to those resentments and then make those fear entries. It is unhelpful, however, to lump all resentments against a single person, institution, or idea into one resentment entry dump. The traumatic experiences we have are not because of the person or institution is innately bad but because their actions are bad or harmful. Lumping every resentment against a parent or a religion, for instance, fixates on the person or institution rather than on the actions which hurt us. So each separate offense should be entered as a single resentment entry separately from the others. Some offenses hurt us for different reasons that others, so they each must be analyzed individually.

No fear exists in isolation from other fears. For example, a fear of death can also be a fear of pain, fear of loss, punishment, the unknown, religion, God, consequences, conflict, violence, etc., When making fear entries it is useful to also write down any other related fears which may be revealed.

Clues to what we write in each of the columns lie in the one which preceded it. So, if determining for instance what part of self was damaged by a particular event seems difficult we can revisit our entry in the preceding column, cause, for help in identifying those parts of self which were hurt.

1. Personal Inventory — Resentment

In the personal inventory there are five columns. The first three represent parts of life in which we have absolutely no control (no matter how much you may wish it). While the last two represent aspects of life we do in fact control. Many people in fact will write things like emotions into the “my part” column, but in fact emotions are hormones and we do not have control over emotions. If someone breaks into your apartment and stabs you, you are going to be upset. The idea that we should control emotions is the consequence of abuse behavior by parents who tried even to control our very emotions which made them uncomfortable, because they too lacked the skills to handle their own uncomfortable emotions. All emotions go in the cause column because they are part of the reason our experiences were uncomfortable, disruptive, or traumatizing. 

The first column of a personal inventory labeled Resentment and is a short identifier of that from which our resentment originates. 

Examples for this column are things like: parents, dad, mom, religion, Catholicism, Mormonism, Baptists, government, your friend John, your boyfriend Alex, the IRS, mortality, disease, being a parent, a specific child that might be driving you crazy, your wife Barbara, having to take out the trash, stubbing my toe, death, cancer, car breaking down, money, being poor, being rich, being ugly, sexual assault, having alcoholism or addiction, past relationships, a boss, coworkers, not getting a raise, betrayal, disloyalty, doctors, medicine, acne, hair loss, coronavirus lockdown, a school shooting or shooter, foreign governments, specific government officials, political opponents or oppositional parties, theft, inequality, work, unfairness, violence, social situations, anxiety, depression, frustrations, disappointments, rules, your apartment manager, the loud neighbors, aging, having diabetes, meetings, government regulations, etc.

Resentments are poison to happiness and rob us of fulfilling experiences and relationships. For instance, many people don’t realize that our traumas which create resentments can prejudice us against people with whom we could otherwise have deep and meaningful relationships. We might be resentful of a sibling for something they did and thus distance ourselves from them, or worse we might have done something to them over which we are embarrassed and thus withdraw from the relationship, hurting them twice and denying ourselves the value of such a relationship because we don’t know how to amend mistakes or handle our own fallibility. Teaching ourselves these skills by practicing inventory therapy and resolving those resentments can enlighten us to the reality of these experiences, our own power, and what parts we can and cannot control. Normally we try to deal with resentments by ignoring them or “moving on,” but this in fact leaves them unresolved, and we then accumulate many negative experiences which are indeed difficult burdens to bear and thusly contribute to the psychological stress which underlies alcoholism and addiction. 

Some people try to cope with trauma by deluding themselves into believing they have no resentments, usually from a desire to be a good person, having been taught that resentments are bad. But a resentment is anything which causes us pain, frustration, rumination, remorse, regret, anxiety, dissatisfaction, heartache, anger, sadness, restlessness, irritation, etc. The first step in resolving trauma is recognizing from where our trauma originated, so anything which robs us of joy, happiness, satisfaction, or fulfillment for all purposes in this practice is considered a resentment and entered as such under that column.

1. Personal Inventory — Cause

In the next column under Cause we write a brief phrase or phrases about the event and the reason for the resentment and the effect it had on us. It is helpful to split up repeat offenders into each separate cause rather than lumping many causes into one resentment. Failing to do this is entertaining our resentment and focusing on the person, institution, or idea rather than how their behavior affected us, as they are not themselves inherently offensive, but their actions or choices by which we are hurt. If a repeat offender should offend after we have already done inventory on our experiences with them, we make a new entry regardless of what entries we have already done.

Cause is as simple as the simple fact that something happened or can and does happen. For instance a resentment of death occurs because death is something that happens to all of us. Or if our bank charged us an exorbitant and exploitive amount of money for an overdraft, or the I.R.S. forcibly collected a reassessment of taxes during the coronavirus outbreak four years after we filed them and we could hardly afford rent that month. Parents or children often do things that hurt us, so in addition to the action they took which was the source of the problem we also can write other causes which are related to the event such as past traumatic experiences these remind us of or triggers, or past conditioning which makes us sensitive to these things such as what we were taught in school or church or by our caregivers. If a boss or coworker undermines our performance at work, in addition to their action we can also write that it threatens our sense of self-worth and accomplishment, makes us feel embarrassed, threatened, or sad, or feeling insecure about our future employment and financial stability.

Emotions always go under cause, because emotions are hormones and we do not control those. If you feel embarrassed, sad, hurt, angry, etc., it is not something we control and thus goes under cause. Acting on those feelings is something we control and thus does not go in this column. Many people misunderstand that acting on a feeling is not the same as having that feeling, and many of us act as if our feelings are directly connected to and justified by our feelings, which they absolutely are not. This in fact often gets alcoholics and addicts in trouble because we were not taught skill to effectively manage our feelings, and thus fail to recognize the separation between feeling and actions. This practice does teach us that difference. 

1. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt

During the span of a human life we require certain resources to live a successful, happy, and fulfilled life, and frankly also to avoid dying. These are basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothes, companionship, safety, love both platonic and erotic, community, opportunity, and accomplishment. Whenever unpleasant or painful things happen to us (the things we write under cause and resentment) they are painful because they endanger or take from us any one of these needs which are required in life.

Though we dislike pain, its function is to make us aware of potential dangers to our wellbeing. Children born without a physical pain reflex will chew on their own tongues. Both physical and emotional pain is necessary for our survival and wellbeing, but because of the function of acetylcholine in response to excessive stress in those with alcoholism and addiction, the imprintation of painful experiences can be so excessive as to cause irrational stress even from things which are not a danger to our wellbeing, like managing our bank account, so we avoid the stress by avoiding looking at our finances and thereby repeatedly cause the very financial instability we so greatly fear.

Recognizing the parts of self which are traumatized from experiences of pain helps us to legitimize our trauma instead of trying to just ignore it or move on from it. This in turn helps us begin to learn compassion for ourselves and our negative experiences which itself is the key to acceptance.

Because these parts of self are finite and not subjective, we do not invent or formulate what to put in this column. Instead we choose from the list of human needs which are: self-esteem, pride, emotional security, financial security, personal relations, sex relations, and ambition.

Sometimes we are unaware of which parts are hurt. For instance, many people try to compensate for past trauma which made them feel insecure by adopting confidence as a way to cope with that trauma, and so will not choose pride or self-esteem because they now view themselves as confident. But this very act of adopting confidence is a defensive mechanism which shows deep wounds to pride and self esteem, and is actually arrogance, not confidence, since confidence accepts weaknesses while arrogance denies them, and of course we are wounded in such ways since none of us is completely unfeeling.

Failing to understand how we are hurt by our experiences leads to rumination and obsession on those people and institutions which hurt us, which is specifically an absence of self-compassion because it then focuses on them instead of ourselves. This is one way in which self-pity can be self-defeating because we focus so much on what others have done to us rather than understanding the pain we are going through or have gone through.

1. Personal Inventory — My Part

Under My Part we list our actions and choices we made which contributed to or continue to contribute to the resentment. 

Not every event included our actions, especially those which happened to us as children (behavior begins to be our own around the ages of 15-18). When we are children, we play no role in my part because we are entirely incapable of providing for ourselves those things which are required for human life. Being entirely dependent on our caretakers, whom in fact as teachers, leaders, and providers are the originators of the choices and actions we take as children, we do not bear responsibly for our actions until we are more mature and capable of providing those needs for ourselves. Sometimes it can be helpful to accept that things we did as children were hurtful, although they are usually a consequence of adaptations to abuse or neglect which would not have occurred had we been cared for sufficiently, and in that cause the cause column should include the absence of instruction, care, or abuse which catalyzed that behavior.

Emotions are absolutely not our part—people often write things in my part such as ‘I let them make me angry,’ or ‘I choose to be sad.’ This is not how life works. Emotions, you will remember, are hormones and thus entirely outside our power to control (except through drug and alcohol use, which is why addiction occurs and is only temporary and self-destructive anyway). We want to believe we have power over our emotions because that means we can choose which ones we feel. We were often taught as children that in fact we could and should control our emotions, but this was abuse perpetrated by caregivers who had no skills to manage their own feelings. In reality, this is impossible, and believing this leads to further frustration and pain as well as a lack of compassion for ourselves. Feelings are entirely not within the scope of the my part column, and instead go under cause. 

My part is always actions and choices—I shouted at them, I stole that item, I hit them, I cheated, I lied, I withheld affection, I demanded sex, I harassed her, I didn’t tell them how much they mean to me, I drove drunk, I talked behind their back, I was defensive, reacted angrily (not felt angry), ducked my responsibility, antagonized them, wrote that nasty email, said those hurtful things, flirted with that handsome coworker, left my wife, made that purchase, didn’t monitor my bank account, didn’t pay my taxes.

Importantly, my part is never a criticism of ourselves nor judgment of our value as a person. Most of us avoid such personal introspection because we believe that self-analysis will reveal justification for every abuse we have suffered and insecurity we possess. In fact, many things we write under my part can also be positive actions—I stood up for them, I chose to have children, I got married, I didn’t cheat, I asked for a raise, I accepted this job, woke up early, went on that flight, paid for dinner, tried to help that person, spoke up for my needs, voted for good, came out of the closet. Even though we do good things it does not actually control our experiences, so we can be met with unpleasant consequences and thus become despairing at the results, instead of being proud of our good choices. So the my part can also help us correctly evaluate our own behavior separate from that of others and the things we actually cannot control.

Many of us waste years of our lives trying to control others, life, and consequences, and this is absolutely impossible. Indeed we are often taught by our parents, society, and religions that not only is it within our power to control fate, consequence, and other people, but that we should. Life does not work that way even a little bit, so we become constantly frustrated and even driven mad by our failure to control things we absolutely cannot control. The my part section helps us to objectively analyze the one thing we can control, which is our own behavior, and thus stop wasting our time, resources, and emotional and mental energy on things which are impossible to control.

1. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses

In the last column, Character Weakness we list character traits which we possess which motivate our actions and choices listed under my part. 

This too is not a judgment of our character or value as a person, which is itself simply the residue of shame and self-hatred at the hands of abusive and neglectful people in our lives, but instead a way to identify exactly how the events of our past have caused damage to us as a person which thus cause us to adopt coping mechanisms which we use to survive life. 

My favorite example to use in the illustration of this reality are pathological liars, since everyone “dislikes” liars. But the talent of lying is actually an instinctual coping mechanism adopted to survive a childhood where parents were especially and opportunistically vindictive, using any mistake no matter how trivial as an excuse to abuse and who use the child as an outlet for their overflowing anger and hatred. 

Since childhood is the time which forms our personal identity and thus survival strategies to use in adulthood, a child from such a home erroneously (and unconsciously) believes that lying is the only effective life tool to avoid pain and heartache and even death, and thus brings this tool with them into adulthood. 

But of course, lying in adulthood more often causes additional stress and isolation as we deal with mistakes and insecurities through dishonesty, and build for ourselves unnecessary consequences and complicated, unmanageable lives. Character weaknesses are coping mechanisms we develop to survive trauma but which then complicate and imperil our wellbeing as adults by preventing the formation of healthy relationships, destabilizing material wellbeing, and jeopardizing our moral and legal standing.

Most debilitatingly, coping mechanisms such as fear and insecurity which result from very traumatic experiences of assault, rejection, abuse, exploitation, etc., serve to make us hyperaware of future potential threats to our person, since it is through such threats that our very ability to survive life can be subverted. But then as an adult we spend every waking minute fearing other people, constantly repeating the trauma of our past, peering around every proverbial corner with anxiety, and even avoid opportunities for personal and professional advancement or preemptively destroying romantic affairs even when we have never again actually experienced the things of which we are afraid. 

Fixation on money is a coping mechanism for fear of loss and financial insecurity which creates miserliness, selfishness, dishonesty, and even theft. Other coping mechanisms such as perfectionism disrupt our lives by preventing satisfaction in accomplishment even when we are actually successful. Laziness is a preemptive coping mechanism to avoid failure in the first place. Being vain, narcissistic, or having self-pity is the mind’s attempt to provide a sense of self-worth which was not forthcoming from our environment as children. Timidity and shyness are an attempt to cope with rejection by avoiding attention in the first place. Being defensive or confrontational betrays fears of humiliation or loss which probably originated from parents who insulted and humiliated us, and so on and so on.

An adult should be capable of supporting ourselves emotionally and materially, and when we do not possess the skills to do so we resort to destructive coping mechanisms revealed as character weakness and undermine our own wellbeing in the process. Supporting ourselves does not mean going it alone. Being able to ask for help and to build strong relationships is an act of providing for ourselves, but this is misunderstood because of the mountain of trauma under which many of us are buried. It’s no wonder alcoholics and addicts have such a difficult time handling life. 

 

1. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fears are preconceptions about life which prevent us from living fully. Fears cause us to avoid situations, people, challenges, and opportunity. Often they motivate animus, resentment, pain, and actively undermine our own wellbeing and work against our self-interests even though they ostensibly exist to do the opposite. Under the first column in the fear inventory, we specify what fear we are inventorying be it rejection, imperfection, confrontation, failure, disease, losing children, losing a spouse, the government, pain, death, etc.

Coping mechanisms and character weakness all actually originate from a specific fear or set of fears. For instance, people who fear financial insecurity may lie, cheat, steal, or coerce, agitate, belittle their significant others, children, and friends, or simply avoid checking their bank account in dealing with that fear. They may be miserly or selfish with their prosperity. They may also spend egregiously or irresponsibly, because a digital number on a website doesn’t make us feel rich but a large house or an expensive, flashy car does, but thus constantly live in a state of financial insecurity in order to subvert this fear by exercising the active use of our money, even if it makes us bankrupt. 

The fear of financial insecurity is itself a more primal fear of death caused by lack of resources, which can also include the social and emotional security which comes from attracting other humans to us through material wealth. This fear also comes from being afraid that no one is watching out for us, or not believing in some kind of higher power or purpose, that our life is left only to us alone. 

Fear of imperfection drives us to obsess over our performance and robs us of satisfaction even in our successes. Some fears are more visceral, like fear of the dark, of violence, of men, of our mother, of natural disasters, impending doom or wild animals. 

Fears are created in our childhood in response to unpleasant experiences, pain, and abuse. In reality, fear is a biological mechanism used to make us aware of potential threats to our person. If we had no fears we would not even be on this earth as a species. Fear of the dark, of heights, of wild animals, of disease, and of competition are all fears which have kept our species alive throughout the ages. If a bird did not have a fear of cats it would simply succumb to predation. If humans did not have a fear of water if they can’t swim they might drown. As such, the development of our fears originate in our biology and the instincts we have for self-preservation. 

But since fears are also reactionary and instinctual, and also develop when we are small children when we are more helpless, they are also often misunderstood and more severe than what is useful as an adult, and as such can get in the way of things we really want. For instance, if as a child we were the frequent recipient of rejection by family or friends we may, as adults, simply avoid friendships or romantic engagements due to our fears of rejection, and thus by our own behavior engineer the very loneliness and isolation we regret. If we get attacked by a dog as a child we might grow up into an adult which fears them, and then never actually get to experience the joy of animal companionship. Fears of being unlovable may motivate us to coerce partners into demonstrate their commitment and thus turn relationships into an exercise of dominance and willfulness rather than the free expression of love, or to preemptively destroy a relationship or avoid people we would truly love simply because we fear the power their presence would have on us and potential devastation should we lose them. 

Fear can be debilitating and overwhelming, driving us even into insanity, because it is such a primal and biological survival mechanism which is more concerned with the survival of our entire species rather than us as an individual. Fearing others, especially in geopolitical contexts, can drive families apart for the stupidest of reasons and foment xenophobia and racism. When we fail to understand our fears we are instead operating simply as a human animal, which comes with all the limitations and problems imposed by instinct and ignorance. 

Our response to fear and indeed even the very purpose of fear are also largely attempts to neutralize the thing of which we are afraid rather than fear itself, since fear is an esoteric and intangible construct of the human psyche. The human mind is designed to address fear by addressing the subject of our fear and not fear directly. Fearing competition and danger from other humans we buy guns and engage in arms races. Fearing crime we empower armed and aggressive law enforcement institutions to suppress our communities and stifle economic prosperity. Fearing our own self-worth we waste the entirety of our lives and relationships pursuing money and status. 

In fact, it is this very dynamic of our response to fear which carves us up into disparate political, regional, and ideological alliances. Those whose lives are dominated by fear and the desire to subvert that which they are afraid are those drawn to power simply for the sake of it, who sacrifice their morality and humanity merely to feel protected and empowered against that which they are afraid. This is the purpose which religion serves in the lives of man, to bring feelings of reassurance and power over things which are frightening, whether or not it actually does. It is why people willingly bankrupt themselves in support of institutions and persons who exploit them. Why voters choose leaders who rig political systems against their best interests. We are not ignorant to the consequences of our actions nor the debilitating effect it has on our lives—It is the price we are willing to pay for protection from the things we fear. The justification for our actions is simply that. Belief is in the power to subvert that which we are afraid, rather than fear itself.  

The fear inventory transforms esoteric, intangible fears into something which is tangible, allowing that we can in turn confront and resolve them, which is entirely possible, rather than that which we are afraid, which is impossible. Those who more naturally understand that our problem is fear and not that of which we are afraid are more happy, hopeful, creative, accomplished, capable, unifying, fun, and successful.

Fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones which reduce metabolic health, and if we have other metabolic illnesses our fear can make our physical health immeasurably worse. This is what happens when people absolutely lose their minds and become psychologically ill, or when people feel overwhelming terror at certain fears which lead to phobias such as of flying, groups of people, germs, etc.

1. Fear Inventory — Cause

Under Cause we write from where this fear originated. Fear of financial insecurity perhaps originates because we are, in fact, reliant in many ways on money to survive, and a lack of money causes stress and impairs our access to other things we need to survive like food, clothing, and shelter. As this illustrates, the cause of a fear is often because the existence of the thing of which we are afraid is something that actually does exist or does happen to us. A fear of failure often exists because we do in fact fail, even often. Even worse, people will often actively exploit our failures and use it as ammunition against us. Death actually is a thing, and we all must die, so that is one cause of the fear of death, but choosing to ignore reality or pretend death is a long way off or delude ourselves into acrobatic religious beliefs to distract us from this fear instead gives the fear of death immense power over our lives because we do not truly understand what causes the fear in the first place. Death is often used as a cudgel by parents and religious leaders to make us feel terrible about ourselves and thus easier to coerce and control (in turn to give themselves a feeling of control). Death is also often unpleasant such as during disease or accidents or violence, all of which are also fears to inventory. But it is largely through societal attitudes and our past experiences that we have these fears to begin with, and identifying their origins empowers us to begin accepting the fear, since we begin to understand why we have it, which is usually because of our prejudices surrounding the thing of which we are afraid and ignorance to reality rather than any real need to fear these things. Clues to the cause of our fears can also be found in the resentment and cause columns of the personal inventory, since it is often our past experiences which inform and catalyze the fear response. For instance, fear of authority may have originated from experiences of abuse or recrimination suffered by opportunistic and self-righteous parents, religious leaders, or employers who exploit our vulnerability for their own personal gain and control. Or fear of helplessness, violence, or even sex may be caused by experiences of sexual assault, violence, and abuse. Fear of being powerless may simply result from having been a child and at one point powerless. A fear of rejection may have been caused by past failures or painful experiences with family or ineffective and inexperienced romantic behaviors, or being taught that rejection defines our self-worth or should be considered with severity (rather than levity). Identifying the cause of our fears is the opposite of making other people or life in general responsible for them, and redirects our energies from controlling life and other people to instead having compassion for our mortal condition and understanding and operating within the natural bounds and limitations of our effectiveness which in turn empowers us to actually be effective in our lives.

All resentments are associated with one or more underlying fears which is what motivates our control mechanisms revealed in how we respond to those resentments (especially my part), and by inventorying these fears we can understand and resolve them, because all fears are simply caused by ignorance and this practice provides us with answers for why we have such fears in the first place. A fear of death is not actually a fear of death, which you will come to understand through the successful practice of inventory, but instead a fear of dying with yet unamended wrongs, expiring while still burdened with the guilt and shame of our mistakes and thus no more chance to repair them. We are also taught to fear death, to consider it as bad or scary, as punishment for our natural weaknesses as a human being, associated with pain and terror, or that there is only one life or that life is a test which determines your eternal fate, or that there is nothing to look forward to after death and we simply cease to exist. Rather than removing the thing of which we are afraid, which is impossible, the knowledge of why we fear is the key to removing that fear, which is done by recognizing the causes from which those fears originate.

1. Fear Inventory — Effect

Remember, that we cannot neutralize fear by neutralizing the thing of which we are afraid. When we do that we destroy relationships, opportunities, and become self-defeating. The rules of life do not change simply because we resent them. Believing ourselves required but unable to neutralize death, for instance, those of us who are driven by a fear of death plead to the divine to spare us from it, make excuses for wrongdoing, and foment fear and self-pity, concocting magnificent schemes which seek to facilitate the subversion of fear but in so doing simply serve to empower it and increase our mental, spiritual, and physical suffering. 

A person who is truly unafraid instead recognizes that it is okay that we die. That it is okay that we don’t know what happens after death. That the likelihood is death will care for us every bit as life has done. Ironically, those who desperately seek God and religion in the first place often do so because of intense fears of death, the unknown, and fate in general.

In truth it is impossible to subvert the things of which we are afraid. We cannot stop death. We cannot stop pain, or disappointment, inconvenience, rejection, heartache, loss, and challenges, and the inability to cope with this reality is one of the major problems which drives alcoholism and addiction. Instead of trying to control those things of which we are afraid, which is impossible to do anyway, under Effect we write what effect a particular fear has on our lives. Not the effect of the thing of which we are afraid—but possession of the fear and what this fear does to us. 

This is important because when we try to live in spite of our fears we are in fact ignoring or suppressing our fears and in turn ignore how they also control our lives. Recognizing that a fear of intimacy prevents us from growing close to others helps us see how we actually engineer the very self-defeating behaviors which get in our own way. The degree to which we fuck up our lives in response to fear is about ninety-percent of our day to day problems, and life in reality is a very lovely and amazing experience of which most of us are wholly ignorant because we perceive it largely through our fears and insecurities. 

The effect of fear of death is not to actually die, although it may actually increase our chances of dying since we might react to that fear in self-destructive ways, but the effect instead is to spend our entire lives always fearing the end, never actually enjoying the present, or even missing out on relationships or destroying them altogether because of our inability to handle the concept of death. 

Fears also of our children being failures may have the effect of stressing them out, aggravating interpersonal conflict, engendering animosity, resentment, stressing us out, preventing enjoyment of and feeling pride for our children, and even catalyzing through our behavior the very problems that we fear. Fear of authority may cause us to avoid or even antagonize authority figures, or miss out on opportunities for advancement altogether, or become ineffective when presented by challenges from authority figures. Fears make us sensitive to criticism, and so we may cling to destructive behaviors which impair our ability to succeed. Fear of accountability may prevent us from amending relationships when we have offended others and thus undermine or even lose those important relationships. Fear of failure may keep us from taking chances and acting on opportunity, or at the very least keep us from enjoying the success we have earned. Fear of illness not only keeps us from enjoying the health we do have but very often actually doing things which cause illness in the first place, resenting our body which is in truth only trying to take care of us. 

Fear of others prevents us from engaging in civics or prejudices us against people who would otherwise be neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters and amplifying political conflict and animosity, self-sabotaging our own wellbeing out of spite. We need other people to have relationships, but many of us are so afraid of sharing ourselves with others we actively withdraw from relationships rather than be vulnerable. Many of us are so afraid of life we would rather spend it fucked up, doing dangerous things and risking death when in fact understanding our fear and the trauma which caused it can free ourselves from the power of fear, no matter what actually happens in our lives. Thus, effect is not the effect that thing of which we are afraid, but the effect of having the fear in the first place. It is very important to understand this point because it is an exploration of the influence fear has over our behavior and conception of life, not the effect of those things we fear, because fear is the primary cause of ineffective action and choices which result in consequences which disrupt our lives and cause frustration and pain and not actually those things which we may fear. 

1. Fear Inventory — Better Way

Inventorying our fears flips the biological function of fear on its head, helping our mind to identify and address fear directly which neutralizes fear altogether and thus the very motivation to have our control mechanisms and insecurities in the first place. This relieves us of a great deal of suffering and stress since fear can be all-consuming at times, keeping us in a state of constant hyper-vigilance for threats to our person, and frees an enormous amount of emotional energy, time, and resources, turning our life over the Universe or your concept of a higher power which, unlike ourselves, is actually in charge of fate and most of the other things we have been afraid. 

No longer afraid of our bank account we actually manage it properly and accumulate wealth. No longer afraid of losing our children we actually spend time interacting with them and developing real emotional intimacy. No longer afraid of rejection we actually have fun dating, even when we get rejected, and take chances on healthy and inspiring adults of whom we were once also fearful.

Resolving fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones and excessive expression of acetylcholine. 

Normally if we have a fear of aging, or getting sick, or fat, we might think the way to deal with that fear is to go to the gym more, eat better, or try to lose weight. This is entirely wrong, because it is motivated by fear and continues to demonstrate a desire to control life and fear which is entirely impossible to do and exactly what drives our misery and ineffectiveness. 

In A Better Way we write an opposite way to consider the things of which we are afraid, especially as it pertains to trusting life to carry us through or our concept of a higher power and our place in the Universe, not on our own limited mortality but in terms of turning our lives over to fate, life, the laws of nature and reality, or a concept of God, to submit to these rules and realities rather than trying to control them. It is not a conception of what our life would be like without fear, nor the things we can or could do to try and control that of which we are afraid, but is a different way of thinking about those things which cause us fear. 

For instance, we never consider that there is actually such a thing as good conflict, or that both sides can often in fact be right at the same time during conflict, that everyone’s needs are legitimate and that conflict does not inherently require one winner and one who loses. Most relationships are often conducted this way, in competition at the expense of the other which results in acrimony and resentment. We can ask for what we need without taking from others. 

Rather than doing more things to control death, a better way might be to realize that it’s okay that we die. All people die, and it’s okay not to know what happens afterward. The same forces which placed us on this earth are also those responsible for taking us out, it is not our job to manage, plan, or anticipate death. Because of how biology works and the end of our sensory abilities you may also be surprised and relieved that death is not actually something we experience. We can also trust in life or a higher power to carry us through to the next stage of existence just as it brought us into this one. That rather than all the negativity we have been taught death is natural and good, because it makes room for new life and new people and carries us forward to the next stage of existence, whatever that may be.

Often we try to delude ourselves when facing fears, like “things will be okay,” or “death is a long ways off.” But these are not necessarily true and thus they fail to resolve fear. Very often things are not, in fact, okay. We often lose people or experience pain and heartache, so what good does your fear in the face of reality? Very often, recognizing that we fear something because it really does happen (which is part of the cause) is actually okay that it happens (in the better way). There really is nothing wrong with rejection, or death, or loss, only our deluded conceptions and denial which gives power to fear. Recognizing that sometimes the things of which we are afraid are real, but that it’s okay they happen can be a very empowering practice in a better way. We are still valuable if others reject us, conflict can actually be productive, money is fake and not actually that important, success merely serves as a way to attract relationships, validation, and attention which we can get from healthy relationships, no relationships last forever, new ones can always be found, people are mostly lovely, kind, and caring, healing is always possible, I have demonstrated resilience and persistence in the past and there is no reason to believe I won’t in the future. My parents had trauma that prevented them from raising me well, other people are hurting and deserving of compassion, life is cyclical and no one state ever persists. The Universe is looking out for me, regardless of the problems I must face. 

1. Inventory Practice and Success

The inventory therapy should be practiced daily and prioritized above all other activities until it is completed. During recovery our fears may compel us to continue fixating on jobs, relationships, success, and other obligations. But we can never achieve fulfillment in these pursuits if suffering from alcoholism and addiction, which can and does get in the way of creativity, productivity, success, and undermines relationships we require to be happy and successful.  

While at first it can be daunting to practice inventory, this is simply a fear of the unknown and of letting go of control, because we have never done it before. But trying to make ourselves do inventory is a also control, and demonstrates a lack of compassion for our experiences as we have been so well conditioned to do. 

Instead, inventorying the inventory therapy can help clarify why we experience resistance to taking care of needs. Inventory might be boring, or threatening, it requires time and attention when we would rather be making money or looking for sex or playing video games. Like the rest of our lives to this point, willing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do is the withholding of self-compassion. Of course inventory therapy is boring and uncomfortable and we would rather not do it. Inventorying that in a resentment entry and the associated fears of letting go of control can help us understand our own motivations and thus clear away resistance. 

Many people only do as much inventory as is minimally helpful to resolve the worst parts of their life experience, and continue to live year after year still struggling to find resolution to destructive perceptions of life and intense fears and insecurities, because we cannot willfully change such things which require introspective therapy such as inventory therapy accomplishes. 

If it is prioritized, inventory therapy very quickly becomes associated with relief as good or better than a drink or a hit because it permanently removes trauma, insecurity, regret, remorse, resentment, and fear simply by sitting down and doing the writing. The only requirement being abstinent and clear-headed and a pen and paper. The therapy is the writing practice, and no more is required, no attitude adjustment, no willpower, just dedicated practice. Communicating with the subconscious in this structured therapy helps the subconscious become aware of the conflict between our ego and our best interests, and when presented with new experiences and stimuli in the future addressed by the inventory behavior will naturally change as the subconscious tries new approaches automatically in dealing with stress. 

Sometimes some trauma is so deep it requires multiple entries before a true understanding and resolution can occur. Simply making new entries as required when these fears or frustrations are triggered is all that is required until it is fully resolved. 

This is a practice, and while it can be completed in as little as two weeks if a person dedicates an abundance of time each day, it is also a tool to assist us in everyday life moving forward as needed, but it must be completed (everything from the past you can possibly remember) to enact the kind of permanent resolution of psychological trauma and the finding of unrivaled confidence, peace, and happiness, and thus the resolution of learned hopelessness which underlies addiction and alcoholism.

1. Prevention
1. Abuse

Although it may seem obvious, preventing the kind of abuse and neglect as what catalyzes alcoholism and addiction is the key to its prevention. Very many parents are allowed to abuse their children as long as it is not physical and severe enough to be reported to child protective services. But abusive parents, like the alcoholic or addict, do not possess better self-care and parenting skills such as is taught by the inventory therapy.

Empowering parents with the tools to handle trauma, frustration, and conflict such as is taught in this program can help parents feel calmer and more effective both in their obligations as parents and in their partnership and other relationships, which in turn prevents abuse, but also models such tools for their own children to also in turn feel empowered to care for their own needs and meet life’s challenges. 

Empowerment is the key to undoing both parental abuse and neglect and alcoholism and addiction, so sharing these therapies even with people who are not alcoholics and addicts for more effective parenting experiences is the key to undoing systemic alcoholism and addiction.

1. Diet

Feeding children high quantities of potato, especially the skins, can very strongly promote the development of alcoholism and addiction. Potatoes are delicious, just serve them a few times a week instead of most days, and always peel potatoes. The other nightshade foods, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, etc., are not as harmful, but they can still contribute if they are abundant in the diet, so integrating other options and orienting the diet to foods which are not in the nightshade family and instead enjoying these in smaller quantities can help to prevent the development of addiction and alcoholism.

Common wheat, being highly inflammatory, can cause a myriad of childhood health problems and set the stage for later alcoholism and addiction, especially when combined with abuse and other excessive and unnecessary stresses. Ear infections, for instance, are caused by bacteria opportunistically colonizing swollen ear canals caused by reactions to common wheat gluten. Common wheat is also usually fortified with iron, and excess iron promotes pathogenic microbes which are even more dependent on iron for their growth than we are, so avoiding common wheat is also helpful for this reason (ingredients on food labels that contain iron say iron or ferric or ferrous compounds). 

Children are designed by nature to especially benefit from fruit, so a diet which is high in fruit for growing children will not only help promote a healthy gut microbiome and prevent alcoholism and addiction but also better overall development in every facet of growth. 

1. Environment

Sunlight deprivation catalyzes depression, and over time can increase sensitivity to stress. Children should have daily, ample exposure to sunlight at hours which do not risk sunburn. Both glass and sunblock prevent vitamin D synthesis (and sunblock often contains toxic chemicals), so avoid excessive sun exposure when it is especially intense, around midday, and instead get sun in the early or later times or play in areas which are partially shaded.

Many of our cities and towns are build and designed around cars, and as such make it dangerous for children to play outside. In fact, the loneliness and separation which permeates suburban lifestyles is a significant promoter of depression and alcoholism and addiction. Redesigning infrastructure to accommodate  safe and protected biking can empower children to travel to school, the homes of friends, or sports activities without always requiring a chaperone. The Netherlands is a country which models this example perfectly, they have the happiest kids in the entire world, low crime rates, and one of the lowest rates of alcoholism by country (those that ban alcohol don’t count, they just have a lot of dry drunks). 

Social integration, support, love, emotional availability are the antidotes to alcoholism, which is why empowering parents to resolve their own trauma can prevent the development of alcoholism and addiction in children. But kids can get and also need support from other members of their immediate society—extended family living nearby, friends, role models, etc. which can only be facilitated by living within communities that can easily access one another, which means also living in and designing infrastructure to provide immediate access to other people and not one which is centered around and dependent on driving. Social media has filled this role and need for many young people because our cities and towns are largely built to separate us from each other, and kids can often only find the access to friends, information, and engagement through the internet. There is nothing wrong with social media in general, and access to the internet is one of the factors which has driven down crime in many places because people feel more empowered and not so alone and disenfranchised. But it’s negative sides such as fomenting extremism, harassment, and volatile political discord is a product first of loneliness and isolation which makes people vulnerable to exploitation, and many extremists and reactionaries are untreated alcoholics and drug addicts, so addressing the underlying causes of alcoholism and addiction will keep children from becoming victims to those elements of the internet. 

1. Conclusion

Alcoholism and addiction have only been incurable because of the biases and prejudices which permeate even scientific and medical research, but mostly society as a whole, treating mental illness and those who struggle with trauma and the human condition as pariahs, withholding compassion and empathy from those who need it most. Because of this work, alcoholism and addiction no longer need be a disease that any person on earth should suffer, so this document can and should be shared with every institution, group, or individual affected by alcoholism and addiction, to promote awareness and empowerment. 

Very often alcoholics and addicts are so ill they do not have the capacity to help themselves, so it behooves family, friends, and society to assist them, which cannot be done if they do not understand how this disease works. 

It does require that alcoholics and addicts be willing to participate in therapy, but staging interventions or getting institutional assistance can be a great support. Contact recovery organizations in your local community for resources, ask for help, and learn the inventory therapy yourself which can help you to teach it to others, leading by example and empowered by the resolution of your own trauma. 

All therapists, counselors, and medical professionals who work with addicts and alcoholics must learn and practice the inventory therapy themselves, otherwise it will be impossible to assist those who need it. We cannot, after all, give what we do not have. But it can also help to insulate professionals from the stresses of interacting with and dealing with these patients, since it can often be a frustrating experience. 

Alcoholism and addiction are no longer untreatable. If it wasn’t clear before, this is a permanent cure of the disease, not simply a recovery program, and if done correctly it is possible to again enjoy alcohol and minor recreational drug use like marijuana in the same manner as healthy people who do not abuse them. But in order for this to occur an alcoholic or addict must be able to sustain sobriety for about two or three years. Any intense desire to use drugs or alcohol are still a sign that recovery is not complete, and more work must be done on resolving the biochemical and psychological stresses which underlying the disease, or else this risks relapse. Deluded thinking and trivialization of stress, drinking, or drug use are definite signs that psychological therapy is not complete. Many people only do the inventory therapy enough to resolve their most egregious and inconvenient mental stresses, but do not finish it and thus continue to persist with emotional trauma and control and coping mechanisms which will absolutely result in relapse. Want to drink again in the future? Finish the inventory and take care of your body first.

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The Biological and Psychological Nature of Addiction and Alcoholism and Novel Strategies to Their Resolution

Nathan Guy Hatch

December 2025

This document is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license. This means you are free to copy and distribute this document in its entirety, but may not alter nor cause it to be altered in any way (it may be translated into other languages so long as no changes are made to any of its content). Proper attribution should also be credited to the author. Commercial use of this document is strictly forbidden (meaning you cannot sell it or make money from it).

By taking or using this document you agree to these terms set forth at 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode

Please occasionally check back to the original source (fuckportioncontrol.com and
Nathan Hatch) for updated versions

1. Introduction

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction

1. Acetylcholine
2. Acetylcholine and Stress
3. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
4. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine
5. Drugs and Acetylcholine
6. Diet and Acetylcholine
7. Sunlight and Acetylcholine
8. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine

1. Defining Addiction

1. Not Addiction
2. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior
3. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease

1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology
2. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

Treatment

1. Emergency Care

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy
2. Alcohol and Acetic acid

Sodium Acetate

1. Sugar Therapy
2. Light Therapy
3. Niacinamide

Vitamin C

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

Recovery Diet

1. Coffee and Caffeine
2. Taurine
3. Treating Psychological factors
4. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

12-step Programs

1. Relearning Life Lessons
2. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

Self-compassion

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity
2. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Social Support

Inventory Therapy

1. Preparation

1. Abstinence

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy
2. Personal Inventory — Resentment
3. Personal Inventory — Cause
4. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt
5. Personal Inventory — My Part
6. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses
7. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fear Inventory — Cause

1. Fear Inventory — Effect
2. Fear Inventory — Better Way
3. Inventory Practice and Success

Prevention

Abuse

1. Diet

Environment

Conclusion

1. Introduction

Alcoholism and Addiction have been a plague on mankind for most of history. Completely misunderstood, addicts and alcoholics and their family and friends are often fated to a lifetime of conflict because no medical research has yet knowingly uncovered the pathways which mediate this condition. Yet even as we slam atomic particles together and live-video call across the world, addiction and alcoholism are still often treated as a personal problem with willpower. In truth, alcoholism and addiction are every bit diseases as any other metabolic condition such as diabetes, cancer, and mental illness as what affect human life and mortality, as we do not control the function of the brain and other organs. While Anonymous programs and some medical support have great benefit for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction, its biological and psychological origination is almost entirely un-elucidated, condemning many people to a life of suffering as families and communities afflicted by this universal disease remain untreated.

It turns out that causes of Alcoholism and Addiction are actually quite straightforward and pretty simple to understand, as elucidated by this paper, and are already supported by existing, established science though even the authors of such studies were unaware of this fact at the time of their publication. This document seeks to enlighten and educate others to the underlying causes as well as effective treatment for those afflicted by conditions of alcoholism and addiction, especially its prevention. For more information not included in this document or for help with problems understanding or applying this information please visit www.natehatch.com. In the interest of efficiency and clarity, citations are not here provided but most scientific claims herein may be easily and independently confirmed at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. A few claims in this document are the result of Nathan’s own academic work, research, and personal experience in dealing with the condition of addiction and alcoholism and its successful resolution through the methods indicated herein, and are not yet supported by any existing studies as of the publication date of this document.

1. Neurology of Alcoholism and Addiction
1. Acetylcholine

Acetylcholine is an important excitatory (stimulating) neurotransmitter involved in addiction and alcoholism which mediates consciousness, learning, and memory in the human brain and nervous system. Consciousness, learning, and memory are in fact all the same biological function—as memory is consciousness is also learning—and acetylcholine is the primary mediator of this neurological function.

Being the mediator of learning, memory, and consciousness, acetylcholine is released when we experience stimuli to both record experiences and retrieve prior deposited information such as when learning to speak, learning to play the piano, what body posture to adopt around people we like or around those we don’t, how fast to cross a busy street, how to handle our parents, meeting a dog, getting into arguments, or that we get scared of the dark or our bank account. Acetylcholine also has other neurological functions like dilation of the cardiovascular system or the induction of sweating.

1. Acetylcholine and Stress

Acetylcholine is expressed in greater quantity during stressful stimuli such as interpersonal conflict, physical threats or harm, receiving of unwanted attention, scrutiny, shame, and guilt, experiences of loss, and onerous responsibility or obligation in those with low-self esteem or deficiency of confidence. In terms of human evolutionary development this increase occurs during stress because experiences of stress must be more strongly imprinted on our mind and development, as a survival mechanism to prepare animals both proverbially and literally for threats to our wellbeing, development, and survival. If this did not occur we would not be adequately prepared to meet threats to our wellbeing with awareness and action from the imprinting of learned lessons derived from such experiences. In evolutionary terms, encountering a wild predator while walking through the forest stimulates greater expression of acetylcholine so we can better remember that predators are dangerous. In evolutionary terms, our survival was simply not threatened by nice things like hugs and butterflies, so excess acetylcholine does not occur during oppositely pleasant and enjoyable experiences. 

Because more acetylcholine expression is stimulated by stress, experiences like getting spanked or being hit as a child, our parents fighting, ridicule or rejection by peers, teachers or other adults making fun of us, being threatened with hell or spiritual punishment, sexual assault and sexual abuse, loss of possessions, or hunger or financial stress are also sources of excessive acetylcholine expression. If such stimuli are regular and constant during growth and development in childhood, excessive acetylcholine expression is also constant during growth and development which in turn causes the brain to imprint both a greater quantity and intensity of negative experiences than children raised in less stressful environments, thereby conditioning the brain of that child to experience greater psychological stress throughout their development and thereby come to regard life with constant anxiety, trepidation, anticipation, hypervigilance, etc.

Being deprived of effective life skills and emotional tools as is also a common experience also powerfully compounds stress and acetylcholine expression due to an inability to effectively handle stressful life experiences and thus makes stressful experiences even more stressful, frightening, demoralizing, or otherwise traumatizing than they might be should a child or person have otherwise been empowered with effective coping skills which will relieve that stress. For instance, a person whom never learns how to effectively handle the experience of rejection experiences greater acetylcholine release and neurological stress when confronted by the experience of rejection or the threat of rejection. Later in life when presented with opportunities for rejection such as seeking inclusion in a group, holding a job, or romantic partnering a person lacking the skill to handle rejection while also burdened with stressful imprinting of previous experiences of rejection and heightened acetylcholine will experience immense stress surrounding those experiences compared to someone without such experiences and excess acetylcholine. 

Oppositely, effective life skills and coping mechanisms increase feelings of empowerment and thus decrease stress and acetylcholine excess in response to stressful stimuli. A person who did learn effective coping skills for rejection is only nominally stressed by those experiences and thus experiences normal acetylcholine expression, since acetylcholine expression is increased by stress and their stress is lessened due to empowerment with effective skills.

Thus, because stress promotes acetylcholine and acetylcholine also promotes stress, the more stress a person experiences during their developmental years the more stress they feel in turn from stressful stimuli when they are grown, becoming more and more conditioned to feel stress, to anticipate stress, and to feel stressed during stress. So when confronted with stressful stimuli such as managing a bank account, interpersonal conflict, or negative conceptions of self worth an addict or alcoholic becomes paralyzed by fear and insecurity disproportionate to the stimuli due to exaggerated neurological expression of acetylcholine and its effects on imprintation, cognition, emotions, and other functions of acetylcholine such as heart rate, sweating, arousal, etc.

1. Acetylcholine and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus

The dorsal raphe nucleus is the serotonergic center of the brain (produces, regulates, and responds to serotonin). Contrary to common belief, even among the scientific community, serotonin is not actually a hormone of ‘happiness’ but is instead a hormone of biological torpor, most commonly demonstrated by the function of hibernation (torpor means to slow things down) which is triggered by spikes in serotonin and its derivative, melatonin. Serotonin is confusingly and errantly associated with depression because its torporific effects can have the appearance of therapy in manic-depressive states (now called bipolar disorder) for which it was originally studied, since the introduction or upregulation of serotonin can sedate or subdue someone in a manic state. But this is also why serotonergic drugs often come with increased risks of suicide, which is paradoxical if serotonin is the hormone of ‘happiness,’ because serotonin in fact induces torpor, not happiness. Profound psychological stress such as PTSD damages the dorsal raphe nucleus which afterward then begins to chronically express greater quantities of serotonin than before injury. Since serotonin is a hormone of torpor, not happiness, this then results in conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, etc. 

Not widely recognized, serotonin is also the hormone of shame and guilt, which is why those with alcoholism and addiction always suffer from debilitating fixation on shame and guilt, because trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus by highly stressful, unresolved experiences of trauma results in an excess production of serotonin and thus chronic feelings of guilt and shame.

This function of the dorsal raphe nucleus was uncovered during horrifying research conducted on rats and dogs in the discovery of a condition called Learned Helplessness and the effect of inescapable torture on the function of the brain, which is characterized by failure to act, even when presented with an opportunity to do so, in which an animal will refrain from escape attempts even when their life is in danger. But the term hopelessness is a better characterization of the condition, marked by a deep sense of despair and unmotivated to extract oneself from negativity, not ignorance to ability as helplessness implies. Research on this condition is thus termed learned helplessness but should be termed learned hopelessness as sufferers do not lack knowledge of how to act but motivation that action is worthwhile, and the use of the word helplessness biases treatment and recovery to fault those whom are ill rather than correctly identifying biology as the origination of illness.   

Learned hopelessness is then the condition of the dorsal raphe being traumatized to the point of chronically expressing excess torporific serotonin in response to unresolved trauma, to which the body responds with increased acetylcholine expression to overcome the torporific effect of serotonin. While this state may seem paradoxical to the survival of an organism, it is actually the primary biological adaptation to predation, meant by biology to spare prey animals excessive suffering during the act of being predated, through catastrophic release of torporific hormones like serotonin which mediate shock and cognitive dissociation to reduce suffering. As animals, humans also have this response, but where stresses sufficient to induce such trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus in our evolutionary past would have lead to the expiration of an individual, our technological and social advancements in food, sanitation, and medicine instead permits us to survive profound stress and continue to persist in spite of extreme trauma. This problem is best demonstrated in conditions of PTSD in which sufferers find it nearly impossible to extricate themselves, because the problem is not only psychological but literal physical injury to the raphe nucleus to which it responds by chronically expressing excess serotonin which then keeps the brain and body in a constant state of metabolic torpor. 

Such damage to the raphe nucleus is reversible but requires very specific intervention as described later in this paper, which most people are not likely to encounter spontaneously. As this state increases acetylcholine expression, the conditions of alcoholism and addiction are thus neurological disorders. 

1. Alcoholism and Acetylcholine

Alcohol destroys acetylcholine, a fact that all medical professionals and researchers should know, which confirms the condition of of alcoholism being mediated by an excess of acetylcholine, and alcohol thus relieves those with alcoholism of the literal physical and psychological stress of alcoholism by neutralizing excess acetylcholine. 

But because acetylcholine facilitates learning, memory, and consciousness, drinking alcohol to excess can and does induce blackout and loss of consciousness. What is worse is that because acetylcholine is required for learning, the act of drinking to excess also causes failure to learn from mistakes or consequences while intoxicated, since the chemical required to imprint learning is inhibited, which is the reason why alcoholics have such a difficult time abstaining from drink even after highly negative experiences from drinking to excess such as interpersonal conflict and injury, because they literally do not well remember those consequences as a result of being intoxicated in the first place. This is also why abstinence is required for recovery, because learning new life skills to empower an alcoholic and relieve the condition of learned hopelessness cannot occur if alcohol use continues because alcohol literally inhibits the neurochemical required to mediate learning of new skills and imprintation of new, positive life experiences to replace those old, traumatizing experiences which catalyzed the condition.

This problem is even more dire than appears, however, as the more alcohol a person consumes the more the body also upregulates acetylcholine expression, to replace that which is lost. This is why withdrawal from severe alcoholism can even be fatal and must be medically managed to avoid death, because the rebound of acetylcholine after long term, extremely excessive alcohol abuse can be so high it literally kills the person through overstimulation of the nervous system (although this mechanism has not been known previously since the role of acetylcholine in these conditions also has not been known). That acetylcholine can rise high enough to actually kill a person during withdrawal should plainly demonstrate its participation in this condition, to cause literally excruciating physical discomfort which compels alcoholics to reach for the cheapest and mostly widely available medicine to treat excess acetylcholine—alcohol. 

1. Drugs and Acetylcholine

Similar to alcohol, drugs of abuse either inhibit acetylcholine release or oppose the harmful effects of acetylcholine. For instance, although marijuana actually increases acetylcholine expression (which accounts for the time dilation effects experienced by marijuana users) it also lowers adrenaline which is otherwise stimulated by acetylcholine and thus relieves users of the stressful effects of acetylcholine. This is why marijuana also stimulates appetite, because a primary function of adrenaline is to release glucose from glycogen and maintain circulating blood sugar. So marijuana induces relaxation by inhibiting a stressful function of acetylcholine without inhibiting acetylcholine itself.

Heroin and other opiates also increase acetylcholine expression but they also simultaneously stimulate dopamine release, which is normally lowered by excess acetylcholine, which then also acts to block the stressful effects of acetylcholine. Cocaine not only raises dopamine but also causes cells to dump serotonin (which results in its excess circulation but this temporarily relieves cells of its torporific effects), to temporarily relieve users of the stress of excess acetylcholine. The reason acetylcholine lowers dopamine is because acetylcholine excess is associated with stress and it would be evolutionarily counterproductive to induce dopamine during threats to our wellbeing, as an animal would then feel joy from things which are in fact a threat. This is in fact why drugs and alcohol promote self-destructive and even dangerous behavior, because they do just that, inhibiting the stress response from negative experiences and instead causing release of pleasurable neurological and endocrinological factors so that users instead seek them.

Methamphetamine causes incredible excess of dopamine (275% to 2,473% according to one study), which counteracts the increase in acetylcholine better than other drugs, but meth also promotes an increase in acetylcholine release which then also likely accounts for the rapid physical deterioration of meth users since acetylcholine stimulates cellular excitation which in turn causes cells to become depleted of energy and nutrients, but the sheer excess of dopamine it promotes masks the negative feelings and physical stress that would normally be felt by such high acetylcholine and physical deterioration.

Nicotine mimics acetylcholine and temporarily replaces its function in neurological pathways, thus preventing some of the physical stress caused by acetylcholine specifically, while also promoting dopamine release. This is a reason why nicotine withdrawal is so difficult because, opposite to alcohol, nicotine replaces the function of acetylcholine, which downregulates its natural expression to experience a deficiency rather than excess during withdrawal, and thus desires for the stimulatory effect of nicotine to replace that lost from downregulated acetylcholine during chronic nicotine use, but is also why nicotine is often used by those recovering from alcoholism, since nicotine downregulates general acetylcholine expression.

In summary, alcohol destroys acetylcholine while drugs either regulate acetylcholine expression or counteract its negative effects in various ways depending on the specific substance.

1. Diet and Acetylcholine

While stress is a primary mediator of acetylcholine regulation, diet actually has the greatest influence, because acetylcholine is a chemical it is also affected by dietary and environmental regulation. Most consequently, the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant contain glycoalkaloid toxins meant to kill nematodes (tiny parasites) by inactivating the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which regulates acetylcholine levels, and kills nematode pests by the same mechanism as alcohol withdrawal, which is overstimulation of the nervous system by an excess of acetylcholine. This demonstrates how toxic acetylcholine can be, as excess can be so great as to actually kill an organism. Though we are many times larger than nematodes and do not directly recognize the harmful effects of exposure to many dietary nightshades they can and do still destroy our acetylcholinesterase and thus cause increase in acetylcholine. There are, in fact, recorded instances of death by consumption of green potato, which has even higher levels of solanine than usual, and populations with high dependence on potatoes, eggplant, and peppers and tomatoes do have correspondingly higher rates of alcoholism. Other dietary factors like frequent starvation and dieting, a poorly nutritive diet, or dysregulation of the gut microbiome due to dietary factors can and do also affect acetylcholine regulation.

Nutritional and environmental factors is why alcoholism and addiction have previously appeared to lack a common denominator, and alcoholics and addicts come from all walks of life with a wide range of demographics in age, wealth, and ethnic backgrounds, because diet and food traditions such as peeling potatoes or not (the peel contains the greatest quantity of the glycoalkaloid solanine) can greatly affect acetylcholine and neurological stress in addition to psychological and emotional stress. A child is a far likelier to develop alcoholism or addiction if they are thus raised in a home that is emotionally volatile while also receiving a diet high in nightshades and other dietary factors which dysregulate acetylcholine homeostasis, yet a child in a good home can still develop alcoholism if they are fed a diet which affects acetylcholine homeostasis, and a child in an abusive home can still avoid the condition if fed a diet which strongly protects them from acetylcholine dysregulation. 

Removal of dietary stresses as nightshade plants can make recovery far more rapid and complete. But inflammatory foods like common wheat (because of difficult to digest gluten) or polyunsaturated fats (canola oil, soy oil, vegetable oil, etc., which more susceptible to peroxidation) can also promote excessive acetylcholine because of inflammation’s effect on acetylcholine and physical recovery, as the parasympathetic nervous system responds to inflammation and low metabolic respiration by expressing greater acetylcholine to stimulate fatigued cells, which must be rescued by a good diet and good dietary behaviors such as consistently sustaining blood sugar as described further in this document. Potatoes and eggplant are the most potent dietary sources of glycoalkaloids and should be entirely replaced by other options until a full recovery is made. Occasional consumption of tomatoes and peppers is not usually a problem, but daily consumption will certainly prevent recovery.

1. Sunlight and Acetylcholine

Environmental factors also contribute to high acetylcholine expression, such as excessive darkness and deficiency of sunlight. This is why many populations nearer the poles have higher rates of alcoholism. Light exposure also lowers serotonin release while deficiency increases it, due to our vestigial hibernation response and circadian rhythms. As primates we actually never lost our hibernation response but instead possess an anti-hibernation response which is mediated by a rise in adrenaline, mediated by an increase in acetylcholine. If this were not the case, humans would also still hibernate when wintertime comes, or other deficiency of light, but this also means that excessive sequestration indoors or other chronic light deficiency also increases acetylcholine and stress. Daily sun exposure, as much as possible without getting sunburned, is also required to prevent or resolve conditions like alcoholism and addiction. The ability to benefit from sun exposure is also dependent on other dietary factors like dietary carotenoids, which can be supported through a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables as is possible (more information on factors like these are discussed in Nathan’s other works).

1. Psychological Stress and Acetylcholine 

Because acetylcholine’s primary function is to facilitate consciousness, which increases during stress, reduction of stress is imperative to any recovery effort, to lower excess acetylcholine expression as much as possible without artificial or pharmacological intervention (the taking of drugs and alcohol in the first place is a pharmacological intervention and does not work to cause recovery because acetylcholine expression must be restored to normal without dependence on medication). 

It is common for those suffering addiction or alcoholism to patronize recovery homes and institutions. These services provide relief not only from the assistance of other humans but also the temporary break from real life. The problem is that such relief is only temporary and, in places like the United States which do not provide their citizens with healthcare, is often dependent on the ability to pay for support. So when residence at a recovery home is over, returning to real life and exposure to stressful stimuli simply results in resumption of excessive acetylcholine expression and thus relapse.

Recovery groups such as the Anonymous programs similarly promote recovery through stress mitigation, which occurs both by social support and empowerment with new skills as mentors facilitate new learning experiences to their members. But lacking knowledge of the biological origins and factors of alcoholism and addiction these programs fail to achieve a high rate of recovery and also frequently indoctrinate participants to not expect a cure, which further debilitates total recovery as this idea itself is a hopelessness function. Some derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous also adulterated the original format to include language and practices which continue to blame participants for their condition, such as the practice of denying participants the opportunity to talk about the experience of being intoxicated and the risk of ‘triggering,’ other participants but which unintentionally further imprints experiences of stress and hopelessness even within the recovery program.

Constant stress relief must be practiced by anyone seeking recovery, since it is not possible to live indefinitely in recovery homes or programs, and all of life should be treated as a recovery center—learning and practicing self-care skills, resolving trauma, and refraining from stressful obligations and situations as much as possible such as by staying well-fed, engaging in fun and relaxation, and associating with persons which genuinely care for our wellbeing while avoiding those whom do not. Career ambitions, negative body image, and relationships are often major sources of stress, and putting such concerns on hold as discussed later in this document until after a full recovery and self-empowerment can be achieved can provide relief. 

1. Defining Addiction
1. Not Addiction

Addiction is mediated by dysregulation of the neurochemical acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters like dopamine, and the term ‘addiction’ used casually in the colloquial lexicon leads to classifying some behaviors as addiction which are not actually addictions. Fundamentally, a human being cannot be addicted to things which are part of our human needs and biology, both biological and psychological, such as sugar, food, or love and sex. Sugar is a chemical storage form of energy required by our biology to run metabolic pathways. Cocaine is not, and the equivocation of sugar and drug abuse as is so common in treatment culture and scientific/medical research is both incorrect and amoral. What humans feel during “sugar addiction” is in fact the consequences of carbohydrate deficiency and its effects on raising stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which function in part to help raise blood sugar to keep us alive but which is achieved then by catabolizing glycogen and lean muscle into useable sugars.

Like drugs and alcohol, sugar lowers stress, but unlike drugs and alcohol this is due to the mediation of satiation and resultant production of energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which sustains life and is required for life, while drugs and alcohol simply ‘hack’ human biology by altering the normal expression of neurochemicals. Failing to recognize that desires for sugar is simply the need to eat carbohydrate while the desire for drugs and alcohol is a neurological addiction to substances which alter feelings of stress prevents addicts from actively recovering because sugar lowers stress through the natural function of human biology, and that sugar is in fact required to make a full recovery due to the resultant production in ATP and other effects (such as the production of CO2) of dietary carbohydrate which sustain biological metabolism as required by our biology to stay alive.

There is also nothing wrong with wanting to lower stress, and it can be done through safer mechanisms such as keeping blood sugar sustained at all times rather than shooting heroin, and equating sugar to drug addiction is a gross denigration of the human condition which purposefully conflates completely disparate substances due to human desires for control of biological limitations and mortal vulnerabilities. Molecules like fructose-6-phosphate, for instance, are crucial for most metabolic pathways, and nearly the entirety of all glucose which enters cells for participation in metabolism is first converted to fructose before consumption in the citric acid cycle and mitochondrial electron transport chain which produce the ATP (energy) which keeps us alive. 

Dietary fructose also more rapidly replenishes glycogen, and also prevents the excessive release of glucose from glycogen storage even during excessive adrenaline expression, helping not only to sustain and preserve glycogen but to also increase ATP production and mitochondrial respiration. Testicles are also sites of high fructose concentrations and fructose metabolism as it is a necessary component for production of testosterone and sperm, and lots of libido problems in both men and women come directly from sugar starvation which then has the effect of increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs because of the direct metabolic consequences of depriving the body of carbohydrate. 

Claiming that sugar is addictive is equal to claiming that air or water are addictive, as sugar is required every bit as much as oxygen and water to keep the body from dying, and during states of extreme sugar deprivation our body even reverse synthesizes sugar from protein in the process of gluconeogenesis, and if it did not do this every human whom engaged in dieting behaviors would simply die, which is why abstinence from sugar causes such extreme physical and mental stress. 

Healthy forms of sugar like fruit are certainly preferable to junk food, but even well-made, high quality candy such as taffy or pectin-containing fruit gems can effectively help promote recovery from alcoholism and addiction by lowering stress and stress hormones, both physically and psychologically, without the cognitive impairment as what occurs from use of substances such as alcohol and drugs. 

Sex and pornography addiction are also not addiction but a biological response to metabolic stress, mediated by excess nitric oxide which compels the human mating response and arousal in an individual who is colonized by opportunistic pathogens and at risk of expiry, as an evolutionary adaptation to promote procreation during stresses which might have otherwise caused early demise to our evolutionary ancestors. Reproduction is one of the most important biological functions of any species and for this reason it is also one of the last systems impaired by illness, but when stress becomes excessive a human’s mating instincts are increased to the point it can feel like addiction (compulsory), but because it is not addiction it is never successfully treated by behavioral intervention and instead must be achieved through nutritional, environmental, and medical interventions which are beyond the scope of this paper. More information on sex addiction can be found at www.natehatch.com and associated media content, specifically the book Fuck Portion Control in the chapter on erectile dysfunction.

Other behaviors which appear to be addictions such as gambling, excessive playing of video games, or adrenaline “addiction” are also not addictions but can benefit from some of the therapies presented in this paper, as they are problems of insufficient self-care, coping skills, and emotional fulfillment, factors also of real addiction, but since they are coping mechanisms and not products of neurochemical dysfunction dependent on exogenous chemicals they are also not true addictions. Addiction is neurological disorder which motivates the willful and chronic abuse of chemical substances, not coping behaviors which simply alleviate stress or emotional dissatisfaction.

1. Dopamine and Reward Seeking Behavior

Clinical addiction is incorrectly defined as reward seeking behavior, pejoratively associated with the hormone dopamine, and as such includes a very broad set of supposed subcategories like sex addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction, gambling addiction, etc., which are not actually addictions and thus undermines research, progress, and treatment of real addiction, and used also to simply shame people for having problems and ineffective ability to cope with stress and life. 

The negative conception of reward is also a consequence of negative conceptions of human life, functions, and experiences, and is in fact prejudice infecting medical and scientific research. Reward (i.e. dopamine) is not a peril of human behavior but is in reality an instinctual survival adaptation possessed of all animals which promote successful behaviors by communicating to the organism what behaviors result in success just as stressful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released when creatures encounter harm, loss, and stress to communicate the potentially harmful nature of those experiences. 

When discussing ‘reward seeking behavior’ and dopamine release it is rarely discussed that this response does not come only from such activities as drug abuse but also from things like giving or receiving a hug, talking with a loved one, accomplishing goals, having a great meal, creating a new relationship, doing well at work, or learning a new skill. Whenever professionals or lay person negatively characterize reward they always refer to things like sex, food, or drugs due to inherited biases about things like self-control, indulgence, willpower, etc., but sex is good and healthy and reflects personal biases against sex and sexual behaviors, or eating disorders and unhealthy attitudes about food which motivate them. Characterizing pornography use as a reward seeking behavior but not finishing homework or getting a new job as reward seeking behavior is entirely a prejudicial bias rooted in shame and trauma that has nothing to do with the real function of dopamine, reward, and addiction, where addiction and its associated behaviors are purely the instinctual self-treatment of the discomfort caused by excess acetylcholine which can instead be achieved by other, healthy methods such as self-care and management of dopamine through ways which are not harmful. Use of the term ‘reward seeking behavior’ should be categorically excised from dialogue, discussion, research, and treatment of addiction except in the affirmation that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with reward seeking behavior.

1. Proper Characterization Assists Recovery

Misunderstanding what is and what is not addiction is especially unhelpful for those recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction because addicts commonly adopt further stressful behaviors like dieting, excessive exercise, sex abstinence, or negative self-opinions which reduce rates of recovery due to elevation of stress, stress hormones, and acetylcholine which occurs from the inducement of stress in those not empowered to handle that stress, such as avoiding sugar, the stress of which then increases risk of relapse. Alcohol is a sugar, actually, and one of the reasons for its abuse is that it replaces sugar in those purposefully avoiding sugar and promotes high metabolic activity that would otherwise be achieved through regular intake of healthy sugar sources which in turn temporarily relieves the physical and mental stress underlying addiction, and many people who diet and starve themselves use alcohol because they don’t consider alcohol to be a sugar, which it is. 

Recognizing that sugar is required for our wellbeing and supplying adequate carbohydrate during recovery, especially sugar and especially from good sources like fruit, is highly therapeutic for recovery since strongly preempts cravings for alcohol. Comparing delicious food items to crack or saying we are addicted to chocolate is not a problem, but characterizing addictions as negative behaviors and including taboo coping behaviors in those characterizations undermines the benefit that would otherwise be found in the proper characterization of addiction and alcoholism as neurological illness which cannot be properly treated when bias, prejudice, and ignorance are part of the treatment plan. Recognition that dopamine is the true ‘happiness’ hormone and functions in biology to reinforce experiences which fulfill the needs of an organism will also greatly assist caregivers, professionals, researchers, and the afflicted to understand why hacking biology with exogenous chemicals as drugs and alcohol artificially stimulates feelings which can and should be achieved in ways which truly support and care for the human body and mind and not only those which bring temporary relief.

1. Alcoholism and Addiction are One Disease
1. Sharing a Neurological Pathology

Because the purpose of alcohol abuse and drug abuse is to treat acetylcholine dysregulation caused by damage to the dorsal raphe nucleus by excessive stressful stimuli, both alcoholism and addiction are the same disease and are neurological learning disorders.

1. Classifying and Characterizing This Disease

The neurological condition underlying alcoholism and addiction is the state of learned hopelessness as earlier described, characterized by trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus and resultant dysregulation of acetylcholine. This condition may or may not present with self-medication by drugs or alcohol abuse—while most likely do use substances to self-medicate many people do have this disease but do not self-medicate, which leaves them unlikely to seek treatment or even recognize that treatment would be useful for the problems they experience from having this condition, such as highly volatile interpersonal relationships and a general inability to handle common life stresses as financial responsibility, parenting, relationships, etc.

Prominent symptoms of this condition are emotional volatility accompanied by atypical fear and anxiety when confronting common stressful stimuli as finances, authority figures, work, responsibility, criticism, interpersonal conflict, failure, maintenance of relationships, rejection, death, religion, socialization, sociopolitical dynamics, etc. Many people, however, do also abuse prescription drugs without recognizing that they are actively abusing drugs because of the perceived institutional legitimacy of legal drugs. 

This condition also requires an effective name and classification which fully encompasses the entire nature of the disease but also counteracts the taboos and prejudices of alcohol and drug abuse which prevent the seeking of treatment or identifying with symptoms, and which is inclusive to those who do not actually abuse substances but whom also suffer the condition.

1. Treatment
1. Emergency Care

Withdrawal from very severe cases of alcoholism and drug addiction must receive immediate medical attention. Contact emergency services if someone presents with life-threatening alcoholism, addiction, withdrawal, overdose, etc.

1. Low-Dose Antihistamine Therapy

It is well known that when severe alcoholics go through alcohol withdrawal there is a real risk of death from the withdrawal process. This problem is commonly prevented through supervised administration of antihistamines. In spite of this, the mechanism of action for this benefit has not yet been established, largely due to existing biases about alcoholism and addiction which have prevented effective research and discovery. But histamine release is one of the mechanisms of action by which acetylcholine activates cellular excitation, and also what causes stress and discomfort, so antihistamines help rescue people from the effects of withdrawal by blocking catastrophic and potentially fatal release of histamine due to the heretofore unrecognized rebound of acetylcholine after alcohol cessation.

For the same reason that antihistamine is effective in preventing life threatening withdrawal symptoms, by blocking the negative effects of acetylcholine in excessive release of histamine, antihistamines are also very useful in medically treating alcoholism and addiction generally because of its ability to block such effects of excessive acetylcholine without actually blocking acetylcholine itself  as what occurs with alcohol (and some recreational drugs), since acetylcholine is still necessary in the maintenance of consciousness. An addict or alcoholic still must choose to abstain from substance use entirely while recovering, but antihistamine therapy makes this choice far easier to endure by strongly reducing the stressful effects of untreated acetylcholine excess and thus also helps facilitate the having of new experiences in rehabilitation which are required for empowerment and stress relief. 

Because antihistamines are generally sedative they absolutely should not be used with alcohol or drugs, as harmful side effects could occur and should only be used during abstinence of drugs and alcohol. As drowsiness is a side effect of antihistamines they should also be used only before bed, which will also help promote sleep, but their therapeutic effects will last into the next day (or two).

For the first one to two weeks of recovery a full dose of antihistamine can be used if symptoms are very severe, according to the use directions on the product label, after which the dosage can and should be reduced to 1/2. The longer antihistamine therapy progresses the less dosage is required to achieve a therapeutic effect, and reducing the dose also helps to mitigate any potential toxic side effects of long term use, such as effects on the liver. After several months, when much progress has been made, the dose can be reduced yet again to 1/4 the original, but can be raised temporarily any time a higher dose might be required.

First-generation, common antihistamines like doxylamine succinate or diphenhydramine are more effective than second-generation antihistamines. Some anti-allergy medications are not antihistamines at all, but are steroids which would actually increase the stress which stimulates acetylcholine release (such steroids are stress hormones and actually make recovery more difficult and should also be avoided if possible), so exercise much caution when using “antihistamine” products that they are actually first-generation histamine blockers and not other products that are similarly marketed. These first generation antihistamines are also often sold as ‘sleep-aids’ since antihistamines cause drowsiness, look at the label of products to find what chemical the medication it is.

This low-dose antihistamine therapy can and should continue for at least three months, but as much as six is also acceptable (reducing dosage as progress occurs). This can help an addict or alcoholic achieve the other requirements for recovery with much less stress and emotional distraction. It is important to know and remember, however, that antihistamine therapy is not a cure for alcoholism and addiction. It merely treats symptoms to make recovery easier.

1. Alcohol and Acetic acid

A primary reason alcohol is therapeutic to the alcoholic/addict is that the end product of alcohol metabolism in the body is acetic acid—a short chain fatty acid normally produced in the gut by commensal microbiota feeding on indigestible carbohydrate. Acetic acid is extremely important for human health as a cofactor in many biological pathways and foundational substrate for the production of cholesterol, bile, and hormones like vitamin D, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, the mineralocorticoids, etc. Without acetic acid the body then cannot make hormones or well resist stress, and those with the absolute worst alcoholism have almost no natural acetic acid production in the gut and thus become dependent on alcohol as their only biological source of this short chain fatty acid which is necessary for health and wellness, and there is a direct,  inverse association to the levels of acetic acid production in the gut and the intensity of cravings for alcohol. 

While acetic acid is healthy and requisite for our bodies, the primary reason excess alcohol is toxic to humans is that the intermediary between alcohol metabolism to acetic acid is toxic aldehyde, which is far more toxic than alcohol and requires substantial detoxification by the liver using a molybdenum and riboflavin dependent aldehyde oxidase which in turn can and does exhaust other nutrients like water, riboflavin, and molybdenum in this detoxification pathway (water is used as a cofactor, which is why people commonly experience thirst after drinking heavily). But the large supply of acetic acid resulting from alcohol and aldehyde metabolism can and does then also result in a temporary increase in acetic acid and thus also steroids and hormones and thus also a temporary feeling of wellness that is otherwise elusive and thus association by the mind of alcohol with feeling well.

The gut microbiome is instead supposed to be the primary source of acetic acid, feeding on indigestible carbohydrates, so factors which impair the gut microbiome such as disease, dieting, or chronic exposure to antimicrobial factors like antibiotics, herbicides and other agrochemicals, or even chronic alcohol use itself impairs the gut microbiome, reducing the native supply of acetic acid which then increases dependence on alcohol as a supplemental source. Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables can strongly help restore microbial production of acetate, but vegetables are also more difficult to break down, so abundant consumption of fruit, such as every 2-3 hours, is strongly rehabilitating, specifically to reduce cravings.

1. Sodium Acetate

Acetylcholine is acetylated choline, or in other words choline (a nutrient) that is reacted to acetic acid, which demonstrates another role of acetic acid in human biology. Lowering acetylcholine production by mitigating stress and treating trauma thus helps also spare acetic acid (and choline), to help further reduce cravings for alcohol. The primary constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, and the reason for the therapeutic effects of supplementing vinegar is due to the increase in acetic acid supply. Because cravings for alcohol are very strongly due to its association with acetic acid, cravings can be most strongly treated by supplying needed acetic acid such as through the daily supplementation or consumption of vinegar. Some people like vinegar, but it is also caustic to mucosal tissues and can be uncomfortable to consume, and can even dissolve tooth enamel when used in excess, so its supplementation directly is not universally helpful. Instead, a common medicine called SODIUM ACETATE used in emergency rooms to treat metabolic acidosis (and also used as a food ingredient) is an excellent form for the supplementation of acetic acid because the sodium helps buffer its reactivity.

Sodium acetate is also the result of elementary school science fair volcanoes—mixing vinegar and baking soda together in which the acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2. It is thus also easily manufactured by anyone with access to baking soda and vinegar and thus a highly accessible treatment for alcohol binging and cravings. As of the writing of this paper sodium acetate is not really available for purchase as a supplement, though it should be, and until that is the case the recipe for making one dose of sodium acetate taken daily (divide into two doses the first one or two days) is as follows:

Sodium Acetate

*never mix in a sealed container, the reaction is volatile and will explode sealed containers and may injure you or others. 

1 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 tablespoons vinegar

Place baking soda in an open cup or bowl, then slowly add vinegar until foaming subsides. Agitate solution to react all sodium bicarbonate with vinegar until fizzing stops. Can be left to stand for 10-30 minutes for even more reaction (too much sodium bicarbonate will make it taste salty, too much vinegar will taste too acidic. Finding the right balance makes it taste close to neutral).

Dilute resulting solution with juice. When first starting sodium acetate divide this dose in two and take separately until the body gets used to it, thereafter it can be taken in one dose. Don’t use more than one full dose daily. Daily use strongly suppresses cravings for alcohol and should be used even when cravings are not present for a minimum of six months. If cravings return in the future, immediately use sodium acetate. May increase thirst. 

Acetic acid is so effective in reducing cravings that many people will report reduced cravings even from simply supplementing vinegar, but because sodium acetate facilitates greater consumption of acetic acid by minimizing the caustic side effects it is much more effective than vinegar for treating cravings. 

Mild alcoholics can and should also use supplemental sodium acetate to reduce quantity of consumed alcoholic drinks, as since when the body becomes supplied with acetic acid there is a more natural satisfaction from just one or two drinks. But especially for those who are in recovery, the use of sodium acetate not only inhibits cravings but provides a necessary cofactor for steroids and hormones and thus providing the same therapeutic function as alcohol without the inebriation. 

Sodium acetate is quite palatable in citrus juice, and for those whom must be weaned off alcohol to avoid withdrawal death, mixing alcoholic drinks with sodium acetate will result in more rapid and effective resolution and weaning.  

While drug addicts may or may not also abuse alcohol they will still benefit from sodium acetate use, to increase hormone production, and sodium acetate should be used daily regardless of the substance abused. High grade sodium acetate can likely be bought by recovery institutions from reputable laboratories which supply it to food and research industries which can make it easier to implement in recovery programs. Adding to juice supplied to patients, such as a large cooler or dispenser which patients can freely access, is exceptionally easy to accomplish (be sure to label the additive for knowledge of patients). 

1. Sugar Therapy

Alcohol is a sugar, so consuming dietary sugar during recovery is an excellent way to reduce stress and also prevent cravings without cognitive impairment, as sugar enhances cognition rather than impairing it as do alcohol and drugs, since it is used by cells to produce energy. As discussed earlier, there is no such thing as sugar addiction, which is instead a state of stress caused by too little dietary sugar and carbohydrate as normally required by human biology. Dieting behaviors are extremely common among those with alcoholism and addiction, and because deprivation of sugar and carbohydrate strongly impair energy production, such dieting behaviors, even if unintentional, are a primary driver of substance abuse. 

Dieting behaviors are motivated by conditions of body dysmorphia and psychological trauma surrounding body image and self-esteem, which must also be addressed (as directed later in this paper). But it is not possible to recover from alcoholism or addiction while also avoiding sugar. The consumption of much fruit daily is strongly therapeutic to recovery not only for supporting gut microbes but also in directly supplying sugar and other nutrients, and can be fresh, dried, frozen, eaten plain, or made into fruit salad, smoothies, shakes, desserts, juices, or any other desired foods, and fruit should be the most abundant and primary food item in recovery programs and diets for those in recovery. 

Some dried fruits such as bright-orange apricots are preserved with sulfur dioxide, however, which strongly destroys commensal gut microbes, and such sulfur preservatives should be avoided entirely—as exposure will entirely prevent the microbial production of acetate and other short chain fatty acids by our commensal microbiome. Human gut microbes absolutely thrive on fruit and its rich polyphenol and pectin content, so fruit is especially therapeutic to recovery through the microbial production of acetic acid, and killing off microbes through continued exposure to antimicrobial factors like sulfur dioxide will prevent recovery. 

While fruit is best, any sugar can help reduce stress and cravings, so the use of well-made candies, desserts, and sweetened beverages should also be practiced, and sugar can and should be added to things which contain fruit such as for smoothies, pies, and other desserts, and should be used as an alternative to substances of abuse any time there are cravings and to prevent cravings by keeping blood sugar elevated at all times, never going more than 2-3 hours without eating something. 

The use of sugar in this way is also a behavioral therapy—learning to treat ourselves with compassion and taking care of the body rather than resenting it, as is required in other steps for recovery such as the learning of new life skills discussed later in this paper.

1. Light Therapy

Studies show that light exposure heals trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and exposure to light and healing the dorsal raphe nucleus lowers the expression of torporific serotonin and melatonin which otherwise also increase acetylcholine excess, and because serotonin and melatonin are hormones of torpor their minimization through consistent light exposure raises the metabolic rate and resolves any need by the body to produce excess acetylcholine. This then also helps reverse learned hopelessness at the root of alcoholism and addiction which causes acetylcholine dysregulation, which is thus not actually a learned behavior but instead mediated by neurological trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus. 

Yes—light can and does reach the brain, as tissues filter out all but the red wavelength of light, which is why our internal tissues are primarily red. Holding a bright light against the palm of the hand, for instance, is visible on the other side of the hand as a red glow, because tissues are designed to transmit red wavelengths of light deep into the body, demonstrating this principle. Light deficiency such as occurs in chronic exposure to the indoors and deficient exposure to sunlight oppositely promotes trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, which is also why communities far from the equator often present with greater rates of trauma and social stresses than those nearer the equator, as greater exposure to sunlight increases the rate of spontaneous recovery from traumatic stress.

Red light is specifically therapeutic to tissue rehabilitation because, contrary to common misunderstandings about biology, animal tissues do engage in photosynthesis through our primary respiratory enzyme called cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria which is reactive to red light photons, so exposure to warm-colored wavelengths of light (such as what occurs from the Sun and filtered through the skin and tissues) results in production of ATP, which is why sun exposure usually feels so good, because it results in production of additional free energy to that which is made from food.

Direct sun exposure is sometimes not possible, such as wintertime or excessive summer heat, and too much sun exposure also risks sunburn, so the use of artificial, safe lights like bright, warm-spectrum LED are not only convenient and safe for treatment but often required to prevent light deficiency. The dorsal raphe nucleus is positioned at the top of the spinal column, roughly between the ears, so bright light targeted to the back or the sides of the head from both sunlight and warm-spectrum artificial light can directly reach the dorsal raphe nucleus to stimulate ATP production and reduce serotonin output.

Light therapy is not optional. Where antihistamines and acetic acid treat symptoms this light therapy is the primary rehabilitation for learned hopelessness, and along with the learning of new life skills and resolution of trauma as discussed later in this paper effects permanent recovery from the conditions of alcoholism and addiction (and conditions like PTSD and other trauma) so long as future light deficiency is not again incurred. 

Light therapy is most effective after the previous steps have been achieved, for instance because a mechanism of light therapy is to increase ATP production this cannot occur in states of malnutrition, sugar deprivation, or active substance abuse. Lights used in this therapy must be in the warm color spectrum as 3000K or less in color temperature. This is not heat temperature—lights should not be hot to the touch or cause heating on the head, which can be harmful. This is color temperature which is a measure of the color spectrum. Red light stimulates ATP production while blue spectrum stimulates ATP consumption, so using the wrong kind of light (in the cold spectrum) causes agitation, irritation, and restlessness while the red spectrum oppositely promotes relaxation, calmness, and regeneration through the increased production and availability of ATP. Fluorescent lights common in places of work and commerce, including recovery centers (which absolutely should NOT be used in recovery settings) are higher in blue spectrum light which in turn causes people to become depleted of ATP and feel exhausted, which directly contributes to learned hopelessness and alcoholism and addiction. Do not thus use lights that are higher than 3000 k in color temperature, because it is the penetration of red photons to the interior of the body (which any warm spectrum light will contain) which is responsible for the benefit of this therapy. The light itself does not need to be red, it simply needs to be in the warm color spectrum (infrared does not provide this benefit).

After the previous steps have been achieved, one or two bright lights should then be placed near the back or rear-sides of the head, about the bottom of the skull or ear level, as close to the head as possible without causing burns, heating, or discomfort. Heat stress is not helpful so do not use hot lights, and if heat stress is experienced during this therapy stop immediately, take a break, and keep the lights further away or use less hot lights. LED lights are ideal for this purpose since they do not emit much heat (infrared).

Light application must occur every single day for 2-3 hours and a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Any less than this will not work, and this is also in addition to getting plenty of natural sun exposure daily too (without getting sunburned but without using sunblock, so get sun at times and duration that does not risk burning, such as the morning and late afternoon). After the 2-3 weeks of daily light therapy it is required to never again incur light deficiency, and much care should be taken get plenty of natural light every day and keep a bright light (in the warm color spectrum) at work and home to prevent light deficiency (after therapy is completed light does not need to be specifically directed at the back of the head—exposure to the eyes helps to keep torpor hormones low).

CAUTION: There is one caution and side effect to this therapy that absolutely will occur—as this therapy starts working, the first 3-4 days will cause an increase in depression. This occurs because exposure to bright light strongly slows melatonin production in the pituitary to a normal level, but this causes a significant backlog of serotonin (from which melatonin is made) which will make torpor (depression) feel even more acute. While this isn’t fun it is an excellent sign the therapy is working and after 3-4 days when this serotonin clears a new state of emotional homeostasis will start to emerge (so long as the patient is eating well, keeping up their blood sugar, and getting enough daily sunlight exposure). At the end of the therapy depression will be eliminated or nearly eliminated, with more stable mood and positive emotional feelings, and it must be remembered that this temporary state is only temporary and will not last more than 3-4 days.

Additionally, vitamin C directly supports metabolic respiration, so foods high in vitamin C like orange juice, fruit, leafy greens, etc., should also be used both daily and immediately before light exposure, which will occur anyway with compliance to frequent consumption of fruit as required. If exposure to sun or other light source causes agitation or irritation that is a good sign of vitamin C deficiency which can be rectified by getting vitamin C daily.

1. Niacinamide

A common complication to recovery is eating disorders, specifically anorexia. As it is impossible to recover from addiction without eating a good diet and keeping blood sugar up, so it is extremely important to eat enough calories and sugar every day, from morning to night, practicing no dietary restrictions whatsoever aside from those foods which can potentiate acetylcholine excess (nightshades and inflammatory foods like common wheat and polyunsaturated fats). Eating disorders thus present a significant obstacle for some people, especially those with anorexia. 

While anorexia is typically considered a psychological condition and does have some behavioral elements, it is also entirely a complication of neurochemistry, including very high serotonin expression which suppresses the appetite. Because high serotonin is a hibernation response, part of its function is to prevent animals who hibernate from being hungry, otherwise they would go out during winter and find no food and starve. The state of anorexia is one in which dietary and environmental trauma has gotten so severe as to promote this appetite suppression, thus facilitating the avoidance of food, especially if a person has negative conceptions of their self-worth and body image.

The opposite of serotonin excess such as causes anorexia is high endogenous production of niacin. Both serotonin and niacin are produced from the dietary amino acid tryptophan. During light deficiency, dietary stress, trauma to the dorsal raphe nucleus, and avoidance of sugar our dietary tryptophan is directed to serotonin, but when exposed to light, sugar, and resolution of trauma more tryptophan is directed into niacin which then supports higher metabolic respiration. 

However, a supplement of niacinamide, which is a variant of niacin, is also very effective and generally affordable strategy to help resolve anorexia, as it directly antagonizes the appetite suppressant effects of excess serotonin. It can also help take the edge off depression and promote better energy, better, and a desire to eat for anyone in recovery, even if undereating is not a problem. Those who have anorexia or have trouble eating sufficient daily calories should take a dose of 250 mg to 500 mg every morning (depending on size) with a source of sugar such a orange juice, an apple, or other fruit (or pastry or other yummy, sweet options). This will help restart hunger impulses and thus make it much easier to consume food and calories as required for recovery. Ideas of body image and self-worth should be addressed as discussed in the inventory therapy below. For anyone with depression the use of niacinamide can generally be very useful, but niacin itself has potentially uncomfortable side effects, which is why niacinamide should be preferable.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C directly antagonizes many of the harmful effects of many drugs. Vitamin C deficiency specifically causes a disease called scurvy and indeed many of the debilitating side effects of drug use such as from methamphetamine and heroin are in fact caused by rapid depletion of vitamin C and the initiation of scorbutic disease. Using vitamin C in the treatment of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts can thus be very productive in supporting recovery. Opioids are especially associated with vitamin C depletion and vitamin C supplementation can greatly relieve all opioid addicts of some physical pain and deterioration caused by opioid use. Vitamin C is so good at inhibiting the scorbutic side effects of drug abuse it can easily and rapidly treat these side effects and help users keep their teeth, body mass, and skin health even if they do not yet decide to get clean. 

Vitamin C is also a required cofactor for the synthesis of dopamine and adrenaline, and high stress which promotes addiction and alcoholism and causes depression due to deficiency of dopamine occurs also through vitamin C depletion, especially in those who do not eat a healthy diet with daily, generous consumption of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is also best gotten through foods, not a supplement, which is another reason a healthy diet is requisite for recovery. 

1. Pathogenic Microbes and Alcoholism / Addiction

One of the other primary reasons people drink or use drugs abusively is that alcohol and drugs can and do treat infection with oral and gastrointestinal pathogens, and since there are many, many potential pathogens in our environment from bacteria like Clostridium difficile to parasites like Giardia, many alcoholics and addicts are also self-medicating for the treatment of harmful microbes. Alcohol is, in fact, specifically antibiotic to bacteria, so having gut dysbiosis and opportunistic bacterial infections like C. difficile, H. pylori, or those which affect oral health like P. gingivalis which causes bleeding gums and gum disease makes sobriety highly uncomfortable for those in recovery since these pathogens are then less inhibited by cessation of alcohol or drugs. Cocaine is specifically antiparasitic, and helminth infection (parasites) downregulate an important enzyme in our body called carbonic anhydrase which converts CO2 in the body to bicarbonate to help mange pH functions and the acid/alkaline balance of the body, so people whom abuse cocaine are typically parasitized such as by helminths, giardia, schistosomes, etc., (gut distension is a common symptom of giardia or other gastroinestinal parasites). Amphetamines amplify and restore the function of carbonic anhydrase, and so one of the effects of methamphetamine use is to increase the production of CO2 and bicarbonate in opposition to the effects of parasites on the body. 

Nicotine also increases carbonic anhydrase activity, and part of the brief high and relaxation effect of smoking tobacco is to counteract parasitic infection which lowers carbonic anhydrase activity, but nicotine is also high in cyanide which is actually used as a substrate by the immune system to eradicate pathogens like parasites, so smoking is also a self-medication behavior to colonization by opportunistic microbes. Many addicts and alcoholics can also harbor sexually transmitted diseases not only due to behaviors which increase the risk of exposure but diets and dietary behaviors like fasting and low-carb which impair immune function and increase risk of colonization, and many STD treatments inadvertently wipe out other pathogenic bacteria or parasites and thus rapidly relieve sufferers of some of the symptoms which they are actually treating with drugs or alcohol. 

Reinfection can also happen very rapidly, however, as soon as a treated individual again makes contact with another infected person, thus limiting the effectiveness of medical treatment for infections. If a facility is equipped to treat STDs and parasites it should do so for any and all patients to remove all possible opportunistic pathogen they may carry, including to prevent spreading it to other patients, but it is a healthy diet, intact commensal microbiome, and functioning immune system which primarily prevents colonization by opportunistic pathogens, which is why good dietary behaviors and healthy lifestyles like daily sun exposure and even activities such as gardening are required for a full recovery.

Treatment of pathogens can specifically help with mental health, as there is much evidence that problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder involve infection biogenic amine producing microbes which produce amines like histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, and phenylethylamine that disturb normal neurological and endocrinological function. 

As discussed in Nathan’s work, dietary tannins such as are common to tea, the skin of nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and chestnuts very powerfully suppress opportunistic gut microbes which otherwise requires complex courses of antibiotics. Eradication of pathogenic bacteria and parasites and daily consumption of tea, nuts, and other high tannin foods can very quickly help an addict or alcoholic with mental health problems experience peace and calmness which can further assist recovery if future infection is also avoided. One simple and useful strategy is to combine fruit juice with tea (such as variants on an Arnold Palmer, which is lemonade and tea) with added sodium acetate and sugar for easy access and compliance.

1. Recovery Diet

Because certain dietary factors can strongly promote and exaggerate alcoholism and addiction, these foods should be limited during recovery. The glycoalkaloid toxins in nightshade plants, specifically potatoes and eggplant which are the most potent (but even having tomatoes daily can also be excessive). Very often too potatoes get a little green when they are left out under grocery store lights (blue light), and this indicates an increase in solanine production. Potatoes can be delicious but during recovery it is best to entirely avoid all potato, eggplant, and to reduce consumption of tomato and peppers to no more than three times a week (sweet potato is not a nightshade and is just fine). Once a person has made a full recovery potato can be reintroduced, but should still not be eaten frequently (no more than 3 times a week), to avoid inducing cravings. If cravings ever return, potato or eggplant consumption should again cease immediately until cravings again disappear, and tomatoes and peppers less frequent. Because solanine is most concentrated in potato skin, nobody should ever, ever eat potato skin, and solanine is also water soluble so boiling and draining potatoes can help reduce their solanine content when reintroducing them. 

The gluten in common wheat is tough to digest because it has been intensely hybridized to resist the growth stresses caused by industrial fertilizer, and gluten is very inflammatory, and since the body responds to inflammation by stimulating localized acetylcholine increase, common wheat should also be avoided for a faster recovery. Common flour also often contains added iron which, unbound by the food matrix, strongly fuels pathogenic overgrowth in the gut, leading to stomachaches, discomfort, and strong inflammation and chronic immune reaction and should be avoided entirely. 

When we try to make dietary changes we often simply avoid the things we are limiting, but this only creates emotional and nutritional stress and usually fails, and the key to making these dietary changes is not to simply avoid foods we like but to replace them with others that are equally or more indulgent and satisfying. Choose sweet potatoes or rice instead of potatoes and wheat. Ancient types of wheat called spelt, einkorn, or kamut can be great replacements for common wheat and taste even better and can be bought or made as pastries, doughnuts, pasta, bread, etc. Many high quality grocery stores carry einkorn pasta or spelt bread, so just look around. Recovery centers can produce their own breads, pastries, and pasta made from these flours and teach their clients how to bake and make their own as well.

Root vegetables also strongly help with recovery of the intestinal system and digestion through the promotion of short chain fatty acids, and even help expel gut parasites. The combination of root vegetables with a small dose of supplemental lithium aspartate or lithium carbonate (no more than 5 mg per dose) can help further treat parasites because lithium paralyzes parasites and helps the immune system eradicate them. Lithium is commonly used in the treatment of mental illness, this can be fairly easy to achieve, but low-dose lithium supplements are far safer than pharmacological doses. As lithium has a calming effect (it can be safely used in doses up to 20 mg) this can be very useful for recovery.

Fruit usually results in the production of acetic acid in the gut, because of its pectin content, and is not optional for recovery, by helping to increase production of gastrointestinal acetic acid and supporting commensal acetogenic bacteria. Sugar (especially fruit) is one of the best tools to restore a healthy gut microbiome, because most of our healthy commensal microorganisms are highly dependent on carbohydrate. So indulging on a great quantity of peaches, apples, grapes, watermelon, plums, raisins, dried, fresh, frozen, or preserves can be very useful and emotionally therapeutic.

Additionally, the consumption of healthy foods like leafy greens, especially from the brassica family (broccoli, watercress, brussels sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, etc) can be very helpful because they also promote immune function which can help address the gut microbiome or oral infections which may have been contracted during the course of alcoholic and addictive behavior. 

Yogurt and other fermented dairy like kefir oppositely inhibit acetogenic bacteria and promotes lactic acid producing microbes and can and does directly contribute to conditions of alcoholism, addiction, and depression and should be avoided always. So-called filtered yogurts or greek yogurt are still harmful and should not be consumed.

1. Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee can be a great support for recovery because coffee is dopaminergic, which is why it can make us feel good. Caffeine is a drug but it does not impair cognitive function, so it is not harmful to use in recovery, although some alcoholics and addicts believe they should avoid anything that can be drug-like it is harmful to remove all pleasure and fun things from our experiences and exactly the kind of addict thinking which drives us back to drug and alcoholic abuse. Remember that one of the problems of the trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction is not knowing how to properly enjoy ourselves. Having a nice cup of coffee can be one of those pleasures which helps recovery.

However, coffee and caffeine are metabolic stimulants and as such they can sometimes promote stress if they are not supported by the diet and sufficient intake of carbohydrate, calories, and protein. When people get shaky from drinking caffeinated beverages it is because they do not have enough carbohydrate, sugar, or protein in their body to support the increase in metabolic rate, and this then stimulates the release of cortisol to turn lean tissue into useable sugars and amino acids, thence the shaking, jitters, and discomfort. 

Coffee and caffeine should thus never be taken on an empty stomach or during low blood sugar. Adrenaline in fact is made from dopamine, so failing to eat before using caffeine or coffee directly promotes high levels of adrenaline and then cortisol which will only make physical recovery impossible. Oppositely, consuming sufficient calories, carbohydrates, and protein before and alongside coffee use can promote recovery by fueling metabolic activity and promoting dopamine in a healthy manner. It can often be enough to drink a glass of orange juice or milk in the morning before coffee, so long as a person also makes breakfast alongside or very shortly after using coffee. 

Coffee, containing some tannin, can also promote a helpful gut microbiome as well and is healthier than caffeinated sodas or caffeine supplements which usually contain unhelpful chemicals or additives and do not support commensal microbes. Because coffee and tea are extremely high in prebiotics (compounds that promote microbial growth) care should be taken not to brew coffee or tea with aerated water, which introduces oxygen to the gut and, along with the prebiotics, promotes overgrowth of harmful aerobic bacteria. Many water faucets have grilles that cause foamy, aerated water when dispensing, and this grille can be removed or the water dispensed slowly so as not to cause aeration of the brew water. Coffee and tea are also good ways to administer a lithium supplement to support health and mental health, and the supplement can be added to water used to brew coffee and tea by pulling apart the capsule and dumping the contents directly in the water.

1. Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid and optional supplement which can support recovery from depression and lift the mood of addicts and alcoholics, especially when supported by sufficient sugar intake. Pathogenic microbes can actually siphon our taurine from our bile in the gut and produce toxic hydrogen sulfide and deplete taurine stores which then contributes to depression and substance abuse. Taurine is required to protect cells from the stress of excessive cellular excitation and thusly helps cells to use protein (other amino acids) more efficiently. Dopamine, which makes us feel happy, is made from the amino acid tyrosine, which becomes wasted when the body is stimulated by excessive stress such as what occurs from trauma, abuse, and poor diets, dietary behaviors, and sunlight deprivation. Because taurine helps spare amino acids it also helps the body restore its taurine supplies, when supported by a good diet and abundant dietary tannins. Without more important steps like fixing the diet and resolving gut and environmental deficiencies as earlier discussed, taurine will not be too helpful, but if these factors are resolved 500-1000 mg taken once a day can help restore taurine homeostasis and thus help resolve depression.

Taurine does have one side effect, which is to restart bile release in the gut, which since bile is required to absorb fats required for hormone synthesis can be a good thing, but often the previous deficiency of bile expression can make the body temporarily produce too much bile when taurine is reintroduced. In this case a steady stomachache can result. If this happens, briefly cease taurine supplementation, wait for the discomfort to resolve, then restart once again. This may happen two or three times after which it will not happen again as bile regulation normalizes.

As discussed in Nathan’s other work, carotene inhibits the synthesis of toxic hydrogen sulfide by opportunistic microbes, and taurine can also be protected in the body by frequently consuming foods high in carotene such as carrots, peaches, squashes, orange sweet potato, tomatoes, etc. This is a function of frequency, not quantity, so large doses will not necessarily help but consistent dietary behaviors will. Since many fruits are high in carotene and carrots are readily available this is not a difficult step to practice. 

 

1. Treating Psychological factors
1. Self-care and personal Enjoyment

Alcoholics and addicts are often stereotypically characterized as lazy hedonists who do nothing but seek pleasure and a good time. In fact, the opposite is true and most people with alcoholism and addiction fundamentally lack the ability to enjoy themselves or to engage in compassionate self-care and recreational activity, and resort to drugs and alcohol as their only real option for the relief and relaxation healthy people find even in mundane activities like cleaning up our home, being with a friend, connecting with a loved one, being alone, etc.

This problem is the result of a childhood which required using our time and energy just to survive abusive, dominating, or neglectful parents or environment, unable to spend much time getting to know ourselves and to develop a strong personal identity. Most children from healthy homes get to discover who they are, separately from others, which imparts some degree of confidence, recognition of what brings them satisfaction and fulfillment, personal tastes and interests, and thus an ability to successfully connect with others, which is an experience missing from those with substance abuse problems.

Alcoholics and addicts who never got to develop a strong sense of identity thus lack those interests and skills for self-fulfillment, and an inability to connect with others often leads to fear of work, volatile interpersonal relationships, and an absence of fulfilling activities like cooking, reading, sports, writing, drawing, etc., and especially not from required self-care skills like managing finances, living within our means, paying taxes, maintaining healthy relationships, healthy interpersonal boundaries, etc.

A lack of self-care skills occurs because our parents did not possess them to teach us, and many alcoholics and addicts are reluctant to learn new skills because the trauma of past experience elicits a strong fear response when it comes to anything that can be perceived as failure, rejection, or criticism, and this in turn reveals a lack of skills to handle fear, rejection, judgement, disappointment, and other harsh realities of human social dynamics.

Anyone might think that to acquire new skills requires going out to learn them or the having of new experiences, but these skills for an alcoholic or addict are not learned by directly experiencing them and are instead learned by resolving past experiences of trauma which cause the fear response as discussed in inventory therapy which then makes space (psychologically) for an ability to handle new experiences. After inventory therapy is completed, alcoholics and addicts can then have new experiences which will teach empowerment and help begin to form a new sense of personal identity and self-worth.

1. 12-step Programs

12-step programs are often helpful for recovery (the author of this document was a member of AA for 3 years). But 12-step programs do not recognize any biological aspect of alcoholism and addiction, which accounts for their inability to help most people entering the programs. Worse, other derivatives of Alcoholics Anonymous teach their members principles specifically not included in AA, such as the avoidance of triggers. This problem can undermine recovery because in AA they rightly teach that triggers (such as going to a bar or being around alcohol) will not be a problem once you finish the program, and indeed that is exactly how it works, as a person is responsible for their own actions and not helpless to the temptations in the world around us. These derivative programs have inadvertently integrated some of the control and coping mechanisms inherent to addiction which is the failure to accept personal responsibility for choices and thus foment fear and insecurity in adherents rather than resolve them. 

Unfortunately, Alcoholics Anonymous also has a great deal of religious principles in their program which is unhelpful to many who in fact have been offended by religion and its adherents. Alcoholics Anonymous was developed in part with religious people who demanded to retain a lot of religious elements in it, and the compromise includes appeals to ignore the abuses that many religions and religious persons commit which leads to the abuse and trauma that underlies alcoholism and addiction in the first place.

But the concept of “God” to a recovering alcoholic or addict really means the cessation of relying only on ourselves in our own lives. We are not ourselves God, nor capable of commanding reality, and in reality alcoholics and addicts usually consider themselves to be alone, without any recourse for help should things fall apart, often even harassed and persecuted by their own families to get clean in ways which continue to perpetuate abuse, fear, neglect, etc. Additionally, the concept that there are greater forces which dictate fate and reality such as physics and the immutable laws of the Universe, especially represented by concepts of birth and death or other people over which we have no control, are often frightening for non addicts and alcoholics let alone those who are, and learning how to accept these realities rather than try to control them is one of the benefits of 12-step programs in spite of its heavy use of religions language. The point is for an alcoholic or addict to stop taking responsibility for things which are outside of our control, such as whether others like us, or we are rich, or avoiding disease and death, or even if we have alcoholism or addiction, because we cannot control those things in the first place it can only be stressful if we do try to control them.

1. Relearning Life Lessons

Because the disease of alcoholism and addiction is a neurological learning disorder which has corrupted a person’s life experience to associate even the most mundane of stresses with intense negativity and exaggerated stress while also lacking effective self-care and interpersonal relationship skills, these experiences can be unlearned. 

But this also requires abstinence, since alcohol and drugs impair cognitive comprehension by blocking or inhibiting the learning-memory-consciousness function of acetylcholine it is impossible to undo the psychological damage which causes sensitivity to stressful stimuli as conditioned from a lifetime of trauma. The originators of Alcoholics Anonymous intuited these steps, which is how they were able to construct a program which had marked efficacy in spite of its shortcomings. But the primary effect that 12-step programs have which supports recovery from addiction and alcoholism is teaching those with learned hopelessness (alcoholism and addiction) new skills and to facilitate new learning experiences, supported by empathetic peers, which can replace past negative experiences with new positive ones. The new skills an addict or alcoholic learns from 12-step programs give an addict or alcoholic empowerment for the first time in their lives. Fundamentally, for instance, the skill and ability to handle our own mistakes and make an apology to amend and maintain personal relationships relationships is often regarded by many people, alcoholic or not, as an affront to be avoided at all costs simply because we have never been taught how to properly and effectively apologize and so lack confidence in our own ability to do it. Facilitating the learning of this skill by requiring members of 12-step programs to amend their past mistakes teaches a brand new skill to adherents which, when done correctly, causes us to have a new experience when dealing with mistakes and confronting others and learning that we can, in fact, not only do it but that it is very comforting and helpful.

Many people think that confidence is an adopted strength we can choose to have, but this is entirely incorrect and adopted confidence is in fact arrogance, where arrogance denies our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities while confidence accepts them. Confidence comes from having positive and successful experiences—it is not an adopted attitude, which explains why so many alcoholics and addicts lack confidence because life or perception of it has been filled with so many negative experiences. Empowering skills such as are taught in 12-step programs can facilitate these new and positive associations with aspects of life which used to bring immense stress, such as interpersonal relationships, work and colleagues, bosses, financial management, government, disease, death, loss, rejection, etc., thus facilitating successful experiences and thus engendering confidence for perhaps the first time in our lives. 

The most problematic absence of positive experiences are that of personal enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Those with learned hopelessness fundamentally do not know how to derive satisfaction from life, even though we might try, and end up pursuing only superficial goals and success such as money, status, attractiveness, etc., since such attributes in life are easily observed, and using drugs and alcohol as a shortcut to enjoyment. Real satisfaction in life comes things which are mundane, like having close, healthy relationships with family or friends, having a clean house, going outside to recreate, or cooking delicious meals. Even enjoying our own company, which is highly foreign to all alcoholics and addicts, can be highly rewarding if we develop a real sense of self. Life can seem incredibly boring and so must be filled with excitement, always looking forward to vacations or events or breaks from obligation, but since none of these ever last an alcoholic or addict is always dissatisfied and always looking forward to the next break or next vacation, which is why we turn to alcohol and drugs, to cope with the hopelessness, dissatisfaction, and boredom of living in the present.

Learning how to enjoy ourselves is dependent on resolution of neurological stress from excessive acetylcholine, because high stress hormones prevent us from sitting still and being present. That is one of the purposes of stress hormones, actually, which is to motivate action and get an organism out and doing things. In us who are alcoholic or addicted these hormones are always on so we can never sit still and enjoy ourselves. Then after the biochemical treatment of alcoholism begins to work, inventory therapy can help us relearn life experiences to then find incredible satisfaction in things which before seemed mundane and unexciting.

1. Deficiencies of 12-step programs and Recovery Centers

12-steps programs do contain prejudices which blame addicts and alcoholics for their problems rather than recognizing the biological and psychological realities which create this condition, and thus are vulnerable to perpetuating the problems of addiction and alcoholism and not universally effective. Human biology is also designed in evolutionary terms to perpetuate the survival of the species, even at the expense of an individual, and many of our most heinous traits as humans such as violence and other antisocial behaviors are in fact basic survival instincts which originated from our past as a wild animal, and when human beings are traumatized enough we can entirely lose the ability to function as a human at all, which really is the fault of our biology and our vulnerability to stress and deprivation of basic human needs and not the responsibility of any one individual. So while every person individually is responsible for their choices and behavior, very often we do not possess the skills, awareness, or experiences in the first place which would have empowered us to make better choices. It is entirely possible to accept responsibility for our mistakes and harmful behavior while also having compassion for ourselves and our mortal, human fallibility, which is not something the 12-steps really accomplish, due to inherent resentment for our human condition.

Recovery centers which offer 12-step programs are also often run by fellow alcoholics and addicts, which is perfectly fine if they have also successfully completed recovery and can further benefit their patients through integration of the biological aspects of alcoholism and addiction as mentioned above. But often recovery homes and services are predatory, driven by unresolved desires of the owners to be rich or assert control, and the profit motive for recovery can obscure very real problems and even dangers in these centers. 

Rehabilitation centers also usually serve simply as a vacation for those with means who want to take a break from the stresses of life, temporarily freed from the responsibilities of work, family, finances, etc. The irony is that the tools taught by practicing inventory therapy as discussed later in this document can bring permanent freedom from the stresses of family, work, finances, etc., even while experiencing them, through the learning of new skills to effectively handle and even enjoy and find fulfillment from such obligations. The only reason any experience is stressful is due to a lack of emotional and mental skills to handle such obligations, which can be self-taught through inventory. Rehab centers tend to fail their patients because they only function as a temporary respite from stress, where if they instead empowered their patients with these skills and effectively treated their underlying neurological and endocrinological wellness as described above would actually be effective in treating alcoholism and addiction beyond the limited time spent in recovery homes and programs.

1. Self-compassion

The underlying psychological trauma which causes alcoholism and addiction in the first place is an abject lack of compassion for ourselves as individuals. Often and usually little to no compassion was shown to us as children and thus we do not know how to have it for ourselves, and spend the entirety of our lives trying to justify our existence and needs and wants as if we are by default undeserving of love, fulfillment, care, and compassion, when in fact we do not need at all to justify those needs, only to learn how to have compassion for ourselves and the experiences we have been through, to show ourselves the care and compassion we expect from others, whom are often not capable of giving it since, like us, they also lack those skills.

Inventory therapy as presented in this work (and the books written by Mr. Hatch) recognizes the inherent psychology in 12-step programs, specifically the step requiring inventory, reformulating it to be more accessible and effecting by considering past experiences not as self-centered resentments but instead as trauma, to both recognize and validate the abuse and pain lived by alcoholics and addicts and empowering us accept and resolve personal responsibility for our behavior and choices as separate from but still informed by our trauma. This approach, when done correctly, specifically engenders and teaches self-compassion, which is the key to resolving alcoholism and addiction entirely. Any person who refuses to do inventory will still not be able to make a full recovery because lacking self-compassion such as what is demonstrated in the act of doing inventory therapy drives stress sufficiently that it prevents effective behavior in relationships, mistakes, ambitions, goals, mortality, etc., that will continue to stimulate excessive stress, since we are not ourselves responsible for anything except our own choices and decisions (not even our own emotions!).

1. Self-compassion vs self-pity

  Many people mistake self-pity for self-compassion, because we have in fact never experienced compassion, but they are in fact very different, and self-pity also always indicates an absence of self-compassion. While self-pity is often derided as a weakness or shamed by others in reality self-pity is an adaptive survival strategy to generate a sense of self-worth when none is forthcoming from our environment, when a person does not know how to have compassion for themselves because none has ever been shown them. In stable, healthy homes parents display an abundance of compassion for their children and thus those children know what compassion is, both for others but also themselves. But when raised in a home where parents lack self-compassion and healthy self-care skills and are burdened with their own trauma their children are thus never taught what compassion is, because we cannot give what we do not have, and so in turn we do not know what self-compassion is. In this case, self-pity takes its place and serves as way to find value for oneself in a world which can be at times very harsh and stressful.

The difference between self-pity and self-compassion is that, much like arrogance and confidence, self-pity denies personal responsibility while self-compassion accepts it, because we with self-pity lack skills to handle conflict and trauma, and so are afraid of accepting personal responsibility for fear of validating insecurities, abuse, and trauma. Like confidence, self-compassion comes from positive experiences and is not an adopted, willful attitude but one which is practiced and comes from action. Unlike confidence, which comes from external experiences, self-compassion comes from internal experiences through self-care behaviors like practicing inventory therapy, because the act of sitting down to write inventory is the very act of practicing self-compassion, in which the mind then participates and experiences that compassion from the act. 

1. The Karpman Drama Triangle Model of Conflict Trauma

Because 12-step programs were developed before the advent of much contemporary science, these programs do not directly encompass trauma, but resolving trauma is the entire point of recovery. 

But even most contemporary psychology does not even resolve the trauma which underlies addiction and alcoholism, which is why there must be support groups to serve this function. The author of this work was inexplicably turned away from a free mental health clinic after revealing their recent entry into AA, at a time when psychological support would have been invaluable, because of the biases which permeate professional mental healthcare surrounding addiction and alcoholism and ignorance to how trauma drives addiction (and heretofore ignorance of how to treat it). 

This failure is specifically because the Karpman Drama Triangle model of conflict and trauma is not commonly taught nor employed in contemporary mental health treatment. The Karpman Drama Triangle was developed by Dr. Stephen Karpman and is the most accurate and effective characterization of the consequences of abuse and trauma. It characterizes 3 distinct psychological phenotypes which develop out of prolonged experiences of trauma (trauma can also include nutritional factors as earlier described). Conflict triangulation is the natural behavioral phenomena which describes how conflict cannot be contained only between two people, and usually integrates a third or more persons such as friends or family members into conflict. Often and usually this includes us as little children who do not possess the requisite skills and experiences to resist emotional trauma from adults in such experiences, hence the Karpman Drama Triangles model which describes the specific consequences of such experiences. 

The 3 phenotypes:

The Persecutor—characteristic of narcissism, type one feels that other people stand in the way of our ambitions, and blames, shames, and attacks others for our perceived weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example we may feel entitled to a partner who is physically fit and attractive and blame them for falling out of shape or not dieting. The persecutor type is often emotionally neglected as a child and resorted to narcissism to find value in themselves. Intense fear of weakness originates from parents shaming children for their vulnerabilities.

The Helper—a person who can only find value when indisposable to others, we were often middle children who could only find attention from parents and other siblings if they inserted themselves into conflict and acted as mediator. They often find purpose in the psychological professions which is a perfect vehicle to entertain this insecurity, can be people-pleasing and often undermine the confidence or wellness of others because their motivation is be indisposable, not to actually help others, which would otherwise liberate others from dependence on us.

The Victim—is not a victim in the sense being a recipient of crime or abuse, but one whom, because of our experiences of trauma, inherently feel powerless and weak and that we cannot achieve our goals and dreams without the help or assistance of more powerful personalities.

It is extremely helpful to recognize and understand this model of psychological trauma because it drives addiction and alcoholism in specific ways. The author of this document describes in shorthand each personality thusly: the Persecutor fundamentally believes “I don’t need you,” the Helper believes “You need me,” and the Victim believes “I need you.”

Each of these phenotypes can be observed in states of addiction because each type of trauma is fundamentally concerned with others, not themselves, since others were the source of their trauma fail to fully comprehend both their own weaknesses and their strengths. Fixation on others drives the fears which underlie addiction and alcoholism, and the inventory instead turns focus onto the self, through introspective therapy, to accept personal weakness and recognize and appreciate individual strengths, thus undermining the insecurities which drive fear and thus dependence on alcohol and addiction, to treat the stress hormones and excessive acetylcholine stimulated by insecurities, fear, and lack of empowerment.

Where Karpman described this model he did not also elucidate methods to their resolution. That honor instead belongs to Dr. Margalis Fjelstad, who generally described the solution to Dr. Karpman’s model as “maintaining a center position within the triangle,” to employ the strengths of each type equally rather than the weaknesses of any single identity. We are all in fact at times oscillating between each of the three, where one predominates, where a healthy psyche is all three at once but in the corresponding strengths, such as personal responsibility, genuine helpfulness and compassion, and self-compassion replacing self-pity. More learning and research on the Karpman Drama Triangles can and will benefit any mental health professional whether or not they work in recovery, but the inventory therapy below can directly address and resolve these aspects of the psyche through the resolution of the specific experiences of trauma which caused them in the first place.

1. Social Support

Renowned psychologist Bruce K. Alexander was dissatisfied with past experiments on rats in which they were given water bottles with and without LSD to demonstrate addictive properties of LSD, but kept alone in individual cages with nothing to do as if rats have no emotions, desires, or instincts. So he built a large experiment which he termed “rat park” in which there were many rats for each to interact with and form relationships, as well as stimulating activities like running wheels, obstacle courses, and even paintings on the sides of the cages. In the isolated, lonely cages rats had preferred the LSD water, because of course they would, but in rat park none of the rats used the LSD water, even though it was freely available. 

Dr. Alexander demonstrated the truth about addiction and alcoholism—which is based on trauma centered largely around the absence of emotional and social relationships, access, and integration in social animals. Our parents also have their own trauma which prevented them from providing the things we needed as children, often being emotionally unavailable to us, and many of us grew into adulthood feeling alone, lacking the kind of normal emotional and intimate relationships we need and being deprived of learning experiences which teach us effective social and self-care skills, which is made worse when exposed to environmental factors like glycoalkaloid toxins, or deprivation of sunlight or sugar.

One of the problems facing alcoholics in terms of personal satisfaction and enjoyment is that a lack of experiences with fast friendships and healthy relationships makes us feel stressed and isolated, thus increasing the expression of stress hormones which rise during isolation and in turn cause us to feel unsettled, restless, discontent, and lonely. Lacking effective skills to create these relationships for ourselves we then turn to substance abuse as our only tool to manage such difficult emotions just as the rats did in their isolated cages, or mistake drinking partners, colleagues, and even service providers as replacements for friends. One of the specific benefits recovery programs provide to addicts and alcoholics is structured social support—having access to a guide and friend whom is ostensibly responsible for passing on skills and information learned through 12-step programs in reality is probably the first person in the life of an alcoholic or addict who is constantly available for emotional and social support and guidance and thus serving a very special function to those in recovery which directly combats the loneliness, isolation, and hopelessness that we as addicts and alcoholics have been accustom. This social support, however, can come from anywhere by collecting (but not abusing) relationships within our peer group on whom we can rely for real emotional connection. We are all also capable of providing these social needs for ourselves, and can be our own friend and best advocate, we just have never been taught how.

Usually, as an addict or alcoholic we are limited in this regard by our poor conception of ourselves, fear of others, and fear of emotional intimacy and so purposefully withhold ourselves from others because of our past trauma and negative experiences make us fearful of rejection. For instance if we are paying someone to be our therapist, coach, manager, agent, realtor, etc., we mistake the transaction for interaction and power for friendship, because having that power makes us feel safe. But all friendships and relationships require equality, and paying someone to be your ‘friend’ imbalances the relationship in your favor and is not truly vulnerable, as we must risk rejection in order to win relationships. 

Having friends is also not the same as having fulfilling relationships, and many of us also have family members who are equally unavailable and distant and as such not ideal candidates for this kind of social support. Accomplishing the inventory therapy as outlined below can teach us how to find, make, grow, sustain, repair healthy relationships that fulfill these fundamental needs missing from our lives and thus provide this invaluable asset for ourselves where before we may have found it impossible, or limited to others who are also active addicts and alcoholics.

Similarly, many of us have never considered that we can and should be our own best friend and advocate, which can be learned by resolving trauma and developing a healthier conception of ourselves through inventory, and is key to then establishing and maintaining real, healthy relationships with others through whom we can find fulfillment.  

1. Inventory Therapy
1. Preparation

All that is required to practice inventory therapy is this guide, a writing utensil, and paper. A notebook with large pages can be very helpful. This therapy absolutely should never be done on an electronic device. The act of writing communicates with the subconscious, and one of the reasons this therapy works is that writing communicates with the subconscious. Typing cannot do this. Use manual writing implements. On paper. No exceptions.

1. Abstinence

A period of abstinence should precede the beginning of this therapy. As discussed previously, it is impossible to achieve new psychological learning experiences when acetylcholine is impaired such as by drugs or alcohol. So prioritizing dedication to abstinence and using tools like nightly low-dose antihistamine therapy, sodium acetate, vitamin C, fruit and sugar, light therapy, and niacinamide must be done first. It is good to start the inventory therapy as soon as possible, but not until an addict or alcoholic’s mind is clearer and present. Always practice also on a full stomach. Make some nice tea or coffee, keep some candy or fruit around, and sit in a cute chair near a window or other pleasant, quiet atmosphere.

1. Parts of the Inventory therapy

Inventory therapy consists of two parts, the personal inventory, which directly addresses experiences of trauma, disappointment, loss, frustration, etc., and the fear inventory which directly addresses existential fears that we may have as a result of negative life experiences. The inventory practice in AA is often more complicated, this version is designed for efficiency as well as greatest psychological effect.

Fears motivate resentments, so it is most helpful to start with resentments, then identify which fears are relevant to those resentments and then make those fear entries. It is unhelpful, however, to lump all resentments against a single person, institution, or idea into one resentment entry dump. The traumatic experiences we have are not because of the person or institution is innately bad but because their actions are bad or harmful. Lumping every resentment against a parent or a religion, for instance, fixates on the person or institution rather than on the actions which hurt us. So each separate offense should be entered as a single resentment entry separately from the others. Some offenses hurt us for different reasons that others, so they each must be analyzed individually.

No fear exists in isolation from other fears. For example, a fear of death can also be a fear of pain, fear of loss, punishment, the unknown, religion, God, consequences, conflict, violence, etc., When making fear entries it is useful to also write down any other related fears which may be revealed.

Clues to what we write in each of the columns lie in the one which preceded it. So, if determining for instance what part of self was damaged by a particular event seems difficult we can revisit our entry in the preceding column, cause, for help in identifying those parts of self which were hurt.

1. Personal Inventory — Resentment

In the personal inventory there are five columns. The first three represent parts of life in which we have absolutely no control (no matter how much you may wish it). While the last two represent aspects of life we do in fact control. Many people in fact will write things like emotions into the “my part” column, but in fact emotions are hormones and we do not have control over emotions. If someone breaks into your apartment and stabs you, you are going to be upset. The idea that we should control emotions is the consequence of abuse behavior by parents who tried even to control our very emotions which made them uncomfortable, because they too lacked the skills to handle their own uncomfortable emotions. All emotions go in the cause column because they are part of the reason our experiences were uncomfortable, disruptive, or traumatizing. 

The first column of a personal inventory labeled Resentment and is a short identifier of that from which our resentment originates. 

Examples for this column are things like: parents, dad, mom, religion, Catholicism, Mormonism, Baptists, government, your friend John, your boyfriend Alex, the IRS, mortality, disease, being a parent, a specific child that might be driving you crazy, your wife Barbara, having to take out the trash, stubbing my toe, death, cancer, car breaking down, money, being poor, being rich, being ugly, sexual assault, having alcoholism or addiction, past relationships, a boss, coworkers, not getting a raise, betrayal, disloyalty, doctors, medicine, acne, hair loss, coronavirus lockdown, a school shooting or shooter, foreign governments, specific government officials, political opponents or oppositional parties, theft, inequality, work, unfairness, violence, social situations, anxiety, depression, frustrations, disappointments, rules, your apartment manager, the loud neighbors, aging, having diabetes, meetings, government regulations, etc.

Resentments are poison to happiness and rob us of fulfilling experiences and relationships. For instance, many people don’t realize that our traumas which create resentments can prejudice us against people with whom we could otherwise have deep and meaningful relationships. We might be resentful of a sibling for something they did and thus distance ourselves from them, or worse we might have done something to them over which we are embarrassed and thus withdraw from the relationship, hurting them twice and denying ourselves the value of such a relationship because we don’t know how to amend mistakes or handle our own fallibility. Teaching ourselves these skills by practicing inventory therapy and resolving those resentments can enlighten us to the reality of these experiences, our own power, and what parts we can and cannot control. Normally we try to deal with resentments by ignoring them or “moving on,” but this in fact leaves them unresolved, and we then accumulate many negative experiences which are indeed difficult burdens to bear and thusly contribute to the psychological stress which underlies alcoholism and addiction. 

Some people try to cope with trauma by deluding themselves into believing they have no resentments, usually from a desire to be a good person, having been taught that resentments are bad. But a resentment is anything which causes us pain, frustration, rumination, remorse, regret, anxiety, dissatisfaction, heartache, anger, sadness, restlessness, irritation, etc. The first step in resolving trauma is recognizing from where our trauma originated, so anything which robs us of joy, happiness, satisfaction, or fulfillment for all purposes in this practice is considered a resentment and entered as such under that column.

1. Personal Inventory — Cause

In the next column under Cause we write a brief phrase or phrases about the event and the reason for the resentment and the effect it had on us. It is helpful to split up repeat offenders into each separate cause rather than lumping many causes into one resentment. Failing to do this is entertaining our resentment and focusing on the person, institution, or idea rather than how their behavior affected us, as they are not themselves inherently offensive, but their actions or choices by which we are hurt. If a repeat offender should offend after we have already done inventory on our experiences with them, we make a new entry regardless of what entries we have already done.

Cause is as simple as the simple fact that something happened or can and does happen. For instance a resentment of death occurs because death is something that happens to all of us. Or if our bank charged us an exorbitant and exploitive amount of money for an overdraft, or the I.R.S. forcibly collected a reassessment of taxes during the coronavirus outbreak four years after we filed them and we could hardly afford rent that month. Parents or children often do things that hurt us, so in addition to the action they took which was the source of the problem we also can write other causes which are related to the event such as past traumatic experiences these remind us of or triggers, or past conditioning which makes us sensitive to these things such as what we were taught in school or church or by our caregivers. If a boss or coworker undermines our performance at work, in addition to their action we can also write that it threatens our sense of self-worth and accomplishment, makes us feel embarrassed, threatened, or sad, or feeling insecure about our future employment and financial stability.

Emotions always go under cause, because emotions are hormones and we do not control those. If you feel embarrassed, sad, hurt, angry, etc., it is not something we control and thus goes under cause. Acting on those feelings is something we control and thus does not go in this column. Many people misunderstand that acting on a feeling is not the same as having that feeling, and many of us act as if our feelings are directly connected to and justified by our feelings, which they absolutely are not. This in fact often gets alcoholics and addicts in trouble because we were not taught skill to effectively manage our feelings, and thus fail to recognize the separation between feeling and actions. This practice does teach us that difference. 

1. Personal Inventory — Part(s) Hurt

During the span of a human life we require certain resources to live a successful, happy, and fulfilled life, and frankly also to avoid dying. These are basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothes, companionship, safety, love both platonic and erotic, community, opportunity, and accomplishment. Whenever unpleasant or painful things happen to us (the things we write under cause and resentment) they are painful because they endanger or take from us any one of these needs which are required in life.

Though we dislike pain, its function is to make us aware of potential dangers to our wellbeing. Children born without a physical pain reflex will chew on their own tongues. Both physical and emotional pain is necessary for our survival and wellbeing, but because of the function of acetylcholine in response to excessive stress in those with alcoholism and addiction, the imprintation of painful experiences can be so excessive as to cause irrational stress even from things which are not a danger to our wellbeing, like managing our bank account, so we avoid the stress by avoiding looking at our finances and thereby repeatedly cause the very financial instability we so greatly fear.

Recognizing the parts of self which are traumatized from experiences of pain helps us to legitimize our trauma instead of trying to just ignore it or move on from it. This in turn helps us begin to learn compassion for ourselves and our negative experiences which itself is the key to acceptance.

Because these parts of self are finite and not subjective, we do not invent or formulate what to put in this column. Instead we choose from the list of human needs which are: self-esteem, pride, emotional security, financial security, personal relations, sex relations, and ambition.

Sometimes we are unaware of which parts are hurt. For instance, many people try to compensate for past trauma which made them feel insecure by adopting confidence as a way to cope with that trauma, and so will not choose pride or self-esteem because they now view themselves as confident. But this very act of adopting confidence is a defensive mechanism which shows deep wounds to pride and self esteem, and is actually arrogance, not confidence, since confidence accepts weaknesses while arrogance denies them, and of course we are wounded in such ways since none of us is completely unfeeling.

Failing to understand how we are hurt by our experiences leads to rumination and obsession on those people and institutions which hurt us, which is specifically an absence of self-compassion because it then focuses on them instead of ourselves. This is one way in which self-pity can be self-defeating because we focus so much on what others have done to us rather than understanding the pain we are going through or have gone through.

1. Personal Inventory — My Part

Under My Part we list our actions and choices we made which contributed to or continue to contribute to the resentment. 

Not every event included our actions, especially those which happened to us as children (behavior begins to be our own around the ages of 15-18). When we are children, we play no role in my part because we are entirely incapable of providing for ourselves those things which are required for human life. Being entirely dependent on our caretakers, whom in fact as teachers, leaders, and providers are the originators of the choices and actions we take as children, we do not bear responsibly for our actions until we are more mature and capable of providing those needs for ourselves. Sometimes it can be helpful to accept that things we did as children were hurtful, although they are usually a consequence of adaptations to abuse or neglect which would not have occurred had we been cared for sufficiently, and in that cause the cause column should include the absence of instruction, care, or abuse which catalyzed that behavior.

Emotions are absolutely not our part—people often write things in my part such as ‘I let them make me angry,’ or ‘I choose to be sad.’ This is not how life works. Emotions, you will remember, are hormones and thus entirely outside our power to control (except through drug and alcohol use, which is why addiction occurs and is only temporary and self-destructive anyway). We want to believe we have power over our emotions because that means we can choose which ones we feel. We were often taught as children that in fact we could and should control our emotions, but this was abuse perpetrated by caregivers who had no skills to manage their own feelings. In reality, this is impossible, and believing this leads to further frustration and pain as well as a lack of compassion for ourselves. Feelings are entirely not within the scope of the my part column, and instead go under cause. 

My part is always actions and choices—I shouted at them, I stole that item, I hit them, I cheated, I lied, I withheld affection, I demanded sex, I harassed her, I didn’t tell them how much they mean to me, I drove drunk, I talked behind their back, I was defensive, reacted angrily (not felt angry), ducked my responsibility, antagonized them, wrote that nasty email, said those hurtful things, flirted with that handsome coworker, left my wife, made that purchase, didn’t monitor my bank account, didn’t pay my taxes.

Importantly, my part is never a criticism of ourselves nor judgment of our value as a person. Most of us avoid such personal introspection because we believe that self-analysis will reveal justification for every abuse we have suffered and insecurity we possess. In fact, many things we write under my part can also be positive actions—I stood up for them, I chose to have children, I got married, I didn’t cheat, I asked for a raise, I accepted this job, woke up early, went on that flight, paid for dinner, tried to help that person, spoke up for my needs, voted for good, came out of the closet. Even though we do good things it does not actually control our experiences, so we can be met with unpleasant consequences and thus become despairing at the results, instead of being proud of our good choices. So the my part can also help us correctly evaluate our own behavior separate from that of others and the things we actually cannot control.

Many of us waste years of our lives trying to control others, life, and consequences, and this is absolutely impossible. Indeed we are often taught by our parents, society, and religions that not only is it within our power to control fate, consequence, and other people, but that we should. Life does not work that way even a little bit, so we become constantly frustrated and even driven mad by our failure to control things we absolutely cannot control. The my part section helps us to objectively analyze the one thing we can control, which is our own behavior, and thus stop wasting our time, resources, and emotional and mental energy on things which are impossible to control.

1. Personal Inventory — Character weaknesses

In the last column, Character Weakness we list character traits which we possess which motivate our actions and choices listed under my part. 

This too is not a judgment of our character or value as a person, which is itself simply the residue of shame and self-hatred at the hands of abusive and neglectful people in our lives, but instead a way to identify exactly how the events of our past have caused damage to us as a person which thus cause us to adopt coping mechanisms which we use to survive life. 

My favorite example to use in the illustration of this reality are pathological liars, since everyone “dislikes” liars. But the talent of lying is actually an instinctual coping mechanism adopted to survive a childhood where parents were especially and opportunistically vindictive, using any mistake no matter how trivial as an excuse to abuse and who use the child as an outlet for their overflowing anger and hatred. 

Since childhood is the time which forms our personal identity and thus survival strategies to use in adulthood, a child from such a home erroneously (and unconsciously) believes that lying is the only effective life tool to avoid pain and heartache and even death, and thus brings this tool with them into adulthood. 

But of course, lying in adulthood more often causes additional stress and isolation as we deal with mistakes and insecurities through dishonesty, and build for ourselves unnecessary consequences and complicated, unmanageable lives. Character weaknesses are coping mechanisms we develop to survive trauma but which then complicate and imperil our wellbeing as adults by preventing the formation of healthy relationships, destabilizing material wellbeing, and jeopardizing our moral and legal standing.

Most debilitatingly, coping mechanisms such as fear and insecurity which result from very traumatic experiences of assault, rejection, abuse, exploitation, etc., serve to make us hyperaware of future potential threats to our person, since it is through such threats that our very ability to survive life can be subverted. But then as an adult we spend every waking minute fearing other people, constantly repeating the trauma of our past, peering around every proverbial corner with anxiety, and even avoid opportunities for personal and professional advancement or preemptively destroying romantic affairs even when we have never again actually experienced the things of which we are afraid. 

Fixation on money is a coping mechanism for fear of loss and financial insecurity which creates miserliness, selfishness, dishonesty, and even theft. Other coping mechanisms such as perfectionism disrupt our lives by preventing satisfaction in accomplishment even when we are actually successful. Laziness is a preemptive coping mechanism to avoid failure in the first place. Being vain, narcissistic, or having self-pity is the mind’s attempt to provide a sense of self-worth which was not forthcoming from our environment as children. Timidity and shyness are an attempt to cope with rejection by avoiding attention in the first place. Being defensive or confrontational betrays fears of humiliation or loss which probably originated from parents who insulted and humiliated us, and so on and so on.

An adult should be capable of supporting ourselves emotionally and materially, and when we do not possess the skills to do so we resort to destructive coping mechanisms revealed as character weakness and undermine our own wellbeing in the process. Supporting ourselves does not mean going it alone. Being able to ask for help and to build strong relationships is an act of providing for ourselves, but this is misunderstood because of the mountain of trauma under which many of us are buried. It’s no wonder alcoholics and addicts have such a difficult time handling life. 

 

1. Fear Inventory — Fear

Fears are preconceptions about life which prevent us from living fully. Fears cause us to avoid situations, people, challenges, and opportunity. Often they motivate animus, resentment, pain, and actively undermine our own wellbeing and work against our self-interests even though they ostensibly exist to do the opposite. Under the first column in the fear inventory, we specify what fear we are inventorying be it rejection, imperfection, confrontation, failure, disease, losing children, losing a spouse, the government, pain, death, etc.

Coping mechanisms and character weakness all actually originate from a specific fear or set of fears. For instance, people who fear financial insecurity may lie, cheat, steal, or coerce, agitate, belittle their significant others, children, and friends, or simply avoid checking their bank account in dealing with that fear. They may be miserly or selfish with their prosperity. They may also spend egregiously or irresponsibly, because a digital number on a website doesn’t make us feel rich but a large house or an expensive, flashy car does, but thus constantly live in a state of financial insecurity in order to subvert this fear by exercising the active use of our money, even if it makes us bankrupt. 

The fear of financial insecurity is itself a more primal fear of death caused by lack of resources, which can also include the social and emotional security which comes from attracting other humans to us through material wealth. This fear also comes from being afraid that no one is watching out for us, or not believing in some kind of higher power or purpose, that our life is left only to us alone. 

Fear of imperfection drives us to obsess over our performance and robs us of satisfaction even in our successes. Some fears are more visceral, like fear of the dark, of violence, of men, of our mother, of natural disasters, impending doom or wild animals. 

Fears are created in our childhood in response to unpleasant experiences, pain, and abuse. In reality, fear is a biological mechanism used to make us aware of potential threats to our person. If we had no fears we would not even be on this earth as a species. Fear of the dark, of heights, of wild animals, of disease, and of competition are all fears which have kept our species alive throughout the ages. If a bird did not have a fear of cats it would simply succumb to predation. If humans did not have a fear of water if they can’t swim they might drown. As such, the development of our fears originate in our biology and the instincts we have for self-preservation. 

But since fears are also reactionary and instinctual, and also develop when we are small children when we are more helpless, they are also often misunderstood and more severe than what is useful as an adult, and as such can get in the way of things we really want. For instance, if as a child we were the frequent recipient of rejection by family or friends we may, as adults, simply avoid friendships or romantic engagements due to our fears of rejection, and thus by our own behavior engineer the very loneliness and isolation we regret. If we get attacked by a dog as a child we might grow up into an adult which fears them, and then never actually get to experience the joy of animal companionship. Fears of being unlovable may motivate us to coerce partners into demonstrate their commitment and thus turn relationships into an exercise of dominance and willfulness rather than the free expression of love, or to preemptively destroy a relationship or avoid people we would truly love simply because we fear the power their presence would have on us and potential devastation should we lose them. 

Fear can be debilitating and overwhelming, driving us even into insanity, because it is such a primal and biological survival mechanism which is more concerned with the survival of our entire species rather than us as an individual. Fearing others, especially in geopolitical contexts, can drive families apart for the stupidest of reasons and foment xenophobia and racism. When we fail to understand our fears we are instead operating simply as a human animal, which comes with all the limitations and problems imposed by instinct and ignorance. 

Our response to fear and indeed even the very purpose of fear are also largely attempts to neutralize the thing of which we are afraid rather than fear itself, since fear is an esoteric and intangible construct of the human psyche. The human mind is designed to address fear by addressing the subject of our fear and not fear directly. Fearing competition and danger from other humans we buy guns and engage in arms races. Fearing crime we empower armed and aggressive law enforcement institutions to suppress our communities and stifle economic prosperity. Fearing our own self-worth we waste the entirety of our lives and relationships pursuing money and status. 

In fact, it is this very dynamic of our response to fear which carves us up into disparate political, regional, and ideological alliances. Those whose lives are dominated by fear and the desire to subvert that which they are afraid are those drawn to power simply for the sake of it, who sacrifice their morality and humanity merely to feel protected and empowered against that which they are afraid. This is the purpose which religion serves in the lives of man, to bring feelings of reassurance and power over things which are frightening, whether or not it actually does. It is why people willingly bankrupt themselves in support of institutions and persons who exploit them. Why voters choose leaders who rig political systems against their best interests. We are not ignorant to the consequences of our actions nor the debilitating effect it has on our lives—It is the price we are willing to pay for protection from the things we fear. The justification for our actions is simply that. Belief is in the power to subvert that which we are afraid, rather than fear itself.  

The fear inventory transforms esoteric, intangible fears into something which is tangible, allowing that we can in turn confront and resolve them, which is entirely possible, rather than that which we are afraid, which is impossible. Those who more naturally understand that our problem is fear and not that of which we are afraid are more happy, hopeful, creative, accomplished, capable, unifying, fun, and successful.

Fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones which reduce metabolic health, and if we have other metabolic illnesses our fear can make our physical health immeasurably worse. This is what happens when people absolutely lose their minds and become psychologically ill, or when people feel overwhelming terror at certain fears which lead to phobias such as of flying, groups of people, germs, etc.

1. Fear Inventory — Cause

Under Cause we write from where this fear originated. Fear of financial insecurity perhaps originates because we are, in fact, reliant in many ways on money to survive, and a lack of money causes stress and impairs our access to other things we need to survive like food, clothing, and shelter. As this illustrates, the cause of a fear is often because the existence of the thing of which we are afraid is something that actually does exist or does happen to us. A fear of failure often exists because we do in fact fail, even often. Even worse, people will often actively exploit our failures and use it as ammunition against us. Death actually is a thing, and we all must die, so that is one cause of the fear of death, but choosing to ignore reality or pretend death is a long way off or delude ourselves into acrobatic religious beliefs to distract us from this fear instead gives the fear of death immense power over our lives because we do not truly understand what causes the fear in the first place. Death is often used as a cudgel by parents and religious leaders to make us feel terrible about ourselves and thus easier to coerce and control (in turn to give themselves a feeling of control). Death is also often unpleasant such as during disease or accidents or violence, all of which are also fears to inventory. But it is largely through societal attitudes and our past experiences that we have these fears to begin with, and identifying their origins empowers us to begin accepting the fear, since we begin to understand why we have it, which is usually because of our prejudices surrounding the thing of which we are afraid and ignorance to reality rather than any real need to fear these things. Clues to the cause of our fears can also be found in the resentment and cause columns of the personal inventory, since it is often our past experiences which inform and catalyze the fear response. For instance, fear of authority may have originated from experiences of abuse or recrimination suffered by opportunistic and self-righteous parents, religious leaders, or employers who exploit our vulnerability for their own personal gain and control. Or fear of helplessness, violence, or even sex may be caused by experiences of sexual assault, violence, and abuse. Fear of being powerless may simply result from having been a child and at one point powerless. A fear of rejection may have been caused by past failures or painful experiences with family or ineffective and inexperienced romantic behaviors, or being taught that rejection defines our self-worth or should be considered with severity (rather than levity). Identifying the cause of our fears is the opposite of making other people or life in general responsible for them, and redirects our energies from controlling life and other people to instead having compassion for our mortal condition and understanding and operating within the natural bounds and limitations of our effectiveness which in turn empowers us to actually be effective in our lives.

All resentments are associated with one or more underlying fears which is what motivates our control mechanisms revealed in how we respond to those resentments (especially my part), and by inventorying these fears we can understand and resolve them, because all fears are simply caused by ignorance and this practice provides us with answers for why we have such fears in the first place. A fear of death is not actually a fear of death, which you will come to understand through the successful practice of inventory, but instead a fear of dying with yet unamended wrongs, expiring while still burdened with the guilt and shame of our mistakes and thus no more chance to repair them. We are also taught to fear death, to consider it as bad or scary, as punishment for our natural weaknesses as a human being, associated with pain and terror, or that there is only one life or that life is a test which determines your eternal fate, or that there is nothing to look forward to after death and we simply cease to exist. Rather than removing the thing of which we are afraid, which is impossible, the knowledge of why we fear is the key to removing that fear, which is done by recognizing the causes from which those fears originate.

1. Fear Inventory — Effect

Remember, that we cannot neutralize fear by neutralizing the thing of which we are afraid. When we do that we destroy relationships, opportunities, and become self-defeating. The rules of life do not change simply because we resent them. Believing ourselves required but unable to neutralize death, for instance, those of us who are driven by a fear of death plead to the divine to spare us from it, make excuses for wrongdoing, and foment fear and self-pity, concocting magnificent schemes which seek to facilitate the subversion of fear but in so doing simply serve to empower it and increase our mental, spiritual, and physical suffering. 

A person who is truly unafraid instead recognizes that it is okay that we die. That it is okay that we don’t know what happens after death. That the likelihood is death will care for us every bit as life has done. Ironically, those who desperately seek God and religion in the first place often do so because of intense fears of death, the unknown, and fate in general.

In truth it is impossible to subvert the things of which we are afraid. We cannot stop death. We cannot stop pain, or disappointment, inconvenience, rejection, heartache, loss, and challenges, and the inability to cope with this reality is one of the major problems which drives alcoholism and addiction. Instead of trying to control those things of which we are afraid, which is impossible to do anyway, under Effect we write what effect a particular fear has on our lives. Not the effect of the thing of which we are afraid—but possession of the fear and what this fear does to us. 

This is important because when we try to live in spite of our fears we are in fact ignoring or suppressing our fears and in turn ignore how they also control our lives. Recognizing that a fear of intimacy prevents us from growing close to others helps us see how we actually engineer the very self-defeating behaviors which get in our own way. The degree to which we fuck up our lives in response to fear is about ninety-percent of our day to day problems, and life in reality is a very lovely and amazing experience of which most of us are wholly ignorant because we perceive it largely through our fears and insecurities. 

The effect of fear of death is not to actually die, although it may actually increase our chances of dying since we might react to that fear in self-destructive ways, but the effect instead is to spend our entire lives always fearing the end, never actually enjoying the present, or even missing out on relationships or destroying them altogether because of our inability to handle the concept of death. 

Fears also of our children being failures may have the effect of stressing them out, aggravating interpersonal conflict, engendering animosity, resentment, stressing us out, preventing enjoyment of and feeling pride for our children, and even catalyzing through our behavior the very problems that we fear. Fear of authority may cause us to avoid or even antagonize authority figures, or miss out on opportunities for advancement altogether, or become ineffective when presented by challenges from authority figures. Fears make us sensitive to criticism, and so we may cling to destructive behaviors which impair our ability to succeed. Fear of accountability may prevent us from amending relationships when we have offended others and thus undermine or even lose those important relationships. Fear of failure may keep us from taking chances and acting on opportunity, or at the very least keep us from enjoying the success we have earned. Fear of illness not only keeps us from enjoying the health we do have but very often actually doing things which cause illness in the first place, resenting our body which is in truth only trying to take care of us. 

Fear of others prevents us from engaging in civics or prejudices us against people who would otherwise be neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters and amplifying political conflict and animosity, self-sabotaging our own wellbeing out of spite. We need other people to have relationships, but many of us are so afraid of sharing ourselves with others we actively withdraw from relationships rather than be vulnerable. Many of us are so afraid of life we would rather spend it fucked up, doing dangerous things and risking death when in fact understanding our fear and the trauma which caused it can free ourselves from the power of fear, no matter what actually happens in our lives. Thus, effect is not the effect that thing of which we are afraid, but the effect of having the fear in the first place. It is very important to understand this point because it is an exploration of the influence fear has over our behavior and conception of life, not the effect of those things we fear, because fear is the primary cause of ineffective action and choices which result in consequences which disrupt our lives and cause frustration and pain and not actually those things which we may fear. 

1. Fear Inventory — Better Way

Inventorying our fears flips the biological function of fear on its head, helping our mind to identify and address fear directly which neutralizes fear altogether and thus the very motivation to have our control mechanisms and insecurities in the first place. This relieves us of a great deal of suffering and stress since fear can be all-consuming at times, keeping us in a state of constant hyper-vigilance for threats to our person, and frees an enormous amount of emotional energy, time, and resources, turning our life over the Universe or your concept of a higher power which, unlike ourselves, is actually in charge of fate and most of the other things we have been afraid. 

No longer afraid of our bank account we actually manage it properly and accumulate wealth. No longer afraid of losing our children we actually spend time interacting with them and developing real emotional intimacy. No longer afraid of rejection we actually have fun dating, even when we get rejected, and take chances on healthy and inspiring adults of whom we were once also fearful.

Resolving fear also has a direct consequence on our physical health, because the mechanisms of fear are accomplished through the action of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and the torporific hormones and excessive expression of acetylcholine. 

Normally if we have a fear of aging, or getting sick, or fat, we might think the way to deal with that fear is to go to the gym more, eat better, or try to lose weight. This is entirely wrong, because it is motivated by fear and continues to demonstrate a desire to control life and fear which is entirely impossible to do and exactly what drives our misery and ineffectiveness. 

In A Better Way we write an opposite way to consider the things of which we are afraid, especially as it pertains to trusting life to carry us through or our concept of a higher power and our place in the Universe, not on our own limited mortality but in terms of turning our lives over to fate, life, the laws of nature and reality, or a concept of God, to submit to these rules and realities rather than trying to control them. It is not a conception of what our life would be like without fear, nor the things we can or could do to try and control that of which we are afraid, but is a different way of thinking about those things which cause us fear. 

For instance, we never consider that there is actually such a thing as good conflict, or that both sides can often in fact be right at the same time during conflict, that everyone’s needs are legitimate and that conflict does not inherently require one winner and one who loses. Most relationships are often conducted this way, in competition at the expense of the other which results in acrimony and resentment. We can ask for what we need without taking from others. 

Rather than doing more things to control death, a better way might be to realize that it’s okay that we die. All people die, and it’s okay not to know what happens afterward. The same forces which placed us on this earth are also those responsible for taking us out, it is not our job to manage, plan, or anticipate death. Because of how biology works and the end of our sensory abilities you may also be surprised and relieved that death is not actually something we experience. We can also trust in life or a higher power to carry us through to the next stage of existence just as it brought us into this one. That rather than all the negativity we have been taught death is natural and good, because it makes room for new life and new people and carries us forward to the next stage of existence, whatever that may be.

Often we try to delude ourselves when facing fears, like “things will be okay,” or “death is a long ways off.” But these are not necessarily true and thus they fail to resolve fear. Very often things are not, in fact, okay. We often lose people or experience pain and heartache, so what good does your fear in the face of reality? Very often, recognizing that we fear something because it really does happen (which is part of the cause) is actually okay that it happens (in the better way). There really is nothing wrong with rejection, or death, or loss, only our deluded conceptions and denial which gives power to fear. Recognizing that sometimes the things of which we are afraid are real, but that it’s okay they happen can be a very empowering practice in a better way. We are still valuable if others reject us, conflict can actually be productive, money is fake and not actually that important, success merely serves as a way to attract relationships, validation, and attention which we can get from healthy relationships, no relationships last forever, new ones can always be found, people are mostly lovely, kind, and caring, healing is always possible, I have demonstrated resilience and persistence in the past and there is no reason to believe I won’t in the future. My parents had trauma that prevented them from raising me well, other people are hurting and deserving of compassion, life is cyclical and no one state ever persists. The Universe is looking out for me, regardless of the problems I must face. 

1. Inventory Practice and Success

The inventory therapy should be practiced daily and prioritized above all other activities until it is completed. During recovery our fears may compel us to continue fixating on jobs, relationships, success, and other obligations. But we can never achieve fulfillment in these pursuits if suffering from alcoholism and addiction, which can and does get in the way of creativity, productivity, success, and undermines relationships we require to be happy and successful.  

While at first it can be daunting to practice inventory, this is simply a fear of the unknown and of letting go of control, because we have never done it before. But trying to make ourselves do inventory is a also control, and demonstrates a lack of compassion for our experiences as we have been so well conditioned to do. 

Instead, inventorying the inventory therapy can help clarify why we experience resistance to taking care of needs. Inventory might be boring, or threatening, it requires time and attention when we would rather be making money or looking for sex or playing video games. Like the rest of our lives to this point, willing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do is the withholding of self-compassion. Of course inventory therapy is boring and uncomfortable and we would rather not do it. Inventorying that in a resentment entry and the associated fears of letting go of control can help us understand our own motivations and thus clear away resistance. 

Many people only do as much inventory as is minimally helpful to resolve the worst parts of their life experience, and continue to live year after year still struggling to find resolution to destructive perceptions of life and intense fears and insecurities, because we cannot willfully change such things which require introspective therapy such as inventory therapy accomplishes. 

If it is prioritized, inventory therapy very quickly becomes associated with relief as good or better than a drink or a hit because it permanently removes trauma, insecurity, regret, remorse, resentment, and fear simply by sitting down and doing the writing. The only requirement being abstinent and clear-headed and a pen and paper. The therapy is the writing practice, and no more is required, no attitude adjustment, no willpower, just dedicated practice. Communicating with the subconscious in this structured therapy helps the subconscious become aware of the conflict between our ego and our best interests, and when presented with new experiences and stimuli in the future addressed by the inventory behavior will naturally change as the subconscious tries new approaches automatically in dealing with stress. 

Sometimes some trauma is so deep it requires multiple entries before a true understanding and resolution can occur. Simply making new entries as required when these fears or frustrations are triggered is all that is required until it is fully resolved. 

This is a practice, and while it can be completed in as little as two weeks if a person dedicates an abundance of time each day, it is also a tool to assist us in everyday life moving forward as needed, but it must be completed (everything from the past you can possibly remember) to enact the kind of permanent resolution of psychological trauma and the finding of unrivaled confidence, peace, and happiness, and thus the resolution of learned hopelessness which underlies addiction and alcoholism.

1. Prevention
1. Abuse

Although it may seem obvious, preventing the kind of abuse and neglect as what catalyzes alcoholism and addiction is the key to its prevention. Very many parents are allowed to abuse their children as long as it is not physical and severe enough to be reported to child protective services. But abusive parents, like the alcoholic or addict, do not possess better self-care and parenting skills such as is taught by the inventory therapy.

Empowering parents with the tools to handle trauma, frustration, and conflict such as is taught in this program can help parents feel calmer and more effective both in their obligations as parents and in their partnership and other relationships, which in turn prevents abuse, but also models such tools for their own children to also in turn feel empowered to care for their own needs and meet life’s challenges. 

Empowerment is the key to undoing both parental abuse and neglect and alcoholism and addiction, so sharing these therapies even with people who are not alcoholics and addicts for more effective parenting experiences is the key to undoing systemic alcoholism and addiction.

1. Diet

Feeding children high quantities of potato, especially the skins, can very strongly promote the development of alcoholism and addiction. Potatoes are delicious, just serve them a few times a week instead of most days, and always peel potatoes. The other nightshade foods, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, etc., are not as harmful, but they can still contribute if they are abundant in the diet, so integrating other options and orienting the diet to foods which are not in the nightshade family and instead enjoying these in smaller quantities can help to prevent the development of addiction and alcoholism.

Common wheat, being highly inflammatory, can cause a myriad of childhood health problems and set the stage for later alcoholism and addiction, especially when combined with abuse and other excessive and unnecessary stresses. Ear infections, for instance, are caused by bacteria opportunistically colonizing swollen ear canals caused by reactions to common wheat gluten. Common wheat is also usually fortified with iron, and excess iron promotes pathogenic microbes which are even more dependent on iron for their growth than we are, so avoiding common wheat is also helpful for this reason (ingredients on food labels that contain iron say iron or ferric or ferrous compounds). 

Children are designed by nature to especially benefit from fruit, so a diet which is high in fruit for growing children will not only help promote a healthy gut microbiome and prevent alcoholism and addiction but also better overall development in every facet of growth. 

1. Environment

Sunlight deprivation catalyzes depression, and over time can increase sensitivity to stress. Children should have daily, ample exposure to sunlight at hours which do not risk sunburn. Both glass and sunblock prevent vitamin D synthesis (and sunblock often contains toxic chemicals), so avoid excessive sun exposure when it is especially intense, around midday, and instead get sun in the early or later times or play in areas which are partially shaded.

Many of our cities and towns are build and designed around cars, and as such make it dangerous for children to play outside. In fact, the loneliness and separation which permeates suburban lifestyles is a significant promoter of depression and alcoholism and addiction. Redesigning infrastructure to accommodate  safe and protected biking can empower children to travel to school, the homes of friends, or sports activities without always requiring a chaperone. The Netherlands is a country which models this example perfectly, they have the happiest kids in the entire world, low crime rates, and one of the lowest rates of alcoholism by country (those that ban alcohol don’t count, they just have a lot of dry drunks). 

Social integration, support, love, emotional availability are the antidotes to alcoholism, which is why empowering parents to resolve their own trauma can prevent the development of alcoholism and addiction in children. But kids can get and also need support from other members of their immediate society—extended family living nearby, friends, role models, etc. which can only be facilitated by living within communities that can easily access one another, which means also living in and designing infrastructure to provide immediate access to other people and not one which is centered around and dependent on driving. Social media has filled this role and need for many young people because our cities and towns are largely built to separate us from each other, and kids can often only find the access to friends, information, and engagement through the internet. There is nothing wrong with social media in general, and access to the internet is one of the factors which has driven down crime in many places because people feel more empowered and not so alone and disenfranchised. But it’s negative sides such as fomenting extremism, harassment, and volatile political discord is a product first of loneliness and isolation which makes people vulnerable to exploitation, and many extremists and reactionaries are untreated alcoholics and drug addicts, so addressing the underlying causes of alcoholism and addiction will keep children from becoming victims to those elements of the internet. 

1. Conclusion

Alcoholism and addiction have only been incurable because of the biases and prejudices which permeate even scientific and medical research, but mostly society as a whole, treating mental illness and those who struggle with trauma and the human condition as pariahs, withholding compassion and empathy from those who need it most. Because of this work, alcoholism and addiction no longer need be a disease that any person on earth should suffer, so this document can and should be shared with every institution, group, or individual affected by alcoholism and addiction, to promote awareness and empowerment. 

Very often alcoholics and addicts are so ill they do not have the capacity to help themselves, so it behooves family, friends, and society to assist them, which cannot be done if they do not understand how this disease works. 

It does require that alcoholics and addicts be willing to participate in therapy, but staging interventions or getting institutional assistance can be a great support. Contact recovery organizations in your local community for resources, ask for help, and learn the inventory therapy yourself which can help you to teach it to others, leading by example and empowered by the resolution of your own trauma. 

All therapists, counselors, and medical professionals who work with addicts and alcoholics must learn and practice the inventory therapy themselves, otherwise it will be impossible to assist those who need it. We cannot, after all, give what we do not have. But it can also help to insulate professionals from the stresses of interacting with and dealing with these patients, since it can often be a frustrating experience. 

Alcoholism and addiction are no longer untreatable. If it wasn’t clear before, this is a permanent cure of the disease, not simply a recovery program, and if done correctly it is possible to again enjoy alcohol and minor recreational drug use like marijuana in the same manner as healthy people who do not abuse them. But in order for this to occur an alcoholic or addict must be able to sustain sobriety for about two or three years. Any intense desire to use drugs or alcohol are still a sign that recovery is not complete, and more work must be done on resolving the biochemical and psychological stresses which underlying the disease, or else this risks relapse. Deluded thinking and trivialization of stress, drinking, or drug use are definite signs that psychological therapy is not complete. Many people only do the inventory therapy enough to resolve their most egregious and inconvenient mental stresses, but do not finish it and thus continue to persist with emotional trauma and control and coping mechanisms which will absolutely result in relapse. Want to drink again in the future? Finish the inventory and take care of your body first.

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