Not only do B vitamins give you energy, but they are also essential for the production of neurotransmitters in the brain. When drugs create the same feel-good reflex as the chemicals in your brain, you get overloaded. To compensate, your brain produces fewer of these important chemicals. This is the reason you go through withdrawals when you quit opiates – your brain chemicals are no longer balanced. Using vitamins and supplements can help get you through the process of healing from opiate addiction.
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Vitamin C helps detoxify your body while reducing cravings for drugs. It also best vitamins for recovering drug addicts boosts your immune system, which is likely depressed from drug use. During the healing process from meth addiction, you may be given high doses of vitamin C, but whatever your body can’t use is flushed out of your system. And one study found that giving omega-3 fatty acids to substance abusers significantly reduced their anxiety (22). There is help available to you if you or a loved one has a physical dependence or psychological dependence on a behavior or substance.
How Addiction Causes Vitamin Deficiencies
In fact, alcohol abuse alone can result in severe health complications, such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, due to its impact on nutrient absorption. Other substance use disorders can affect other parts of the human body, resulting in multiple types of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Recovery takes time, but with great care, diligence, and dedication, anyone can overcome drug and alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ addiction.
Mental Health Resources
This is especially true when you’re taking other drugs or medicines. At The Recovery Village Columbus, we can help you find the support that you need to transition into sober, healthy living. Contact The Recovery Village Columbus today to learn about admissions. The causes of addiction cannot be traced to a single deficit; rather, it is the result of a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. The disruption of the reward system in the brain is a significant factor in the development of addictive behaviors, though.
Exploring Alternatives to 12-Step Programs in Addiction Recovery
Many of these problems can be reversed through proper nutrition, though some of them will cause lifelong issues. Some conditions that may result from malnutrition include heart disease, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even death. There is no better time than now to start your recovery plan and get on the road to better health and a longer, happier life. Some drugs, like heroin, disrupt the normal communication of the brain by attaching to neurons, tricking the brain into thinking they are normal neurotransmitters. Other drugs, like cocaine and meth, flood the brain with neurotransmitters – normally dopamine – causing a serious imbalance. At The Dawn we have designed our own treatment model, known as the Twin Pillars.
A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, including proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates, helps stabilize blood sugar levels. This stabilization can significantly impact mood regulation, reducing emotional swings and drug cravings. Furthermore, carbohydrates are vital for serotonin production, which is known to enhance mood and improve sleep patterns, essential components for a successful recovery process. Good nutrition is a vital component of addiction recovery, playing a crucial role in physical, mental, and emotional healing. Substance abuse often leads to nutritional deficiencies, particularly in essential vitamins like B1, B6, and folic acid, which are important for nervous system health.
- When I weened off psychiatric medication, I took large doses of vitamin C every day.
- Vitamins for meth withdrawal can be useful, as is a supplement or vitamin for methadone users.
- Substance abuse can deplete vitamin C levels, leaving the body vulnerable to oxidative stress and weakened immune function.
- But once I started supplementing with citicoline, I noticed an improvement in my cognitive function because it increased my levels of acetylcholine and dopamine.
Smokers have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and treatment with fish significantly reduces their level of dependence (25, 28). Research shows that increased anxiety is one of the primary reasons why substance abusers and alcoholics tend to relapse (23, 24). They can support your mitochondria and increase your brain’s growth hormone, and have been shown to improve mood, sleep, learning and memory. They also protect against psychiatric disorders including depression, mild cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (19-21). In another Alcoholics Anonymous study, people with cocaine dependence and bipolar disorder who supplemented with citicoline reduced their cocaine use. Researchers had directed them to not consume cocaine during the study, and at the end of it, the researchers found less cocaine in the urine of the participants (9).
- Alcoholism is also responsible for the poor absorption of a multitude of essential vitamins such as vitamin A, D, and E.
- Typically addiction manifests various types of nutritional issues and malnutrition, including several different types of vitamin deficiencies.
- It is essential that during recovery you are consuming the right amount of vitamins and nutrients.
- But there is some limited evidence that certain vitamins and herbs might help in different ways when you have an opioid use disorder or are going through opioid withdrawal.
- Eventually, a person cannot feel good without the drugs because the brain shuts down neurotransmitter production as it struggles to become balanced again.
Deficiencies in vitamin C may cause fatigue and connective tissue defects, including slower wound healing and gingivitis. Long-term magnesium deficiencies can cause conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Magnesium therapy is often recommended in some of these circumstances.
- As a general rule, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and magnesium, and the most useful supplements to help you cope with withdrawal symptoms.
- You can find more information, including how to order supplements and Natural Highs at
- Most people, however, are deficient in magnesium — particularly those experiencing alcohol addiction and withdrawal.
This vitamin supports neurotransmitter activity, helps reduce inflammation, and contributes to brain and immune health 12. Alcoholism is also responsible for the poor absorption of a multitude of essential vitamins such as vitamin A, D, and E. A lack of vitamin A can lead to liver damage, while a vitamin D deficiency disturbs the body’s absorption of calcium, leading to a loss of bone mass and density. With the addition of these supplements, as well as proper nutrition, recovery can be a more comfortable, and successful, process.