In the last blog, I posted images of normal brains, brains after drug and alcohol abuse, and a drug/alcohol brain compared to an Alzheimer’s brain. These images are a powerful realization of what could be the result of Substance Abuse.

My objective is to illustrate the reality of the damage that can be done–the real physical and mental damage you can see. What happens is that drug and alcohol abuse results in restricted blood flow in the brain.  The dark spots on the images of the brain are not holes. The dark images are blood flow in the brain that has been restricted.

Hope and Success: Through SPECT imaging, we are able to see the positive affect of sobriety.  The individual to whom this brain belongs stayed sober from alcohol and drugs for one year. The dark images are nearly gone, which means blood is moving normally. We can hope that memory, creativity, and rational judgment is back too. A chance at life is back.

 

The way I look at it, the medical disciplines and most all recovery disciplines call substance abuse a disease. Well, if it is a disease, there must be a cure!

Now, what if we were to combine the new medical findings and solutions. I described some research findings in previous posts: Gabapentin Treats Alcohol Abuse, and Treatment for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (Wet Brain). What if we commit to multiple action plans? Do we have the making of a cure?

• Medical vitamin assistance: This can be done through a Primary Physician.
  • Replenishment of B1 and B12 levels.
  • The introduction of Gabapentin to eliminate the desire for alcohol and reduce the probabilities of relapse. Clinical research indicates that 900 to 1800 mg delivers the beneficial results. This is a proven method of staying off drugs and alcohol.
• A commitment of attending group meetings such as AA and NA.
  • Using the community of others to understand that you are not alone.
  • Finding the higher power in all of us for behavior modification. This too is a proven method of staying off drugs and alcohol.
• Therapy and Psychology meetings with trained PHDs.
  • For many people it is the ability to release a troubled past and/or hidden issues. This too is a proven method for opening up and potentially confronting something that reinforced actions that masked reality and increased pleasure seeking behaviors. This too is a proven method of staying off drugs and alcohol.

These images show that in “One Year” the blood flow to the brain is increased and repair is underway. This means the rational you is back. Therefore, planning a program containing multiple, proven methods may insure a long term attempt at a better life.

Note: The improvements may sound easy, but it is hard work. We have to want our brain and all it has to offer, our personality, and our behavior back to what it was before alcohol or drugs. We want to return to what our lives were like before peer pressure or the traumatic experience that moved us down the path of a disease.

Please pass these blog posts to others in your network such as friends and family who struggle with substance abuse. Use any social media which will help spread the word.

Brian Masters

brianmasters919@gmail.com