While addiction is a tricky subject, even if you haven’t yet slain the addictive impulse, you can start the process by feeding the body the nutrients it needs. There are schools of thought out there that attribute addiction to malnourishment; while it’s crucial to speak to your doctor to figure out what works for you and your body, you may find that supplementing with these herbs can help lessen the sting of withdrawal. Try taking this herb as a tincture, noting that you will probably have to take it for six weeks or so before noticing results. For those who’d rather avoid the alcohol in a tincture, look for this in glycerite form, or place your dosage of tincture in recently boiled water. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving the medicine behind. Try adding dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) to your daily diet—you can use the leaves or the roots, fresh or dried, capsule or tincture. This herb is relatively safe (although use with caution if you suffer from gallstones—consult your physician first) and can help replace nutrients (like potassium) that may be lost during eating disorders. The cooling and drying tendencies of dandelion can also help to relieve spleen swelling and congestion. Bonus: Dandelion is great for the liver and kidneys as well. Try taking milk thistle as an alcohol or glycerite extract. Note: This herb may cause mild diarrhea as it stimulates the flow of bile, especially if you eat a high fat diet. This is no cause for alarm, however; simply back off from the herb a bit until bowels normalize and then you can increase the dose slowly over time. Finally, the root is also a nutritive, loaded with minerals which are often flushed from the body when the kidneys aren’t working as well as they should. If you can find burdock root in the produce section of your local natural food store, feel free to add it liberally to stir-fries and soups. Otherwise, you can take it in capsule or extract form. It’s important for the body and mind to heal in order to fully recover from addiction. If you find yourself suffering from tension and stress as your body heals, you can try adding chamomile, holy basil, lemon balm, and valerian to your daily herbal protocol. Yoga and meditation are also great for maintaining balance between the mind and body. However, as mentioned, it’s always best to consult your primary care doctor before attempting anything new—and as always, find what’s best for your own body.
