We’ll be meeting every 3rd Thursday of the month from 7 - 9 PM at Real Caring Integrative Therapy, 535 East 4500 South #D280. Question? Call me at 801-853-8744 ext. 109.  Or better yet, email me david@realcaring.org.    RSVP as soon as possible, space is limited. 

Some of the ugliest parts of substance addiction and recovery may be due to a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids. I’m talking about aggressive behavior, depression, suicidal ideation, memory problems, and impulsivity. Captain Joseph Hibbeln, MD, Acting Chief of the Section on Nutritional Neurosciences at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland has dedicated his career to spreading the word about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for helping people live healthier lives.

Omega-3’s in Addiction/Recovery

It is common for addicts to become malnourished as a result of their continued addiction and lack of self-care, which has a detrimental affect on their mood and behaviors. It is hypothesized that this state may catalyze and perpetuate their addictions. Researchers at University of Pittsburgh found that generational deficits of omega-3 within families can produce more mental health problems in children/teenagers, making them more susceptible to addiction. Second-generation rats with omega-3 deficiencies showed higher rates of anxiety and hyperactivity, learned at a slower rate, and had impaired problem-solving skills (Bondi et al., 2013), meaning that some adolescents may be pre-disposed to addiction because of their omega-3 deficiency.

Addiction is often referred to as a means of self-harm, or “slow suicide.” Research on suicide prevention has indicated that low omega-3 levels are associated with higher rates of self-harm, depression, and impulsivity (Garland et al., 2007). Others also found that low concentrations of DHA are linked with 62 % higher suicide risk (Xie & Innis, 2009). Dr. Hibbeln notes that low levels of omega-3s deplete the amount of dopamine that is available in the brain. Dopamine is involved in all things pleasurable, including getting high. When dopamine is low, it can “cause addicts to seek more and more drugs to get high, worsening their addiction,” says Hibbeln.