An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
If you are about to go to a party where your drug of choice might be easily available, make sure that you have eaten protein ahead of time, so that your blood sugar is stable, and you have full access to your will-power and recovery skills. Never go hungry into a party or social gathering!
In a world where the journey towards sobriety is often challenging and deeply personal, understanding the pathways and strategies for achieving and maintaining sobriety is crucial. This series aims to provide insight, encouragement, and practical advice for those who are on the road to recovery, as well as for their loved ones and support networks. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Christina Veselak, MS, LMFT, CN.
Christina Veselak has been a licensed psychotherapist and certified nutritionist working in the addiction treatment field for over 30 years. She is passionate about bringing nutrition into the mental health and addiction treatment/recovery conversation because of brain nutrition’s power in reducing both cravings and relapse.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
When I was 16, I attended a small boarding school in Brighton, England. Most of the students had significant mental health and addiction issues and would often attend class under a variety of influences. My first roommate, daughter of a prominent British author, was a heavy drinker, along with a poly-drug user. After a few weeks of living with me, she decided to turn her life around and get serious about her studies. She asked me to help her. Full of co-dependent zeal and love, I poured myself into supporting her “recovery”. Imagine my shock and heartbreak when after a few months I came home after a weekend away to discover that she had moved out, leaving a note which informed me that she decided to move in with “real” friends. From that point on, I helplessly watched her diminish into a wraith of herself and stop attending classes. She died at the age of 30 from an overdose. Another student later jumped out of a 3rd story window on an LSD acid trip and died. It turned out that the headmaster of the school was actually the one dealing drugs to the students and was part of a drug smuggling ring! Because of police corruption, the matter was dropped, and the school and headmaster went on as if nothing had happened.
This was the first time in my life I was confronted by serious addiction, along with sheer evil. As an adult, therefore, working in the addiction field, I became passionately committed to finding solutions for the enormous relapse and overdose rate I and my colleagues were seeing in our collective clients.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
I was working as a relapse prevention counselor at an IV amino acid detox facility. A beautiful young woman, “Anne”, walked in, trailing her IV pole. She sat down and started to sob. Through her sobs she shared that she was convinced that she was wasting her time and money to try to get sober, AGAIN! Anne was sure she was one of those people “constitutionally incapable” of extended sobriety. This belief was confirmed a month earlier when she got drunk again after 3 whole months of sobriety — the longest she had ever achieved. My heart went out to her, and I asked for the story. She shared that she and her husband had attended a Wayne Dyer live seminar one evening. It was on recovery and was so inspirational that she recommitted to sobriety with every fiber of her being. But within 2 hours she was drunk! In her experience, the “craving came out of the blue” and was so strong she could not resist it. I explained to Anne that cravings never actually “come out of the blue”. There is ALWAYS an antecedent. So, I then asked her if she had had breakfast that day. Yes, she had enjoyed a three-egg omelet, etc. Lunch? The answer was a proud “NO!”. It turned out that she couldn’t ever be bothered with lunch or an afternoon snack. Dinner? Well, she usually ate dinner if she wasn’t drinking, but she was running late that night………This story was actually very exciting to me, as it illustrated my recurring experience as a relapse prevention specialist that missing one or more meals was a set-up for relapse for everyone because of what happens in the brain and body when our blood sugar drops too low or too fast. As I explained the biochemistry of this she began to cry again — but this time from joy and relief! She finally had a real explanation for her chronic relapse. She never used to eat! She simply couldn’t be bothered. Once that final piece fell into place, and she realized that what and when she ate actually mattered to her sobriety, she never drank again. This story made such a powerful impact on me, that 10 years later I founded a non-profit organization called Eating Protein Saves Lives, to get this message out to more people like Anne.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Curiosity and open-mindedness. I had been a licensed therapist for about 4 years, working in the addiction field, when I read a press release about a new outpatient treatment program successfully using amino acid therapy and other nutrients to support recovery journeys. I was so intrigued by this that I met the director and her nutritionist, and even made my own appointment with the nutritionist to see if she could figure out why I had been depressed, anxious and chronically ill my whole life. She indeed figured out a big chunk of it! I was so impressed by this that I started studying amino acid therapy myself and went to school to become a nutritionist like her.
- Courage and fortitude. When I first started speaking and teaching about the power of mental-health nutrition to support recovery, people working in conventional treatment programs thought I was nuts and didn’t hesitate to tell me so. They could not grasp how what we ate could have anything to do with how we felt or with our ability to stay abstinent or to fully engage in the recovery process. This flummoxed me because I thought it was common sense. Those were very lonely years. Now, however, those very same people tell me that they wish they had listened to me 15 years ago! And when I exhibit or speak at addiction conferences today, the reception is very enthusiastic and even grateful.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
I am in the process of writing a book. I’m thinking about calling it, “Eat, A Proven Guide to Supporting Radiant Recovery”. It will lay out 6 keys to supporting optimal brain function during recovery using nutrient dense food and other physical self-care behaviors. As a companion guide to our free, on-line, Feeding Recovery meetings, it can be used on its own, by treatment programs, or as a structured guide to the meetings, like how the Big Book of AA works.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. How would you advise individuals who are contemplating the journey to sobriety but might be hesitant or unsure about taking the first step? Are there key considerations or strategies that can make this initial phase more manageable?
First of all, congratulations! Making the decision to move towards abstinence and full recovery is a scary step and takes a lot of courage and determination. This is especially true if you are trying again, after a period of recurrent use. We have found that it really helps to understand that addiction itself has three underlying drivers. We call them the 3 legs of the stool. In a simplified form, these are:
- Biochemical imbalances of the brain and body, often caused by a “starving brain”. Most people in active addiction have not eaten nutrient-dense food for a very long time. It turns out that emotional well-being REQUIRES a well-fed brain. Science has been telling us for decades which nutrients the brain requires to restore itself and function optimally, but this information has been ignored by the mainstream mental health and addiction treatment industry and has never been part of the conversation.
- Psycho-social stressors such as unhealed trauma or PTSD, painful feelings of shame, guilt and worthlessness, and social isolation.
- Spiritual issues such as lack of meaning and purpose in life, loss of morals and values, and a loss of the ability to give and receive love.
Therefore, in a robust and successful recovery journey, all three of these legs need to be addressed at approximately the same time. However, traditional treatment does a great job with the psycho-social and spiritual legs of the stool, but typically ignores the first leg of the stool, other than simply offering medication as the only biochemical solution. I believe this is one of the primary reasons for the high relapse rate. It is something like trying to sit on a 3-legged stool with only 2 legs! Successful recovery requires a fully functioning brain. It is our “master control panel” and is what mediates all of our feelings and behaviors and allows us to learn and access our “recovery skills”.
We have found that it really helps to prepare for your “stop date” by spending a few weeks replenishing your brain’s nutrient stores by eating protein and other nutrient dense food every 4 waking hours, taking a good multi-vitamin and fish oil, and taking the right amino acids to start rebuilding the all-important mood-mediating neurotransmitters which get tremendously depleted by on-going substance use. This neurotransmitter depletion is what drives tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, Post-Acute Withdrawal, and then relapse! Beginning to restore brain nutrient levels before withdrawal even starts, can tremendously reduce the intensity and discomfort of withdrawal, and allow people to bounce back much more quickly. There is even research that shows that the common herb Ashwagandha, taken for a few months prior to quitting, can significantly reduce the intensity of opioid withdrawal!
A quick story — A colleague of mine, Mark, was hired by a family to engage their 50-year-old son,” Bob”, into recovery. However, Bob had been trying and failing for 17 years and had given up. My colleague asked him if there was one area of discomfort he was willing to accept help around and Bob replied that he wished he could get rid of his anxiety. So, my friend offered him a particular over-the-counter amino acid, which quickly and surprisingly removed ALL the anxiety in a very short period of time. After a week or so of using amino acids, Bob was feeling so much better that he was ready to try sobriety again. This time, he sailed through detox and treatment, bolstered by the amino acids and other key nutrients. For the first time ever, he found that even his sugar cravings had disappeared! Bob is now successfully rebuilding his life.
Sobriety often comes with its unique set of challenges. Can you share insights on how individuals can effectively navigate obstacles or triggers that may arise during their journey? Are there specific tools or support systems that you find particularly helpful in overcoming these challenges?
In early and sometimes later abstinence, many people suffer from cravings, brain fog, depression, anxiety and insomnia. This is often called PAW, or post-acute withdrawal and is a primary driver of relapse. It is typically treated with medication, and people are often told to go to more recovery meetings as a way of coping. The causes of it have often not been well understood. However, we have found that most of the time, it is simply caused by depleted neurotransmitters and low blood sugar. In other words, a STARVING BRAIN! It seems like missing a meal might be the primary relapse trigger for all addiction because of what happens in the brain and body when a meal is missed.
A student of mine recently called me in a panic one afternoon because her son was experiencing huge cravings, and he was ready to go out again. But he called his mom first for help! I had her ask him if he had eaten yet that day and he had not. Once he had eaten a protein meal, the craving completely disappeared. I hear the same story over and over again. He still needed another residential treatment program, but now he could actually pay attention, because his brain was well-fed and working so much better.
Many people have significantly decreased these PAW symptoms by using targeted amino acids to quickly restore neurotransmitter function, along with eating 20 grams of protein (with other whole food) every 4 waking hours! Amino acids are anti-addictive because they are rebuilding neurotransmitter systems rather than depleting them, and usually work within 20 MINUTES! Again, I can often turn off a craving within 20 minutes using the right amino acid. I use a particular assessment tool to help identify which amino acids and other nutrients might be most helpful. Different people have different needs and what might help me won’t necessarily help you. They are available from any vitamin store or on-line!
Maintaining sobriety is a long-term commitment. From your experience, what are the essential factors that contribute to the sustained success of individuals on this journey? Are there lifestyle adjustments or mindset shifts that prove crucial for the ongoing pursuit of sobriety?
This is where addressing ALL the legs of the stool is crucial. Once you have adequately supported your brain, it is then time to create a life worth living, step-by-step. Most people cannot and should not “go it alone”. It is said that the opposite of addiction is community. I believe that. Finding or building a supportive community can help you learn the necessary skills of a balanced life and can encourage you through the rough patches. Holding onto hope is crucial “Never, ever give up” is a motto that has gotten me personally through many dark times.
I have found that it is also very important to build in a lot of self-care practices. Learning to set boundaries is foundational. Creating a regular wake and sleep cycle helps the brain to heal itself and can reduce the exhaustion and chaos that will lead to relapse. As I mentioned before “when and what you eat” matters tremendously. Finding fun ways to move your body and engaging in moderate exercise has also been shown to reduce relapse. Many women find that PMS is a particularly high-risk time for emotional upset and relapse. Identifying your own “high-risk” situations and getting appropriate support can be life-saving. “Joan” went through menopause at the age of 543. Within the next two years, her drinking and shoplifting behaviors went off the charts and she was about to be put in prison for frequent arrests. I referred Joan to a nurse practitioner who specialized in female hormonal issues and addiction. Joan had very low vitamin D levels, was hypothyroid and her female hormones were all very low. After eating protein every 4 hours, going on supportive amino acids to balance her neurotransmitters, raising her vitamin D, and going on medication for her thyroid and hormones, her behavior completely stabilized. The nurse and I wrote letters to the courts and she was let off with only community service.
Finally, many people struggling with addiction, as well as those of us from addictive families are sitting on a lot of unhealed traumas and may have trouble with emotion regulation. Sometimes these traumas are big and can be quickly identified. However, sometimes just living day in and day out in a painful family can leave its own scars which can easily derail recovery. Traditional talk therapy does not tend to be very helpful in healing these old and new wounds. After your life has stabilized, I recommend finding a well-trained trauma therapist who uses EMDR or brain-spotting, somatic psychotherapy and some sort of “inner-child” work to bring healing on a deeper level. You won’t regret it!
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Begin, Navigate, & Sustain Sobriety”?
1 . If you are female, make sure you are tracking your mood changes and cravings across your monthly cycle. Get extra support as needed. We have found that pre-menstrual women usually need to be eating protein every 3 hours, and often need extra serotonin and GABA support by taking 5htp and/or GABA when PMS hits. . “Mary” was a 34-year-old woman who went to 3 AA meetings a day, by BUS! But she still got drunk very regularly. When we tracked it on a calendar, it turned out that she would get drunk the night before her bleeding started, and only then, every single month! Bringing in the right monthly support allowed Mary to finally achieve lasting sobriety.
2 . If you are about to go to a party where your drug of choice might be easily available, make sure that you have eaten protein ahead of time, so that your blood sugar is stable, and you have full access to your will-power and recovery skills. Never go hungry into a party or social gathering!
3 . Many people use alcohol or cannabis to reduce intense social anxiety. With sobriety, this social anxiety can be crippling, or can trigger relapse. Not everyone wants to go on medication. Keeping blood sugar stable and using the amino acids 5HTP (if not on an SSRI or MAOI), theanine or low dose GABA can allow people to socialize and even have sex sober! Over-the-counter amino acids support neurotransmitter function, work within 20 minutes and are anti-addictive. Joe found that this combination allowed him to attend family functions without anxiety for the first time in years. He was delighted to find that he actually had fun!
4 . Many people switch addiction to sugar in early recovery because it seems to temporarily help with cravings, depression and anxiety. AND, it is ubiquitous! I went to an AA meeting at a treatment program where there was a huge bowl overflowing with candy on the coffee table. By the end of the meeting, the bowl was empty! Unfortunately, sugar addiction also creates mood and energy swings, and cravings for other substances. By setting us up for diabetes, obesity and even cancer, it can also be life-threatening. Many people with long-term recovery bewail their sugar addiction and find themselves powerless over it. Using the strategies I have already mentioned, along with the amino acid L-glutamine, can prevent sugar craving at the beginning, and help you to overcome it later on.
5 . Trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep can be a huge problem for people in recovery. It can also lead to relapse. Several nutritional strategies can help with this as insomnia can have at least four different biochemical causes. While some people do better not eating near bedtime, many people in early recovery have very unstable blood sugar. Low blood sugar, with its attendant rise in adrenaline can keep us from going to sleep or can wake us up abruptly in the middle or the night and keep us from going back to sleep. Eating protein with a complex carb such as nuts, fruit, whole grains or vegetables before bed, or when you wake up, can often induce deep sleep within 10 minutes. Over time, this may no longer be necessary. Depleted GABA or Serotonin/Melatonin can also interfere with sleep. These have different symptoms, so it can be useful to find an over-the-counter sleep aid with several different amino acids and herbs in it, to cover all the bases, or find a trained recovery nutrition coach to help.
Community support plays a vital role in the journey to sobriety. How can individuals find and engage with supportive communities or resources that align with their specific needs and goals? Are there online platforms, local groups, or initiatives that you recommend for fostering a sense of connection and understanding during this process?
My non-profit organization, Eating Protein Saves Lives is building an online community called Feeding Recovery Network. We would love to have anyone who wants support around life-style and dietary change to join us. Our motto is “Eat Protein! Ignite Willpower! Live Victoriously!
Both Brooke Scheller and Susan and Dave Kenney have online recovery communities that include biochemical support and lifestyle change.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
My two websites are www.aminoacidtherapy .com and www.eatingproteinsaveslives.org. The Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition also has a YouTube Channel.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.
Christina Veselak On How to Begin, Navigate, & Sustain Sobriety was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.