I just got off the phone with a client that has found relief from an interesting array of symptoms that illustrates the breadth of conditions that amino acid therapy can assist with. Teresa came to us with a list of conditions she wanted to reduce or eliminate. She had picked and pulled at the skin on her arms to the point where they were scarred and scabbed while bleeding every day. She also described herself as a “cutter” that routinely thought about and occasionally acted up the urge to cut on her arms, wrists and hands with knives and other sharp objects.
In addition, she had “obsessive thoughts about food” and was recovering from bulimia. Once more, she had “intolerable cravings for sugar, carbs and Diet Coke” and could never seem to lose weight and keep it off. Teresa had been on Zoloft in the past but wasn’t currently taking any medication.
After a couple weeks on amino acid therapy, Teresa hadn’t noticed many changes so we modified her dosing. A couple weeks later (when I spoke with her today), there had been radical improvements.
Teresa reported that for the first time since she can remember she no longer had any sugar cravings; in fact, she said that she “didn’t even want any sugar or carbs” which has allowed her to dramatically decrease her sugar intake.
She also reported that she “almost never pick at my skin anymore” and that her “arms are starting to heal”. “If I find my hands going over to my arm, I can stop it!” In addition, she said that she “no longer had any thoughts about cutting anymore – the thoughts are totally gone!” She said that this was the first time since she was a teenager that she hadn’t thought of cutting.
Additionally, she reported that she was much more focused, especially at work, and found it easier to get things done during the day. Once more, she said her sleep had improved a great deal because she wasn’t as “wiggly” and felt much more relaxed.
She is still struggling with eliminating the cravings for Diet Coke, but feels much more in control. Likewise, she is still struggling with her dietary choices, although she said her “obsessive thoughts about food have decreased dramatically”.
Her therapist had asked her about these changes and if she needed to substitute something or some behavior in place of those she’d changed. Her reply was that she was “not having to put anything in its place.” This pleased both her and her therapist.
Obviously, we still have a ways to go to get Teresa to all of her goals, but she is off to a great start. Teresa’s case illustrates the far-reaching effects of properly administered amino acid therapy; as you know from reading this blog, many things, including the urge to pull and pick are related to imbalances in neurotransmitter levels. By providing the body the nutrients it needs to correct these imbalances we can not only eliminate the urge to pull, but improve all those conditions caused by neurotransmitter imbalance.
