As an addiction naturopath in London, I work with patients who are already under the care of a mental health professional for addiction, disordered eating or compulsive behaviours. This isn’t a formality, it’s how this kind of support works, alongside psychiatric or psychological care.
Shame tends to do more damage here than the behaviour itself, the secrecy, the self-loathing after a lapse, the fear of how people would see you if they knew the whole picture. Relationships often strain under the weight of it, sometimes long before anyone else even realises something is wrong. You don’t have to have this figured out, or feel ready, before reaching out.
If you’re caught in a cycle of cravings, compulsive behaviour, or a difficult relationship with food, and it’s affecting your relationships, your finances, your work or your physical health, support that addresses the physiology underneath the pattern can make an existing recovery plan considerably more sustainable.
What the evidence actually points to
Nutrient depletion is a real, sometimes serious, part of the picture
Alcohol use disorder causes thiamine (B1) deficiency, which left unaddressed can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a serious and preventable neurological condition. Thiamine replacement is standard practice in alcohol withdrawal settings for exactly this reason. Disordered eating carries its own well documented pattern of deficiencies, depending on the specific behaviours involved, that affect energy, mood and physical recovery.
The NADA protocol has a genuine evidence base for cravings
The NADA protocol, a standardised five-point auricular acupuncture technique, is recognised by the World Health Organization and used across addiction treatment settings specifically to reduce cravings and anxiety. It’s a legitimate, well-established adjunct, used alongside psychiatric and psychological treatment, not instead of it.
Where I see people get this wrong
The most important one: presenting naturopathic or nutritional support as an alternative to psychiatric or psychological treatment rather than an adjunct to it. Addiction, disordered eating and compulsive behaviours need proper mental health care at the centre, physiological support works alongside that.
The second is treating cravings and compulsive patterns purely as a willpower problem, without addressing the nutrient depletion, blood sugar instability and withdrawal physiology that make those cravings genuinely harder to resist.
The third is assuming anything natural or herbal is automatically safe to combine with recovery, without checking. Some supplements and herbs genuinely interact with medications used in recovery, and with withdrawal physiology itself, which is exactly why this should be reviewed by someone checking for interactions, not self-directed.
How I work with addiction, disordered eating and compulsive behaviours
Working alongside your existing mental health care, I build a personalised plan that may include NADA protocol ear acupuncture to reduce cravings and support relaxation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy to support the body’s healing capacity, and a tailored nutritional plan addressing the specific depletions your pattern or withdrawal history has caused. I may also recommend herbal support for withdrawal symptoms, red light therapy, and frequency specific microcurrent for physical discomfort.
If you’re in crisis or at immediate risk, please contact emergency services on 999, or the Samaritans on 116 123, rather than waiting for a consultation.
If this sounds like where you are, apply for a 15 minute consultation, in person or online, and let’s work out the best way forward, alongside your existing care.
