Blood Chemistry Analysis

While we don’t accept the concept that addiction is a disease, we do know that your body chemistry can contribute to your addiction. Therefore, one of the first things we do during your stay at Passages Malibu is to conduct a comprehensive blood analysis.


A complete metabolic panel evaluating the liver, kidneys, metabolism, thyroid, complete blood count and lipid panel will be obtained shortly after your arrival at Passages.  Many abnormalities can be detected through these tests such as liver dysfunction, high cholesterol levels and other blood aberrations such as anemias, low thyroid, and hormonal imbalances.


In addition, an in-depth evaluation of each client’s metabolic function is obtained, often  revealing potential nutritional deficiencies. Some common examples are low B vitamin levels (which lead to increased anxiety) and low magnesium levels (which can result in hypertension and other metabolic dysfunction). These tests also look for toxicity levels from the lack of certain antioxidants or the accumulation of heavy metals. Abnormalities are often found in the gastrointestinal function such as malabsorption and bacterial or yeast overgrowth with super-infections.


We also provide a complete analysis of brain neurotransmission, which sheds light on behavior and relapse patterns. For example, high flight or fight neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and epinephrine, which increase anxiety and nervousness and can cause people to use drugs, can be mitigated by giving methylation support in the forms of vitamins and nutrients recommended by our medical staff.
 

At Passages, clients are treated with supplements to correct the imbalances that can be fueling their abuse of drugs and alcohol. Afterwards, they report feeling balance in their bodies again and often express that the cravings for drugs and alcohol diminish considerably. As far as we know, Passages is the only treatment center that offers this complex blood panel and comprehensive supplement plan to correct the deficiencies that are causing our clients to use drugs and alcohol.