H.A.L.T. Acronym

"H.A.L.T.": This acronym stands for "Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired", and is used as an admonition to persons new to recovery: Don't get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. Let's examine the first one, Hungry: Eating poorly, of course, is often a part of active addiction. Proper nutrition will help a person physically and mentally in terms of aiding healing of a damaged body and brain chemistry. As a practical matter, not eating properly can result in low blood sugar which can produce symptoms such as cloudy thinking, feelings that may seem similar to cravings or even withdrawal, or just a general discomfort. Because addicts and alcoholics tend not to deal well with negative states such as these, getting too hungry might just trigger a decison to use.