Introduction
Many types of alternative therapies have historically helped persons who suffer with substance addiction. Generally, these therapies are not scientifically proven, but anecdotal evidence and some scientifically based studies show they can ease cravings and the side effects of withdrawal. Alternative therapies work in different ways with different types of people and with different kinds of addictions. Alternative therapies usually can be safely used as part of a comprehensive addiction relief program.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is part of the whole-body treatment program of traditional Chinese medicine. It treats addiction and addictive tendencies as an imbalance of qi, the body’s life energy. By correcting the imbalance of qi, the body can use its natural energy to ease withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, depression, nausea, sweating, and insomnia. With qi restored, the body may even be able to achieve the balance it needs to overcome an addiction.
Some studies using acupuncture for different types of addiction have shown success rates as high as 50 percent. It is thought that acupuncture increases the amount of endorphins in the body, thus easing the cravings that accompany addiction and even removing the need for the addictive substance.
Auriculotherapy, which is a form of acupuncture that uses points on the ears to treat the entire body, is usually the type of therapy used for addiction treatment. Five points on the ear are stimulated, and if a person does not need treatment daily, small pellets may be taped over the acupressure points. The patient is given instructions on how to press on the points to stimulate them frequently to help deal with addictive desires.
Acupuncture is a long-term treatment, often spanning several months, and it is usually used with other therapies, such as counseling. One study showed that in people with severe alcohol addiction, those who received a placebo acupuncture treatment had twice the number of relapses than those who received true acupuncture treatment. Studies with acupuncture therapy also have shown success with nicotine addiction and cocaine addiction. In one hospital where acupuncture was used with methadone treatment for heroin addicts, acupuncture treatment alone was so well received that the methadone portion of the treatment was discontinued. Acupuncture also can be helpful with other addictions, such as overeating.
Homeopathy
Homeopathic remedies have been used historically to combat cravings and desires, to minimize general addictive tendencies, and to counteract the negative side effects of substance abuse. Homeopathy is a whole-body type of treatment. Before recommending a remedy, practitioners consider the substance to which a patient is addicted, whether the patient has addictive tendencies, the patient’s symptoms, and the patient’s personality traits.
For example, a person who has an addiction to opium, morphine, or alcohol and who also has insomnia may be helped by a remedy involving Avena sativa (oat), while someone with an alcohol addiction who is anxious and irritable may fare better with carboneum sulphuratum. Another time-honored homeopathic remedy for addiction is white bryony, which is used for eating addiction accompanied by insecurity.
Homeopathy is considered by some to be a pseudoscience, but some studies show that it is at least as successful as a placebo, and with some types of addiction it is more successful than a placebo. Homeopathy is assumed to be generally harmless and, thus, may be recommended as an alternative therapy.
Meditation
Meditation practices, including yoga and qigong, attempt to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms. These practices can reduce anxiety, improve concentration, ease depression, and promote a sense of calmness and peace that may help an addict regain a sense of control. These practices encourage a deep interior and exterior self-awareness that may help a person face difficulties and challenges, both in dealing with addiction and withdrawal and in dealing with life challenges. A religious or spiritual component may be involved with meditation, so this type of therapy may appeal to certain persons and not to others. Meditation is often used with traditional or other alternative therapies to boost success in overcoming addictions.
A common type of meditation used in addiction treatment is Vipassana meditation, which attempts to help a person avoid the blame that may accompany thoughts about an addictive substance and to rather accept the reality of the thought or thoughts. One is taught that when an addictive thought or craving arises, one should observe and accept the thought but not act upon it and then refocus energy and attention more positively. Meditation helps with self-esteem and provides positive affirmations to improve confidence, both of which can help a person overcome addictive tendencies.
Other Alternative Therapies
Nutritional therapy . Persons with addictions are often malnourished and suffer damage to major body organs, such as the liver. Nutritional therapy—adding dietary supplements such as vitamins and minerals to the body—attempts to overcome or correct some of these deficiencies and to aid in detoxifying the body. Supplements that have shown nutritional promise are zinc, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and the B vitamins, particularly thiamine. Some persons believe that nutritional therapy can restore balance to the brain, and that this balance eliminates the need for an addictive substance.
Herbal medicine . Herbal medicine is another type of therapy that may help ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. Some helpful herbs for addiction are catnip, chamomile, peppermint, skullcap, and St. John’s wort. These herbs are thought to work with the nervous system to provide relief. They may also calm the brain and help with any depressive tendencies. Herbs must be used carefully, as many can have serious side effects.
Hypnotherapy
. Hypnotherapy is a controversial alternative therapy for addiction, with many people claiming good results while others dismissing this type of therapy as a sham. It seems that the best results are obtained with less serious addictions, such as nicotine and behavioral addictions. It also seems that results depend heavily on the type of person with the addiction. Persons who are receptive to hypnotic suggestion and who believe that the therapy works generally have the most success.
Hypnotherapists attempt to find the root of the addiction in “buried” thoughts and actions. By confronting the thoughts and behaviors that cause the addiction, one can, theoretically, recover from it. Hypnotherapists use post-hypnotic suggestion to help persons with addiction avoid addictive substances, overcome the need for the substance, and ease cravings.
Other types of alternative therapies thought to help with addiction-related cravings and to possibly address some of the underlying issues that led to the addiction include relaxation (breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and creative visualization), biofeedback training, massage, and chiropractic treatment.
Bibliography
Hoffman, Jeffrey A. Living in Balance: 90 Meditations for Recovery from Addiction. Center City: Hazelden, 2011. Print.
Marohn, Stephanie. The Natural Medicine Guide to Addiction. Charlottesville: Hampton Roads, 2004. Print.
O’Connell, David F., and Charles N. Alexander. Self-Recovery: Treating Addictions Using Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Ayur-Veda. New York: Routledge, 1995. Print.
Tian, X., and S. Krishnan. “Efficacy of Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment: A Pilot Study.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 12.1 (2006): 66–69. Print.
Wager, Kim, and Sue Cox. Auricular Acupuncture and Addiction: Mechanisms, Methodology, and Practice. New York: Churchill, 2009. Print.
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