Acupuncture for Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction is A Real Problem

Acupuncture for drug addiction is one of the most effective treatment strategies for recovery and rehabilitation clinic. There are so many reasons why people become addicted to drugs. You might know someone who is addicted to drugs or you might be going through the problem yourself and wondering how you ended up this way.

Acupuncture for Drug AddictionMost people do not start taking drugs under the assumption they are going to get addicted. It may take one or two episodes of drug consumption and a person is hooked. Drugs change the chemical processes in your brain affecting the neurotransmitters.

Sometimes drug use can begin with peer pressure or alleviating emotional or physical pain. Persons who abuse drugs compromise their health and wellbeing. They start to develop abrupt changes in their behavior. This may involve lack of involvement in social activities, lack of productivity in school or work, and changes in overall attitude. There are usually fluctuations in a person’s body weight when they abuse drugs.

It makes you wonder why some individual would go through all these changes which not only affect them, but also the people around them.

The Causes of Drug Addiction

Most people who abuse drugs look to the drug as a form of comfort. The drug might help them deal with issues of trauma, stress or physical pain. They might be getting temporary relief of the loneliness, depression, or stress

Drug abuse can occur in many facets. Some Athletes develop an addiction to performance enhancing drugs.

People who have experienced physical or sexual abuse especially in childhood use drugs to escape from the trauma the emotional pain will trigger.

Drugs can temporarily drain out the sorrows for some people dealing with difficulties in their marriage, domestic and emotional abuse.

To keep the feeling that drugs help to experience a pleasure, relaxation, and seduction, a person must continue taking them over and over and sometimes in higher dosages to get the same effect. Sometimes that is how people get addicted to prescription drugs by taking drugs in higher than prescribed dosages for greater relief.

Many people look for an escape from the everyday stress in their lives, whether work related issues, bullying in school, work overload, financial problems or depression. Drugs for some people are the easy way out.

Drug addiction can be one of the most difficult experiences a person can go through. Whether quitting cocaine, narcotics, cigarettes, alcohol, or foods, it can be a dark period filled with emotional and physical pain that makes it hard to see the light beaming from the end of the tunnel. Often people keep their addictions quiet to begin with and thus, go through the withdrawal process alone and unsupported. They may erroneously believe that the strength of their intention alone is the determinant of success.

Undoubtedly, in the initial stages of letting go of the addiction, will power is important. However, to ensure success one should also have the support of alternative healthcare professionals.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Therapy for Drug Addiction

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners and acupuncturists have much to offer here. They can be a part of their client’s support team by providing Acupuncture for drug addiction and Chinese herbs to ameliorate the physical symptoms of withdraw, as well as offering suggestions and strategies to help avoid a relapse. To round out the healthcare team, the client should consider having access to a good counselor and a support group of people who have struggled with the same addiction. Because those in support groups have had similar experiences, they can provide emotional, mental, and spiritual support in a way that friends and families may not be able to do.

So what are some of the treatments of addictions? There are several different treatments such as group therapy, individual counseling, and twelve step programs. All of those traditional treatments have been shown to be effective in the rehab clinic. However, one such problem that we face is the possibility of relapses and continuing to have those cravings. That is where implementing of Acupuncture for drug addiction and Chinese herbal medicines within the current treatments has been shown to be effective.

Acupuncture Treatment for Drug Addiction

Acupuncture for drug addiction and Chinese medicine is a complete medical system that diagnoses and treats disease. It has been utilized for over 3,000 years. Acupuncture during the years has been shown to be also effective for addictions. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that Acupuncture for drug addiction became more public here in the United States. During that time there was a clinic in Lincoln, New York that utilized auricular acupuncture for the treatment of alcohol and drug addictions. The clinic demonstrated great results. Since then there have been programs such as drug courts and treatment centers around the United States that have implemented acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for the treatment of addictions.

How Does Acupuncture for Drug Addiction Works?

Acupuncture for drug addiction has been shown to treat and cure this condition. Clinical trials are taking place to determine how effective it is. There are four major dopaminergic tracts in the brain. The reinforcing effects of drugs have been linked to central dopamine activity in the mesolimbic dopaminergic tract which runs from the ventral tegmental area to many components of the limbic system. Dopamine is a catecholamine transmitter in the Central Nervous System (CNS), which plays a major role in reward-motivated behavior. Previous studies including a study in Lancet showed that suppressed the clinical features of drug withdrawal. The mechanisms by which acupuncture works in a Western Medical context are still poorly understood. Additional research using animal models is helping to do this. Long term exposure to drugs abuse produces a withdrawal state. This process is characterized by the increases in brain reward thresholds. The acute administration of the drug produces opposite effects. The difference in the short term and long term effects of the drug may be a causal factor in the intense drug craving experienced by addicts. Research has shown that acupuncture directly or indirectly affects the mesolimbic dopamine system. This suggests that acupuncture helps to maintain the balance between excitatory and inhibitory processes involved in drug addiction. The results also suggest that the regulation of neurotransmitters in the CNS may be one of the therapeutic modes of action of acupuncture. Further studies are required to demonstrate if acupuncture affects any of the other neurotransmitters that regulate dopamine release.

Acupuncture Therapy for Drug Addiction

Acupuncture for drug addiction is able to help with any type of physical and mental dependency, but it is mostly used for nicotine, alcohol, and drug addictions. Acupuncture for drug addiction is able to change the physiology of your body to enable your body’s self-healing capabilities.

Philadelphia Addiction Center – the division of well-known Philadelphia Holistic Clinic “Viva Healthy Life” delivers Acupuncture for drug addiction technique with the success rate of more than 85°/o. Led by the Internationally recognized medical doctor, acupuncturist, and hypnotherapist Victor Tsan, the team of associate delivers most advanced techniques of classical acupuncture, electro­-acupuncture, ear acupuncture, laser acupuncture, moxa, and acupoint massage.