Treating Substance Abuse Holistically. The benefits of treating substance abuse holistically are endless and more promising than treating substance abuse with prescription drugs. Although science has proven that prescription drugs can be very effective for patients suffering from certain diseases – for instance, Adderall and other amphetamines can help people suffering from ADHD – if a patient has the disease of addiction, these prescription drugs become potential relapse substances.
In individuals who have the disease of addiction, prescription drugs stimulate the part of the brain that regulates addiction and addictive behavior because the dopamine deregulation in the limbic system of the brain is not able to tell the difference between addictive drugs.
In one example, Where Addiction Meets Your Brain author Joseph Troncale, M.D. points to a patient who relapsed on alcohol after being given opiate pain medication for a back condition. Although there may be a correlation, there is no hard data to prove a causal relationship between the two. Therefore, the idea of “a prescribed medication leading to relapse” is very controversial, and the topic of much debate when discussing treating substance abuse.
The Sanctuary at Sedona takes a more holistic approach to treating addiction. Each client has an individualized program that addresses his or her specific needs. The dedicated staff uses a combination of allopathic, naturopathic, functional medicine, psychology, psychiatry, integrative bodywork, counseling, energy medicine, yoga, nutrition, Chinese medicine, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, soul healing, and spirituality to succeed in treating substance abuse holistically and help clients recovery fully.
To learn more about the dangers of treating substance abuse with prescription drugs, read about cross-addiction on Psychology Today.
If you would like more information, about Holistic Addiction Recovery or any of our holistic non 12 step addiction recovery programs you can contact us by phone at (877) 710-3385, or by email at [email protected]
He is the Founder, Administrator, Counselor at the Sanctuary at Sedona. He has a BA in Political Science and is currently Senior teaching staff at Four Winds Society, an international school of energy medicine. His credentials also include being an Ordained Minister; a Certified Shamanic Breathwork® Facilitator; a Founding Member Society for Shamanic Practitioners; a Member of Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology; a Member of the National Institute for Holistic Addiction Studies. [email protected]