ADDICTIONS AND  SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER

THE TREATMENT OF ADDICTIONS TO NARCOTICS, ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES WITH ACUPUNCTURE HAS A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL HISTORY.  DR. MICHAEL SMITH, MD TREATING ADDICTS IN NEW YORK CITY DEVELOPED A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE METHOD TO USE EAR ACUPUNCTURE TO HELP TREAT PATIENTS ADDICTED TO HEROIN AND OTHER NARCOTICS.      DR. SMITH' S TREATMENT MODEL INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT BUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PROFOUND PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS OF ADDICTION.  DR. SMITH WORKED WITH A TEAM OF INTELLIGENT AND CARING PROFESSIONALS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS FULL PROGRAM.  PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT IS A KEY TO THE SUCCESS. THIS HAS BEEN  ADOPTED BY OTHER TREATMENT LOCATIONS . THE NADA PROTOCOL HAS BEEN USED TO TREAT ALCOHOL ADDICTION, SEDATIVE ABUSE AS WELL.  THIS WORK CONTINUES UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NATIONAL ACUPUNCTURE DETOXIFICATION ASSOCIATION.  

• BOTH DR. KOHLER AND CATHERINE DUGGAN, L. AC. HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND CERTIFIED BY NADA TO PERFORM THIS PROTOCOL.  
• INSERTION OF THE NEEDLES OF THE NADA PROTOCOL INTO THE EAR PROMOTES  A VERY PROFOUND SENSE OF RELAXATION.  THESE QUALITIES OF THE ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT HELP DECREASE CRAVINGS, INTENSE ANXIETY  AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF WITHDRAWAL FROM THE ADDICTING SUBSTANCE.  USING THE NADA PROTOCOL HELPS PATIENTS STOP USING THE ADDICTING SUBSTANCE INITIALLY AND ALSO HELPS KEEP THE PERSON FROM USING THE SUBSTANCE AGAIN AFTER BEING OFF FOR A TIME.  IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH TREATMENT OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.  
• SINCE SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS A COMPLEX DISORDER THAT USUALLY PROFOUNDLY EFFECTS ALL ASPECTS OF A PERSON'S LIFE, THE ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT IS ONLY A PART OF COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT PROGRAM THAT SHOULD CONTINUE FOR MONTHS TO YEARS.
• IN OUR PRACTICE OF TREATING PATIENTS WHO HAVE SEVERE CHRONIC PAIN THE NADA PROTOCOL HAS BEEN USED TO HELP PATIENTS REDUCE THEIR DOSE OR STOP TAKING LARGE DOSES OF NARCOTIC PAIN MEDICATION.  THE OTHER ACUPUNCTURE STRATEGIES ARE DIRECTED TO TREATING THE CHRONIC PAIN WHICH WAS THE INITIAL REASON THE PATIENT WAS PRESCRIBED THE OPIOIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE.  
• ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF ADDICTIONS IS THAT THE TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE AS OFTEN AS THE PATIENT NEEDS TO BE TREATED.  THE PATIENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME IN FOR TREATMENT AS SOON AS THE STRONG TEMPTATION TO USE THE SUBSTANCE AGAIN IS PRESENT.