addiction, alcoholism, drugs abuse, recovery, chinese medicine, acupuncture

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Awareness Month, observed every year by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). According to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration):

• 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in the past year.
• 10.2% of Americans 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder in the past year.
• About 27.2 million Americans 12 or older (9.7%) reported battling a drug use disorder in the past year.
• That same year, 7.5 million (2.7%) of Americans 12 and older struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders simultaneously.
• 20.4 million American adults (7.9%) suffered from both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders in the past year.

These numbers are staggering. Addictions are caused by any number of reasons, including genetics and environmental factors (home environment, community influences, for example). Teenagers and those with mental health issues are at a higher risk than the rest of the population, so they are especially vulnerable.

This means that both internal and external forces are at play. In Chinese medicine, the view of this disease is the same: there are pre-existing(perhaps even inherited) imbalances or tendencies that might create a vulnerability within the person. If the environment provides easy access and/or encouragement of drug and alcohol use, the likelihood of habituation increases. An addict might feel physical or psychological relief when they indulge initially, but with each toxic intake their affliction worsens, sometimes with irreparable damage. Deep imbalances are much more difficult to treat, especially when they are compounded by these continual insults.

Chinese medicine doesn’t distinguish between emotional and physical health- they are two sides of the same coin. If a person overindulges in drugs or alcohol due to an emotional issue (for example, numbing the pain of PTSD, or untreated mental illness), that emotional issue must be addressed for ultimate recovery. Physical dependence leads to unhealthy emotional states. So, as the disease progresses, both the physical and psychological/emotional symptoms snowball and become more pronounced.

While acupuncture alone cannot- and should not- address the magnitude of drug or alcohol abuse, it is an extremely effective tool. Professional treatment with counseling, rehabilitative services and/or 12 step programs (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous) provide communal support in a structured way that encourages complete, enduring recovery with positive outcomes. Acupuncture therapy targets the underlying imbalances and calms the patient, curbing withdrawal side effects and cravings. Addiction related syndromes range from mild to severe and often require long term treatment. Recovering patients might be diagnosed with syndromes like liver fire, phlegm disturbance, yin deficiency, etc., all depending on their constitution, their drug of choice, and the length of time they have abused. In addition to body acupuncture points, I always use ear acupuncture with patients in recovery. A five-point ear protocol developed at New York’s Lincoln Hospital specifically for drug abuse has proven very effective in curbing cravings and withdrawal for these folks. My patients in recovery report feeling more grounded, centered, and confident in their ability to fight the disease and stay sober. I am very proud of them and the work we do together.

It is never too late to take control of your health and your life. If you or someone you love suffers from alcohol or drug addiction, the following resources may be of help:

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/treatment-alcohol-problems-finding-and-getting-help

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

https://www.aa.org/

https://nycna.org/_site/find-a-meeting/

https://nationalrehabhotline.org/new-york/

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