As we all know, America’s opioid addiction problem has reached full-blown crisis mode. With hundreds of thousands of fatal overdoses each year, treatment centers are rushing to find ways to curb people’s dependencies. So much so, in fact, that new unproven methods have been brought in to help ween people off of their cravings.
Obviously, there is danger involved in marketing treatments that have yet to be embraced by the recovery community. But as many advocates are saying, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” ABC News recently covered this latest trend, highlighting a few of the new tactics certain facilities are starting to implement.
One treatment method called out in their article is NAD Therapy. This actually involves an IV infusion that can contain amino acids and nutritional supplements. A pricey procedure, some facilities charge as much as $15,000 over a period of two weeks (with insurance not kicking in to help). But it is earning acceptance from clinics across the country as a way to immediately stop painkiller cravings.
The problem is, a treatment like NAD Therapy does not have the support of the scientific community. It also supposedly conflicts with federal and state regulations.
Advocates, though, emphasize that NAD involves natural supplements that are non toxic. One facility that implements it, east coast-based Emerald Recovery, defended the use of the therapy.
“It’s not really controversial; it’s just novel or new,” Emerald medical director John Humiston explained on the site. “The cravings we expect to be gone within days.”
Other novel approaches, though, have been flagged as being much more dangerous. Kratom, for example, is a treatment we’ve discussed on our blogs before. Though touted as a “miracle cure” for opioid addiction, it has received harsh criticism from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with steep fines handed down on firms who dispense it.
Other newer treatments include brain scans (which have been linked to curbing alcohol cravings) and even hallucinogens, as a way to halt the need for painkillers. But those have been called into question as well, with harsh opinions on both sides of the argument.
And, truth be told, many of those alternative methods are not cheap. Patients usually shell out tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket in the desperate hope of getting clean.
We, for one, do believe that traditional treatment can be successful in beating opioid addictions. But we support progression in our field, as long as it abides by industry standards.
Depressed man with alcoholism problem sitting in dark rehab center
