What is Acu-Detox
What is Acupuncture Detox ?
A modality that assists recovery in many ways.
BIOCHEMICAL
Assists endorphin production for capacity to cope with stress/craving. Assists body's natural detoxification and chemical production to relieve withdrawal, craving, and other post-acute withdrawal symptoms.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Acts as a balancing component of an overall treatment program.
* Physical and mental issues addressed, no longer just psychosocial
Strategies.
* Clients internal resources are strengthened for enhanced sense of
vitality and well being.
* Help the individual strengthen their acceptance of the potential to stay
clean.
* Client can experience internal relief from craving without external
factors.
SOCIAL
Lets the client engage in treatment in a non-threatening way with few
verbal commands.
* Important in early treatment when client may not be receptive to
interventions.
* Client participates meaningfully in a peer support group from the
beginning.
* While acupuncture detoxification creates vitality and strength, peer
support allows nurturing.
* Anxious/suspicious clients sits quietly, safely and benefits in a group
setting.
SUPPORTS THE COUNSELLING PROCESS.
* Staff cast in friendly vs. adversarial role without compromising
program.
* Produces cheerful and co-operative atmosphere reduces violence
and conflict.
* Client is calmer and more focused for participation in the
counselling process.
* Easy re-entry for relapses.
ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE FOR CLIENTS WHO:
* May not be receptive initially to verbal counselling due to use,
withdrawal or other factors.
* Are in denial and need to become more accepting of the need to be
drug/alcohol free.
* Are in emotional distress, anxiety, depression, acute or post-acute
withdrawal.
* Need a simple non-threatening yet structured opportunity to begin
coping with chemical issues before engaging in a more formal
treatment program.
SUPPORTS ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS
* Ordinary legal/security measures not needed for this safe procedure.
* Rapid, inexpensive and does not require medical setting.
* Very cost effective.
* Fits well into existing treatment facilities, only needs a convenient
space.
* Barrier free, including language. No waiting lists and possible client
loss. 'On demand'.
* Extensive history often not needed, saving time, paper and effort.
* Confrontation or corroboration of information often not needed to
begin with.
Clinical Effects of Acupuncture in Addiction
Patients Report :
* Relaxation provides relief from physical and psycho-emotional
suffering which undercuts the primary motivation to take
psychoactive substances.
* If the treatment process can provide a pleasant form of relaxation,
this supports the client's ability to develop trust in the treatment
process and the therapist.
* The process is non-verbal and caring which undercuts strong
verbal barriers to entering and remaining in treatment.
* Clients experience directly that they have the capacity inside
their bodies to feel good without taking drugs or alcohol, and
develop trust in their body's capacity to feel good and to heal.
* Transference improves and is healthy.
STRESS REDUCTION.
Substance miss-uses often have chaotic and stressful lives and they have considerable tension and defensiveness created by the problems they face in their lives. This reduces their ability to take advantage of therapy. Their stresses will often overwhelm them causing them to drop out of treatment.
REDUCED CRAVINGS.
* This is not substance specific.
* This effect is not tied to the resolution of personal problems.
* Craving substantially reduces a clients ability to take part in a
program and will frequently result in drop out and relapse.
REDUCTION OF WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS.
* Effect is not substance specific.
* Symptoms surveys show 90% relief of withdrawal symptoms.
* Clients with larger habits will usually require 48-72 hours to find
complete relief, but this is relatively unimportant as long as they
come back for treatment.
* 90% of clients will return voluntarily without further incentives.
Clinical Effects of Acupuncture in Addiction
OPTIONAL. Three general types of symptoms.
* Flu like symptoms, which are short term, these will usually be
eliminated in 24 hours.
* Symptoms of general toxicity of the nervous system, which has
been weakened by chronic substance intake: irritability,
restlessness, headaches, anxiety, impatience, easily frustrated,
impulsive thoughts, depression, non specific physical pains,
insomnia.
* Symptoms of metabolic toxicity, acidosis, dehydration,
increased respiratory rate, decreased volume of urination, high
blood pressure, bone and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhoea-due to kidney and lung toxicity, increased white blood
cell count-due to removal of cellular waste and lack of appetite.
These symptoms occur when drugs are stopped, because drugs
suppress the awareness of the body of metabolic toxicity and thus
suppress the indication of the disease and because drugs suppress
the metabolism and removal of toxic compounds and cellular waste.
Acupuncture aids the body to regain homeostasis in the detox
process, drugs can rarely do this.
CLEAR MIND, INCREASED SENSE OF PURPOSE.
Better Sleep Pattern.
* Acupuncture will provide relief from most cases of insomnia in
short term withdrawal and support deeper more refreshing sleep in
later withdrawal.
* This is an important asset to individuals being asked to experience
greater sensitivity and return of their active psychic life.
* Acupuncture is known to promote REM sleep, which is usually
disrupted by chemical abuse.
* Clients report less drug and alcohol dreams.
* Relief is not 100% and can be supported by herbal medications.
Addicted patients are frequently depleted and exhausted. This
expresses as low energy, fatigue, poor digestion, low appetite, and
can include sexual dysfunction and joint ache. These symptoms often
compound guilt and poor self image problems which frequently
characterise addiction. TCM describes these symptoms as deficiency
symptoms which respond to the tonifying effects of acupuncture.
Hard core substance abusers are very surprised to discover that these
symptoms will improve. This will improve their motivation.
PSYCHO-SOCIAL CHARCTERISTICS OF NADA PROTOCOL
A. It is a non-verbal process.
1. The treatment will be just as helpful if the client lies to us.
2. The treatment will be just as helpful if the client is ashamed to speak
about certain issues.
3. The client will be able to learn about themselves and process
troublesome issues more gradually and comfortably.
B. The client can be engaged in helpful treatment even before they
are able to tolerate intense or personalised one to one comfortably.
1. The process of transference can be delayed.
2. Needy, fearful clients can be engaged in treatment even before they
can tolerate a bonding relationship with staff.
3. Paranoid, antagonistic clients are able to accept help in spite of their
lack of trust.
4. Clients with low self-esteem and a lack of hope can begin there
treatment participation at a realistic level.
5. Clients who are also trauma victims will be able to participate in
treatment even though they are fearful of interpersonal relations.
Hence a much wider selection of clients can be introduced to
substance abuse treatment.
C. Acupuncture provides a solution to some of the paradoxical
problems in addiction treatment.
1. Clients can be treated before assessment and diagnosis are completed
so that clients can be calm and co-operative enough for a useful
diagnosis to be made.
2. Confrontation about drug use is not necessary because a client can
be helped even while they are in denial about the need for treatment
3. Developing trust between the therapist and client is much easier.
4. The client can relax without losing control.
Indeed the whole program can relax without losing control.
D. Acupuncture helps develop a meditation-like state.
1. Clients become comfortable with there own thoughts.
2. Clients become comfortable with there own physical processes.
3. Clients learn to 'let go' of tension and pre-occupation's.
4. Clients develop their own spatial comfort zone.
5. Clients learn that their private, internal process can be a source of
strength and renewal.
6. Clients are able to remain comfortable while focused on present
time activities.
7. The calm stability in the acupuncture setting creates a relatively
timeless process. There is much less pressure to improve according
to guilt related standards.
8. Acupuncture treatment in a group setting creates an environment
which is reassuring and validating. As therapist's we are welcome to
join in this setting. We are able to be supportive witnesses for the
clients development.
9. Hence clients listen, learn and remember without being overwhelmed
by distractions
10. In summary, acupuncture helps the client participate in individual and
group treatment sessions more effectively.
E. There are two components to acupuncture treatment.
1. A balancing process occurs almost immediately so that the client
is more receptive to the message of treatment.
2. Very anxious clients usually fall asleep during acupuncture treatment.
3. Tired, apathetic clients report an increased sense of vitality during and
immediately after treatment.
4. Most clients experience a relaxing and centring feeling.
5. As the number of treatment sessions increases, the client will feel
relatively harmonious most of the time.
6. Hence, experienced, successful clients will no longer fall asleep
during sessions. The client will also not need to have acupuncture as
frequently to gain the same effect.
7. An outside observer might believe that acupuncture is less effective
when the client no longer falls asleep in the session. It is important
to understand that just the opposite is the case. Acupuncture
treatment become more effective as time passes. The phenomenon of
tolerance which is so typical in pharmaceutical medicine is not present
with acupuncture.
8. The actual 'message' component of an acupuncture treatment often
has a delayed onset of several hours.
9. As the client becomes more balanced and receptive, this message
becomes more effective over a longer period of time.
F. Defending the mechanism of acupuncture as 'stress
relief' is a serious misunderstanding.
1. 'Stress' is usually someone else's fault, so that treating the victim
of stress can only be temporary at best, like giving a child an ice cream
after the dentist.
2. All of our clients know that alcohol, heroin, cocaine is an excellent
treatment for stress.
3. Acupuncture is valuable because it helps the client prepare for the
future, not merely cope with the past.
4. We should judge the value of an acupuncture session, not by the level
of sedation during or after the session, but rather by how well prepared
the clients are for counselling, groups and other challenges.
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