March 2008 - Grand Strand Natural Awakenings

precursor. Someone who gravitatestoward a drug like cocaine would getamino acids that stimulate excitatoryactivity in the brain.Dr. James Braly, medical directorand attending physician at Bridgingthe Gaps, says that medical journalshave published few studies aboutthe benefits of IV and oral nutrienttherapy because most research dollarssupport pharmaceutical approaches totreating addiction. But Braly’s clinic hasproduced some promising data.Alcoholism and drug abusecan ravage the GI tract,limiting its ability to absorbnutrients.For example, one study surveyednewly sober patients about the severityof 15 “abstinence symptoms” (such ascravings, anxiety, depression, insomnia,fuzzy thinking and restlessness) bothbefore and after six days of IV andoral nutrition therapy. It found that all15 symptoms were radically reduced,making it easier for the patient to stickwith the psychosocial counselingportion of the program.Once the body is better ableto absorb nutrients and the brainchemistry becomes rebalanced,patients at this facility are placedon a daily regimen of oral vitamins,amino acids, essential fatty acids andprobiotics. At the same time, theyreceive nutritional counseling aimed atsteering them toward lots of fresh fruitsand vegetables; quality proteins such as26 Grand Strandfish, poultry and eggs; and nutritionaloils, such as extra virgin olive oil andomega-3 fish oils. They are cautionedto stay away from junk food and refinedcarbohydrates, which can cause bloodsugar to fluctuate wildly, aggravatingcravings.Such nutritional approaches stemlargely from the work of Joan MatthewsLarsen, whose groundbreaking book,Seven Weeks to Sobriety: The ProvenProgram to Fight Alcoholism WithNutrition (Ballantine, 1997), sparkedmany people to open clinics basedon her Health Recovery Center inMinneapolis. One study conductedthere found that 85 percent of theclients had remained sober six monthsafter treatment. After three-and-a-halfyears, 74 percent were still sober.Another success story is TyCuran, 29, a recovering heroin addictwho experienced dramatic resultsby changing his diet and adding asupplement regime. A drug user sinceage 15, he’d completed nine residentialin-patient treatment programs beforechecking in to Bridging the Gaps.Recalls Curan, “I would go totreatment for a month, stay clean fora month, and fall back apart.” Thedifference this time, he says, is that afterhis stay at Bridging the Gaps, he’s beenable to stay sober. “It truly is the bestI’ve felt in a long, long time.”Needling the EarAnother key componentat Bridging the Gaps is earacupuncture, a method now being usedin 800 federally-recognized addictionprograms across the country. Chinesemedicine practitioners discovered2,500 years ago that when theymanipulated certain points in theear, they could relieve the discomfortof opium withdrawal. In the 1970s,Hong Kong neurosurgeon Dr. H. L.Wen revived the practice, after notingthat when he delivered electricalstimulation to a certain acupuncturepoint in the ear for post-surgical painrelief, he also alleviated his patient’sopiate withdrawal symptoms.When word of this aspect ofaddiction treatment made it to theUnited States, it took off, ultimatelyevolving into a protocol that calls forfive needles to be placed at ear pointssaid to regulate the nervous system,cerebral cortex, respiratory system,liver and kidneys. Today the nonprofitNational Acupuncture DetoxificationAssociation teaches this techniqueworldwide, and the federal governmenthas granted millions of dollars to studyits efficacy.Research generally has producedmixed results, but some studieshave shown that this method of earacupuncture not only can quellwithdrawal symptoms in notoriouslyhard-to-treat heroin and cocaineaddicts, it has the added benefit ofhelping people stick with a treatmentprogram.For the past 30 years, Dr. MichaelSmith, a respected physician anddirector of the Recovery Center atLincoln Hospital in the Bronx, NewYork, has offered ear acupuncture toaddicts awaiting methadone therapyfor heroin and cocaine addiction at theclinic. He sees immediate results.“One woman took the treatment,and after about five minutes her nosestopped running and she looked more