There have been six studies from as far back as the 1960s that present lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as LSD, as a solution for alcoholism. The drug was used in various alcohol treatment programs, and the subjects were mostly men. The findings showed that even a small single dosage, ranging from 210 to 800 micrograms, was adequate to help the patients abstain from alcohol consumption. Around 59% of those given LSD showed smaller chances of relapse as compared to 38% of those that weren’t administered the drug.
Using Addictive Drugs to Cure Addiction
LSD has been tested for effectiveness in various psychiatric treatments in the first half of the 20th century. It was only in the late ‘60s, when there was already rampant abuse in the decade’s youth culture, that the drug was finally classified as illegal. It now belongs in the same category as heroin and MDMA, or “ecstasy”. The use of highly potent and addictive pharmaceuticals for treating mental disorders is nothing new. What needs to be gravely considered is this recurring idea that addictive drugs could actually cure addiction.
Holistic Rehab Centers and Multiple Modes of Treatment
A drug rehabilitation center that promotes a holistic approach uses varied treatment modalities because it understands that addiction is not simply a medical problem. The reason why a holistic drug rehab program involves counselors and life coaches as much as doctors and psychiatrists is because the afflicted person has emotional and spiritual issues that need to be addressed along with the medical component of addiction. Addiction is a problem that has many facets to it, with factors that come from outside as well as inside the person. An approach that considers all aspects is thus the most effective way to get someone to sober up and avoid relapses. The statistics on those studies are accurate. But a drug as dangerous as LSD doesn’t really reach the roots of the problem. It can complicate it as using one drug to quit another can pose greater risks than the original addiction itself. (photo via)
