For more than a decade, addiction researchers have known that many people have biochemical conditions in their brain that make them vulnerable to becoming hooked on drugs and alcohol.
Now, some doctors have turned to controversial alternative approaches, using natural substances and holistic therapy, to try to correct the brain's "hard-wiring," reports this story in the Boulder, Colo., Daily Camera.
Kenneth Blum, founder of the Las Vegas-based American College of Addictionology and Disorders, is the leader of the movement and the researcher who coined the phrase "reward deficiency syndrome." The holistic approach, which has its critics, includes acupuncture and amino-acid therapy. The newspaper cites a Miami treatment center that achieved success using chiropractic treatment.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse offers a report with information about successful treatment programs for teens. And the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has information on treatment and finding help to stop using drugs.
