Alcoholism and The Addictions | Treatment

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ALCOHOLISM AND THE ADDICTIONS

Q - How does your CES (cranial electrotherapy stimulation) smoking cessation system work to make you quit smoking? Do you have any feedback in relation to success rate? How long does it take for most individuals? How many have you sold so far? Does it help with the mood swing related to nicotine withdrawal?

A - I want to emphasize that the behavioral component of the Lotsohelp program is equally as important as the CES (cranial electrotherapy stimulation) unit. The behavioral program helps one stay off the nicotine. The average number times one “quits” before success is about 5. We have hold hundreds of CES units. Yes it helps a lot with mood swings brought on by nicotine withdrawal.

Q - On your non-smoking acupressure chart, is that point 8? Or landmark feature of the breast (nipples) to help determine points 7? Do you by any chance have another description to help clearly find the points? I am trying to help a friend who is quitting caffeine and cigarettes and feels they are just as much an addiction for him as drugs and alcohol were, both of which he has been substance free of for 16 years.

A - The tapping sites are on the acupuncture meridian. The meridian sites are SI3 (on the hand), B2 (medial edge of eyebrow), G1 (distal edge of eye), S1 (under eye), GV26 (under nose), CV24 (under lip), K27 (from medial edge of collar bone move distally 1 inch and then down 1 inch - should feel minor depression at site), SP17 (four finger tips down from under armpit).

Q - Our son has taken 30-day med.leave to deal with serious drug addiction through your clinic. Can you outline a program for him to get the most benefit . We were referred by a friend. We are running out of options in helping him. Your input would be greatly appreciated.

A - Our intensive treatment programs for the addictions include several sessions of neurotherapy per day with related sessions of cognitive/behaviour therapy. We also focus on getting the client committed to some support system. The programs of treatment vary somewhat depending on the bases for the addictive behaviour and the nature of the brain anomalies that we determine after the intake brain assessment.

Q - My husband died in 1990 and shortly thereafter my oldest son was diagnosed with the same heart defect. He now has a defibrillator installed in his chest and his dreams of becoming a pilot were no more. Some years ago he began drinking and I believe he is now an alcoholic (he is 30). Is there help with neurotherapy for his condition? What would it take for him to get better?

A - Neurotherapy can be very helpful in the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions. The most important variable, however, is that the person must be committed to becoming sober. Without the strong desire to be sober all treatment options have dismal success rates. In addition to the neurotherapy we also advise that the person become engaged in some support organization such as AA or the other similar organizations. If the client cannot stop drinking on their own we advise a short stay in a detox center. Residential rehabilitation centers can also be helpful although many clients elect to simply have neurotherapy in conjunction with a program such as AA. Our success rate is good, again assuming a committed client.

Q - Hi, my 23 year old son is in his 9th month of recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction. He has managed to stay sober, but is having a lot of head stuff going on including "using nightmares". Just wondering if this procedure could help him clear his mind some. If so how many sessions would he need?, and are the costs around $100 except for first assessment? Thanks

A - Neurotherapy can be exceptionally helpful for addicts in recovery. The first step of our Neurotherapy treatment is to have an intake brain assessment to determine the exact nature of the brain inefficiencies related to his self-medicating behavior. Usual findings include a severe deficiency at the back of the brain related to the inability to quiet the mind ("can't find peace in the head"). In addition it is not uncommon to find one of several predisposing factors toward depression. After we determine the exact nature of the brain anomalies we proceed with neurotherapy to normalize brain functioning. The treatments average about $110, most at $105 and a few at $130, depending on the level of service required.

Q - Can you treat a person who wants to control their drinking habits, instead of complete abstention?

A - Yes, we can help a person who wants to control their drinking. There are many neurological as well as psychological factors associated with problem drinking. Severe chronic alcoholics, for example, usually show a marked deficiency in the area of the brain associated with stress tolerance and mental quieting. These individuals are "self-medicating' to find some mental quiet. These individuals also often have a history of severe emotional stress such as childhood abuse. There are many other forms of alcoholism and problematic drinking. Socially anxious individuals, for example, often drink because it eases their anxiety in social situations - the classic example of the college student who finds that drinking before and during a party helps him/her enjoy the social interaction.
Once you start treatment for problematic drinking you may find that your attitudes towards drinking change. When the brain achieves more normal functioning the interest in alcohol for self-medicating often changes so you lose interest in heavy drinking.
The first step is to have a brain assessment to determine the exact nature of the neurological condition associated with your drinking behaviour. Then once the brain functioning is normalized you may benefit from some behaviour therapy to further reduce your reliance on alcohol.

Q - My son, now age 22, has had significant problems since the age of 2, starting with Encopresis from age 2-12, behavioral/learning/social problems, ADHD, impulsivity and now suicidal depression and addiction problems (marijuana) for the past 5 years. He is currently in a really good drug rehab center, but he is still very depressed, anxious and hopeless, and not really progressing all that well. The treatment center told me about you and your work and suggested that you might be able to help him (and me).

I have always wondered about TBI due to he was born with the cord wrapped around his neck and he was totally blue at birth. I didn't think much of it at the time, and the hospital didn't seem to think it was especially significant, but I now wonder if this has been the cause of all of his problems. Nothing has ever seemed to work with him, he went through Jack Ledger House when he was about 8, was on Ritalin and Dexadrine until age 15, then Wellbutrin for 6 months. Currently he is trying Wellbutrin again through the treatment center and he feels it helps with his ADHD but not at all with his depression and anxiety.

I'm wondering if you think his problems could have been caused by TBI at birth, and whether you think an EEG evaluation and treatment through your clinic could help him? The biggest problem would probably be getting him to agree to treatment as he has refused all treatment since the age of 15 until this recent admission to the drug rehab center.

Also, I have been suffering from a continuous 24/7 headache for over a year accompanied by a vibration like feeling in my head when lying down/sleeping (that wakes me through the night)and a loud heartbeat sound in my head. All tests have been normal including MRI, 3 CT scans, carotid/renal doppler, EEG, holter monitor, lab work, and no treatment or medication has helped including chiropractic, massage, accupuncture, physio, osteopath, marcaine/zylocaine injections to my neck, Gabapentin, Lyrica, NSAID's, and a beta blocker. I have even tried 5 biofeedback sessions but the practitioner seemed to be more into bilking me out of thousands of dollars for expensive supplements and treatments that she offered, than helping me with my headache.

I'm trying to determine if the therapies offered by your clinic might be the right course of treatment for either of us.

A - Chronic conditions such as you describe require a disciplined and integrated treatment approach. The first step is to have a full brain assessment in which all 19 brain sites are recorded simultaneously. From this assessment we can determine the precise nature of the problem including detailed analyses of brain site to brain site interactions. However, neurotherapy is only part of the treatment that is required in such cases. Clients with such chronic conditions always require additional psychotherapeutic treatments to deal with the psychological issues that are always critical. The first step, however, is to have the full brain assessment and proceed with treating the neurological problems. As you surmise, it is possible that the problems at birth may have caused some difficulties with the frontal brain regions. The brain assessment will identify the regions of the brain that are problematic and treatment is focused on improving those areas of inefficiency. Psychotherapeutic treatment usually starts after some neurotherapy is underway.