Guest guest Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Hello all, I have been following the discussion of " addiction " this weekend and feel compelled to add my 1 cent(2 cents is not what it used to be given the " state of the union " --USA). I must begin by stating that I am a novice in the practice of . I have been licensed only about 2 years and as I live in a highly-saturated DOM town (Santa Fe, NM) my practice has been limited. I am however training to become a LADAC (Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor) and have about 5 years of experience with addicts, both teenage and adult (the youngest being a 13-year old IV heroin user, the oldest being a 67-year old IV cocaine user). I have some relatively in-depth knowledge of 12-Step programs, specifically Narcotics Anonymous. Given my limited experience treating addiction w/acupuncture I must none-the-less state my belief that addiction is a disease of Shen (heart/spirit/soul). The recovery community regards addiction as a disease of the spirit and as such, " only the touch of a living Higher Power can heal an injury to the spirit " . (p. 264, " Just For Today " ) While Kidney is a highly integral part of addiction (Will and the lack thereof) and the other Zang Fu organ systems are involved as well, there are MANY reasons people become addicted. There is no one " cure " ; NADA protocol; verbal counseling; co-occurring diagnosis w/subsequent APPROPRIATE medications; art therapy; sand tray work, employment counseling, case management;AA/NA membership...we speak of patterns in and I also believe there are patterns in recovery. Modalities are mutually supportive, open-mindedness is the key. I strongly encourage practitioners involved with recovering addicts to read two texts generated by Narcotics Anonymous: " The Basic Text " and " It Works: How and Why " . The inside jacket cover of the basic text has written, " Many books have been written about the nature of addiction. This book primarily concerns itself with the nature of recovery " . It behooves all people involved in recovery work to be as " honest, open-minded, and willing " as the recovering addicts with whom they are working. The address is: World Service Office, Inc., P.O. Box 9999, Van Nuys, CA, 91409. Ph#: (818) 780-3951. email: www.na.org. I claim no expertise in any field (yet), however, I sit in groups and individual sessions day after day and hear the story of each individual. I listen to what they say between the words and develop a " treatment plan " for needling (though our agency does not yet employ me to do so) and most of all I listen. Generally, " drug addiction " is one's way of medicating an illness; be it spiritual, emotional, mental, physical. Seemingly (to me, anyway) as it manifests physically, perhaps this is the opening for us to apply needles to support the recovery process. Addiction is not only about the drug... " The core of our disease (addiction) is our total self-centeredness. " There is more to recovery than just being clean. There is a way out of the insanity...the love and support of one's Higher Power, we just get to be part of that pattern. Peace, Daniel Craig, DOM, LSAT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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