Can acupuncture help with addiction recovery?

The path to recovery from addiction is often long, and the route it takes varies for different people. While addiction recovery requires sustained hard work, it also requires sustained self-care. How people choose to care for themselves as part of recovery varies because of factors like upbringing, culture, and a person’s individual personality.

Addiction recovery is a process that encompasses the entire individual, body, soul, and mind, and all three of those components must be looked after for the highest probability of long-term success. Some people with substance abuse issues turn to care methods that are traditional to other cultures, such as acupuncture.

 

How Might Acupuncture Help with Addiction Recovery?

Studies of acupuncture as a component of an addiction recovery program are sparse, but studies published in respected medical journals like the Archives of Internal Medicine and the American Journal of Public Health have reported that acupuncture therapy was beneficial to the recovery of people with tobacco and cocaine addictions.

Stress reduction and relief from pain are perhaps the two primary benefits of acupuncture, and it is easy to see how this might benefit people in recovery from opiate abuse disorders. Acupuncture as an alternative therapy for pain management may prove to be a powerful component of addiction recovery programs, particularly with addictions involving painkillers. Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, but the scale of opioid addiction society is dealing with now is fairly new. It will take time for large-scale results of acupuncture to be assessed more completely.

Why a Holistic Approach to Addiction Recovery Is Best

Addiction recovery must be individualized, because while addictions share symptoms and dangers, ultimately addictions are as unique as the individuals who have them. No two people share the same life experiences, heartbreak, challenges, stresses, and demands, and that is why addiction treatment must be individualized and must address the individual as a whole.

Just as you could not successfully install a skylight in your home without considering the structural components, the direction of sunlight, and goals for a particular room, [patients] cannot approach addiction recovery without considering every aspect of life, including work, family, friendships, service, and co-occurring illnesses. For many people, acupuncture may be a helpful aspect of addressing holistic health during addiction recovery.

Editor's note: This article was provided by The Recovery Village. Click here to read the full version.