Alternative Drug Addiction Treatment

Drug addiction, substance abuse or chemical dependency is the compulsive use of psychoactive drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use.

See our approach to addiction featured on the Discovery Science Channel©†

Medical Approach to Addiction

The addictive nature of drugs varies from substance to substance, and from individual to individual depending on the underlying neurophysiology and co-occurring mental disorders. Addiction is unique for every case as a result, requiring drug addiction treatment that is tailored per case. The drug addiction has two components: physiological dependency and psychological dependency. Physiological dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the body and brain have become accustomed to its effects by changing their natural state to a higher threshold. At this higher threshold, a chemical receptor needs a higher dose of the compound to cause effects similar to when the receptor is in its natural condition. This is also known in biology as down-regulation. At this point, absence or lower chemical dose will trigger the symptoms of withdrawal. This physical mechanism of drug addiction is one of the main reasons drug addiction is so very difficult to overcome.

Psychological drug dependency occurs when a drug has been used habitually and the mind has become emotionally reliant on its effects, either to elicit pleasure or relieve pain, and does not feel capable of functioning without it. Its absence produces intense cravings, which are often brought on or magnified by stress and/or underlying disorders.

Neuroscience Approach to Addiction

At the Brain Treatment Center it is our philosophy that no one would voluntarily choose to live a harmful life without any biological or psychological gain. Substance abuse and its subsequent drug addiction is likely to be initially a self-medication behavior to cope with unaddressed co-occurring disorders. Therefore, we believe that an effective treatment must be performed in full and at its source. Leaving the mental disorder untreated and only using behavioral therapy towards substance abuse will not be effective. Since every brain is unique and behavioral problems are relatively common, the treatment protocol should be individualized and yet comprehensive enough to address both issues.

Normal distribution of ideal brainwave activity versus that seen in a brain more prone to drug addiction

An individual with a disorganized high-energy brain , a condition that manifests itself in anxiety and ADHD-like symptoms, will be seeking to calm this brain with depressants. This "high energy" is seen both by greatly increased glucose metabolic rate or regional blood flow. The brain cells in this state are inefficient in processing neural information. In contrast, an individual with a "low energy" brain with reduced glucose metabolic rate and blood flow, a condition that manifests itself in consistent drowsiness, motor retardation, and difficulty in concentration, will seek stimulants to wake up their brain.

Treating Addiction's Underlying Problems

Here at the Brain Treatment Center, we follow the bio-psycho-socio-spiritual model and provide a highly individualized diagnosis and treatment protocol combining with one of the most comprehensive therapy packages.

In this state-of-art protocol, we use modern quantitative EEG to scan the brain to assist clinical diagnosis and individualized, noninvasive brain stimulation to help normalize the brain wave activities.

We work in conjunction with several treatment centers in the immediate area that provide inpatient care during our outpatient treatment.