Transcript Hope for Substance Abuse CLients

Loretta Butehorn PhD CCH
Join Annual Homeopathic Conference 2013
April 2013
Goals for this Presentation
 Describe research in substance abuse treatment
 Identify use of Nux vomica as “protocol” treatment for
early stabilization after detoxification for chemical
addiction
 Discuss partnering with allopathic substance abuse
treatment in community.
April 2013
Problem
 Clients who have used traditional allopathic
detoxification for substance dependence most often
develop PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome)
 Paws often causes immediate withdrawal from
substance abuse treatment and relapse
 An acute, immediate intervention would be useful to
stabilize the client before constitutional treatment can
be used.
April 2013
Sample of NWS
 TERRY 53 yr old woman’s husband murdered before
her eyes- was drugging and living in an unsafe park in
Boston in a tent –to which she would return if she
relapsed
 JOYCE 12 yr old impregnated by stepfather thought to
be “whoring around” by her mother-today a 22 year old
women who has supported herself through
prostitution and is desperate to stop but has no real
supports
NWS continued
• LISA as a 17 year old tried to get her mom out of crack
house, ended up using crack with mom-today as a 25
year old ,relapse would mean continued decline
• ANDREA as a 22 year old left her terminally ill
husband without saying goodbye because she couldn’t
stand to watch him die- today as a 45 year old cannot
hold a job and last relapse left her homeless is buried
in guilt
• Real people, real pain
April 2013
 Each person in this population had a significant
history of severe trauma , abuse, abandonment prior to
beginning drug use with significant number of
attempts at treatment and multiple treatment
“failures.”
April 2013
Today
 What is PAWS
 How we developed an homeopathic intervention for
this population of clients
 What were the results…..
April 2013
PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)
 Severe cravings for any drug which causes addiction
 Irritability, agitation
 Nausea, diarrhea, sleep disturbance
 Memory disturbance
 If you have ever had a craving for chocolate multiple
that physical-emotional experience by 1000 and you
might get the idea of what client is experiencing
April 2013
April 2013
Research in addiction and
homeopathy
 Heroin addicts in India, 60 patients
 35% left study from placebo group
 5% from homeopathic group
 Significant decrease in cravings and withdrawal
symptoms
 Resulted in institutionalization of homeopathy in
substance abuse rx in India
-Bakski, presented on Nat Conf on Homeopathy and Drug Abuse, March 1990
April 2013
Nux vomica

Controlled study rats and alcohol
Choice of alcohol and non alcohol bottles
Significantly reduced alcohol intake with
homeopathic treatment


Sukul NC, et al “Strychnos Nuv Vomica extract and its ultra high dilution
reduce voluntary ethanol intake in rats” J Altern Com Med. 2001
Apr;7(2):187-93.
April 2013
Detox and Post acute withdrawal
 1993-Detox CA 703-randomized, controled-18 months:
Relapse: 32% of homeopatic, 68% of placebo rx, 72%
of regular detox— S. Garcia-Swain,M.D. in Lanksy, 2003.
April 2013
Genus epidemicus
 Van de Zee’s* use of Hahnemann’s construct of genus
epidemicus to prescribe for trauma victims as a group a
model for Nux vomica protocol.
 We decided to treat this as an acute condition, and use the
combined symptoms of the population
 Using this as a model, we began offering Nux vomica 200 c
in water, succussed, as needed for 1 week to clients
suffering from PAWS before constitutional treatment
*“Healing Collective Trauma” in Homeopathy and Mental Health Harry van der Zee 200
April 2013
Informal results
 In 2 Boston 6 month treatment
programs-2006-2010 we offered “Nux
Protocol”
 2006-2008- 2 programs- 39% and 33%
completion rate non-homeopathic
group, with homeopathy 64% and
66% completion rate. Butehorn et al, attached
in handouts
April 2013
April 2013
Boston Area Substance Abuse
Treatment Center 2010-2011
 28 day post detox program
 Nux vomica 200 c 1-2 dry doses for PAWS
 Self selected population
 Women between 18 and 70
 Multiple drug addiction
April 2013
Relapse
0%
Tx xfer,
housing
2%
Unknown/ Disappeared
2%
Completed Tx w/o aftercare
0%
Med/psych discharge
3%
Compliance Issues
6%
Completed Tx with aftercare
42%
Still enrolled
11%
ACA within 48 hours
11%
ACA after 48 hours
23%
Discharge Reasons
Control Group
n=184
April 2013
Med/psych discharge
4%
Unknown/ Disappeared
2%
Completed Tx w/o aftercare
1%
Relapse
2%
Compliance Issues
2%
Still enrolled
4%
ACA within 48 hours
7%
ACA after 48 hours
15%
Discharge Reasons
Homeopathic Tx
n=138
April 2013
Completed Tx with aftercare
63%
Dec 2010-Dec 2011
Non homeopathic= 184
Homeopathic=138
 Completed 42% *
 Completed 63% *
 Left program after less than
 Left program after less than
48 hrs(ACA)=11%
 Left program after 48 hrs
(ACA)=23% *
 Dismissed compliance
issues=6%
48 hrs (ACA)= 7%
 Left program after 48 hrs
(ACA)=15% *
 Dismissed compliance
issues=2%
*=statistical significance
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Totality of all charts
April 2013
NWS: Trust Betrayed
SHOCK
Logananceae
Based on work presented by
Morrison and Herrick at
American Medical College of
Homeopathy Conference
Sept 2012.
Unendurable grief
Holding in—Rigidity<consolation
Stuck-SpasmClaustrophobia
Self
medication
Addiction
April 2013
Grief/Betrayal/Trauma
Metabolized by…………. Sadly, often met with
1. Validation
disbelief
2. Support
vilification
3. Processing
refusal to listen
4. Safety
blatantly unsafe
So self medication becomes the default option resulting
in addiction
April 2013
Nux Vomica
 Hangover drug
 And now I call it the “arnica of addiction”
 This is a terrific “protocol”for people in early stages of
recovery (post detoxification from alcohol and other
drugs.)
April 2013
To collaborate
 Send me an email([email protected]) if you are
involved in a similar public service project so we can
support each other
 Donate to our The Sidewalk Clinic (tax deductable) mail to
SOTM/The Sidewalk, 345 Neponset Ave Boston,MA 02122
 This is a collaborative project of the Teleosis Homeopathic
Collaborative and School, Boston,MA
Email: [email protected]
Phone or Text us at: (617) 564 - 0321
April 2013
April 2013