The rehab philosophies that call for a complete abstinence from all drugs and medications during recovery are to my thinking ridiculous. There are hundreds of rehab facilities throughout the U.S. that follow a philosophy of either natural alternative treatment or other alternative quasi scientific ideals of recovery; and as a result many thousands of people endure un medicated drug treatment each year.

• Firstly, the use of certain medications during rehab can make more humane and comfortable an already very difficult transitory period to sobriety…and what possible harm can a couple of ibuprofens do to a person suffering the pains of opiate withdrawal?
• Secondly, certain withdrawals can induce acute and even chronic conditions that are either dangerous or even life threatening. Until alternative therapies are clinically proven to reduce the incidence of dangerous convulsive episodes during sedative or alcohol withdrawals, I certainly can’t imagine recommending that anyone I loved endure such a risky period of detox.
• Thirdly, the use of psychiatric medications can be the difference between depression, anxiety and an inability or unwillingness to actively participate in the lessons of rehab; and symptoms reduction and a better ability to integrate all that rehab offers. Why should people suffering a very difficult period of detox and recovery exacerbate their suffering by adhering to any philosophy of recovery that does not allow for non psychotropic medications? Medications that can both decrease discomfort and also improve an ability to participate enthusiastically in drug treatment and therapies.

I'm all for alternative therapies, and since what works for one person may not work for another, by giving people the widest possible range of tools in their arsenal against addiction, I believe you improve the overall ability to resist temptation. Previously suspiciously regarded therapies such as yoga therapy, meditation therapy, or even karate therapy have all proven clinically beneficial and are now increasingly accepted into mainstream treatments. I do not believe that the recovery methods as used today are good enough, and I am grateful for continuing research in this area that offers hope of improvement. But, although our current methods are imperfect, we should not abandon them for something completely unproven and even medically dangerous; essentially experimental therapy using human guinea pigs in the process.

Get drug treatment in a facility that avails of the pharmaceutical interventions that improve the comfort and odds of success in a drug rehab stay.

Do not gamble with your recovery and with your life by using alternative or untested philosophies of recovery that do not allow for the use of proven safe medications throughout the process. The legacy of abuse leaves a lasting imprint on the neuro chemical workings of the mind, and we would be remiss to not use the tools at our disposal to accelerate the healing of mind and the body.

A lot of things sound pretty convincing when taken at face value…but a little digging and a little research often proves that what seems intuitively correct actually makes very little sense. Before subscribing to an alternative and un medicated philosophy of drug treatment, do your own research and draw your own conclusions. Allowing detox and withdrawal to proceed more painfully than necessary reduces the willingness of people to complete a detoxification, and allowing psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety to continue un medicated throughout recovery lessens the ability to benefit from available psychosocial therapies.

It just doesn't make any sense to me.