Resources for Acupuncture in Chemical Dependency Treatment and Recovery
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Frequently
Asked Questions
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Does
it matter what time of day the acupuncture is provided?
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Acupuncture should be positioned
to match the needs of the program and its clients. So the answer to this
question depends on the demographics of the population served and the
schedule of other program activities. For example, if the program
is outpatient and targets homeless or indigent alcoholics, a good question
to ask in making the determination is, "what time in the morning
does the nearest liquor store open?" The time of highest use risk
each day for these clients is when they wake up in the morning, so the
acupuncture should be offered early. If the program offers group
activities in the evening hours, the acupuncture should be provided in
the hour just preceding the first activity. Counselors report in both
individual and group sessions profoundly positive differences in the behavior
and attitude in clients who have just received acupuncture. One large program I directed had both day and evening services; the acupuncture was provided from 8:00 to 10:00 AM, with the first group counseling session beginning at 9:00. The clinic opened again from 4:00 - 6:00 PM to accommodate evening clients. People enrolled in our 7 - 21 day acute detox program - which targeted indigent homeless alcoholics and addicts - came both morning and afternoon for two treatments per day. (The drop out rate for that drug-free detox program was consistently less than 2%!) previous - Read FAQs in Sequence - next Index of Articles - Links - Home
Scroll Down for More "Frequently Asked Questions"
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How many clients can be treated at once? How often do clients need to be treated? How long to clients have to keep having treatments? Does it matter what time of day the acupuncture is provided? What
national organizations support acupuncture in treating addiction? What
resources are available to support us if we decide to do it? Does
the acupuncture program have to include herbs or nutritional supplements?
What
is the history of how acupuncture began to be used in chemical dependency
treatment? What
does the acupuncture clinic look like exactly? How
much space and extra equipment will we need to do it? How
do we clean or dispose of the needles after they are used? How
does acupuncture fit with drug testing? How
do we find and train people to do the needling? Could
we just try it experimentally to make sure it's a good fit for us? What
technical assistance will be required to start and maintain an acupuncture
component? Is
it compatible with harm reduction? Is
it compatible with 12-Step or abstinence-based treatment approaches? Is
it appropriate for mandated or court-referred clients? Is
it appropriate for adolescents? Is
it appropriate for pregnant women? Is
it appropriate for people with co-morbid psychiatric problems? Is
it appropriate for people with HIV/AIDS? Is
it appropriate in methadone programs? Is
it appropriate in residential programs? What
training is required for current program and administrative staff? What are the steps we should take to add an acupuncture component? |
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