| Acupuncture has
been used in the treatment of addiction in the West since an
incidental observation in Hong Kong in 1973. Opium smokers who
had been given electroacupuncture for pain relief claimed that
their opiate withdrawal symptoms were less severe than they
expected. Subsequently, various forms of needle or electrical
stimulation have been used as a treatment for dependence on
various addictive drugs, with the specific aim of reducing
withdrawal symptoms and aiding cessation. Auricular
acupuncture is now used in about 500 centers in the USA for
chemical dependency, mainly cocaine and heroin addiction.
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A
large number of Western acupuncturists are using a variety of
acupuncture techniques to treat obesity, smoking and hard drug
addiction. There is some excellent physiological and clinical
evidence to support the use of acupuncture in these areas. The
withdrawal symptoms experienced by people giving up smoking,
or drugs, can be alleviated by raising the levels of
endorphins in the nervous system. Some people believe that the
desire to eat is also mediated by the endorphin level in the
brain. It is clear that endorphin levels throughout the
nervous system can be increased by acupuncture. The techniques
used to achieve an increase in endorphin levels center around
the use of ear acupuncture; the ear may be electrically
stimulated or a small staple or stud may be left in the ear
for a week at a time. Pressing the indwelling needle seems to
decrease the desire to smoke or eat, probably due to an
increase in the endorphin level.
For more information, see SMOKING
CESSATION |
 | It must be stressed that acupuncture cannot
replace willpower. It can only help the withdrawal
symptoms, or hunger pains, experienced by those already
motivated and committed to solving their particular
problem. |
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