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I'm Greta, a future acupuncturist, and I'm here to talk about the use of acupuncture for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD)!
In lifestyle medicine, alcohol abuse is one of the core competencies that can spill over into many, if not all, areas of one's life.
I'm interested in AUD because it runs in my family, and is also one of the most pushed, legal drugs out there.

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Alcohol use disorder is a brain disorder that consists of the same symptoms of alcoholism, alcohol addiction, dependency, and abuse. It can be mild, moderate, or severe.

NIAAA definition: impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use, despite social, occupational, or health consequences.

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~ It impacts around 240 million people worldwide
~ It is related to over 60 medical conditions
~ More common in people who start drinking at a young age

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Therapy, support groups (like AA), behavioral therapy, rehabs, and even medication is available

Not so common treatments... holistic modalities! Acupuncture, reflexology, massage therapy, Reiki, Gin-Shin, herbalism and aromatherapy, coaching and more!

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Research is small, but the data collected has shown that acupuncture has benefits for reducing withdrawal symptoms, reduces cravings for alcohol, and reduces alcohol use.

There is no evidence that acupuncture disrupts recovery!

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In acupuncture, the NADA protocol consists of 5 points on the ear.
This protocol is used mostly for addiction and mental health issues!

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On alcohol addicted rats, electro-acupuncture was used on two specific acupoints. This study showed that the rat's alcohol intake decreased significantly.

In another study with rats, acupuncture showed to reduce withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and tremor, as well as re-balance impacted hormones and neurotransmitters that had been damaged due to alcohol use.

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Acupuncture works by unblocking the body's Qi (energy, life force), allowing the body to reach homeostasis.

Imagine being in the stages of AUD withdrawal. Imagine feeling the anxiety, dread, cravings, depression, racing thoughts, and maybe even pain. Acupuncture works by re-balancing the body. Thus, helping the body relax, release tension, be able to think clearer, sleep better, and reduces pain.

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We aren't able to fully heal if we're constantly in a sympathetic, over-worked, stressed state, right? I think the most important step to recovery is being in a parasympathetic state, which acupuncture can help the body reach. I think acupuncture, though understudied, is an underdog in the realm of addiction recovery. If used in conjunction with other modalities like therapies, rehab, massage, etc., I believe that it can do WONDERS for addiction!

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Allopathic medicine has a recovery system that simply doesn't work for everyone. You've seen the data, too many people are addicted and too many people aren't being treated properly. It's time we start incorporating holistic modalities that can work for more people!

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As an acupuncturist, I plan to focus on drug and substance abuse and mental health disorders! I think it's a shame how much our society pushes alcohol onto us, yet treats us as outsiders once we develop an addiction. As a major pillar of lifestyle medicine, I think AUD needs more attention in the medical world as well as a de-stigmatization in our society.

My career isn't coaching-based, but I do want to implement some coaching techniques that I learned in this class. I'm so happy to have taken this course and learned what the new emerging field of lifestyle medicine is all about!

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Chen, P., Li, J., Han, X., Grech, D., Xiong, M., Bekker, A., & Ye, J. (2018, March 10). Acupuncture for alcohol use disorder. Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871630/

NADA Protocol.2018-2021. Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://acudetox.com/nada-protocol/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder.