Non-pharmacological Treatment of Addiction

ABSTRACT: Drug abuse is a chronic, recurrent disorder which causes both physical and psychological damages to the patients. Due to the direct, complex effect of drugs on the nervous system, the patients experience annoying symptoms after withdrawal. In this regard, using chemical agents has not been highly successful and, consequently, it is necessary to investigate the alternative medicine, particularly herbal remedies, which have a long history in treating the diseases and are accompanied by fewer side effects. The present study is a review of 107 studies on Complementary Alternative Medicine procedures, particularly herbal medicine, in treating addiction. These articles are available in Pub Med and Google Scholar databases. In addition, the articles related to alternative and herbal medicine can be accessed at the following Iranian journals: SID, J Subst Abuse Treat, Drug and Alcohol Review, Springer, Elsevier, and Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. There are a limited number of reliable documents in this field. Moreover, their results show that these methods are not highly successful when they are used alone; however, they can be used as an adjuvant therapy in reducing the withdrawal symptoms. Using medicinal plants is a new method in treating addiction and more studies are needed to be conducted on the recommendation for wider utilization of this therapy. Overall, acupuncture has great effects on the physical symptoms of the withdrawal syndrome. Other alternative therapies can also restore the patients’ energy and reduce their depression.