According to a 2012 National Survey on drug use and health, 23.1 million people from the ages of 12 and older needed treatment for drug or alcohol abuse.
But, only 2.5 million received treatment at a facility.
If you know someone who is suffering from an alcohol or drug problem, you might have been told that the addict can't seek proper treatment until they are fully ready to change. This can leave you feeling hopeless and frustrated, as the person you love continues to destroy his or her life.
When an addict does decide to seek help, the drug and alcohol treatments vary. Treatment center styles (inpatient or outpatient), the length of treatment, and the setting in which they take place all need to be considered. Typically, there are outpatient and inpatient services offered throughout the country. Most treatment facilities focus on a long-term 12-step program, behavioral therapy and sometimes the use of medication. These approaches can be difficult for many patients to follow.
What if there was a different type of addiction facility that focused more on naturopathic and integrated treatments?
Naturopathic medicine is described as a holistic approach to optimizing a person's health and healing. Many holistic approaches include changes in diet and nutrition, herbal medicine, exercise, massage, acupuncture and hydrotherapy.
Integrative medicine focuses on bringing the patient and doctor together to treat the whole person (mind, body and spirit), and not just the disease the patient is suffering from. In this case, it's addiction.
What else do you need to know about integrative and naturopathic medicine?
Dr. Ravi Chandiramani, ND, shares his insights as a doctor working at The Sundance Center, where an integrated and naturopathic approach is used for the treatment of addiction.
Selected Podcast
Integrative Addiction Treatment: What's the Natural in Naturopathic?
Featuring:
Dr. Ravi Chandiramani is a graduate of Bastyr University (2002). His unique approach to the treatment of chemical dependency and co-occurring psychological disorders has been refined over a decade of direct clinical experience with recovering addicts and alcoholics.
Dr. Chandiramani's work has provided the foundation for a new field of medicine, Integrative Addiction Medicine™. Integrative Addiction Medicine (IAM) effectively combines evidence-based addiction medicine protocols with the nurturing and rebuilding modalities inherent to the practice of naturopathic medicine.
To date, over 5000 chemically dependent patients have been successfully treated using the IAM model.
Dr. Chandiramani is President and CEO of Rays of the Sun, LLC, where he oversees the implementation and delivery of IAM in a variety of ambulatory treatment settings including subacute detox, residential treatment centers and outpatient medical/behavioral health practices.
Dr. Chandiramani serves as Corporate Medical Director of Journey Healing Centers, overseeing 40 residential beds in two states (AZ, UT) and a multidisciplinary staff comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, and behavioral health professionals.
Ravi Chandiramani, ND
Dr. Ravi Chandiramani is a graduate of Bastyr University (2002). His unique approach to the treatment of chemical dependency and co-occurring psychological disorders has been refined over a decade of direct clinical experience with recovering addicts and alcoholics.Dr. Chandiramani's work has provided the foundation for a new field of medicine, Integrative Addiction Medicine™. Integrative Addiction Medicine (IAM) effectively combines evidence-based addiction medicine protocols with the nurturing and rebuilding modalities inherent to the practice of naturopathic medicine.
To date, over 5000 chemically dependent patients have been successfully treated using the IAM model.
Dr. Chandiramani is President and CEO of Rays of the Sun, LLC, where he oversees the implementation and delivery of IAM in a variety of ambulatory treatment settings including subacute detox, residential treatment centers and outpatient medical/behavioral health practices.
Dr. Chandiramani serves as Corporate Medical Director of Journey Healing Centers, overseeing 40 residential beds in two states (AZ, UT) and a multidisciplinary staff comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, and behavioral health professionals.