I hope that today’s article doesn’t apply to you.

I hope that you never need the lessons I’m about to impa

Because, if you do need this advice, that means you’re going through something very difficult.

Namely, you’re staring at the ugly face of addiction.

Maybe it’s a friend. Maybe a relative. Maybe it’s alcohol or cigarettes. Or painkillers or illegal drugs.

Whatever the case may be, addiction can be one of life’s toughest challenges.

I would know. Because, not long ago, I founded an institution dedicated to helping people struggling with addiction. Named the Addiction Center For Healing, I’ve been dedicating large amounts of time and energy to it.

And I’m happy to tell you, there are new and very effective treatments that we’ve developed that can have a huge impact on the lives of addiction patients and those who love them.

Today, I’d like to tell you a bit about what I’m doing. And if you, or someone you know needs help with an addiction, I’ll tell you some tactics that can help make the biggest difference.

Treat the patient with the addiction, not the addiction of the patient

The reason I founded the Addiction Center For Healing was that I saw too many problems with the way most places deal with addiction.

Most centers focus on only one thing.

Some believe that addiction is primarily a psychological issue, and only treat those issues.

Others think that the physical addiction takes precedence, and implement a detox, but do little else.

Both methods fail—because both treat the addiction.

The primary philosophy of the Addiction Center For Healing is to treat the patient. And that means everything—the mental, physical and emotional.

The Body

Any successful addiction treatment needs to safely detox the body. You can’t do anything with a body that is broken, or suffering from massive hormonal imbalances.

Get the toxins out and restore balance to all the body’s systems.

Sometimes, that means I’ll prescribe anti-depressants, if brain chemistry has been damaged by the addiction. (I never prescribe anti-anxiety medications, since those are themselves addictive.)

Sometimes, we need to do work with organs that have been damaged.

Whatever the case—and it varies by case—I always make sure the body is capable of achieving balance and health, free of drugs.

The Mind

Simply restoring balance to one’s physical symptoms isn’t enough.

That’s why I also teach patients how to quiet the mind.

This can take several forms. Meditation might be my favorite.

But that’s far from the only one. I also use cranial electro-stimulation (CES), and I specifically like to use Alpha Stim machines.

These are gentle electric stimulators—much like you see used for pain.

In fact, Alpha Stim units work on sore muscles as well.

But when applied to earlobes, CES helps change our brain waves, more closely mimicking the alpha waves found in meditation.

The effects are immediate. After only fifteen minutes, patients feel calmer and more relaxed.

More centered.

The longer-term results can be astonishing as well. For instance, in nicotine addiction, I’ve long prescribed inhibitors that block nicotine receptor sites.

That’s been quite effective. 85% of patients who take those inhibitors quit smoking.

But when I give the inhibitors in conjunction with the alpha stim unit, that number goes up to 99%. Nearly everyone is able to kick the habit.

That’s the sort of holistic approach that you need to combat addiction.

But it doesn’t quite end there.

The relationship to the world

Becoming healthy and centered is the best way to kick a habit.

But to keep it kicked, you have to change your relationship to the world.

That’s where the physiological aspect of the Center comes into play. That includes things like finding the correct nutritional balance or taking vitamins and supplements. Finding forms of exercise that work for patients. Establishing healthy sleep patterns.

After all, returning to health is just the beginning. Remaining in health is the ultimate goal. And that always begins with nutrition and exercise.

How you can help

As I say, I hope none of this applies to you.

However, many of us know someone who needs help.

If someone’s in the throes of a downward spiral, there’s really only one way to offer that help—and that’s to intervene.

I wouldn’t suggest anyone do this on a whim. An intervention is a difficult process. You should first seek the advice of an experienced interventionist.

They can teach you how to successfully talk to someone in need of help, one-on-one.

If that doesn’t do the trick, you might need a larger intervention. In some cases, you’ll need to bring an expert in to assist face-to-face.

But here’s the most important thing. That person has to be ready. And if they aren’t, all you can do is be as supportive as you possibly can.

However, while you should be supportive—and give whatever help you can—you also need to set boundaries. You can’t let their life ruin yours.

And sometimes, those boundaries are exactly what someone needs to truly see when they’ve gone too far.

Again, I hope you’re only reading this article out of academic curiosity. But if you know someone who needs help, I hope it helps you understand a little more what you can do to make a difference in their life.