*No need to be ashamed, I use to drink big time!
In 2016, people rely more and more on technology to make their lives easier in a variety of ways. Video communication is available to anyone with a cell phone or computer, virtual reality is becoming increasingly common and there seems to be an app for almost every need, no matter how obscure.
While many of these modern conveniences may seem frivolous at times, they're also being utilized by doctors and researchers to make people healthier. In fact, a number of the same tools people use to play games or chat with friends are also being put to use to combat alcohol and drug addiction, revolutionizing the way the disease is treated.
For example, just as there are apps for dating and food delivery, there are a number available designed to assist the recovery process, often at little or no cost to the user. The Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book" is currently available in the iTunes store, while Sober Grid helps patients find immediate support based on their current location. Other apps help track alcohol consumption or provide motivational messages to users, and some even employ the video functions on phones and computers to connect patients and physicians instantly.
Squirrel Recovery is another app that's making a great impact on addiction treatment. Developed at Ohio State University, it gives former addicts the opportunity to create their own support groups entirely based in a digital world. Members can check in on each other's well-being, and if someone is feeling low or at risk, their peers can offer immediate assistance.
Thanks to apps like Squirrel Recovery, Sober Grid and others, an entire support system is available at the push of a button – and anyone can access recovery assistance no matter how far they live from the nearest rehabilitation program.
Technology is also being harnessed at hospitals and treatment centers through various modern remedies. For instance, neurofeedback therapy is a developing method of training a patient's brain to stay centered at times they would otherwise crave alcohol or drugs. Using electrodes, laptops and special software, a doctor can read a patient's brainwaves and make decisions based on what he or she sees. When the patient responds positively to a set of images, doctors will reward him or her with more positive reinforcement. Over time, the patients' brains learn to crave these rewards instead of alcohol or drugs.
Although neurofeedback therapy is a bit controversial, it has been embraced by a number of rehabilitation programs. Others use different forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is considered a best practice in treating addiction. By changing the patterns that feed a person's addictions , addicts will learn how to change their attitudes toward and behaviors around alcohol and drugs. At Virginia Tech, researchers have spent years working on computer programs that help addicts learn how to beat their addiction, but that also teach the patient about addiction over time.
By taking care of relaying the basic information about the disease, the computer program gives drug counselors more time to focus on individual needs instead. As a result, technology isn't just advantageous for recovering addicts – it also makes their caregivers' work much easier, which in turn benefits their patients in other ways.
Scientists are currently developing a number of other potential therapies that may one day prove to be extremely beneficial in addiction treatment. Virtual reality technology has expanded significantly in the last few years, and researchers in South Korea are employing the technique as medical care. In one study, test subjects watched three scenarios on a 3D television screen, including one that presented the unpleasant side effects of drinking, and the results were optimistic. Meanwhile, the MIT Technology Review has written about fighting alcoholism with gene therapy. Using a genetic mutation common in East Asian populations, which causes a number of negative side effects in response to alcohol, researchers were able to compel rats not to crave alcohol. They're hoping to replicate the study in humans one day.
Gene therapy is extreme, and it will be years before it and other futuristic treatments are possible – if ever at all. Still, these advances prove that doctors and scientists are doing their best to harness modern technology for the purpose of treating addiction, building off innovations that may have been created for entirely different reasons. Today's dating app or self-driving car or video game could lead to tomorrow's cure for addiction. Only time will tell.
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