A Cure for Addiction?

If it were possible for addicts and alcoholics to take a medication that would cure them, would 12-step recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous become unnecessary? The question arises because, in some corners of the recovery community, the word "cure" is being whispered about much-hyped new treatments such as the drug Prometa.

Matthew Torrington is a Los Angeles addiction-medicine doctor who has been promoting Prometa, especially for crystal meth addiction, which has a particularly high relapse rate. Recently, Torrington was quoted in the New York Times Magazine as saying,

"With the scientific advances we're making in understanding how the human brain works, there's no reason we can't eradicate addiction in the next 20 or 30 years. We can do it by fixing the part of the brain that turns on you during drug addiction and encourages you to kill yourself against your will. I think addiction is the most beatable of all the major problems we face."

But if it turns out that there is a medical solution to what many see as a spiritual disease, what would be lost? Clearly, my belief is that 12-step programs are the best hope for not only stopping addiction but also leading a happy life. In fact, I believe that The Principles behind 12-step recovery are the key to a better world for everyone, addicts and non-addicts alike.

The medical definition of addiction can be deeply threatening to people, like me, who have invested their lives in 12-step recovery. Although I have been able to stay sober, I understand that there are many people who do not, and some who die before they have given themselves a real chance. And, in that respect, I can understand that a medicine capable of alleviating craving would be helpful.

However, I also know that simple abstinence from drugs and alcohol brings little happiness to someone with an addictive personality. Although the outside devastation may stop with abstinence, the deep spiritual pain that drives most addicts to destructive behavior remains. Most alcoholics and addicts in early sobriety would love the excuse to take a pill and avoid the painful self-searching and service work now required for most people to stay sober. Although we addicts will go to any lengths for our drugs and alcohol, we are seldom as motivated in positive endeavors if an easier alternative exists.

I also question whether an addict who stops using with the help of Prometa will stay stopped without psychological and spiritual help. In all fairness, Prometa advocates do not make the claim this claim. But they may be disingenuous in suggesting that addicts, once the heat of active addiction is medically relieved, will eagerly pursue soul searching, embarrassing disclosures and countless hours helping others. Beyond soul searching, though, addiction often strikes the poor and treatments like Prometa carry a price tag of around $15,000 a year while 12-step programs are completely free.

Addiction is a life and death issue so all avenues toward relief are worth pursuing. And, god knows, one can't pursue spiritual growth if you've overdosed and died. But having seen people transformed spiritually in 12-step programs, I think the price for a cure may be awfully high.