I will outline two areas of transformative treatment development that have emerged in the past ten years for people with addiction – a pharmacotherapy and a psychotherapy.

In fact, research on the first – Entheogens – was showing effective results for alcoholism over 70 years ago before the “War on Drugs” was subsequently initiated in the USA in 1971 putting a stop to all therapeutic efforts. However, the use of entheogenic medications that can induce spiritual experiences (esp psilocybin, LSD and DMT) is being rediscovered in the West, and promising research findings published.

The second area – Emotionally Focused Therapy – was developed primarily as an intervention for troubled couples 40 years ago, but in recent times has been expanded to include troubled individuals and families, and including people with addiction. Many people with addiction began using drugs and consuming other addictive products medicinally, as comforts and distractants, for a range of underlying traumas and miseries. Recovery from (moderate-severe) addiction begins with acceptance of having an addiction problem and initiating a severing of the relationship with the addiction product. However, the underlying traumas and miseries not only generally remain in place but can often become even more distressing to the individual with abstinence and negatively impact their already dysfunctional relationships. EFT is a therapy aimed at healing these underlying traumas, miseries and broken relationships through facilitating greater attachment security (love), both with other people especially primary love relationships, as well as self-love.