Historically, the Russian state’s drug treatment technology is referred to as “narcology.” It is an outgrowth of old Russian psychiatry. Treatment typically consisted only of a heavily medicalized detoxification or may be followed with a course of antipsychotic medications or barbiturates. Drug or alcohol rehabilitation treatment centers that offer more extensive treatment are likely to use hypnotic techniques to implant the idea in the addict that if they drink or use drugs again, they will die. According to several reports, “only about a third of Russia’s regions have any treatment facilities at all. And the results from treatment facilities, when they do exist, are disappointing. Some reports state that 90 percent of addicts relapse in a year or less. In very few cases do any drug treatment centers attempt to teach an addict how to live a drug-free life.”
Now, new clinics are forming to help update treatment methods based on Western Models of Alcohol Rehabilitation utilizing the 12 Step Model of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is time to bring treatment out of the shadows. Help is possible for alcohol and drug addiction. Thanks to Sara Rozin and an international program department at Baylor, I participated as a subject matter expert on addiction, stress management, smoking cessation and more to Russia and trained psychologists, Narcologists, HR departments on how to assess and treat addiction. In addition, we helped develop a wellness program on Sakhalin Island. What an exciting time and wonderful experience. By the way, I have an undergraduate degree in Russian, so this made the experience that much more rewarding. One of my most memorable experiences was walking by this church during a service and standing in wonder and awe as the nuns chanted along with the priests during a series. Sakhalin Russian Orthodox Church
