When it comes to addiction, a quick fix isn’t necessarily the best one. Laurie Mallis, MD, says she sees many patients who recognize that fact and prefer alternative treatments to help them overcome addiction. “Even though I am a western-trained physician, I only use energy treatments to help deal with these types of ailments,” she says.

Mallis says some of the most common addictions she sees are substance abuse (alcohol, recreational drugs, painkillers, smoking); compulsive behavior (food, shopping, gambling, exercise, gaming, Internet); self-harm (hair pulling, cutting, picking); and love (emotional codependency). “With many types of alternative treatment continuing to come to the forefront, different treatments can be utilized to help combat addictive behavior,” she says. “Currently we are using four types of energy treatment to help our patients on their path to overcoming addiction: medical acupuncture, Ondamed Biofeedback Therapy, reflexology and reiki.”

Energy treatments can be an effective and lasting option for people with a true desire to heal from addiction, Mallis says. “It requires an individual to be willing to go on a very personal journey. It is not a quick fix, but rather a process whereby emotional and physical issues are dealt with based on the desire to get well.” She compares the process to peeling away layers of an onion. “The first layers are very easy to get to, while the deeper ones require a bit of work. Anyone who has the deep desire to change their behavior and truly wants to heal will be able to work with any type of energy healing, either as a stand-alone therapy or, more likely, as an addition to other treatments.”

Laurie R. Mallis, MD, is owner of SearchLight Medical, 2345 Route 52, Suite 1F, Hopewell Junction, NY. For info, visit SearchLightMedical.com or call 845.592.4310.