Addiction has been part of the human story for as long as we have records. Throughout history, people have been seeking ways to alter their state of mind using plants, alcohol and illicit drugs. For nearly as long, people have been trying to find ways to overcome addiction. Unfortunately, the history of addiction treatment includes methods that were ineffective and unpleasant.
The good news is that today’s addiction treatment options combine evidence-based methods with compassionate care. While we don’t know everything about how addiction was treated throughout the ancient world, there are a decent number of reports on treatment methods from the last 300 years.
History of Addiction Treatment Methods
Psychology is a relatively young discipline in the medical field. While doctors, clinicians and therapists are continuing to refine their methods as they discover more about how the brain works, mental health and addiction treatment have come a long way.
While addiction has a profound impact on an individual’s physical health, doctors generally categorize it as a psychological issue due to its overlapping symptoms with other mental illnesses.
The 1700s: Addiction Treatment and the Recognition of Alcoholism
Alcoholism was one of the first addictions to be professionally recognized and treated, largely because of the wide availability of alcohol over the centuries. In 1774, French-born American abolitionist and educator Anthony Benezet wrote The Mighty Destroyer Displayed. This was the first essay ever published in the United States about alcoholism, or what he called the “abuse of distilled spirituous liquors.”
Ten years later, Dr. Benjamin Rush further expounded on the dangers of alcohol in excess in his work, An Inquiry Into the Effects of Ardent Spirits Upon the Human Body and Mind. This short book detailed the problems he observed with alcohol abuse, including organ damage, impaired judgment, moral decay and domestic violence. Rush believed physicians should treat alcoholism and advocated for sober houses and rehabilitation homes for those living with addiction, laying the groundwork for the creation of rehab.
Benezet and Rush weren’t the only ones exploring the problems associated with addiction as well as possible treatments. The history of alcoholism treatment features numerous individuals who built their own philosophies and various cures — some of which are disturbing by today’s standards.
Early 1800s: Morphine Treatment
While opiates have been used recreationally and in medicine for thousands of years, morphine wasn’t isolated until 1804. Doctors immediately recognized its therapeutic possibilities and promptly used it to treat a wide range of disorders. Unfortunately, its addictive nature was grossly underestimated.
Many doctors used morphine as a treatment for alcoholism. When its habit-forming properties came to light, the medical community’s consensus was that morphine addiction was a better alternative to alcoholism. At the time, many claimed it was less harmful and destructive.
Unfortunately, replacing one powerful addiction with another was an ineffective approach to treating alcoholism. Today, we recognize the addictive nature of opioids such as morphine and have targeted opioid addiction treatment plans for those seeking recovery.
1870s-1890s: The Keeley Cure
In 1879, a Civil War surgeon named Leslie Keeley founded the Keeley Institute in Illinois. There, he treated alcohol addiction with what he called the Gold Cure — an injected cocktail that was 28% alcohol and contained compounds such as ammonium chloride, strychnine and boric acid.
By the 1890s, the Keeley Institute had franchises in every state and nearly every county. Unsurprisingly, the treatment brought on numerous side effects, ranging from mild adverse issues and an increased risk of relapse to further addiction and even death.
By the 1910s, criticism of the cocktail was mounting. The medical community began to criticize the Gold Cure as unscientific and ineffective at best and dangerous and deadly at worst. Doctors administering this treatment were called quacks, and over the next 2 decades, nearly all Keeley Institute franchises closed.
1930s: Lobotomy
First performed in 1936 by Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz, lobotomies rank among the more unsettling treatments for addiction. Moniz’s procedure involved injecting alcohol into the frontal lobes of the brain to destroy tissue. He believed this could alter his patients’ behavior. American neurosurgeons Walter Freeman and James Watts performed the first lobotomy in the United States, taking the procedure a step further by severing the nerves between the prefrontal cortex and thalamus.
Lobotomies peaked in popularity in the 1950s as a treatment for addiction and other mental disorders. This invasive procedure came with severe complications, including seizures, internal bleeding, memory loss, personality changes and death. Despite initial recognition as a medical breakthrough, even earning Moniz a Nobel Prize, lobotomies quickly fell out of favor due to their significant risks and ineffectiveness. By the 1950s, lobotomies became less common as more effective, less invasive treatments were developed.
1930s-1960s: Aversion Therapy
One such treatment was aversion therapy, which we recognize as the first systematic behavioral approach to treating addiction and any other behaviors considered deviant. The foundational idea of this treatment was to create unpleasant associations with drug or alcohol use. For example, psychiatrists or psychologists would have a patient drink alcohol and then subject them to physical punishments, such as electric shocks or drugs that induced vomiting.
By the 1960s, these methods were called into question and deemed cruel, unethical and ineffective. While treatment modalities have fortunately evolved, we continue to recognize the connection between addiction and physical discomfort. We take a different approach, however, using drugs such as Naltrexone, Campral and Antabuse to diminish cravings, reduce withdrawal symptoms and keep relapse at bay.
The History of Addiction Treatment Isn’t Pleasant, But We’ve Come a Very Long Way
While many of these methods are difficult to imagine, the one thing we can thank them for is the role they played in getting addiction treatment to where it is today. These days, we have medications that help individuals in recovery, along with therapeutic and holistic methods to support long-term sobriety. We recognize that an effective treatment plan employs a well-rounded approach that uses a variety of strategies and methods.
As of 2020, more than 40 million Americans had a substance use disorder, but only 6.5% received treatment. Today’s mental health professionals use evidence-based methods with cutting-edge therapies to develop individualized treatment plans. Each addiction is unique and requires a targeted approach as well as compassionate care.
In rehab, clients can expect:
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Nutrition counseling
- Trauma therapy
- Appropriate medication and supplements for their needs
- Alternative therapies, such as EMDR and DBT
- Support
- Self-care
Addiction Treatment Should Be Welcomed, Not Feared
When a person is in active addiction, they need evidence-based, individualized treatment. While some fear treatment because it requires stepping into the unknown, it’s important to look at rehab as a step toward growth and recovery and not as an admission that the addiction has won.
At FHE, we use a variety of treatment strategies to help individuals recover from addiction. Contact us today to discuss our programs.
