acupuncture for Addictions and harm reduction
Connecting people to care
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We can set up a group acupuncture clinic in any addictions or harm reduction setting
Crossroads’ experienced team can trauma-informed and best practices acupuncture care to any recovery or harm reduction program to provide care for staff and/or for patients. We can set up mobile clinics within homeless shelters, community centers, or anywhere people can sit in a regular chair. We draw from successful acupuncture-based addiction programs that have been shown to reduce anxiety, cravings, and substance use. We also facilitate trauma-informed meditation workshops for providers as well as people in recovery.
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Getting care at our clinics
Acupuncture and acudetox can be an adjunctive support for people struggling with adictions. If you’re ready to stop, we will connect you with comprehensive recovery services. If you’re just thinking about stopping, but not ready, it’s ok, we will meet you where you at and we can connect you with services like counseling, case management, buprenorphine, medical care, and self help. If you have a pain problem, as well, your insurance may cover your acupuncture sessions. If not, for patients who enroll in Amador Recovery Project’s harm reduction or treatment services, we have sliding scale and free clinics that we can connect you with.
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Training recovery and harm reduction workers on the front lines
We train addictions program in the acudetox group-based care, as well as trauma-informed meditation and ear acupressure, to help their patients cope with stress, cravings, and anxiety. Acudetox has been recognized as a best practice for addictions by SAMSHA. Students are eligible to become licensed in the state of NM as an Certified Auricular Detoxification Specialist (CADS). Students of ours serve refugee care, homeless clinics, jails, drug courts, schools, churches, as well as recovery programs.
“I was fascinated by the group atmosphere because, in this program, every day the clients would get up in the morning, come together in a group and get ear acupuncture. A lot of them weren’t people who were comfortable sitting in a group or in silence, and there they were in this almost meditative state. As a counselor, I heard a lot about how much it helped them to get clean, to stay calm, to feel like themselves, to help with withdrawals.”
—Ryan Bemis, Director of Crossroads Acupuncture
Sun News , (Interview with Zak Hanson)
Amador recovery project
Crossroads’ partner for offering Comprehensive Support for Substance Use
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Are you struggling with drug cravings, withdrawal, or anxiety? Our acudetox program can assist with addictions, harm reduction and recovery including smoking cessation. If you enroll in Amador’s recovery program, you will have regular access to acudetox, and discounted full body acupuncture services at Crossroads Acupuncture. The sessions last 30-45 minutes and are very relaxing while at the same time provide a quick and easy treatment to slide into a busy day.
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Our individualized approach meets you where you are at. With counseling, we’ll support you with your emotional problems related to alcohol and drug use, trauma, cognitive distortions, or negative thinking, mood swings, daily stressors and other behavioral health issues. If you’re not ready to stop using, but you still want support, or even if you are just thining of reducing drug use, Amador’s counselors meet you where you are at, and work with you towards supporting your self care.
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We offer Non-Medical Case Management to guide and assist you in finding the social services with the support and resources you need. We support your goals to help improve your healthcare, especially with Suboxone and Naltrexone medication adherence. Our services may extend home delivery of medications to you for supervised dosing. We may also offer you contingency management with incentives for recovery progress.
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If you want to get off or reduce opioids, heroin, or other prescription painkillers, we will support you on your path. We arrange appointments at Amador or with other community providers to obtain buprenorphine/Sublocade or naltrexone/Vivitrol for opioid use disorders (OUD). Oral or injective naltrexone may also be prescribed for alcohol use disorders (AUD). Our providers can also offer to accompany you to medical appointment for increased support.
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Self Management and Recovery Training is open to anywone with any kind of addiction. It helps folks build and maintain motivation, cope with urges, manage thoughts/feelings/behaviors and live a balanced life.
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Whether you want to stay clean or reduce your substance use, Amador Recovery Project’s Relapse Prevention (or Use Recurrence) program can help you as you work towards your goals. These services include in-person classes, online self-study, as well as an application for your smartphone. You don’t have to go through this alone.
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If you inject drugs, we do not judge. We will help you stay safe and care for your health and well-being. You can achieve a better quality of life-related to substance use, and you don’t have to go through this alone.
The experience of acupuncture and acudetox
Most people feel extremely calm, less defensive, and report reduced drug cravings.
But…
how does
acupuncture
help with addictions?
Acupuncture and acudetox can be a "gateway" treatment for people who are thinking about or ready to stop or reduce drug use. This style of acupuncture is known to activate the vagus nerve. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural opiates, and helps regulate seratonin and dopamine, the brain chemicals involved with addiction. It provides deep relaxation and helps restore internal harmony, which supports the patient in their own process of recovery. Research supports the use of Acudetox to improve retention rates, reduce program costs and reduce recidivism.
12 years
in the borderlands
solidary with addictions workers
Trauma-informed..Client-centered
Down-to-earth care…Everyday people
Acupuntura para tod@s
INTEGRATING ACUPUNCTURE WITH OTHER HOLISTIC Therapies
We have seen that everyone has more capacity within them to manage pain, emotional distress, and chronic illness. Our commitment is to help you tap into that inner resilience. We will empower you with simple but powerful activities for you to take your healthcare back into your own hands.
Meditation Training &Acu
You don’t need any prior experience. Difficulty sitting in silence? No problem. Targettting your needs and tuning into your limitations, Dr. Bemis will teach you how to incorporate breathwork, movement, and simple meditation and mindfulness exercises into your daily life. Each session will also include a full acupuncture treatment.
Resililence Coaching +Acu
Wanting to make changes in your life? Recovering from illness or trauma? Dr. Bemis helps you tap into that inner resilience where transformation is possible. He’ll work with you to bring tools into your daily life that will help you transform pain into potential. You’ll also receive an acupuncture treatment to cultivate insight and inner resolve.
Trauma & Tension Release Exercises(TRE)
Dr. Bemis will teach and guide you through a series of exercises designed to activate reflexes deep inside your nervous system and fascial system, which will allow your body to literally shake off stress, tension and anxiety. Acupuncture is optional as a support to your integration process.