A new study from the University of South Carolina (USC) showed very encouraging results for a nutritional supplement for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug addiction. When combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a supplement called N-acetylcysteine (NAC) appears to be more effective than SSRI anti-depressants to alleviate depression and reduce drug cravings.
PTSD and drug addiction often go hand in hand. To truly help these people, you must address both. Depression is a hallmark of PTSD. In the USC study, depression was reduced by 48% in the NAC-plus-CBT group vs. 15% in the CBT-only group. Cravings (which drive relapse) for illicit drugs was reduced by 81% in the NAC-plus-CBT group vs. 32% in the CBT-only group. The researchers stressed that NAC alone should not be used as a substitute for CBT, but should be used in combination.
Comments: I am using using NAC and CBT for my PTSD and addiction patients. This is usually combined with intravenous nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) for even better results. If you or someone you love is suffering from PTSD and/or drug abuse, please click here for more information about our approach.
