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Substance abuse causes damage
to the brain’s all-important mood regulatory system.
The Method is designed to holistically repair this system,
and provide our clients with the tools required to sustain
proper functioning after treatment.
The Marshak Method™
is a unique, patent pending, methodology for treating chemically
dependent adults based on holistic and scientific principles.
The Marshak Method™ of Brain Building and Mind Reconstruction™
uses DNA testing of specific genes related to addiction
and tailors the treatment for each individual based on their
unique genetic profile. The Marshak Method™ uses a
comprehensive approach incorporating exercise, nutritional
supplements and diet to quickly and efficiently restore
brain chemistry, and rejuvenate the body’s reward
system. The Marshak Approach™ includes individual,
group, and family therapy, along with the 12-Step philosophy
for the foundation of recovery.
1. Confidential Genetic Testing
identifies variations in a number of genes which can predict
predisposition to addictive disorders. Both the exercise
program and the bio-active food supplements are individually
tailored for each client based on the results of genetic
testing.
2. Bio-Active Food Supplements
are prescribed to neutralize genetic deficiencies, and compliment
the Marshak Method™ Exercise Program by working in
synergy to enhance the ability of the exercise regime to
elevate mood and sustain a sense of well-being.
3. The Marshak Method™
Exercise Program is based on a unique combination of exercises,
carefully chosen by Dr. Marshak over the years, and specifically
designed to enhance our clients' mood and sustain the resulting
sense of well-being. There are three types of exercises:
Energy Replenishment, Energy Enhancement, and Calming Release.
4. The Marshak Recovery Diet
is based on the finest traditions of French cuisine and
a combination of low glycemic principles effectively minimizes
mood swings, and is designed to make our clients energetic
rather than sleepy after meals.
5. The Psycho-Spiritual Component
of the Program is based on applying the principles of the
12-Step program with the guidance of certified addictions
counselors, and includes individual and group therapy with
Ph.D. and Masters level therapists who are experienced in
treating addiction. In addition, didactic lectures about
the cycle and process of addiction/recovery are presented
several times a week by Dr. Yakov Marshak, and other leaders
in the field. This component of the program helps our clients
understand the addictive process, and learn important sober
thinking and decision making skills. Our experienced staff
supports and empowers our clients in learning how to become
more responsible, organized, and efficient individuals.
At the Marshak Clinic, clients
have a full daily schedule. The day begins at 7 a.m. and
ends at 11 p.m. There is little free time. All modalities
are integrated into one comprehensive program in which all
our clients engage. Each part of the schedule has been carefully
designed to help our clients efficiently achieve long term
sobriety. Our clients learn the essentials of each modality
as well as how to identify and handle the tipping points
of his/her recovery. Our clients are taught how to responsibly
respond to cravings, and maintain long term sobriety through
regular practice of the Marshak MethodTM’s nutritional,
physical, and psychological principles.
Addiction has a strong genetic
component. Genetics contributes as much as 40-60% of the
reason a person becomes an addict. Scientific research over
the past decade has identified a growing number of gene
variations which predispose people to addiction. A deviation
in these genes can cause a shift in one of the many biochemical
reactions in the brain, which are responsible for mood and
behavior. The resulting biochemical imbalance can lead to
chronic dysphoria, and make a person so desperate for relief
that he or she seeks drugs to alleviate the emotional pain.
Marshak Clinic scientists
conduct a genetic analysis each time a new client is admitted.
Results are completely confidential, and indicate whether
the individual client carries deviations on the genes which
can cause mood dysregulation. Within four days, Dr. Marshak
has enough information about the client’s genetic
profile to create an individually tailored treatment plan
for Brain Building and Mind ReconstructionTM. Six years
of genetic testing at the Marshak Clinic in Moscow has demonstrated
that understanding the genetic make-up of addiction-prone
genes significantly increases the positive outcome of the
Marshak Method™.
Foods served by the Marshak
Clinic chefs help our clients achieve a “stimulatory”
satisfaction from food that does not incorporate sugars,
white flours, and other high glycemic products. Eating according
to this method effectively reduces excessive appetite and
overeating. A low-glycemic diet will help reduce mood swings
and promotes a physiologically healthy body.
The Marshak Clinic diet is
based on the finest traditions of French Cuisine which has
always been famous for its elegance and fine combinations
of elements of taste. If the titles of the recipes included
here sound “fancy” and “gourmet”
it is because they are – but they are also delicious
and very easy to prepare.
I am frequently asked why
the Marshak Clinic's approach to treatment and rehabilitation
incorporates a specific diet, shares Dr. Marshak.
Every individual habitually eats foods for which he or she
has developed a “liking.” The choice is largely
determined by the culture in which one lives, as well as
family traditions. Food satisfies the physiological needs
of our body, and at the same time provides feelings of relief
and satisfaction by taking away the unpleasant state of
hunger while promoting a pleasant feeling of contentment
and relaxation.
In today's world people very
often are faced with a conflict between the two means of
obtaining a sense of reward from the food they eat: some
foods are healthier than others from the physiological perspective,
but not very satisfying; others, the so-called “comfort
foods” satisfy intrinsically, but are often not very
healthy. By nature, the desire for intrinsic satisfaction
usually prevails over the needs to eat foods that maintain
the physiological health of the body. Our desire to get
satisfaction and a “rewarding” feeling from
the consumption of sugary and high-glycemic foods has contributed
to an increase in diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, stroke,
and heart attack, as well as a number of gastrointestinal
diseases such as gastritis, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease,
hepatitis, and duodenal and peptic ulcers. At the same time,
sugary foods promote the development of ulcerative colitis
in large intestine, and create constipation which leads
to the accumulation of toxins in the body. In addition,
high-glycemic, sugary foods actively promote pathology of
the male and female sexual organs.
Along with contributing to
the spread of disease in our bodies, unlimited intake of
“tranquilizing,” soothing high-glycemic, sugary
foods also create problems in the psychological sphere by
destabilizing the internal homeostasis. This destabilization
manifests itself as the “sugar blues,” bipolar
depression, various psychoses, and addictions to alcohol,
opiates, etc.
Many dietitians recommend
diets which are physiologically sound, but have an inherent
weak point because the foods included in these diets do
not provide much feeling of “reward,” or satisfaction
after eating. Consequently, it is for this reason most people
can only follow such diets for a few weeks, and soon afterwards
revert to their previous methods of obtaining satisfaction
from their favorite foods and their habitual lifestyle.
There are two kinds of “reward”
or “satisfaction” feelings that human beings
can experience. The first is “relaxation,” or
the feeling of being soothed and relaxed; and the second
is the rewarding sense of feeling active – energetic
and enthusiastic. People use various recreational psychoactive
substances, i.e., “downers” and “uppers”
because these substances affect the mood state. The food
we eat can, in the same manner, affect our mood, and cause
us to have either the first or the second kind of feeling.
When we satisfy ourselves
with sweet, soothing foods we are not able to rapidly disconnect
from the desire to eat more, and consequently tend to overeat.
By contrast, foods that are “stimulatory” effectively
eliminate the excessive desire to eat in a way that is similar
in action to amphetamines.
All the animals on Earth breathe,
drink water, eat, sleep, procreate, and eliminate waste.
Those are simple behaviors that serve the survival goals
of the creature and ensure propagation of the species.
All the animals, including
humans, keep using these simple behaviors because of two
reasons: if they abstain from doing them for a long enough
period of time they will experience an increasing feeling
of dysphoria that gradually becomes intolerable. But when
animals perform these behavioral acts their internal state
immediately transitions from dysphoria to euphoria. The
resulting sense of instant gratification causes those experiences
to become deeply imprinted into our unconscious memory as
the most favorable and desirable behaviors. This type of
behavior in human beings I term “natural addictions.”
Pathological addictions are
organized in a similar way to “natural addictions,”
but in contrast to “natural addictions” cause
damage to the human organism.
I have come to understand that addiction has two "requirements":
1. If the individual persistently
experiences unpleasant mood states such as depression, anxiety,
or a number of other conditions as a consequence of inadequate
mood regulation system which is either genetically derived,
or unbalanced as a result of poor nutrition, and/or use
of alcohol or drugs in the attempt to relieve suffering
– which progressively intensifies and becomes intolerable
if the individual attempts to stop using alcohol and/or
drugs.
2. Each successive instance
of using alcohol and/or drugs for relief increases the individual's
unconditional and unconscious love for the chemical. In
fact, the deeper the suffering, the stronger the craving
for the “beloved” drug becomes, because it provides
instant – but short-lived – relief.
Such "love" for
alcohol or the drug-of-choice, once formed, stays with the
person for life. To someone who is addicted, and is living
in a continuous state of dysphoria, the “beloved”
drug becomes as important as the air they breathe. This
is why it is so difficult to recover from the disease of
addiction.
For those who persistently
suffer from chronic depression, any chemical substances
or behaviors which give instant gratification are potentially
addictive.
When the use of such chemicals or behaviors begins to interfere
with a person's life – causing damage to health and
interpersonal relationships, and leading to work or legal
problems – the addiction becomes progressively and
inevitably pathological.
Chemicals that can cause pathological
addiction include alcohol, opiates (heroin, morphine, codeine),
prescription pain killers (Oxycontin, Vicodin, Methadone,
Hydrocodone), stimulatory substances (amphetamine, Ritalin,
methamphetamine, ephedrine, cocaine, ecstasy), tetrahydrocannabinols
(hashish, marijuana), prescription tranquilizers (Valium,
Rohypnol), nervous system depressants (GHB), dissociative
anesthetics (Ketamine, PCP), inhalants.
There are only two paths to
ending the vicious cycle of addiction - the first is to
eliminate the addicted individual's "love" for
the substance; and the second is to somehow help him or
her live in a persistent state of a well-being and euphoria.
Unfortunately, all the attempts
to eliminate "love" or craving for the addictive
substance – using hypnosis, aversion therapy, and
even neurosurgery – have not proven reliable.
The Marshak Method™
focuses on the second path. We have designed a comprehensive
program targeted at restoring and maintaining our clients'
mood regulation system which has been weakened by genetic
factors from birth, or damaged by substance abuse.
The Program’s residential
and transitional modules are designed to make our clients
naturally balanced and well for the rest of their lives.
Over the last 12 years in Russia, thousands of hopelessly
addicted people were successfully treated using the Marshak
Approach™. The combination of genetic testing, exercise,
food supplementation and recovery diet, as well as psycho-spiritual
treatment based on the 12-Steps, has made it possible for
these people to become happy and successful individuals
who today truly enjoy their sober life style.
- Dr. Yakov Marshak, MD
| Ask Dr. Marshak a Question
We have so much confidence
in the effectiveness of the Marshak Method™ of Brain
Building and Mind Reconstruction™, that we are willing
to back it by offering an additional week of treatment for
two years after discharge – free of charge –
to any client who is struggling with a relapse after her
or she has successfully completed the 28-day residential
program, and at least 30 days of the transitional program,
provided that the client contacts the Clinic within a week
of the relapse. In such an event, the client will only be
responsible for transportation to and from the Clinic, and
for the cost of detoxification, if necessary.
The Marshak Method™
is not just a temporary "band-aid" to cover inner
pain and sense of powerlessness, but a comprehensive program
that incorporates cutting-edge scientific research, nutritional
support, therapy, and the 12-steps. These are powerful tools
and that will help you make the right choices for the rest
of your life. The Method will give you the skills essential
required to maintain health, well-being, and sobriety. Your
body, mind, and spirit with thank you with renewed joy,
energy, and vitality.
The transition from a life
of misery and addiction to a life of well-being in recovery
takes strength and courage, and we are here to support you
in every step of that process.
QUESTION:
What causes addiction?
ANSWER: Addiction
is a disease affected by chemical substances (alcohol and
drugs) or certain behaviors (addictive behaviors such as
e.g. pathological gambling) which disrupt the proper functioning
of the reward system in the brain. Addictive substances
and behaviors possess three qualities:
1. They sharply elevate mood.
2. Discontinuation of their use causes withdrawal symptoms,
anxiety, and depression, which increase in direct proportion
to the amount of time the substances have been used or the
behavior practiced.
3. The substances and behavior patterns systematically damage
one’s physical and mental health.
QUESTION:
What kind of behavior patterns are related to addiction?
ANSWER: Addictions
can be behavioral and substantive; thus one can be addicted
to a behavior pattern as well as to a substance (drug/alcohol).
Behavioral addictions include gambling and danger-seeking
behavior such as high risk sex.
QUESTION:
What are substantive addictions (chemical dependencies)?
ANSWER: Substantive
addictions are those which involve the abuse of various
substances which create euphoria. There are two major types
of drugs: downers and uppers. Downers such as alcohol, opiates,
benzodiazepines, and barbiturates create a pleasant sense
of relaxation and tranquility. High glycemic, sugary foods
have the same “tranquilizing” effect. That is
why consumption of large amounts of sweets can be considered
an addiction.. Another group of drugs, known as "uppers,"
create feeling of excitement. This group of drugs includes
amphetamine, ephedrine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and others.
Yet another group of addictive substances can cause a feeling
of relaxation in some people, but stimulate others. This
group includes marijuana, caffeine, and alcohol, Not all
the people who try drugs become addicted to them. For example,
many people occasionally drink alcohol but only 10% of them
develop addiction to alcohol and become alcoholics.
QUESTION:
My son is being treated for drug addiction. It is difficult
to control his attraction to this poison, and in addition
a new strange behavior has appeared – my son has developed
a terrible sweet tooth. One of our relatives thinks it is
a positive that my son has replaced drugs with something
as harmless as sweets. Others say that all these sweets
are very unhealthy, and that after a while my son will either
start using drugs again, or will become a diabetic. Who
is right?
ANSWER: After
an individual stops using drugs he or she frequently throws
himself, or herself, into some other extreme. In his practice
Dr. Marshak has repeatedly encountered cases when former
patients will eat several pounds of ice cream or chocolate
in one sitting, or rapidly devour enormous amounts of cake.
These gluttonous attacks can regularly repeat. When sugar
enters the body the level of glucose in the system sharply
increases, and insulin is released. In turn, insulin contributes
to an increase in the concentration of special substance
in the brain called metenkephalin. Increase of the metenkephalin
in the brain has an effect similar to opioids. It creates
a feeling that one’s very soul has been enveloped
in sweetness and warmth.
Of course, a candy bar does
not affect the brain as powerfully as heroin, or a comparable
drug. The “high” one gets from piece of cake
is much weaker, and lasts for less time than a drug high.
However, sweets are absolutely capable of creating a cascade
of mood states similar to those experienced by drug users.
The impact of glucose on the organism is powerful enough
that addicts who stop using drugs often become “sugarholics,”
capable of consuming sweets by the pound.
Thus, it is essential that
when someone decides to stop using drugs for good, he or
she should also forget about eating sweets for a long time.
During the rehabilitative period his diet must exclude:
bananas, white flour in large quantities, grapes, melons,
watermelon, honey, corn, sugar, and potatoes. It is not
easy to change your eating habits; however, it is important
to do so, since hyperglycemic foods (foods that contain
lots of sugar or starch) also create “sugar blues”
that are very dangerous for a person in recovery. Over the
past 12 years Dr. Marshak developed a diet for people in
recovery. This diet is based on low glycemic principles
and incorporates foods that provide “stimulatory”
type of satisfaction. The Marshak Clinic Cookbook contains
hundreds of recipes which are easy to prepare. They are
so elegant and delicious your friends will think you are
a gourmet chef and never suspect they are part of a specialized
dietary regime.
QUESTION:
What are the short-term effects of marijuana use?
ANSWER: The
short-term effects of marijuana use are the following: memory
problems, distorted perception (vision, sounds, sense of
time, touch); difficulty thinking and problem solving; loss
of coordination; accelerated heart beat; fearfulness.
These effects get stronger
if marijuana was used together with other drugs. An addict
cannot always precisely determine if marijuana has been
laced with another drug.
QUESTION:
Does the use of marijuana have an effect on academic achievement,
sports performance, or other activities?
ANSWER: Certainly
it has an effect. Marijuana distorts one’s memory,
as well as the perception and evaluation of reality. The
use of this drug can create problems in school, in sports,
and with family and friends. If you feel unusually courageous
after using marijuana, you can go on to make some foolish
mistakes which will create problems, or even injure yourself
or others. People who smoke marijuana a lot can sometimes
lose interest in how they look, and in how they behave in
the school or at work. Athletes can discover that their
success is over: when the perception of time, motion, and
coordination are all under the strong influence of marijuana.
Moreover, since marijuana also acts on the cognitive processes
and problem-solving ability, addicts can forget about staying
safe when having sex, and frequently risk exposing themselves
to HIV.
QUESTION:
Does the use of marijuana lead to the use of other drugs?
ANSWER: Yes,
it can. Several long-term studies of adolescent addicts
show that very few of them began to use hard drugs without
first smoking marijuana. For example, one’s risk of
using heroin is 100 times greater in someone who has tried
marijuana, than in someone who has never used it. Marijuana
use connects children and adolescents with other drug users,
and those who sell the drugs. In this way those who smoke
marijuana are exposed to more pressure to try other drugs.
Addiction robs people of their
dignity and life before it kills them. We can help you achieve
sobriety now - and maintain it for life.
If you or a loved one needs help call our supportive intake
staff who will address your concerns and guide you through
the intake process:
(800) 366-8101, or email us
at info@marshakclinic.com
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