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A New Path on the Road to Recovery

By Stephanie Schneider, L.Ac., MTOM

Drug addiction has plagued our society for generations and yet today, the drugs have become more lethal, more accessible and infiltrated into all age groups and social strata. For a long time, recovery has been taboo and kept quiet in order to preserve the image of order and social acceptance. However, the growing body of knowledge regarding drug addiction has brought us into an era of greater understanding. Each year, as more and more young people in the prime of their lives die or are killed by those under the influence. Our society is awakened to the critical nature of this problem. Growing members of young people encounter these drugs in party and “rave” settings. Influences from Hollywood and pop culture strongly dictate the current trends yet some within it are the hardest hit by the drug culture. One need only look at film, music and sports celebrities that often appear in the headlines to see examples of serious drug addiction problems.

In mainstream medicine, no effective cure has been found to offer a reasonable rate of recovery for addiction to heroin, crack, crystal meth, and cocaine. The majority of the detox and rehabilitation programs is either utilizing a drug to replace the illicit substance, as in the case of methadone, and/or is strongly based in the 12-Step programs, such as N.A.M., C.A., AA. etc. There are also programs run under medical supervision in which the patient detoxes under anesthesia and opiate antagonistic drugs are administered, eliminating the drugs from the body. Needless to say, these “rapid detox” programs are risky and have lasting side effects. Many of them claim to eliminate drug addiction in eight to 24 hours. However, the physical strain from the anesthesia alone could be dangerous for addicts who are already health-compromised from the abuse of addiction. Several centers have very harsh methods of breaking the addiction “cold turkey” in which the patient is kept in the confines of his or her room, and suffers through the withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The philosophy behind this method is to awaken the addicts to the agony of getting “clean” and the discomfort that the drugs ultimately brought into their lives. Some of these programs are effective, the highest rate of recovery being from the 12-Step methods that strongly address lifestyle. A few alternative therapies exist. But most of them have not been thoroughly tested and a few, such as Ibogaine from Africa, have had grave consequences for some patients. Unfortunately, as with many alternative therapies, there is a lack of funding to sufficiently test the herbal remedies since they do not have the power and resources of the pharmaceutical industry behind them.

For the first time in the history of drug addiction therapy, a natural, completely herb and plant-based, scientifically tested anti-drug medication has emerged. This remedy has been the results of many years of arduous study and work, and specifically targets opiate addiction. In fact, it comes from a world very familiar with opiates in the form of opium. The formulation of plants and herbs comes from Vietnam, and was compiled by a revered herbalist and natural medical doctor, Tran Khoung Dan. Dr. Dan’s experience with drug addiction was inspired by personal experience that caused him to lose both his father and his brother. His brother died of an overdose and his father died a protracted death due to complications related to his addiction to opium. Dr. Dan decided to use his wisdom and the power of nature to find and test plants and herbs that could help lead to a cure for the affliction that robbed him of his family members. It took him 13 years, a great deal of political hardship due to the governing bodies in Vietnam, and overcoming many obstacles such as lack of funding and rather primitive modalities for study and research. However, Dr. Dan prevailed, and he formulated a remedy of strictly natural plants and herbs that began turning heads worldwide, due to its incredible efficacy and high level of safety. The result of his labor is HEA(N)TOS, a name that means “Medicinal Flower.”

Dr. Dan went so far as to addict himself to opium, only to use his own remedy to kick the overwhelming addiction. And, although the argument that addicts have a different chemical and genetic make-up that non-addicts exists, addictions also strongly run in families which would make Dan a more than likely candidate for the disease. HEA(N)TOS was also tested on numerous addicts with similar results. Patients reported no side effects, no cravings, reduced withdrawal symptoms, and in the first three days, a strong desire to sleep, which was a benefit to ease the strain and discomfort of the detoxification phase of treatment. Dr. Dan knew he was onto something groundbreaking and continued to further his belief that opiate addiction could be cured naturally, and without becoming addicted to other substances. The development of HEA(N)TOS took many years, during which other scientists and researchers came aboard the mission to find a cure. Vietnamese scientists at the Center for Science and Technology have been studying HEA(N)TOS for eight years. The testing has been done not only in laboratories, but also on addicted patients in the prisons and on volunteers that wanted to stop the addiction that was destroying their lives. However, from its conception, the main problem in studying and developing HEA(N)TOS has been the lack of funding. Vietnam, being a communist country and relatively closed to trade, has had to struggle with the lack of financial support in its endeavors. Relying heavily on the support of UNOPS and the U.N. for assistance in developing what the Center for Science and Technology believed to be a major breakthrough in treating opiate addiction, the Vietnamese hoped that the funding from these international institutions would be sufficient to keep the project alive. However, it was not, and for a few years, the Vietnamese scientists and researchers working on the project felt their efforts might have been lost. The U.N. and UNOPS were unable to raise funds in order to protect the project and continue its growth. It was only when the private sector became aware of the tremendous potential of this herbal anti-drug remedy that the funds were raised and a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Many countries, including Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and the United States expressed interest in hosting and developing HEA(N)TOS in their homelands, but the scientists and creators of HEA(N)TOS did not want to lose control of a project that so much of their efforts had gone into. It was also vital to the Vietnamese government that the very amicable relationship with the U.N. and UNOPS be revered and honored, and, therefore, any development of the project had to be in accordance with these two international organizations.

In 1994, the pieces began to fall into place and the future of HEA(N)TOS, on an international level, became more promising. The private sector, involving three countries, had come forward with significant funds that would assure the continued research and development of HEA(N)TOS, while making it more accessible to people from all regions of the world. The process of organizing and administering the clinical availability of HEA(N)TOS has already been in the making for the past four years. It is now, at the beginning of the new millennium, that HEA(N)TOS has already been in the making for the past four years. It is now, at the beginning of the new millennium, that HEA(N)TOS enters the Western world of drug treatment. Although HEA(N)TOS has been researched at Johns Hopkins Medical School of the years, it has always been protected from too much publicity, due to public cynicism over herbal remedies and a lack of enough clinical evidence for an affliction a serious as drug addiction. However, there is no way to conceal a remedy with the efficacy rate that this project from the mountains of Vietnam promises. It has taken several years and countless clinical hours to arrive at the juncture that HEA(N)TOS has now reached. The herbal remedy has been refined and standardized and has been tested on more than 10,000 patients. The remedy is administered in three very distinct parts considering the health and constitutional status of the addict being treated. HEA(N)TOS I, preferably administered within 12 hours of the last dose of the addict’s opiate of choice, is the detox phase. This phase commonly lasts three days, during which the patient usually sleeps for 10 to 15 hours daily and awakens a bit achy and sore. HEA(N)TOS I is followed by HEA(N)TOS II, which helps the patient to regain health and balance by eliminating cravings and residual withdrawal symptoms after the detox phase. Phase two is approximately 10 days long, and assists the patient in regaining equilibrium and reestablishing harmonious body rhythms, such as sleeping, eating and digestion. Frequently, patients in this phase begin feeling well again and some even report a sense of euphoria. This is considered the crucial phase since the patient feels well, but the process has not yet been completed, so the patient may still be somewhat vulnerable to addictive habits. Therefore, the patients must be monitored as closely during phase two as in phase one. Finally, HEA(N)TOS III is administered and has multi-fold purposes. This phase continues along the same lines as phase two, by continuing to strengthen and “rebuild” the patient while eliminating cravings and enhancing the sense of health. Generally, this phase lasts three months, although it is sometimes extended up to six months.

The three phases are comprised of variations of the same 13 herbs that constitute HEA(N)TOS, although the ratios and combinations vary from phase to phase. Most of the herbs are not uncommon, although several are indigenous to Vietnam. Dr. Dan spent years in the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam seeking and harvesting different plants and herbs for his cause. Currently, the Vietnamese Center for Science and Technology is bringing some of the plants and herbs to Hanoi, Vietnam, to test their ability to grow and thrive in varying climates and terrain. These tests will continue over a period of several years in order to reveal whether the plants in question are hardy species. In all of the documented cases of HEA(N)TOS, no known adverse reactions or allergies to the formula have been reported. Sound too good to be true? That’s what many think and feel, until they witness the process in action.

Although further research is necessary, HEA(N)TOS shows true promise on the road to recovery. There are few, if any, safe and natural methods of breaking the cycle of opiate addiction. The problem of drug addiction had reached widespread proportions and now, more than ever, a safe alternative to the drug treatments is necessary. And, this is where HEA(N)TOS has been shown to be remarkably effective. This is not to say that counseling and a search for a root of the problem is not merited and needed for a complete recovery. Yet, it is crucial to use whatever resources are available to help those suffering from their addictions in order for them to live healthy, full and productive lives. It is the author’s firm belief that, for a complete recovery, a holistic approach is necessary. And, this would require a variety of methods, including a spiritual, emotional and psychological approach. In order to build a strong fortress to combat drug addiction, the more knowledge, inner strength and physiological balance that one can obtain, the greater the chances are for a full recovery. Certainly, HEA(N)TOS’ ability to detox, rebalance and eliminate the distressing symptoms that interfere with recovery makes HEA(N)TOS a remarkable ally in the “war on drugs.”

So what is in store for HEA(N)TOS? Currently, treatment centers are being established in the Western world. The delicate balance of governing bodies has taken HEA(N)TOS to international lands under the umbrella of the U.N. and UNOPS. The world of drug treatment moves forward, and it seems that HEA(N)TOS is at present on the cutting edge of opening the doors for the acceptance of alternative modalities in treating today’s common maladies.