Smartphone Technology Helps in The Fight Against Drug Addiction Relapse
With all the research going into understanding drug addiction, few studies have given much insight into what happens in the moment a recovering addict relapses. We know it’s a complicated mixture of genetics and environmental factors, but is there a common thread in the circumstances that surround the instant an addict falls off the wagon? Laboratory experiments are not equipped to answer such questions, so the National Institute of Health (NIH) has designed a different approach to the investigation of this perplexing problem.
The NIH has set-up this program in conjunction with a methadone rehabilitation clinic in Baltimore. They take an innovative approach in their treatment program that is the first of its kind. Each participant is provided methadone, counseling and drug testing, but the twist is unlike most traditional rehabilitation services they do not kick out those that relapse. In fact, with the assistance of smartphones and GPS they take the opportunity to learn from the patient’s relapse experience.
How Does a Smartphones Help Us Understand Addiction?
There are currently 80 subjects from the methadone clinic participating in the NIH study, each one of whom is armed with a smartphones and a GPS that tracks their location. The participants tell the phone whenever they are having a craving and also if they do happen to use. The smartphone also has an alarm that is programmed to go off three times a day at arbitrary intervals and prompts the person to answer the following questions:
- Where are you?
- What are you doing?
- How are you feeling?
The GPS provides a wealth of information. Once they have enough data, researchers can follow the path of participants who stay sober versus the ones who use. Finding out where people are when they experience cravings or relapse may provide insight into the instant someone decides to use or may show there are areas that provide a high risk of relapse for those in recovery.
In the Future, Smartphones May Become A Type of Mobile Drug Counselor
The researchers are mapping out the neighborhoods of Baltimore for potential risk of drug use through the participants feedback. This information may someday be used as part of drug treatment. If the study shows particular neighborhoods, blocks, etc that provide a high danger of relapse then the smartphones can provide support to the patient in recovery by suggesting a less risky route to take. Or if an individual tells the phone they are having a craving it can flash a supportive reminder such as “On average drug cravings pass after 20 minutes. You can make it through.” In the moment, non-judgmental support can be a priceless asset to someone navigating drug rehabilitation.
Do you think the advice of a technical device would provide the support a human being needs when they are at their most vulnerable for a drug relapse? Let us know your thoughts and ideas below.
