Addicted to the Alternative

Do you have mood swings if you can't get to see your complementary therapist? Do you try to hide the amount of money you spend on treatments? According to new research, you could be one of the 2m Britons "addicted" to alternative medicine.

Figures from the Institute for Complementary Medicine suggest 20m of us have had some form of alternative therapy (an 80% increase over the last 10 years) and 2m may show signs of an unhealthy addiction.

According to Dr Robert Lefever of the Promis Recovery Centre for treating addictions "People don't realise that you can get addicted to virtually any type of behaviour that has a mood-altering affect".

German researchers at the University of Bremen have proved that it's just as easy to get addicted to "healthy" activities such as exercise and massage. When we experience pleasure, chemicals such as endorphins are released into the body and can form a natural addiction.

While regular treatments can be very beneficial, any behaviour is dangerous when it becomes an obsession. As Dr Simon Kuter of Third Space Medicine explains, "You know your behaviour has turned into an unhealthy compulsion when it starts to damage and interfere with other areas of your life. When you can no longer do something in moderation or have any control over your behaviour".

Thursday, 1 November 2001