A New Prescription for Addiction

Is Someone You Love a “Secret” Addict? Help Free Your Loved Ones from Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Prescription Drug, or other Substance Abuse with MD’s Groundbreaking Treatment & Book You’d never see them at a methadone clinic, or an addiction recovery center. They won’t be hanging out on street corners, nodding off or staggering around. They’ve good jobs, good incomes, and all the trappings of success. But when they think nobody’s looking…they’re popping the pills or hitting the bottle. They need help…but they’re not ready to ask. And by the time their loved ones finally demand that they seek help, that carefully composed life will be starting to unravel. For the first time, a doctor has developed an addiction and alcoholism control program especially for hidden addicts—people whose lives look just fine on the outside, but underneath, they’re driven by stress into addictive, destructive behaviors. Dr. Richard Gracer has pioneered a revolutionary multi-step treatment protocol that addresses substance abuse cravings and their underlying causes through intensive short-term treatment across several disciplines, and then provides a variety of ongoing treatments that drastically reduce the risk of relapse. For a small number of patients, there is even a once-a-month pharmaceutical treatment that eliminates the need for the addict to remember to take daily medication. In his new book, A NEW PRESCRIPTION FOR ADDICTION, Dr. Gracer makes this treatment program available to hidden addicts and their families around the world, not just those who can find their way to his San Ramon, California office.

A New Prescription for Addiction relates a story of discovery for the author, Richard I. Gracer, MD, a long time family physician and pain specialist. In the early 2000's a new law (DATA2000) was passed by Congress, allowing the use of a novel medication , buprenorphine (Suboxone), for the office based treatment of opiate drug addiction. Physicians need a special "waiver" from the DEA to use this medication. Dr. Gracer was added to the database of physicians using this medication. He soon had many patients calling for help with severe addiction to prescription opiates (Vicodin, Norco, Oxycontin, and many others. While the medication proved to be extremely effective, it was obvious that these people needed a comprehensive approach to treat this all encompassing disease. He started a search for such a program to use in conjunction with buprenorphine. What he found was distressing. Most programs treated this illness as a social problem, not a serious disease. This discovery started Dr. Gracer on a quest to determine the best and most effective ways to treat what is really at its heart, a brain disease that affects every system in the body and distorts almost everything in the world of these people. A New Prescription for Addiction is the story of that search. It includes the faults of the usual addiction treatment programs, as well as the methods that he found to get better results. This book is easy to read and understand, yet has details that will interest professionals. There are clear explanations of how addiction affects the brain and information on the processes used for medical, nutritional, psychologic and social treatment. There are references to assist the reader to find more help and also self administered quizzes to see if you, a friend, or a family member has a significant drug problem.

ABOUT RICHARD GRACER, MD Dr. Richard Gracer, Gracer Medical Group founder and director, has been a doctor for over 30 years. He began his journey into the benefits of alternative health when a car accident left him with a broken neck bone. Not getting better with traditional treatment, he finally went to a European trained physical therapist, who manipulated his spine. After receiving rapid welcome relief, he started his life long interest and education in alternative health treatments. Dr. Gracer has been practicing orthopedic medicine since 1979. He is Certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, board certified in Family Practice, and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. A well-known specialist in Regenerative Injection Therapy (prolotherapy) and interventional pain management, he is the first physician in the U.S. to treat intervertebral disc problems with ozone injections into the disc. He also uses Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for a variety of musculoskeletal problems, including degenerative arthritis and ligament and tendon injuries. Dr. Gracer employs the best of conventional and alternative treatments. He currently runs Gracer Behavioral Health Services, an innovative and comprehensive substance abuse program that stresses the reduction of cravings. His group also specializes in treating pain, as well as other complex medical problems such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Gracer also loves to teach. He was an Assistant Clinical Professor of Community and Family Medicine at UC San Francisco School of Medicine from 1980 until 2005. He has taught orthopedic medical topics at many seminars and courses both in North America and Europe. Dr. Gracer’s love for medicine is all in the family. His son worked as his partner and now has his own family practice.. His brother is a psychiatrist and his brother-in-law is a preventative and nutritional physician. Although Dr. Gracer considered studying for a PhD in biochemistry, he became a family doctor because he enjoyed interacting with people and seeing positive changes in his patients. Grateful to his patients for teaching him so much over the years, he says “A physician who does not constantly learn from those he cares for will always be treating his first patient.” Dr. Gracer has edited three books, Beating the Years, Beating Back Pain and Beating Sports Injuries. He also wrote an ask the doctor column for 10 years. He is the author of A New Prescription for Addiction, his first book and wrote an essay in the recently published anthology, Peak Vitality. Dr. Gracer is the host of the radio program A New Prescription for Health on Women's Radio. Gracer Medical Group is located in San Ramon, California, offering comprehensive pain treatment, as well as a CARF accredited intensive outpatient program that employs four therapists who specialize in the treatment of chemical dependency. Dr. Gracer lives with his wife, Alice,. He is also very close to his children, step daughter, and grandchildren.