Understanding the Schick Shadel Method and Counter Conditioning

Alcoholism and drug addiction are more common than most people think. According to the latest research, 29 percent of American adults age 18 and over will develop an alcohol use disorder at some time in their lives[i]. Meanwhile, another 9.9 percent will develop a drug use disorder (this includes those who become addicted to both drugs and alcohol).

Men and women with substance use disorders experience strong and persistent physical and psychological cravings which are caused by changes in the brain. It is these cravings that keep bringing people back for more, despite the negative impact drugs and alcohol have on their lives.

One option for addiction treatment, called the Schick Shadel Method, focuses almost entirely on these powerful physical and psychological desires. Schick Shadel practitioners believe they can dramatically enhance a person’s chances for recovery by using techniques that reprogram the brain to stop producing cravings. Studies have verified the effectiveness of this approach for at least some people addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Charles Shadel, Dr. Walter Voegtlin and the History of the Schick Shadel Approach

In the very same year that Alcoholics Anonymous was founded (1935), a chiropractor named Charles Shadel and his partner, gastroenterologist Dr. Walter Voegtlin, opened the Shadel Hospital for alcohol addiction treatment in Seattle, Washington. Neither of these men were trained addiction specialists but they developed a distinctive approach to treating alcoholism they were convinced would work.

After decades of relative obscurity, in 1965 the Shadel Hospital was purchased by the Schick Safety Razor Company, which dramatically increased its budget for research and development. These fortuitous circumstances came about at the request of Schick CEO Patrick J. Frawley. He sought treatment for alcohol dependency at the hospital in 1964 and was impressed by the Schick Shadel Method and the results it produced.

The key principle of the Schick Shadel Method is known as counter conditioning[iii]. Counter conditioning techniques aim to eliminate self-destructive patterns of behavior and replace them with more constructive behaviors. In this case, the goal is to reduce the strength and frequency of cravings to prevent them from undermining sobriety.

The Schick Shadel style of counter conditioning, which is also known as chemical aversion therapy, isn’t designed to replace traditional treatment methods for addiction, such as psychotherapy. But it does add another constructive element to rehab, and over the years it has helped many people control the cravings that underlie drug and alcohol abuse.

The Schick Shadel Hospital

The Schick Shadel Hospital is a fully staffed inpatient facility, where clients initially enroll in treatment programs for alcohol or drug dependency that last for a period of 10 days. Many people who come to the Schick Shadel Hospital require medical detox before their rehabilitation can begin, and the hospital does offer these services to those who need them.

After discharge, clients are expected to return to the hospital twice, 30 days later and then 90 days later, for two-day refresher courses that help fortify their sobriety and reinforce the insights they learned during their time in rehab.

In addition to chemical aversion therapy, the Schick Shadel treatment regimen also includes a supplementary form of counter conditioning called sedation therapy. In this procedure, clients are given sedatives under the supervision of an anesthesiologist, and while in a deeply relaxed state their anti-drug and anti-alcohol counter conditioning is reinforced through client-therapist dialogue that features the use of positive affirmations.

To promote a comprehensive healing process, individual counseling is also offered during 10-day inpatient Schick Shadel rehab, along with educational lectures that help clients deepen their understanding of the dynamics of addiction.

Counter Conditioning (a.k.a., Aversion Therapy)

The Schick Shadel version of counter conditioning involves the administration of drugs that cause nausea and other unpleasant side effects, under the care and supervision of specialists with a background in addiction psychiatry. In some instances, electroshock therapy may be used as an alternative if clients suffer significant adverse effects from the drugs and cannot tolerate them.

As the aversion therapy process unfolds, the client is taught to associate these unpleasant sensations with drug or alcohol use, reversing past conditioning that created cravings for substances that were expected to bring pleasure or relief from suffering.

Cravings are normally triggered by a variety of environmental or sensory stimuli, but these associations are malleable and can be changed. When it is successful, aversion therapy retrains the brain to react with revulsion at the thought of drinking or taking drugs, and the Schick Shadel Method has been finely tuned by practitioners and researchers over the past 80 years to produce just these results.

Counter Conditioning Treatment Reduces Cravings

Overcoming substance abuse is difficult without treatment. Up to 80 percent of those who try to quit drinking or using drugs on their own will ultimately fail, which is a testament to the strength of dependency and the intense cravings that support it.

Patterns of stimulus and response that take root in a part of the brain known as the cerebral cortex are responsible for generating the cravings men and women struggling with substance abuse experience. But counter conditioning attacks cravings directly, as a practical strategy to support recovery.

In one study jointly sponsored by Schick Shadel Hospital and researchers at the University of Washington, MRIs taken of people before and after Schick Shadel therapy revealed dramatic reductions in craving-related agitation in the brains of people diagnosed with drug or alcohol use disorders[iv]. In the same study 69 percent of participants were still sober 12 months after completing Schick Shadel treatment, and these men and women were all struggling with serious and debilitating substance use disorders when they volunteered to take part in this research project.

The Innovative Approach to Rehab at Transformations

While the Schick Shadel Method has produced good results, a one-size-fits-all approach to addiction treatment is not the answer for everyone. Each person who enters rehab is a unique individual with a unique life history, so treatment professionals must be flexible, adaptable, and able to offer individualized treatment options that will best suit the needs of each specific client.

With a full commitment to the most innovative and effective practices, Transformations Treatment Center features a variety of traditional treatment methods and specialty services[v]. At Transformations, individual treatment plans that include a variety of evidence-based practices are the norm, and clients are given the opportunity to choose the options they find most attractive, or that they believe are most likely to help them find lasting sobriety.

Innovation in addiction rehab is always welcome, from the standpoint of clients and treatment professionals alike. Clients who’ve tried Schick Shadel counter conditioning, or any other special program, may still require additional services in the future, to avoid relapse and to reinforce their commitment to recovery.