I was dazzled by a recent story that kept popping up for addiction treatment. According to DailyMail, clients of a clinic in Siberia let themselves get beaten. Those patients actually allow doctors to whip them, convinced that they will get rid of their addiction to alcohol, drugs, or sex. This unconventional method was the idea of a psychiatrist.

The therapy involves wooden rods and by whipping the body this way, it is stimulated to produce endorphins, which banish any need of drugs or alcohol.
Before each “session”, patients receive counseling. Drug addicts are prescribed up to 60 strokes, while alcoholics do less – around 30.

Natasha, 22, had to recover from heroin addiction. ‘It hurts like crazy – but it’s given me back my life” she says. Natasha got into drugs through a boyfriend who died from his habit. Her mother heard about the new method and this is how she got to try it.
Any patient is given psychological counseling before each session of 60 strokes (as drug addicts get) with a willow cane. They actually pay to get beaten, the cost for this addiction treatment is around £60.
Natasha says ‘I’m not a masochist,’ and she also mentioned that her parents never even slapped her. Her explanation in the interview was all about the pain, the agony, the sweating, but she also says that the treatment was not about punishing herself for taking heroin. Furthermore, it worked! She got rid of the addiction.

Professor Chukhrova explained that the beating represents the end of the treatment. The clinic also does psychological counseling before applying the “hits”, and also uses detox.
If patients can cope with the whipping, the doctors start with the beating.

Dr Pilipenko admits the treatment got a lot of skepticism from colleagues, but all pioneers have been through this.